Or maybe your creative perspective is amazing in its own right and you should appreciate your photos because you like them instead of what others say :)
@@mapledelight they’re paying him for the review, giving him a very expensive lens as well means they would give him less money. Idk how many subs he had at the time but the lens could have literally been worth more than what he was being paid.
Good ideas but a photography lesson without examples is a bit weak IMO. Maybe have an example of a good photo without a foreground and a poor one with a foreground. It reminds me of the time that I took a real life class and the instructor discussed composition techniques by waving his hands around.
Don't get me started. Okay, over-sharpened photos, pumped up blue skies, exhausting shadow/highlight detail (who cares what's in there?), front to back focus (why?), noise intolerance (a noisy shot never hurt anyone), adding film grain (use film), sensor anxiety.. we'll be here all day.
Oh yes, over-sharpening... a collegue gave me a shot of which he was very proud of, I just said that something is messing up his edges, they are overshot. Actually, he did that on purpose...
@They Caged Non i'm pretty much a newbie and very far from being a professional photographer, so can anyone tell me when to know that something has been overdone? i'm constantly thinking about it, and am never sure, so i tend to go back on the slider by 1 or 2 points just in case, but i then think i'm not doing enough, so i then decide to go for what i like. But is there a way of actually knowing?
@They Caged Non thanks for your advice. I prefer the natural look by far and even if I knew how to manipulate a photo with Photoshop, I wouldn't do that and I really try to keep it as I saw it. I'm never convinced inn doing enough or too much
I think "Top 5" videos are overused as well as people wearing hats indoors. Totally agree with Long exposure as well as golden hour. Thanks for sweating it out to be open and honest.
Totally with you on sky replacements. Hate that some software companies make a big thing of it. (Looking at you On1 and Skylum). My feeling is, if you replace the sky, it's no longer really photography.
I do agree with this, but, if you replace it, it is still art, different from photography because that's not what the scene looked like but still art. I personally would never do a sky replacement, but it can look cool, even better if you actually take the sky photo
The moment anything is replaced in a photograph, it's no longer a photograph. Personally, I see a clear delineation between photography and digital art. I have zero respect for people who present or try to pass off digital art as a photograph. It's not only disingenuous, it's borderline forgery. I feel similarly about those photographers who sit there and paint entirely new palettes of colours, patterns, textures into a scene that didn't have any of it. Why not paint the entire thing? Went even bother taking a photo in the first place? There are quite a few successful/famous guys out there who do this on a regular basis, and it grinds my nuts every time I see it. It's almost become a competition between fashion photography which involves a LOT of makeup and "retouching" and landscape photography which is becoming more and more about makeup and retouching. Even worse, a combination of the two - pose a sheila in yoga pants in front of a mountain or whatever it is.. and you've got yourself a Instagram hit. Sigh!
I guess if we don't get a video from you after this we know one of two things happened.. 1. You bought the lens and Emily found out 2. You attempted the RAM upgrade and luck was not on your side Hope to see you next week ;-p
I think a lot of the time people take principles and turn them into "rules", rather than see them as guidelines and choices. As the saying goes, the principles of photography are "a great servant, but a terrible master".
Pointing a flashlight at the Milky Way is a bit overdone, assuming that the Milky Way was actually there, of course. 😎 Keep marching to your own drumbeat, I say. Rock on!
Yeah, I don’t like people in Astro shots at all. Or in landscape shots either. It’s like “look where I’ve been, dude! In a landscape, can you believe it?!” No need for that, you’re just being annoying now.
@@listonheinz9103 in my opinion people are ok in landscape shots bc it can give you a certain feeling about how big for example the waterfall is. Of course, as always don't overuse it. :-)
Just before you mentioned golden hour, I was thinking that I'd love to see you do a video about photographing landscapes with the sun high in the sky. Go on, do one. You know you want to.
THANK YOU!!! It's so refreshing to hear a photographer of your caliber say you don't like the long exposure of water. With so many people showing their photos with that effect, I thought I was the only person in the world who didn't like it.
Really good video - one of my favorites from you so far. I definitely catch myself falling into the trap of the "rules to follow" for particular scenes (such as foreground interest and long exposure) and this is a great reminder to always be creative and find unique ways of looking at a scene instead of following the tropes
I definitely agree that too much of anything gets boring, but think that most (all?) of us, especially as “young” photographers, have phases that we go through that will include overdoing things.With maturity comes moderation. The one thing that stands out to the most among the five things mentioned is “foreground object”. Could be because I absolutely suck at finding interesting ones that match up with my main subject(s) though… 🙄 Thanks for making these awesome videos James and not being shy about your opinions. I might not always agree, but having your ideas, opinions and “ways of doing things” challenged once in a while is always good and will make us all better in the end. I know that I for one, tend to do things a certain way because “that’s the way I’m used to doing things” and “I’m too lazy to change”. 🙂
Agree, especially foreground and golden hour! Even though I love golden hour, for my new video I went out shooting at noon on purpose to challenge myself. Worked out fine and the results are nice... It’s just a matter of adapting and trying out new things. Great video, thanks!
James, thank you for this. A friend of mine is a pro/am photographer and he travels extensively for 1 great photo. He dedicates a lot of time to it, whereas I'm a local amateur and I have lots of great waterfront opportunities. I have argued with him and others that the water is part of the story, not a distraction. Blurring it just erases part of the story I tell with photos. It's great to hear that others feel the same. Yes, a blurry waterfall can look cool, but it is seen countless times on Instagram as if a first time imagined. Smoothed water under a pier at the ocean is never real and takes a bit away from an ocean sunset for the sake of perceived coolness. I'll keep shooting short exposures to get the shot and things in focus. It's my thing too.
While I personally sometimes shoot long exposures of water, shoot during golden hour or do the occasional pano (because let's be honest, a shot during golden hour tends to look fantastic), I completely agree that these techniques are overused, even more now, over 2 years after your video has been published. Maybe it would be worth to think about why lots of people do this? In the end, I believe that every photographer is trying to get better and one of the ways to do that is trying to work based on proven "recipes". This is probably a normal step in the development of an artist (can be applied to musicians, painters, etc.) and I think that it is ok to learn and use these techniques. However, I also believe that one should then try to develop his/her own individual style and techniques and not allow oneself to get stuck at the "standard" techniques. Basically, what I think I am trying to say is that for someone beginning to shoot photos, it is ok to learn and apply these techniques, but one should always keep an open mind and try to evolve above and beyond these, as they may be recipes for good images but are by far not the only way to get a good image.
I personally agree with everything you said. Those techniques are great for certain situations. It's knowing when and how to use them that makes the difference.
Spot on and well said. Unfortunately, you have just summarised the content of most UA-cam landscape photography videos, which rely on cliches rather than creativity.
Creativity and accepting your conditions when out shooting. People tend to want to add more because they aren’t pleased with the conditions they got. It’s just part of the game.
Agree with the forground and especially Golden hour. Sometimes foreground distracts if it is not the subject. And for golden hour, I don't need a rule that says I have to shoot on a certain time. If I want to shoot during the day, I just go and see what I can find. Also, don't angy Emily. She's more important than a new lense.
I always hated that "only shoot at golden hour" saying. Like its a plus, especially when going for a certain look. But you can shoot during the day at anytime. I do and always still get amazing shots.
@@TheFunnyCamGuy exactly. Maybe you have to work a bit more on your composition or your subject. Even shoot less grand vistas and get closer to the subject. For life, it is just more pleasant and don't have to wait all day till golden hour (or wake up too early).
"Golden hour is restroom time." Nice. The opposite is the german saying: "Zwischen zwölf und drei hat der Fotograf frei" (Between twelve and three the photographer is free - it's rhyming in English, too)
1000 subscribers with only one video - challenge I had a similar thought. I enjoy the photos and videos and insights of both gentlemen. The key takeaway is that the words ALWAYS and NEVER have no place in photographic technique.
Instant Gratification / Instant Feedback. Now/Me/I/Selfishness/Narcissism. This is why. Some of us will chase a composition for 10-15-20 years and then will ONLY share it once they have the shot they are happy with and proud of; While others share everything all the time, thus the over saturation of mediocrity. This is why twitter, instagram, fb and others have worn everyone out. There's communication and then there's meaningful and effective communication that leads to thought provoking contemplation.
Great episode! I have one addition: Adding things to photos that make them instantly look fake but pretending it was shot that way. Like a moon filling half of an image taken with a wide angle lens.
I agree with your assessment however the reason these techniques are popular is because they often make shots more interesting. Using these as a crutch and as the default is problematic and makes us less creative so I’d say use all the techniques you have in your bag to make the best image you can. 👌🏼
As a newbie, this video is good food for thought about what makes for a consistently worthy technique, vs. a gimmick, in terms of the context of who it's seen by and how often it's seen. Some of the items in the video are familiar to me, while others I hadn't heard of until now. And I think of how nice oversaturated blue and orange sunset landscape shots have been in my memory, but then the thought of seeing landscape shots that are ONLY like that, reveals that that goes against my default concept of what a landscape looks like. It's like dessert toppings vs. the whole dessert.
Another solid video! Perhaps in the future you can show more photo examples? Like when you talk about how photos without foreground or interesting photos with harsh light, you can show examples of what these kind of photos may look like. That'd be great!
Ha ha, James I thought I was gonna disagree with you when you first said golden hour. But then I heard your explanation and I actually agree, lol. Can’t believe you didn’t say “No 6, being a landscape photographer and believing you should always use a tripod!” 😁
I rarely use a tripod when shooting landscapes haha. Only really do it when im doing long exposures and i rarely do that too. I guess its the portrait shooting side in me that doesnt like using a tripod haha.
Fantastic discussion. Your points as well as your acknowledgement of potential counterpoints are well thought out. Thank you for taking the time to create this valuable message!
Loved this video. I think these are all the instagram effect. This was such a refreshing video to watch. One of the reason I enjoy you channel so much, you have your on thoughts and ideas and make them work.
I love zooming in to the violent splashing water of a big waterfall with as short an exposure as possible. Freeze that water splatter. Beautiful. No long exposure. I keep that for indoors and stuff like nothernlights. The movement of water is extremely fascinating.
Yup all five have become so popular it has just gotten plain boring.I do honestly think that people in general have lost the ability to think for themselves instead of putting their own stamp on an image they feel obligated to copy what appears to be in fashion.I find it far more rewarding to try and capture what I'm seeing at that moment in time,now that is something to aim for!'Art for arts sake'.
You may be right but I think there is more than a slight element of photographers looking for more 'likes' by following the accepted norms when posting to pages followed by photographers rather than the general public.
WHAT A VIDEO, JAMES!!! Every single syllable you uttered was spot on!! At least, In my opinion. It was a joy to watch. So, thank you for saying those things for all of us hobby, amateur newbie photographers. Stuff we NEEDED to hear. My favourite of the five was the analogy that shooting at 'golden hour' was shooting into an empty net. Classic! Buying a new LUMIX lens without telling your wife? It'll be hard to ask for her forgiveness after she's caved your head in! DON'T DO IT!
I think this is the strongest opinion video you have made. I agree with everything you have said. Too much of anything is overkill. Love watching you. Show us more of your work!
James thank you so much for the wonderful video. My opinion is that you are such an authentic person and having shown me another path is great, cause I agree with your 5 points. So much is fake in our era. As for the heat, unfortunately worst times are ahead of all of us. Look what is going on in Alaska. Thanks again, Flora
@@JamesPopsysPhoto : You should play the "guilt card".....first buy her an expensive present and then casually mention that you've just acquired a new lens (she'll feel guilty if she complains) :-)
That iMac desktop pic is a good example. A strong bold icy structure, a person to set the scale and provide some eye lead-in, and the expanse of the whole thing being its key feature - foreground would have ruined it
@@longliveclassicmusic i totally agree, and alot of us end up falling into that trap of always doing that particular technique, and in the process, losing out on the creative side of photography. Trying to make a photo interesting, whilst being different is the hardest part, but i find pushing through that difficulty is where the creative side comes out the best. I'm not creative in the way i imagine what i want and create a photo according to what i imagined, but tend to TRY to be creative once i'm at a location. I very often fail though too :(
But is it really needed? Does it really do what they say? OR.... did so many authors just repeat it so many times, merely because it sounded good, that we started to believe it on faith alone. Sure, it sounds plausible. But is it more like the "backmasking" mental error where someone plays music backwards and it doesn't sound like anything, but then they tell you what it says, and suddenly you can hear it plain as day, yet it turns out there was nothing really there. You can look at the foreground, and then look at the background and tell yourself, "See. It works." But wouldn't you have looked at the background anyway?
RAM is like the surface of your desk, the more you have, the more stuff you can have on the desk ready to use! The hard drive would be like the shelves behind a desk, the more you have the more you can store. Thats the easiest way to understand without techie nonsense IMO. Great vid Mr Popsys
@@JamesPopsysPhoto :D you're making it hard for me to avoid MFT, the more of your videos i watch, the more i realise how beautiful the picture you make are
Another great video. Love how your comedic and quirky personality shines through. On the 10-25mm lens and getting it past your missus, what about just telling her that one of your other lenses was destroyed and absolutely had to be replaced? For genuineness, if you're willing to make the sacrifice, you could choose your least liked or utilised lens and drop it from a high bridge (with nobody walking underneath it). A second option would be to buy the cheapest possible Panasonic ILC and the 10-25mm lens as a 'present' for her. And then you just start using the lens more often than she does, so that in practical terms, it's actually your lens.
I was sitting in my favorite chair watching your vlog and realized that the hour was getting late and I still had to replace the sky on my 2 minute exposure of the breaking surf that I "shot" at golden hour...
I got started doing nautical/sailing photography, and I wholly agree with you about long exposures being overused for water. I love capturing sparkles and ripples and waves, none of which work at all with long exposures. If I am doing a long exposure of water, I try to keep it composed in such a way that you wouldn't see much detail in the water anyways. I have a shot that I took overlooking the water and the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu at sunrise; it's a long enough exposure to capture some of the lights of cars on the road and streak them out, but not so long that the water becomes flat. I think it worked out well. I like working with early or late day light because its more horizontal, but it's not magic, you can still get harsh lighting just like you often do at midday. Overexposed at golden hour is still overexposed.... Great video. Hope it cools off soon. And good luck with the RAM.
Well constructed arguments, I absolutely agree. There is a wonderful irony that the advert preceding the video was for Luminar 4 promoting their new sky replacement tool.
3:43 - it's so true! it's the same with design, and film and photography, art in general! people try to do too much, overdoo things and the truth is that most beautiful are just plain simple (but very refined) and planned and composed - and so on ;)
I totally get the long exposure thing.. i love so much how reflective water is, it gives such a nice effect and people wipe it off without even trying to play with it
I am 100% with this guy. Its like theres no other way of taking landscape other than those format. Where is the creativity people! Dont be afraid and go with your thought and beyond
I've only used sky replacement once and it was cause i wanted a shot of the night sky over a small town i was staying at. Any attempts to catch both resulted in an over exposed town or under exposed night sky. So what i did was wait a few hours til the portion of the sky i wanted was high above me, shot that, then put it in instead of the sky that was present at the time. In my mind it was more of a party trick than an outright deception as it is what the shot would have looked like had the camera been capable of doing it in the first place.
Loved your points. When I started out I thought smooth water was a mistake because that's not what i saw on site. Still feel that way - I only own a 4 stop ND filter for really bright scenes and have only used it 2-3 times in years. I do shoot panoramas to get a sense of place but then try to focus on a specific subject. Great video. Thanks for your humor and insights.
I really like this video, your opinion in photography, which I agree with, gives me more confidence in just shooting for my story not just trying to get everything like others. Great video.
Really agree with the sky replacements. Doesn't always look bad, but I just prefer pictures to be real not what basically turns into a 3D render. Probably why I'm also not big on HDR.
I don't quite understand all the editing of real light and colors to an artificially brightened/evened out or warmed scene (especially when it's a shot of something in the snow/winter). To me it seems less real (probably because it is).
how about HDR !!! I would put that instead of long exposure (at least long expo has some poetry). I get your point about it, personally I do long exposure but only if the water is not my main subject and gets in the way of my main one (sunken boat/pier/...).
RAM is easy to explain. I found this in the glossary of a software: RAM: Random Excess Memory. Unfortunately, it was the software I was working on as developer and it was already published this way. (Got us some laughter)
Oh no you forgot everyone turning skies and lakes teal while making the grass orange. I blame McKinnon and I'm sick of seeing it especially to the extremes it's being used. Good moan mate. Cheers.
I'm with you on all five of these. But with the 10-stop it's usually just because I'm in a hurry. I don't do many long exposures but do enjoy one once in a while.
Very well explained! My "favourite" overused techniques are the "YOU HAVE TO SHOOT GOLDEN HOUR AS A BEGINNER!" and the "YOU WANNA HAVE FOREGROUND!" thing. Like you said, golden hour is just a no-brainer. Do a silhouette of the most uninteresting rock and it'll look good. And if you search for a foreground for *every* photo you're going to take, sometimes you'll end up with no photo at all while you could have at least some decent images if you haven't worried about foreground too much. On that note, I want to add another overused technique: The "YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE YOUR HISTOGRAM SPREAD EVENLY, NOT TOUCHING EITHER BORDER!" thing.
So glad to hear a real photographer spelling the beans! I never understood this obsession with foreground subject; I feel those gurus bring, along with photo gear, some stuff to pose as foreground interest, I have a hunch that Amazon.com and Bhp are in the process of selling "professional-grade foreground subjects" to help photographers achieve greatness. Fully agree with you regarding long-exposure of water
Yup, photography is subjective. And, I happen to enjoy your work and your approach. My photos have to satisfy me, just me. Often they don't and that is my journey. Now, if I could just kick this thing I have with vivid photos... Then again, I'll have to think about that. Thank you for sharing James.
I do appreciate your frank and sensible opinions. It seems photography is full of fashions like everything else: to step back from the crowd and to think what actually works rather than what everyone is doing is a really good idea
Bravo! I’m glad someone said these things. All of them, but the one about golden hour has been bugging me for some time. I just returned from a trip for which one of my goals was to shoot a mountain peak at ... dawn. The first day I got up really early to make it up to my 10,000 foot vantage point, but clouds on the horizon obliterated any “epic” dawn light. I did get dramatic clouds rolling over the peak . The second day I got the “epic” golden light on a stunningly clear mountain face: perfect for one of those inspirational posters they hang in offices (maybe titled, “It’s easier to ask fo forgiveness. than to seek permission...”). Guess which is the picture with a story to tell? So, your point is well taken.
"good photos are about subtraction, taking things out of the shot..." that's a great saying that every photographer should have on loop to hear again and again
While golden hour can be nice, it's also at stupid o'clock when the weather is what most would describe as decent (stupidly early in the morning, stupidly late in the evening). Limiting oneself to just golden hour for photography, or even assuming that something is "ruined" because of clouds... Nah, I choose to take photos when I can, and roll with it. Besides, clouds are awesome for doing things like making harsh midday summer sun softer, keeping you cooler in said harsh midday summer sun, and also makes you try to look at things differently. As for long exposures, I definitely hear you there. First, you need a tripod, then somewhere to put it... Then again, one of the things I rather enjoy kind of requires long exposures - deep space object astrophotography, and yup, I'm still planning on being "insane" and trying to get a target or two over the winter.... With the G85.. Why? Well, it's what I have, and I'll do what I can with the noise issues said sensor has. Guess I can't win them all. Then again, with astrophotography you tend to also bring something like a camp chair with you, so arguably that weight isn't on your back all day either...
Thanks James, my pet hate is long exposures so long the water looks like cotton wool balls around the rocks ! I find an exposure of 1/4 to 1 sec hand held is great with my Olympus.
I was away from landscape photography for a very long time (since film) and was pretty shocked how many milky waterfalls and glass oceans have taken over since I started snooping around for ideas. There are exceptions where the ocean and a singular object can take on an abstract feel, but most of the time it feels gimmicky, to me at least. However, if people are out getting fresh air and trying to beautify and capture this amazing world, I can't be too hard on them. Thomas Heaton (comment below) can certainly speak for himself, but I'm guessing he doesn't mind and has his own ideas which is what makes him, and so many others like yourself excellent at your trade. Thanks again for an informative and worthwhile 10:32 of my day.
Jp you legend! Great tyo hear your comments about golden hour. The prevailing wisdom seems to be, if you dont take your photos during golden hour they will be SH1£. This wisdom has prevented me from going out to take photos during the day for years. But there are sooooo many other photos that can be taken well OUTSIDE of golden hour. Well done you.
When doing a long exposure test shots are taken first (I often do a 5 frame bracket - I don't use grads - seeing as the camera is on the tripod) so you've essentially got the regular photo for that long exposure anyway. You can work a long exposure to give you the maximum from a composition.
A pet peeve of mine is the bokeh thing, wide aperture lenses and blurred backgrounds in portraits. I said something about this to someone the other day, and he argued that it was a compositional tool. I think, if you don’t like your background, move your subject. Cheers! Love your work!
Number 2-4, totally agree with you. Still water, depends. You as photographer, you know how they are made, for regular person, who is just looking on photo of smoothed water it maybe look like a miracle ;) triggering fascination, sense of calmness. I agree it is overused but if it is used not as a cliche but as a way to convey some idea, why not. James, love your short videos, going over all of them, one by one and always finding something interesting and giving different prospective, forcing to rethink basics.
Entertaining. I agree with your 5 items to different degrees. Basically, I thought your best point was "If you are scrambling about trying to find just the right thing to ADD to your scene, your not getting a good shot" (paraphrasing) . . .
I think methods work for two reasons: because they are easy and/or work. That's the case for art, sports or anything else. Replacing a boring sky instead of visiting the area more often is just much easier. Taking photos during golden hour is, as you mentioned, much easier and work most of the time... As in every other part in life, people are lazy and only a few are taking the last few percentages or try to improve constantly. Very nice video once again.
So glad to hear this comment on sky replacement. This is a major personal pet peeve. That, along with stuffing a giant moon in the middle of the photograph that makes it look like a poorly airbrushed early 80s shaggin’ wagon (van).
James - thanks so much for the reminder not to take the easy/expected/done-before/safe route with my photos. There's no "Great Picture" button on the camera, and there's no "Guaranteed to make your photo great" technique. Each photo needs individual care and attention. Thanks again! And... good luck with the lens!
All good points. I was never a fan of the smooth water effect. A panorama may be fine as a snapshot to help you remember a spot, but it's takes special circumstances to create a great panorama. If the foreground is interesting, great; if not, find the shot that is there. Sky replacements also an issue. Sometimes I get to shoot on days when the sky truly is awesome. When I share those photos, someone is bound to ask what method I used to replace the sky!
Damn it - my favorite long exposure pano of a waterfall with a replaced golden hour sky doesn't seem so good now.
Hahaha
😂😂😂😂
Just make it an HDR and blow out the colors until it looks like a cartoon.
Or maybe your creative perspective is amazing in its own right and you should appreciate your photos because you like them instead of what others say :)
@@thomasliebl9273 Agreed...but you may have missed the part where I was being sarcastic...it was the whole thing.
For real dummies like me, you should show examples of all these. Cheers from Carolina
C'mon Lumix! He is protecting his future marriage! Give this brave man a lens!
Yeah Lunix are you not ashamed to ask for it back. You just look tight. Give the dude the lens.
hahaha! :)
@@mapledelight 🤣
@@mapledelight they’re paying him for the review, giving him a very expensive lens as well means they would give him less money. Idk how many subs he had at the time but the lens could have literally been worth more than what he was being paid.
Good ideas but a photography lesson without examples is a bit weak IMO. Maybe have an example of a good photo without a foreground and a poor one with a foreground. It reminds me of the time that I took a real life class and the instructor discussed composition techniques by waving his hands around.
Don't get me started. Okay, over-sharpened photos, pumped up blue skies, exhausting shadow/highlight detail (who cares what's in there?), front to back focus (why?), noise intolerance (a noisy shot never hurt anyone), adding film grain (use film), sensor anxiety.. we'll be here all day.
Oh yes, over-sharpening... a collegue gave me a shot of which he was very proud of, I just said that something is messing up his edges, they are overshot. Actually, he did that on purpose...
Videos about some of those coming soon!
Borderlands it’s definitely all a hot topic!
@They Caged Non i'm pretty much a newbie and very far from being a professional photographer, so can anyone tell me when to know that something has been overdone? i'm constantly thinking about it, and am never sure, so i tend to go back on the slider by 1 or 2 points just in case, but i then think i'm not doing enough, so i then decide to go for what i like. But is there a way of actually knowing?
@They Caged Non thanks for your advice. I prefer the natural look by far and even if I knew how to manipulate a photo with Photoshop, I wouldn't do that and I really try to keep it as I saw it. I'm never convinced inn doing enough or too much
I think "Top 5" videos are overused as well as people wearing hats indoors. Totally agree with Long exposure as well as golden hour. Thanks for sweating it out to be open and honest.
Totally with you on sky replacements. Hate that some software companies make a big thing of it. (Looking at you On1 and Skylum). My feeling is, if you replace the sky, it's no longer really photography.
I do agree with this, but, if you replace it, it is still art, different from photography because that's not what the scene looked like but still art. I personally would never do a sky replacement, but it can look cool, even better if you actually take the sky photo
I Don't replace the sky and i use Skylum which has a very good sky enhancement
wait until your client asking for building / architectural photography, you will need it on those subject
The only exeption in my opinion is when the sky is totally blown out
The moment anything is replaced in a photograph, it's no longer a photograph. Personally, I see a clear delineation between photography and digital art. I have zero respect for people who present or try to pass off digital art as a photograph. It's not only disingenuous, it's borderline forgery. I feel similarly about those photographers who sit there and paint entirely new palettes of colours, patterns, textures into a scene that didn't have any of it. Why not paint the entire thing? Went even bother taking a photo in the first place?
There are quite a few successful/famous guys out there who do this on a regular basis, and it grinds my nuts every time I see it. It's almost become a competition between fashion photography which involves a LOT of makeup and "retouching" and landscape photography which is becoming more and more about makeup and retouching. Even worse, a combination of the two - pose a sheila in yoga pants in front of a mountain or whatever it is.. and you've got yourself a Instagram hit. Sigh!
I guess if we don't get a video from you after this we know one of two things happened..
1. You bought the lens and Emily found out
2. You attempted the RAM upgrade and luck was not on your side
Hope to see you next week ;-p
Hahaha! Send help if there's no upload!
I think a lot of the time people take principles and turn them into "rules", rather than see them as guidelines and choices. As the saying goes, the principles of photography are "a great servant, but a terrible master".
I love that saying :)
Pointing a flashlight at the Milky Way is a bit overdone, assuming that the Milky Way was actually there, of course. 😎 Keep marching to your own drumbeat, I say. Rock on!
That is one overused sky background.
It can be done tastefully. But most of the time, it completely takes away from the Milky Way.
Yeah, I don’t like people in Astro shots at all. Or in landscape shots either. It’s like “look where I’ve been, dude! In a landscape, can you believe it?!” No need for that, you’re just being annoying now.
@@listonheinz9103 in my opinion people are ok in landscape shots bc it can give you a certain feeling about how big for example the waterfall is. Of course, as always don't overuse it. :-)
@Soumendranath Baidya Your website is awesome! All your photos are incredible!
Just before you mentioned golden hour, I was thinking that I'd love to see you do a video about photographing landscapes with the sun high in the sky. Go on, do one. You know you want to.
THANK YOU!!! It's so refreshing to hear a photographer of your caliber say you don't like the long exposure of water. With so many people showing their photos with that effect, I thought I was the only person in the world who didn't like it.
"Good fotos are always about subtraction, taking things out of the shot to simplify it and make the message stronger." Wise words.
Really good video - one of my favorites from you so far. I definitely catch myself falling into the trap of the "rules to follow" for particular scenes (such as foreground interest and long exposure) and this is a great reminder to always be creative and find unique ways of looking at a scene instead of following the tropes
"I'm gonna make this as quick as possible" *holds box up to camera for 30 straight seconds.*
I lol'd.
Yeah, I like the guy. But I gotta skip the first minute or three of all his videos.
I definitely agree that too much of anything gets boring, but think that most (all?) of us, especially as “young” photographers, have phases that we go through that will include overdoing things.With maturity comes moderation. The one thing that stands out to the most among the five things mentioned is “foreground object”. Could be because I absolutely suck at finding interesting ones that match up with my main subject(s) though… 🙄
Thanks for making these awesome videos James and not being shy about your opinions. I might not always agree, but having your ideas, opinions and “ways of doing things” challenged once in a while is always good and will make us all better in the end. I know that I for one, tend to do things a certain way because “that’s the way I’m used to doing things” and “I’m too lazy to change”. 🙂
Agree, especially foreground and golden hour! Even though I love golden hour, for my new video I went out shooting at noon on purpose to challenge myself. Worked out fine and the results are nice... It’s just a matter of adapting and trying out new things. Great video, thanks!
And fun it was!
Definitely mate! 🙂
Joris Hermans gotta constantly challenge your creative skills!
Moises Lopez Photography Yep, and it’s easier than a lot of people think. Change is scary for some, I guess?
James, thank you for this. A friend of mine is a pro/am photographer and he travels extensively for 1 great photo. He dedicates a lot of time to it, whereas I'm a local amateur and I have lots of great waterfront opportunities. I have argued with him and others that the water is part of the story, not a distraction. Blurring it just erases part of the story I tell with photos. It's great to hear that others feel the same.
Yes, a blurry waterfall can look cool, but it is seen countless times on Instagram as if a first time imagined. Smoothed water under a pier at the ocean is never real and takes a bit away from an ocean sunset for the sake of perceived coolness. I'll keep shooting short exposures to get the shot and things in focus. It's my thing too.
While I personally sometimes shoot long exposures of water, shoot during golden hour or do the occasional pano (because let's be honest, a shot during golden hour tends to look fantastic), I completely agree that these techniques are overused, even more now, over 2 years after your video has been published.
Maybe it would be worth to think about why lots of people do this? In the end, I believe that every photographer is trying to get better and one of the ways to do that is trying to work based on proven "recipes". This is probably a normal step in the development of an artist (can be applied to musicians, painters, etc.) and I think that it is ok to learn and use these techniques. However, I also believe that one should then try to develop his/her own individual style and techniques and not allow oneself to get stuck at the "standard" techniques.
Basically, what I think I am trying to say is that for someone beginning to shoot photos, it is ok to learn and apply these techniques, but one should always keep an open mind and try to evolve above and beyond these, as they may be recipes for good images but are by far not the only way to get a good image.
Would really like to see some of your photos during your videos and your thoughts behind them... maybe when it is cooler to go outdoors
Yes. Was hoping for a slew of really bad sky replacement shots.
Makes sense Tessa, will do next time :)
I’m pleased you raised the issues you did. You have given us much to ponder. Thanks.
I personally agree with everything you said. Those techniques are great for certain situations. It's knowing when and how to use them that makes the difference.
Spot on and well said. Unfortunately, you have just summarised the content of most UA-cam landscape photography videos, which rely on cliches rather than creativity.
:what'supguysPeterMcKinnonhere!:
Creativity and accepting your conditions when out shooting. People tend to want to add more because they aren’t pleased with the conditions they got. It’s just part of the game.
You are way outside the mainstream. Thank goodness someone is! The photo police are near though.
The Great Vanzinni! 😂🙌🏽
Agree with the forground and especially Golden hour. Sometimes foreground distracts if it is not the subject. And for golden hour, I don't need a rule that says I have to shoot on a certain time. If I want to shoot during the day, I just go and see what I can find.
Also, don't angy Emily. She's more important than a new lense.
I always hated that "only shoot at golden hour" saying. Like its a plus, especially when going for a certain look. But you can shoot during the day at anytime. I do and always still get amazing shots.
@@TheFunnyCamGuy exactly. Maybe you have to work a bit more on your composition or your subject. Even shoot less grand vistas and get closer to the subject. For life, it is just more pleasant and don't have to wait all day till golden hour (or wake up too early).
Agreed mate! 🙂
Golden hour is cool but I don't let that dictate when I get my shots. Just get the right exposure 🤷🏾
Thank goodness that there is another person not sold 100% on golden hour.
Golden hour is restroom time.
Eminence FrontX5 those are fighting words! 😂🙌🏽
"Golden hour is restroom time." Nice. The opposite is the german saying: "Zwischen zwölf und drei hat der Fotograf frei" (Between twelve and three the photographer is free - it's rhyming in English, too)
Two minutes in and I'm already sure Thomas Heaton disliked this video.
:D
1000 subscribers with only one video - challenge
I had a similar thought. I enjoy the photos and videos and insights of both gentlemen. The key takeaway is that the words ALWAYS and NEVER have no place in photographic technique.
😂😂
I was thing more BVS lol
Brilliant 🤣😍
Instant Gratification / Instant Feedback. Now/Me/I/Selfishness/Narcissism. This is why. Some of us will chase a composition for 10-15-20 years and then will ONLY share it once they have the shot they are happy with and proud of; While others share everything all the time, thus the over saturation of mediocrity. This is why twitter, instagram, fb and others have worn everyone out. There's communication and then there's meaningful and effective communication that leads to thought provoking contemplation.
Great episode! I have one addition: Adding things to photos that make them instantly look fake but pretending it was shot that way. Like a moon filling half of an image taken with a wide angle lens.
I agree with your assessment however the reason these techniques are popular is because they often make shots more interesting. Using these as a crutch and as the default is problematic and makes us less creative so I’d say use all the techniques you have in your bag to make the best image you can. 👌🏼
Taking elements out to make a simpler shot. Best advice ever. Cheers
As a newbie, this video is good food for thought about what makes for a consistently worthy technique, vs. a gimmick, in terms of the context of who it's seen by and how often it's seen. Some of the items in the video are familiar to me, while others I hadn't heard of until now. And I think of how nice oversaturated blue and orange sunset landscape shots have been in my memory, but then the thought of seeing landscape shots that are ONLY like that, reveals that that goes against my default concept of what a landscape looks like. It's like dessert toppings vs. the whole dessert.
Another solid video! Perhaps in the future you can show more photo examples? Like when you talk about how photos without foreground or interesting photos with harsh light, you can show examples of what these kind of photos may look like. That'd be great!
Sabie Zaide sounds like a great video to be made!
Will do! Thanks :)
Good sense, well presented without being preachy. Subbed. Thanks James - excellent video!
Ha ha, James I thought I was gonna disagree with you when you first said golden hour. But then I heard your explanation and I actually agree, lol. Can’t believe you didn’t say “No 6, being a landscape photographer and believing you should always use a tripod!” 😁
I rarely use a tripod when shooting landscapes haha. Only really do it when im doing long exposures and i rarely do that too. I guess its the portrait shooting side in me that doesnt like using a tripod haha.
Especially knowing how much you hate tripods 😉🤣
😂 I thought there was a danger of me banging on about it too much!
James Popsys ha ha, never. Never ever! 😂😂
Fantastic discussion. Your points as well as your acknowledgement of potential counterpoints are well thought out. Thank you for taking the time to create this valuable message!
Loved this video. I think these are all the instagram effect. This was such a refreshing video to watch. One of the reason I enjoy you channel so much, you have your on thoughts and ideas and make them work.
I love zooming in to the violent splashing water of a big waterfall with as short an exposure as possible. Freeze that water splatter. Beautiful. No long exposure. I keep that for indoors and stuff like nothernlights. The movement of water is extremely fascinating.
Great video James. By the way - RAM is 'Really Amazing Memory'
Mark Kent something I don’t have 😂
haha, cheers Mark!
Really awesome memory?
Yup all five have become so popular it has just gotten plain boring.I do honestly think that people in general have lost the ability to think for themselves instead of putting their own stamp on an image they feel obligated to copy what appears to be in fashion.I find it far more rewarding to try and capture what I'm seeing at that moment in time,now that is something to aim for!'Art for arts sake'.
You may be right but I think there is more than a slight element of photographers looking for more 'likes' by following the accepted norms when posting to pages followed by photographers rather than the general public.
WHAT A VIDEO, JAMES!!! Every single syllable you uttered was spot on!! At least, In my opinion. It was a joy to watch. So, thank you for saying those things for all of us hobby, amateur newbie photographers. Stuff we NEEDED to hear. My favourite of the five was the analogy that shooting at 'golden hour' was shooting into an empty net. Classic!
Buying a new LUMIX lens without telling your wife? It'll be hard to ask for her forgiveness after she's caved your head in! DON'T DO IT!
I think this is the strongest opinion video you have made. I agree with everything you have said. Too much of anything is overkill. Love watching you. Show us more of your work!
Terribly underrated channel. Love your presentation and humor...
James thank you so much for the wonderful video. My opinion is that you are such an authentic person and having shown me another path is great, cause I agree with your 5 points. So much is fake in our era. As for the heat, unfortunately worst times are ahead of all of us. Look what is going on in Alaska. Thanks again, Flora
Upgrade her ring...then take a great picture using the new lens?!
Sounds like you've done this before... :)
:O
@@JamesPopsysPhoto : You should play the "guilt card".....first buy her an expensive present and then casually mention that you've just acquired a new lens (she'll feel guilty if she complains) :-)
Agreed . The foreground is meant to lead the eye to the subject, but if the subject is strong enough then it isn't always needed.
True, but foreground also adds depth, which is good most of the times.
1957PLATO Not if literally almost every photo does so. Everything becomes so cliché and uninteresting based on an overused technique alone.
That iMac desktop pic is a good example. A strong bold icy structure, a person to set the scale and provide some eye lead-in, and the expanse of the whole thing being its key feature - foreground would have ruined it
@@longliveclassicmusic i totally agree, and alot of us end up falling into that trap of always doing that particular technique, and in the process, losing out on the creative side of photography. Trying to make a photo interesting, whilst being different is the hardest part, but i find pushing through that difficulty is where the creative side comes out the best. I'm not creative in the way i imagine what i want and create a photo according to what i imagined, but tend to TRY to be creative once i'm at a location. I very often fail though too :(
But is it really needed? Does it really do what they say? OR.... did so many authors just repeat it so many times, merely because it sounded good, that we started to believe it on faith alone. Sure, it sounds plausible. But is it more like the "backmasking" mental error where someone plays music backwards and it doesn't sound like anything, but then they tell you what it says, and suddenly you can hear it plain as day, yet it turns out there was nothing really there. You can look at the foreground, and then look at the background and tell yourself, "See. It works." But wouldn't you have looked at the background anyway?
RAM is like the surface of your desk, the more you have, the more stuff you can have on the desk ready to use! The hard drive would be like the shelves behind a desk, the more you have the more you can store. Thats the easiest way to understand without techie nonsense IMO. Great vid Mr Popsys
That's the best explanation I've heard :)
@@JamesPopsysPhoto :D you're making it hard for me to avoid MFT, the more of your videos i watch, the more i realise how beautiful the picture you make are
Another great video. Love how your comedic and quirky personality shines through. On the 10-25mm lens and getting it past your missus, what about just telling her that one of your other lenses was destroyed and absolutely had to be replaced? For genuineness, if you're willing to make the sacrifice, you could choose your least liked or utilised lens and drop it from a high bridge (with nobody walking underneath it). A second option would be to buy the cheapest possible Panasonic ILC and the 10-25mm lens as a 'present' for her. And then you just start using the lens more often than she does, so that in practical terms, it's actually your lens.
I was sitting in my favorite chair watching your vlog and realized that the hour was getting late and I still had to replace the sky on my 2 minute exposure of the breaking surf that I "shot" at golden hour...
I got started doing nautical/sailing photography, and I wholly agree with you about long exposures being overused for water. I love capturing sparkles and ripples and waves, none of which work at all with long exposures. If I am doing a long exposure of water, I try to keep it composed in such a way that you wouldn't see much detail in the water anyways. I have a shot that I took overlooking the water and the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu at sunrise; it's a long enough exposure to capture some of the lights of cars on the road and streak them out, but not so long that the water becomes flat. I think it worked out well.
I like working with early or late day light because its more horizontal, but it's not magic, you can still get harsh lighting just like you often do at midday. Overexposed at golden hour is still overexposed....
Great video. Hope it cools off soon. And good luck with the RAM.
Harsh mid-day light can be great for my B&W. I think you can always use the conditions, whatever they are.
Good luck with upgrading the Ram! My 10-25mm just arrived on Friday it’s like Christmas come early.
Really wonderful. Thank you, james.
Well constructed arguments, I absolutely agree. There is a wonderful irony that the advert preceding the video was for Luminar 4 promoting their new sky replacement tool.
haha!
"the subject is the light" What a great way of putting it
3:43 - it's so true! it's the same with design, and film and photography, art in general! people try to do too much, overdoo things and the truth is that most beautiful are just plain simple (but very refined) and planned and composed - and so on ;)
I totally get the long exposure thing.. i love so much how reflective water is, it gives such a nice effect and people wipe it off without even trying to play with it
I am 100% with this guy. Its like theres no other way of taking landscape other than those format. Where is the creativity people! Dont be afraid and go with your thought and beyond
I've only used sky replacement once and it was cause i wanted a shot of the night sky over a small town i was staying at. Any attempts to catch both resulted in an over exposed town or under exposed night sky. So what i did was wait a few hours til the portion of the sky i wanted was high above me, shot that, then put it in instead of the sky that was present at the time.
In my mind it was more of a party trick than an outright deception as it is what the shot would have looked like had the camera been capable of doing it in the first place.
Loved your points. When I started out I thought smooth water was a mistake because that's not what i saw on site. Still feel that way - I only own a 4 stop ND filter for really bright scenes and have only used it 2-3 times in years. I do shoot panoramas to get a sense of place but then try to focus on a specific subject. Great video. Thanks for your humor and insights.
I really like this video, your opinion in photography, which I agree with, gives me more confidence in just shooting for my story not just trying to get everything like others. Great video.
Really agree with the sky replacements. Doesn't always look bad, but I just prefer pictures to be real not what basically turns into a 3D render. Probably why I'm also not big on HDR.
I don't quite understand all the editing of real light and colors to an artificially brightened/evened out or warmed scene (especially when it's a shot of something in the snow/winter). To me it seems less real (probably because it is).
how about HDR !!! I would put that instead of long exposure (at least long expo has some poetry).
I get your point about it, personally I do long exposure but only if the water is not my main subject and gets in the way of my main one (sunken boat/pier/...).
HDR is 99.9% awful. Ridiculous technique and totally misused. Agreed.
What don't you like about hdr?
@@davidmichael8880 it's never really the HDR, it's the wild tonemappings...
@@davidmichael8880 it become very quickly unaesthetic.
Nearly always looks fake. Just horrible. Can’t believe it was a huge trend not long ago. Wasn’t good.
RAM is easy to explain. I found this in the glossary of a software: RAM: Random Excess Memory.
Unfortunately, it was the software I was working on as developer and it was already published this way. (Got us some laughter)
Ulrich it’s ok that way in New Zealand bro ...
Dear Ulrich, random ACCESS memory, of course. Excess has quite a different meaning. Or you may had been working on some REM?
doesn't every developer see memory as excess and to be used ? lol
Oh no you forgot everyone turning skies and lakes teal while making the grass orange. I blame McKinnon and I'm sick of seeing it especially to the extremes it's being used. Good moan mate. Cheers.
You really need to come to NZ (In a few years) Where the lakes are teal and the grass is orange (ish)
Blame him AND Sawyer Hartman 🙄
@@angelinacarrasquillo5260 I'm not beautiful or handsome enough to watch Hartman ;) Anyway I'd feel too inadequate if I did. Haha.
I'm with you on all five of these. But with the 10-stop it's usually just because I'm in a hurry. I don't do many long exposures but do enjoy one once in a while.
Great video. I 100% agree with your comments on sky replacement!!
I thought I was a voice in the wilderness in not liking long exposure water pics. Good on yer.
Very well explained! My "favourite" overused techniques are the "YOU HAVE TO SHOOT GOLDEN HOUR AS A BEGINNER!" and the "YOU WANNA HAVE FOREGROUND!" thing. Like you said, golden hour is just a no-brainer. Do a silhouette of the most uninteresting rock and it'll look good. And if you search for a foreground for *every* photo you're going to take, sometimes you'll end up with no photo at all while you could have at least some decent images if you haven't worried about foreground too much.
On that note, I want to add another overused technique: The "YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE YOUR HISTOGRAM SPREAD EVENLY, NOT TOUCHING EITHER BORDER!" thing.
Loved this, such great practical advice, just get out there and take pictures!
So glad to hear a real photographer spelling the beans! I never understood this obsession with foreground subject; I feel those gurus bring, along with photo gear, some stuff to pose as foreground interest, I have a hunch that Amazon.com and Bhp are in the process of selling "professional-grade foreground subjects" to help photographers achieve greatness. Fully agree with you regarding long-exposure of water
Yup, photography is subjective. And, I happen to enjoy your work and your approach. My photos have to satisfy me, just me. Often they don't and that is my journey. Now, if I could just kick this thing I have with vivid photos... Then again, I'll have to think about that. Thank you for sharing James.
I do appreciate your frank and sensible opinions. It seems photography is full of fashions like everything else: to step back from the crowd and to think what actually works rather than what everyone is doing is a really good idea
Bravo! I’m glad someone said these things. All of them, but the one about golden hour has been bugging me for some time. I just returned from a trip for which one of my goals was to shoot a mountain peak at ... dawn. The first day I got up really early to make it up to my 10,000 foot vantage point, but clouds on the horizon obliterated any “epic” dawn light. I did get dramatic clouds rolling over the peak . The second day I got the “epic” golden light on a stunningly clear mountain face: perfect for one of those inspirational posters they hang in offices (maybe titled, “It’s easier to ask fo forgiveness. than to seek permission...”). Guess which is the picture with a story to tell? So, your point is well taken.
"good photos are about subtraction, taking things out of the shot..." that's a great saying that every photographer should have on loop to hear again and again
While golden hour can be nice, it's also at stupid o'clock when the weather is what most would describe as decent (stupidly early in the morning, stupidly late in the evening). Limiting oneself to just golden hour for photography, or even assuming that something is "ruined" because of clouds... Nah, I choose to take photos when I can, and roll with it. Besides, clouds are awesome for doing things like making harsh midday summer sun softer, keeping you cooler in said harsh midday summer sun, and also makes you try to look at things differently.
As for long exposures, I definitely hear you there. First, you need a tripod, then somewhere to put it... Then again, one of the things I rather enjoy kind of requires long exposures - deep space object astrophotography, and yup, I'm still planning on being "insane" and trying to get a target or two over the winter.... With the G85.. Why? Well, it's what I have, and I'll do what I can with the noise issues said sensor has. Guess I can't win them all. Then again, with astrophotography you tend to also bring something like a camp chair with you, so arguably that weight isn't on your back all day either...
Thanks James, my pet hate is long exposures so long the water looks like cotton wool balls around the rocks ! I find an exposure of 1/4 to 1 sec hand held is great with my Olympus.
I was away from landscape photography for a very long time (since film) and was pretty shocked how many milky waterfalls and glass oceans have taken over since I started snooping around for ideas. There are exceptions where the ocean and a singular object can take on an abstract feel, but most of the time it feels gimmicky, to me at least. However, if people are out getting fresh air and trying to beautify and capture this amazing world, I can't be too hard on them. Thomas Heaton (comment below) can certainly speak for himself, but I'm guessing he doesn't mind and has his own ideas which is what makes him, and so many others like yourself excellent at your trade. Thanks again for an informative and worthwhile 10:32 of my day.
Jp you legend! Great tyo hear your comments about golden hour. The prevailing wisdom seems to be, if you dont take your photos during golden hour they will be SH1£. This wisdom has prevented me from going out to take photos during the day for years. But there are sooooo many other photos that can be taken well OUTSIDE of golden hour. Well done you.
When doing a long exposure test shots are taken first (I often do a 5 frame bracket - I don't use grads - seeing as the camera is on the tripod) so you've essentially got the regular photo for that long exposure anyway. You can work a long exposure to give you the maximum from a composition.
A pet peeve of mine is the bokeh thing, wide aperture lenses and blurred backgrounds in portraits. I said something about this to someone the other day, and he argued that it was a compositional tool. I think, if you don’t like your background, move your subject. Cheers! Love your work!
Thanks Steve! 🙂
Agree with them all-glad to hear someone else say what I’ve been thinking!
Make a video of you replacing the ram..... love the content!
Wietse Scheyving I’m down with that idea! Lol
Number 2-4, totally agree with you. Still water, depends. You as photographer, you know how they are made, for regular person, who is just looking on photo of smoothed water it maybe look like a miracle ;) triggering fascination, sense of calmness. I agree it is overused but if it is used not as a cliche but as a way to convey some idea, why not.
James, love your short videos, going over all of them, one by one and always finding something interesting and giving different prospective, forcing to rethink basics.
This was very helpful and encouraging. Simple ways to push your photography past what may be over used. Thanks for the ideas!
I totally agree I’m so tired of smooth water photos ! I like most of your videos they seem very helpful , and i like the subjects you talk about .
Entertaining. I agree with your 5 items to different degrees. Basically, I thought your best point was "If you are scrambling about trying to find just the right thing to ADD to your scene, your not getting a good shot" (paraphrasing) . . .
Food for thought indeed. Thanks
Absolutely cracking video.... You read my mind!
James, you nailed it!
I think methods work for two reasons: because they are easy and/or work.
That's the case for art, sports or anything else.
Replacing a boring sky instead of visiting the area more often is just much easier. Taking photos during golden hour is, as you mentioned, much easier and work most of the time...
As in every other part in life, people are lazy and only a few are taking the last few percentages or try to improve constantly.
Very nice video once again.
Wonderful. More examples for the points would be so helpful for beginners
So glad to hear this comment on sky replacement. This is a major personal pet peeve. That, along with stuffing a giant moon in the middle of the photograph that makes it look like a poorly airbrushed early 80s shaggin’ wagon (van).
James - thanks so much for the reminder not to take the easy/expected/done-before/safe route with my photos. There's no "Great Picture" button on the camera, and there's no "Guaranteed to make your photo great" technique. Each photo needs individual care and attention. Thanks again! And... good luck with the lens!
i like the softness of long exposed water shots .. some are very beautiful
All good points. I was never a fan of the smooth water effect. A panorama may be fine as a snapshot to help you remember a spot, but it's takes special circumstances to create a great panorama. If the foreground is interesting, great; if not, find the shot that is there. Sky replacements also an issue. Sometimes I get to shoot on days when the sky truly is awesome. When I share those photos, someone is bound to ask what method I used to replace the sky!
I agree with all that. What about a video on techniques in bright weather? Or did I miss that one?
I feel that you lose the power of the water in a waterfall when you have to blur and smooth it all the time. It just looks fake to me.
Eliminating everything that ISN'T the photo sounds like advice worth remembering. Nice video.
man i want a video of James replacing the RAM and just bumbling around in there. i feel like it would be the most relatable content to date.
😂😂 plenty of damage done!