There was a quote that goes something like this: "The novice cares about the equipment, the professional cares about the money and the master cares about the light."
My very 1st lens that i got with my Minolta SLR (1986) , was the all-mighty ''Standard'' lens, better known as the 50mil. Still have that lens today ! Love that lens . . .
Ansel Adams said, "A photograph is usually looked at-and seldom looked into." I think his wisdom is also true with the scene in front of us. We tend to look at the scene but not look into the scene. I know that I am guilty of that, and this video here is a great reminder of how I can improve my photography. So, thanks for sharing this philosophy, Mark. Another informative and inspiring video.
Wide angle - Tokina 11-16mm I feel that, as someone that isn't a professional photographer, when I'm at a location, I gotta make use of the conditions that I've got. For the most part, I can't afford (both time and money) to go back to a location when the conditions are "ideal".
I was in Iceland just a few weeks ago. There are so many areas that are hard to get close to, having my 70-200 really helped me get closer and isolate specific areas, as you said. I have thousands of pictures that will now take me a lifetime and a half to sift through and process. Such an amazing country to visit and experience.
You have gone from photography from your head to photography from your heart. You probably started from your heart then when learning the skills switched to your head. You photographs are beautiful. I am just a novice but I get it. To lose that joy and then find it again is the greatest thing.
Learning to look for light was the biggest thing I learned to help my photography. I actually learned it from a UK street photographer named Roman Fox. I would look at his images and try to figure out the commonality that I loved in his images. He uses light so well. So, now when I'm in landscape photography situations I try to remember this as well. Sometimes those light and shadow detail shots are really nice. It also makes me slow down and look around before shooting. Really great advice Mark!!! Have a great week!
*The Best Photography advice of All-Time* I have watched COUNTLESS hours of RUclips videos so I can claim myself a sort of RUclips Photography Video Expert. And the advice in this Video is the Best you'll ever watch. Period
First lens I got was in 1980, a 55mm. I was 16 heading off to art school for photography, The school gave you a list of basic equipment that you needed for school and as a graduation gift from high school my stepfather purchased me my first camera, lens, flash camera bag and tripod. It was a Minolta, still have it sitting in a camera bag in my closet. Have to say I miss the days of using film and processing my black and white negatives, printing photos. Thank you for a moment of nostalgia and very happy memories.
I started out with a 24-70mm and found it actually gave me the opposite experience where it encouraged me to do grand landscape where I could but also play with more intimate compositions as well.
This video is a perfect example of what you are telling into it: simply and basic rules, but focused an explained (substitute of used, when in shooting session) at the best, as your "looking down" in the big world of photography field, where big things, if not well implemented can becomes as a boring sky. Someone can think that today with post is possible anything and a boring sky can become a wonderful sky, (simply taking it from another place, as example), but, apart the true value of a photo and the satisfaction of the photographer when a good thing came from the field, the philosophy in this video make better all photos, the "looking high" photos too.
In a sense, you have rediscovered some of the interest and excitement that probably brought you into photography in the first place. I have just entered my eighth decade, had a corporate career until retiring at 55, and have been developing my skills and interest in photography with a view to turning this into a career. I still have other pursuits, having designed and created some decorative artworks for clients, embarked on a novel, and tutored students in undergraduate mathematics. In this latter guise, I have always said to my students, "follow tour interest". My interest in photography is reasonably catholic: I enjoy portrait photography and landscape photography, architectural photography and close-up photography. But, these categories are all interpretive. What I see (sic!) is that I am framing images of light and shadow, shape and (sometimes) colour. I photograph out of interest and out of passion. You are one of my favourite photographers and I enjoy your simple and easy storytelling style on your RUclips channel. Of course, your client-base needs to identify what it is you do by category but you now have rediscovered the freedom of capturing the images you want as an outdoor photographer.
Your experience is exactly my experience… My first lens was a 14 to 22 EF-s lens. I got frustrated after all my images were the same!! I have a photography friend who looked at me like I was crazy when I said my favorite lens for landscapes these days is a 100-500!
thank you very much, everyone around me is obsessed with compelling photos of light and sunsets and sunrise, I feel like I have a better idea for my next photography trips, I appreciate your video, thank you again
It's getting easier yet more complicated for me. One minute I'm shooting landscape at f/13, within the next few minutes I'm shooting macro at f/2.8. The sky conditions drive me batty sometimes. Today I actually returned to a downtown big city location. Haven't been there since 2019. The water fountain is back online ( it's a combo scene). The skyscrapers, old churches and sculptures where a lot of fun to capture as a bonus. It's nice to park the car right next to all the action, instead of those difficult hour plus hike ins. It's hot here right now, highs over 90F everyday. Time to slowdown and stay in the shade. 😊
My first lens was a 70-200mm. As a novice, having a zoom lens sounded the most versatile and made composition easy as a beginner. I still use it when I do landscape photography today if I want to photograph places in the distance or isolate a feature of the landscape without including foreground.
I love that shot of the fog and the red cliffs in Moab! I also really like the one of the little pool in Iceland. I can’t wait to get out and find something to photograph!
One of the things I've learned in my photography is to not go so much for epic, but for essence. I've often been disappointed in the past that I don't have many grand landscapes in my portfolio, but I've been increasingly thankful to add many, "essence" images taken at longer focal lengths that communicate much more than a huge, wide shot ever could. One of my favorites trees to shoot is a Magnolia with it's amazing, fragrant, large flowers. If I were to take a wide shot of the tree, even in full bloom, it does not faithfully render the essence of it like a close up of a single flower. In answer to your initial question, it's always been a 50 mm. That focal length has always been one of my absolute favorites for everything.
100% agree about essence and 50mm and perhaps this is why I have always gravitated towards macro photography. I am a firm believer that you can make even the most mundane object resonate if you can capture it in the right way. I view it as a challenge, even... Sometimes the essence of a subject is not conveying the whole thing but the "heart and soul" of it... Like the flowers of the magnolia. The signature of many plants are their flowers so these become the focal point you are trying to highlight. Aspen are a beautiful tree, but a super wide shot may not convey its white bark which is part of its soul. One of my favorite shots is a close up of an Ash burl that looks like an alien landscape. I learned on my dad's Pentax 35 mm film camera with a 50mm about 15 years ago and only recently bought a Lumix G85 and rediscovering my old twin passions of botany and photography has been a real pleasure.
I have a 58mm for my 35mm SLR that I really like. It is just enough longer than the "normal" lens to give a more intimate feel without taking you out of the normal visual perspective.
Was never much of a wide angle guy but used to use my 24-70 quite often. When you realize that 90% of the time you will be trekking around your usual home domain looking for potential images, you quickly realize you need to spice things up or you'll burn out and lose interest. Since then, most often you can find me rocking a 70-200 or 60-600. Great video!!
This video needs to be viewed at least twice. There is so much valuable information which can save the day when the light is not right. Getting a good shot when the sky is not right is so frustrating. It would be nice to get one or two shots almost every time is a great skill. Well done!
Completely agree with what you're saying here. I was given some great advice to buy a nifty-fifty lens that had a really wide open aperture, but sat at around 50 mm full frame equivalent for doing my nature/landscape photography. It forced me to focus more on specific details in a shot, rather than trying to capture "everything". The advice was that "photography is about eliminating distractions" (James Popsys). At first, it was really hard to put this into practice, but now I find myself using portrait and telephoto focal lengths out in nature far more often. The reason being is that I don't walk around going "oooh ahhh... this whole setting is amazing" instead I am walking around constantly going "what catches my eye?". When you do that, you tend to find a lot of "puddles of light" (as you've put it). Then I hone in on that and attempt to find a good angle of composition + exposure to create a solid foreground/background (bokeh) and then once I do that, I keep trying to add interest while also eliminating anything that doesn't add to the shot. Once you start doing this, I think many folks will agree with your other comment that you're "having more fun with [my] photography". Focusing on reducing and capturing interest is what really turns photography into a creative exercise instead of a technical one. It also makes the photography all about what YOU notice and find interesting. It also connects to your other point of "telling a story". Many folks may wonder "what story?" and I always say, "the one that involved me walking through a forest and seeing a cool thing!" (hahaha). This is honestly a great video and many other exemplary RUclips photographers agree with you. Thanks for sharing your perspective on what is in my opinion the most important part of photography. The main skill which will transcend your gear and make you feel like an artist.
Not depending so much on the cloud and weather. That feels like graduating from being Brendan van son to becoming Tom Heaton! And that photo at 8:15….that’s really gorgeous, and not something I thought I will see from you! Great job Mark!
Go Mark. We’re watching your growth in photography. Yes still growing. And it is many times very interesting for viewers. Today is great example. Many ask “can I just be a fly on the wall while photographer works”. We are the Fly today. Thanks
You make excellent and valuable points about looking for the light, looking in all directions, finding different compositions, and experimenting with focal lengths. What has helped make that work for me was getting rid of the tripod unless absolutely necessary for low light or long exposures. Some studio shots and pixel peeping convinced me that I did not need to use a tripod for the vast majority of my shots.
I was addicted to my 17-55 as my first lens. Now I appreciate the 70-200 way more for the 'selection' it offers. This is a good video and it's interesting as Mads Peter Iversen (photo vlogger from Denmark) has had several videos recently where the key to his landscapes has been to be in the 200-400 range, picking out and isolating what he wants from the landscape. Good stuff. Thanks
When I switched from Canon to Nikon I bought a 24-70 and a 70-200 for my d750. Those were my only lenses. I have since added a 20mm, 14-30mm and the 105mm macro. I'm waiting for the 200-600mm to come out. The macro lens really opens up your options when you have a dull sky. The possibilities are endless when you get on the macro level. I live in northwest Alabama. It's mostly trees everywhere you look. I hardly ever need anything more than a wide angle lens. I do have some lakes in the area where I do my milky way photography. Sometimes you can catch a storm in the area and that's when I try to get photos of lightning. I either use my 24-70 or 70-200 for that. It depends on how far away the lightning is. By the way, I can see a big improvement in your photography from when your channel first began. Learning how to do exposure blending has really helped mine out as well. I'm still not on a professional level but I can really see a difference in my work over the last couple of years.
This pretty much sums up the way my personal photography has been moving towards in the last Year or 2. I never was the person for the grand wide angle landscape images since i never really have time to go out when the sky is appealing, so the wide landscapes have alwas more been a documentation thing for the yearly photobook my wife creates. More and more ive been putting away the wide angle lens entirely and grabbing longer and longer lenses to capture small sections or interesting little details. And this makes me so much more happy. So thanks for this video. Especially the storyboard way of thinking, which i already have subconciously done in some way, might be really helpful!
Mark, thank you for sharing your well-earned wisdom. Sadly, I have a number of wonderful cameras and lenses - largely MF, some very old and a stunning LF camera with a lot of wonderful glass - which have been largely unnused for almost 10 years since I started feeling I was stuck in a rut. When I would once have headed out with a Rolleiflex or an ETRSi or XPan or RF645 or FG etc... and a single roll for a day to see what I could create, gradually I found other things to do with my time and the passion started to wither. I have long since agonised over selling my babies but perhaps, just perhaps I can grab a camera next opportunity and apply your thinking and create the passion again! In truth, I can't imagine parting with them so maybe now, together my cameras and I will see the light again. Cheers and thank you from Sydney - Dave
I went overboard and have several wide angles both full frame and apsc but recently purchased the Sony 90mm f2.8 Marco and with its 3 focal ranges it opened my eyes to so much more.
Started out with a 10-20mm lens some 6 years ago and it used to be my go-to lens for a long time. After discovering Mark's channel and realising how dependent of the conditions I, or I should say the lens, was, I started experimenting with 24-105mm and 70-200mm lenses. Nowadays 70-200 is my most used lens, by far. Once again, thank you Mark for all your hard work and suggestions we keep giving us every week.
I'm an amateur, not striving to be great as much as want to have fun. I can't seem to get a "style" of my own, and I'm not at all bothered by that. I have 2 lenses with my XT-3, neither are primes. Sometimes, I enjoy switching from landscapes or close ups, I take my X100-V with a fixed lens and head downtown to the streets and architectural details. I'm having fun doing it all! I appreciate and incorporate your techniques and suggestions. Keep 'em coming. Thanks!
This video certainly reinforced my belief in being versatile in my photography. I’ve watched yours and other channels for years hoping to be an excellent landscape photographer. While I still strive for greatness in that, I’ve really embraced exactly what you’re talking about and I’ve had the same result… I am having so much fun with it.
My first lens was a 24-70mm (about 8 years ago) for studio/portrait/event photography. Good all round lens. I then had a trip to Iceland and purchased a 16-35mm and 100-400mm. I rarely used the 24-70mm on this trip as I was new to landscape photography and went full hog into wide angle. It was amazing to me how much I could capture in one scene. However, I did have two bodies, so I had the 100-400mm which I pulled out whenever I was taking a wide angle long exposure or just waiting for the right light and just snapped detailed shots here and there-simply to pass the time. When it came to reviewing and processing my images, I was amazed at how many of the 'passing time' detail shots with the 100-400 became my preferred images. I also kicked myself for taking wide angle shots and finding a plethora of hidden gems within the composition that I should have taken with a long lens. If only I had zoomed into the scene! I now religiously hunt for the detailed shots , unusual points of view, unusual light, every time I go out. Thanks Mark, great tutorial as usual.
That Icelandic hot-spring shot fooled me - I thought it would be 50 yards across at least! But all good advice. I've been trying to "look at the light" for years now after attending a seminar by Michael Freeman but it's so easy to be fooled by only seeing the landscape. Definitely a hard skill to master. The other one is seeing an image as a set of shapes rather than objects, I'm still working on that too.
Shoot film. Film expresses light in a way that digital doesn't hit without a great deal of image editing. Color film responds better to highlights and overexposure while digital responds better to underexposure and dark scenes.
@@Superbustr Depends entirely on the film. Positive films work differently to negative. Some only have a DR of 5 or 6 stops, others up to 12 or more. I started off with film in the 60s, even working briefly in a darkroom as a technician's assistant, but I only use film today for a few specific shots where I think it will suit the subject. Digital just offers so much more control and so much more comfort in so much less time. But understanding light and structure in composition is a skill that applies regardless of the medium.
@@alangauld6079 With digital you get the speed but give up physical ownership of all of your photos. Without being physical, digital photos get lost in the ether due to technological hardware & software changes. Digital photos and film photos take essentially the same amount of time to process, the caveat with film being that you really need your own dark room and scanner to be able to process your photos same day since quick turn around labs are few and far between. For me digital allows be to spray and pray, taking hundreds of photos in one day of which only a few photos may actually be any good. I would rather take less photos that are of better quality on film to reduce the amount of time on the computer selecting, processing, and editing.
@@Superbustr Not if you print them - as I do. I have framed prints all over my home and in several albums. Some are from film others digital. As for 'spray and pray' that's down to the photographer! I rarely take more than 50 shots in a day which is about the same as I did with film. Most trips I only take about 10-20 (I'm primarily a landscaper). The discipline of composing a shot and working out the light you want doesn't change with the media, that's down to the photographer. But digital does make some things much easier, like HDR and focus stacking both of which were extremely hard (often practically impossible) with film.
Oh my Lord Mark. Your video took me back 45 years when I took photography in high school. Mr. Heckman, our teacher, taught us the same thing of "looking for interesting light" and "always look down and all around". Those lessons have always been a part of my checklist when at any location. Keep the great videos coming. I always look forward to watching them. By the way, my first landscape lens purchased, was 20mm. Soon afterwards, a 70-300mm. Sorry for the previous comment. My big fingers swiping on a small keyboard accidentally hit the send arrow. LOL
This video is giving me the inspiration to get back out and take photos again. I've been in a slump since January. I'm going to dig out my macro lens and go shoot fascinating light.
Great tips! As always. Now... if only I could remember it all when I'm in the field. I get wrapped up in keeping up with the changing light and all thought of composition goes out the window.
Great video Mark and great timing, as I fall into this trap as well. This is going to be a huge help for my mindset next time I go out. Quick question, do I see an old Sony Sport Walkman behind you? Talk about memories of mowing my lawn as a kid and listening to one of my “mixtapes!”
another Ah Ha moment! I love the idea of telling a story using more than 1 photo. I can relate to your journey, I'm right where you were a few years ago. Thanks for the inspiration!!
thanks for creating the video Mark. it spoke right to my heart. at the moment I feel that my images look the same no matter what the subject/object is. I'm running in a circle. thanks for the reminder to look around with an open mind and try different angles and not be afraid of "failure".
the whole idea of "thinking small" is really great -- I stumbled onto this accidentally when I couldn't find a decent composition due to weather or light... so I would start to slow down and look around for literally anything else to take a picture of .. and low and behold all sorts of things would start to pop out :)
very thought provoking - really enjoyed this. I first had a canon film DSLR in 1985 and I bought a 24mm and 70-200mm - I used the latter more than the former!
You've discussed a very important topic here! Many people I know are fixated on wide-angle lenses only for landscape and so was I at the beginning of my photography.
More and more often I'm pulling out the 70-200 in the field. I find it just brings the subject of interest into frame more effectively. Great conversation and great examples, Mark.
Just bought a Cannon EFS 24mm for landscape photography. Shooting here in AZ, I run into this problem all the time. We usually have clear blue sky's for days. Thanks for this video, exactly what I've been thinking about lately.
I struggle in AZ with wide angle due to how "busy" our desert is here. There's so much vegetation in my area that I feel it distracts from wide shots unless I have an amazing subject. Telephoto and more abstract shots has definitely helped in the desert
Mark, great video!!!! I absolutely fall into the one shot wonder mode and then come home very disappointed not only because I really do not hav anything note worthy. But, then spend hours trying to find one photo to justify my time…. Another tip is when you get focused on a scene, take a step backwards and just turn 180 degrees. The number of times I have done this and found a better shot is amazing…. Great content and love the reminder…. Thanks for sharing each week and keep snapping! Look forward to your posts each week.
Great suggestions. I have not used the longer lenses much for landscape. But know I prefer the more abstract frames. You've connected alot of dots for me. Tx very.
My first lens was a 50mm 1.4 that came with my Nikon FM. When Mother Nature is not co-operating sending boring sky, I switch gears and concentrate on a single flower or plant, Lichen on the rock can render interesting patterns. I will also slap the ND filters on and do some long exposure.
Headed to western NC on Friday for 6 days in our glorious mountains. I look forward to using your ideas to look at different ways to look at possible landscape photos on the trip. Great ideas as always Mark. Stay cool down in the Sandhills!
My first lens is (it is still with me every time I go out to take an image) the XF 18-135. I took some of my favorites with this one, I love the versatility and the overall quality of this lens.
I have watched thousands of hours of videos on Photography and this is one of the best out there. Your screenshots of Lightroom filled with dozens of similar pictures with an un-inspiring sky made me laugh out loud as it looked like something right off of my own computer. As you say, how many times do all the elements come together just at the right time! Excellent video, I really enjoyed your work. (First Lens 28-75mm)
Mark, Another great tutorial. You always produce inspiring tutorials with fantastic images to emphasize your message. Job well done once again. I think I can speak for everyone to say thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us amateur shutter bugs.
I recently got a 35-150 lens, and I am able to just kinda look at everything through different focal lengths and revisit later and found lots of good pics zoomed in on random interesting features
Probably one of the most interesting photography video I have seen on youtube so far. You send photography to basics and not only editing as many instagram photographers are focused on, the subject, cropping and light. thanks for that
Awesome information. It was like a slap in the face eye opening experience. I have been fixated on the grand scene and not the smaller details. I will diffidently take this info to the field. Thanks.
This is so true and the same time so hard. I'm watching your channel from some time but recently noticed that you perfectly touch the topics that I'm struggling. Really find it helpful and motivating. Big thanks for your work and help!
Great topic! My path started much like yours - lots and lots of photos with a wide-angle lens of the same uninteresting vista just hoping the light or sky would cooperate. I'm just now getting better at working around those conditions and trying to see things differently! Great advice!
I am fairly new to digital photography (just a couple of years) and did some film photography when I was younger, 40 years ago. With my new digital kit and interest in landscape photography, I started out using my 16-35mm zoom lens, mostly at the wide focal lengths. I found that a lot of the wider focal length images were lacking to me and also found that I started to prefer shooting more at 35mm than 16mm. Now I am more often taking out my 70-200mm zoom and shooting any focal length that lens has to offer, depending on the subject and how far away it is. I like closer up images much better now than wide open. I will still use a 16 to 20 mm focal length when warranted, but find that more often I like the images that are closer in perspective. Thanks, Mark, now I understand better why I'm feeling this way. Great video as usual!
Thanks for sharing....my first lens for my DSLR was Sigma 18-200mm for my Nikon D70s ...next I purchased a Nikon 50mm prime (special edition)...I then upgraded my camera to a Nikon D7100 & loved using the two lenses...I now have more lenses but still love my first two... cheers 😀
My first lens I used primarily for landscape was the NIKKOR 35mm 1.8. Several waterfalls, mountain ranges, etc from this lens. It was great because I could also use it in a lot of my portrait sessions.
I use the storyboard technique with wedding and newborn photography... A wide shot, a midrange shot and a close up shot to tell the story. I never thought about using this technique with landscape photography. Thank you for sharing this video!
One of the best informative videos ever Mark, you just explained exactly my photography work flow, heaps of images of the same thing and waiting for the light to change. I now will have a different approach in mind, thank you for the inspiration. My first lens was a Sigma 24-105mm f/4 art lens, I've since purchased a 16-35mm f/4 and a70-200mm f/2.8.
Great advice. Also, I’d add, think about the time you think it will take for you to look around and take in the possibilities, and then double it. Rushing through a scene or location while trying to identify a composition has always been a constant trap for me in that ‘productivity’ you’re mentioning.
A good video. For the first 20 years of my photography I only had a fixed 35 mm lens and only really got interchangeable lenses since using digital cameras. On a trip to Switzerland a couple of years ago I only had 3 lenses on a APS-c camera an 11-22, and a 28 and 85 mm prime. I rarely used the wide angle for landscapes and for the bulk of my shots including panos used the 28 mm f1.8 and for more intimate shots used the 85mm. This video reminded me very much about TJ Thorne's book "there is no such thing as bad light" and Sarah Merino's "intimate landscapes" They are both talking about the same thing as you are here but you added the interesting part of chasing light. I use a Fuji system and mostly shoot with a 16-55 but also carry and regularly use the 70-300 I do have a couple of wide angle primes but enjoy most my 90mm f2 as it makes you think about what you are shooting.
🌟QUICK QUESTION: Which was the first lens you purchased, Wide, Mid, or Telephoto?
I got a 70-300 for fuji as my first non kit lens. the camera came with a 15-45 though
Technically the ef-s 15-55 kit lense, second was the 55-250 and then 10-16mm (all apsc 1.6x lenses from canon)
A Meyer-Optik Goerlitz Oreston 1.8/50.
All-in-one zoom so I would not have to change lenses on the beach or other places. 28-300 nikon. Got tired of crap getting in the camera.
Basically all of them 😅 I got the Tamron 18-400mm for my Canon 90D last year
There was a quote that goes something like this: "The novice cares about the equipment, the professional cares about the money and the master cares about the light."
This made me smile immensely! Keep on chasing the light mate
Excellent
Genius.
I would rather become a master
This clicked immediately and I can recall working through all those phases. 🙌🏾📸
My very 1st lens that i got with my Minolta SLR (1986) , was the all-mighty ''Standard'' lens, better known as the 50mil.
Still have that lens today !
Love that lens . . .
Ansel Adams said, "A photograph is usually looked at-and seldom looked into." I think his wisdom is also true with the scene in front of us. We tend to look at the scene but not look into the scene. I know that I am guilty of that, and this video here is a great reminder of how I can improve my photography. So, thanks for sharing this philosophy, Mark. Another informative and inspiring video.
Awesome to hear you enjoyed it Bryan!
ruclips.net/video/1MWkCwtokyA/видео.html
Wide angle - Tokina 11-16mm
I feel that, as someone that isn't a professional photographer, when I'm at a location, I gotta make use of the conditions that I've got. For the most part, I can't afford (both time and money) to go back to a location when the conditions are "ideal".
I was in Iceland just a few weeks ago.
There are so many areas that are hard to get close to, having my 70-200 really helped me get closer and isolate specific areas, as you said.
I have thousands of pictures that will now take me a lifetime and a half to sift through and process.
Such an amazing country to visit and experience.
You have gone from photography from your head to photography from your heart. You probably started from your heart then when learning the skills switched to your head. You photographs are beautiful. I am just a novice but I get it. To lose that joy and then find it again is the greatest thing.
my first lens for landscape, 70-200mm F2.8
Learning to look for light was the biggest thing I learned to help my photography. I actually learned it from a UK street photographer named Roman Fox. I would look at his images and try to figure out the commonality that I loved in his images. He uses light so well. So, now when I'm in landscape photography situations I try to remember this as well. Sometimes those light and shadow detail shots are really nice. It also makes me slow down and look around before shooting. Really great advice Mark!!! Have a great week!
Have a look at the work of Mark Littlejohn, it may strike a chord with you.
@@iaincphotography6051 Thanks!!
I used to do that, kept clicking away & heaps of same photo. Thanks for reminding us to move around, looking around
*The Best Photography advice of All-Time*
I have watched COUNTLESS hours of RUclips videos so I can claim myself a sort of RUclips Photography Video Expert.
And the advice in this Video is the Best you'll ever watch. Period
First lens I got was in 1980, a 55mm. I was 16 heading off to art school for photography, The school gave you a list of basic equipment that you needed for school and as a graduation gift from high school my stepfather purchased me my first camera, lens, flash camera bag and tripod. It was a Minolta, still have it sitting in a camera bag in my closet. Have to say I miss the days of using film and processing my black and white negatives, printing photos. Thank you for a moment of nostalgia and very happy memories.
I started out with a 24-70mm and found it actually gave me the opposite experience where it encouraged me to do grand landscape where I could but also play with more intimate compositions as well.
This video is a perfect example of what you are telling into it: simply and basic rules, but focused an explained (substitute of used, when in shooting session) at the best, as your "looking down" in the big world of photography field, where big things, if not well implemented can becomes as a boring sky. Someone can think that today with post is possible anything and a boring sky can become a wonderful sky, (simply taking it from another place, as example), but, apart the true value of a photo and the satisfaction of the photographer when a good thing came from the field, the philosophy in this video make better all photos, the "looking high" photos too.
In a sense, you have rediscovered some of the interest and excitement that probably brought you into photography in the first place. I have just entered my eighth decade, had a corporate career until retiring at 55, and have been developing my skills and interest in photography with a view to turning this into a career. I still have other pursuits, having designed and created some decorative artworks for clients, embarked on a novel, and tutored students in undergraduate mathematics. In this latter guise, I have always said to my students, "follow tour interest". My interest in photography is reasonably catholic: I enjoy portrait photography and landscape photography, architectural photography and close-up photography. But, these categories are all interpretive. What I see (sic!) is that I am framing images of light and shadow, shape and (sometimes) colour. I photograph out of interest and out of passion. You are one of my favourite photographers and I enjoy your simple and easy storytelling style on your RUclips channel. Of course, your client-base needs to identify what it is you do by category but you now have rediscovered the freedom of capturing the images you want as an outdoor photographer.
Your experience is exactly my experience… My first lens was a 14 to 22 EF-s lens. I got frustrated after all my images were the same!! I have a photography friend who looked at me like I was crazy when I said my favorite lens for landscapes these days is a 100-500!
Oh my Lord, Mark. Your video took me back 45 years ago when I had photography in high school
thank you very much, everyone around me is obsessed with compelling photos of light and sunsets and sunrise, I feel like I have a better idea for my next photography trips, I appreciate your video, thank you again
Thank you! I needed this video!
Mark, I loved this video because i have never even heard the word Storyboard in photography! Thank you.
It's getting easier yet more complicated for me. One minute I'm shooting landscape at f/13, within the next few minutes I'm shooting macro at f/2.8. The sky conditions drive me batty sometimes. Today I actually returned to a downtown big city location. Haven't been there since 2019. The water fountain is back online ( it's a combo scene). The skyscrapers, old churches and sculptures where a lot of fun to capture as a bonus. It's nice to park the car right next to all the action, instead of those difficult hour plus hike ins. It's hot here right now, highs over 90F everyday. Time to slowdown and stay in the shade. 😊
My first lens was a 70-200mm. As a novice, having a zoom lens sounded the most versatile and made composition easy as a beginner. I still use it when I do landscape photography today if I want to photograph places in the distance or isolate a feature of the landscape without including foreground.
I love that shot of the fog and the red cliffs in Moab! I also really like the one of the little pool in Iceland. I can’t wait to get out and find something to photograph!
One of the things I've learned in my photography is to not go so much for epic, but for essence. I've often been disappointed in the past that I don't have many grand landscapes in my portfolio, but I've been increasingly thankful to add many, "essence" images taken at longer focal lengths that communicate much more than a huge, wide shot ever could. One of my favorites trees to shoot is a Magnolia with it's amazing, fragrant, large flowers. If I were to take a wide shot of the tree, even in full bloom, it does not faithfully render the essence of it like a close up of a single flower. In answer to your initial question, it's always been a 50 mm. That focal length has always been one of my absolute favorites for everything.
Wow
Try going out with a 85mm. Forget about the portraiture bs that people say the lens must be used for. It will blow your mind.
100% agree about essence and 50mm and perhaps this is why I have always gravitated towards macro photography. I am a firm believer that you can make even the most mundane object resonate if you can capture it in the right way. I view it as a challenge, even... Sometimes the essence of a subject is not conveying the whole thing but the "heart and soul" of it... Like the flowers of the magnolia. The signature of many plants are their flowers so these become the focal point you are trying to highlight. Aspen are a beautiful tree, but a super wide shot may not convey its white bark which is part of its soul. One of my favorite shots is a close up of an Ash burl that looks like an alien landscape. I learned on my dad's Pentax 35 mm film camera with a 50mm about 15 years ago and only recently bought a Lumix G85 and rediscovering my old twin passions of botany and photography has been a real pleasure.
I have a 58mm for my 35mm SLR that I really like. It is just enough longer than the "normal" lens to give a more intimate feel without taking you out of the normal visual perspective.
There is always a photo within a photo, that’s my philosophy and I’m only two years into my journey but loving it 😉📷
Videos like this are why I follow your RUclips channel. You always have something useful to say and communicate it skillfully.
Wow Thank you Mark. I never looked at photography in this perspective. Always great to learn from your experience over time.
Was never much of a wide angle guy but used to use my 24-70 quite often. When you realize that 90% of the time you will be trekking around your usual home domain looking for potential images, you quickly realize you need to spice things up or you'll burn out and lose interest. Since then, most often you can find me rocking a 70-200 or 60-600. Great video!!
This video needs to be viewed at least twice. There is so much valuable information which can save the day when the light is not right. Getting a good shot when the sky is not right is so frustrating. It would be nice to get one or two shots almost every time is a great skill. Well done!
Thanks so much Jim!
Completely agree with what you're saying here. I was given some great advice to buy a nifty-fifty lens that had a really wide open aperture, but sat at around 50 mm full frame equivalent for doing my nature/landscape photography. It forced me to focus more on specific details in a shot, rather than trying to capture "everything". The advice was that "photography is about eliminating distractions" (James Popsys).
At first, it was really hard to put this into practice, but now I find myself using portrait and telephoto focal lengths out in nature far more often. The reason being is that I don't walk around going "oooh ahhh... this whole setting is amazing" instead I am walking around constantly going "what catches my eye?". When you do that, you tend to find a lot of "puddles of light" (as you've put it). Then I hone in on that and attempt to find a good angle of composition + exposure to create a solid foreground/background (bokeh) and then once I do that, I keep trying to add interest while also eliminating anything that doesn't add to the shot.
Once you start doing this, I think many folks will agree with your other comment that you're "having more fun with [my] photography". Focusing on reducing and capturing interest is what really turns photography into a creative exercise instead of a technical one. It also makes the photography all about what YOU notice and find interesting. It also connects to your other point of "telling a story". Many folks may wonder "what story?" and I always say, "the one that involved me walking through a forest and seeing a cool thing!" (hahaha).
This is honestly a great video and many other exemplary RUclips photographers agree with you. Thanks for sharing your perspective on what is in my opinion the most important part of photography. The main skill which will transcend your gear and make you feel like an artist.
Not depending so much on the cloud and weather. That feels like graduating from being Brendan van son to becoming Tom Heaton!
And that photo at 8:15….that’s really gorgeous, and not something I thought I will see from you! Great job Mark!
Go Mark. We’re watching your growth in photography. Yes still growing. And it is many times very interesting for viewers. Today is great example. Many ask “can I just be a fly on the wall while photographer works”. We are the Fly today. Thanks
You make excellent and valuable points about looking for the light, looking in all directions, finding different compositions, and experimenting with focal lengths. What has helped make that work for me was getting rid of the tripod unless absolutely necessary for low light or long exposures. Some studio shots and pixel peeping convinced me that I did not need to use a tripod for the vast majority of my shots.
A 135mm was my first purchase for landscape. This was a great addition to my Canon A1 and A1 Program.
My first lens only purchase was the 24gm. It brings me joy every time I get to use it.
Great tips Mark , thank you for sharing this .
Great advice. I’m still taking 100 pictures of the same scene. I’ll put into practice everything you said. Thank you for your videos!
That geothermal hot spring drone shot you took was great! At first, I was convinced it was one of the enormous ones!
I was addicted to my 17-55 as my first lens. Now I appreciate the 70-200 way more for the 'selection' it offers. This is a good video and it's interesting as Mads Peter Iversen (photo vlogger from Denmark) has had several videos recently where the key to his landscapes has been to be in the 200-400 range, picking out and isolating what he wants from the landscape. Good stuff. Thanks
Thank you Mark. Your tip about looking down really got to me...
My first proper lens was the Canon 24mm. Absolutely love that lens. It’s still my favorite
I have the Olympus 25mm 1.8 ....it is such a versatile lens
thanks for the video! first lens I got with intention to shoot landscapes was a 20mm f/1.8
Thanks for the video! Great tip to photograph what is interesting, not what is boring.
When I switched from Canon to Nikon I bought a 24-70 and a 70-200 for my d750. Those were my only lenses. I have since added a 20mm, 14-30mm and the 105mm macro. I'm waiting for the 200-600mm to come out. The macro lens really opens up your options when you have a dull sky. The possibilities are endless when you get on the macro level. I live in northwest Alabama. It's mostly trees everywhere you look. I hardly ever need anything more than a wide angle lens. I do have some lakes in the area where I do my milky way photography. Sometimes you can catch a storm in the area and that's when I try to get photos of lightning. I either use my 24-70 or 70-200 for that. It depends on how far away the lightning is. By the way, I can see a big improvement in your photography from when your channel first began. Learning how to do exposure blending has really helped mine out as well. I'm still not on a professional level but I can really see a difference in my work over the last couple of years.
follow the light
This pretty much sums up the way my personal photography has been moving towards in the last Year or 2. I never was the person for the grand wide angle landscape images since i never really have time to go out when the sky is appealing, so the wide landscapes have alwas more been a documentation thing for the yearly photobook my wife creates. More and more ive been putting away the wide angle lens entirely and grabbing longer and longer lenses to capture small sections or interesting little details. And this makes me so much more happy.
So thanks for this video. Especially the storyboard way of thinking, which i already have subconciously done in some way, might be really helpful!
Mark, thank you for sharing your well-earned wisdom.
Sadly, I have a number of wonderful cameras and lenses - largely MF, some very old and a stunning LF camera with a lot of wonderful glass - which have been largely unnused for almost 10 years since I started feeling I was stuck in a rut. When I would once have headed out with a Rolleiflex or an ETRSi or XPan or RF645 or FG etc... and a single roll for a day to see what I could create, gradually I found other things to do with my time and the passion started to wither. I have long since agonised over selling my babies but perhaps, just perhaps I can grab a camera next opportunity and apply your thinking and create the passion again! In truth, I can't imagine parting with them so maybe now, together my cameras and I will see the light again.
Cheers and thank you from Sydney - Dave
I went overboard and have several wide angles both full frame and apsc but recently purchased the Sony 90mm f2.8 Marco and with its 3 focal ranges it opened my eyes to so much more.
Started out with a 10-20mm lens some 6 years ago and it used to be my go-to lens for a long time. After discovering Mark's channel and realising how dependent of the conditions I, or I should say the lens, was, I started experimenting with 24-105mm and 70-200mm lenses. Nowadays 70-200 is my most used lens, by far. Once again, thank you Mark for all your hard work and suggestions we keep giving us every week.
I'm an amateur, not striving to be great as much as want to have fun. I can't seem to get a "style" of my own, and I'm not at all bothered by that. I have 2 lenses with my XT-3, neither are primes. Sometimes, I enjoy switching from landscapes or close ups, I take my X100-V with a fixed lens and head downtown to the streets and architectural details. I'm having fun doing it all! I appreciate and incorporate your techniques and suggestions. Keep 'em coming. Thanks!
This video certainly reinforced my belief in being versatile in my photography. I’ve watched yours and other channels for years hoping to be an excellent landscape photographer. While I still strive for greatness in that, I’ve really embraced exactly what you’re talking about and I’ve had the same result… I am having so much fun with it.
Yes a 20mm lens wasthefirst. I recently started using my telephoto. I've learned allot from your videos.
My first lens was a 24-70mm (about 8 years ago) for studio/portrait/event photography. Good all round lens. I then had a trip to Iceland and purchased a 16-35mm and 100-400mm. I rarely used the 24-70mm on this trip as I was new to landscape photography and went full hog into wide angle. It was amazing to me how much I could capture in one scene. However, I did have two bodies, so I had the 100-400mm which I pulled out whenever I was taking a wide angle long exposure or just waiting for the right light and just snapped detailed shots here and there-simply to pass the time. When it came to reviewing and processing my images, I was amazed at how many of the 'passing time' detail shots with the 100-400 became my preferred images. I also kicked myself for taking wide angle shots and finding a plethora of hidden gems within the composition that I should have taken with a long lens. If only I had zoomed into the scene! I now religiously hunt for the detailed shots , unusual points of view, unusual light, every time I go out. Thanks Mark, great tutorial as usual.
That Icelandic hot-spring shot fooled me - I thought it would be 50 yards across at least! But all good advice. I've been trying to "look at the light" for years now after attending a seminar by Michael Freeman but it's so easy to be fooled by only seeing the landscape. Definitely a hard skill to master. The other one is seeing an image as a set of shapes rather than objects, I'm still working on that too.
Shoot film. Film expresses light in a way that digital doesn't hit without a great deal of image editing.
Color film responds better to highlights and overexposure while digital responds better to underexposure and dark scenes.
@@Superbustr Depends entirely on the film. Positive films work differently to negative. Some only have a DR of 5 or 6 stops, others up to 12 or more. I started off with film in the 60s, even working briefly in a darkroom as a technician's assistant, but I only use film today for a few specific shots where I think it will suit the subject. Digital just offers so much more control and so much more comfort in so much less time. But understanding light and structure in composition is a skill that applies regardless of the medium.
@@alangauld6079 With digital you get the speed but give up physical ownership of all of your photos. Without being physical, digital photos get lost in the ether due to technological hardware & software changes.
Digital photos and film photos take essentially the same amount of time to process, the caveat with film being that you really need your own dark room and scanner to be able to process your photos same day since quick turn around labs are few and far between.
For me digital allows be to spray and pray, taking hundreds of photos in one day of which only a few photos may actually be any good. I would rather take less photos that are of better quality on film to reduce the amount of time on the computer selecting, processing, and editing.
@@Superbustr Not if you print them - as I do. I have framed prints all over my home and in several albums. Some are from film others digital. As for 'spray and pray' that's down to the photographer! I rarely take more than 50 shots in a day which is about the same as I did with film. Most trips I only take about 10-20 (I'm primarily a landscaper). The discipline of composing a shot and working out the light you want doesn't change with the media, that's down to the photographer. But digital does make some things much easier, like HDR and focus stacking both of which were extremely hard (often practically impossible) with film.
Nikkor 10-20mm was my first landscape lens
Thank you! This is what I needed to spark more depth in my photography. Great content!!
Oh my Lord Mark. Your video took me back 45 years when I took photography in high school. Mr. Heckman, our teacher, taught us the same thing of "looking for interesting light" and "always look down and all around". Those lessons have always been a part of my checklist when at any location. Keep the great videos coming. I always look forward to watching them. By the way, my first landscape lens purchased, was 20mm. Soon afterwards, a 70-300mm.
Sorry for the previous comment. My big fingers swiping on a small keyboard accidentally hit the send arrow. LOL
This video is giving me the inspiration to get back out and take photos again. I've been in a slump since January. I'm going to dig out my macro lens and go shoot fascinating light.
Great tips! As always. Now... if only I could remember it all when I'm in the field. I get wrapped up in keeping up with the changing light and all thought of composition goes out the window.
Thank you so much. I like very much the idea of story telling with 3 pictures out of a single landscape.
A true lesson 🙏🏼👌👍
Great video Mark and great timing, as I fall into this trap as well. This is going to be a huge help for my mindset next time I go out. Quick question, do I see an old Sony Sport Walkman behind you? Talk about memories of mowing my lawn as a kid and listening to one of my “mixtapes!”
another Ah Ha moment! I love the idea of telling a story using more than 1 photo. I can relate to your journey, I'm right where you were a few years ago. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Great video about perspective instead of just out shooting like crazy at anything. I actually started with a 50mm 1.8 Canon
16-35 was my first and still one of my favorite! Great video Mark!
good advice :-)
I've spent the entire summer documenting my local nature, so looking down has become second nature!!
thanks for creating the video Mark. it spoke right to my heart. at the moment I feel that my images look the same no matter what the subject/object is. I'm running in a circle. thanks for the reminder to look around with an open mind and try different angles and not be afraid of "failure".
Thanks for the tips. Many times the hard desert sun can make things a challenge for me.
the whole idea of "thinking small" is really great -- I stumbled onto this accidentally when I couldn't find a decent composition due to weather or light... so I would start to slow down and look around for literally anything else to take a picture of .. and low and behold all sorts of things would start to pop out :)
very thought provoking - really enjoyed this. I first had a canon film DSLR in 1985 and I bought a 24mm and 70-200mm - I used the latter more than the former!
You've discussed a very important topic here! Many people I know are fixated on wide-angle lenses only for landscape and so was I at the beginning of my photography.
More and more often I'm pulling out the 70-200 in the field. I find it just brings the subject of interest into frame more effectively. Great conversation and great examples, Mark.
Just bought a Cannon EFS 24mm for landscape photography. Shooting here in AZ, I run into this problem all the time. We usually have clear blue sky's for days. Thanks for this video, exactly what I've been thinking about lately.
Awesome to hear it was helpful Ken!
I struggle in AZ with wide angle due to how "busy" our desert is here. There's so much vegetation in my area that I feel it distracts from wide shots unless I have an amazing subject. Telephoto and more abstract shots has definitely helped in the desert
Mark, great video!!!! I absolutely fall into the one shot wonder mode and then come home very disappointed not only because I really do not hav anything note worthy. But, then spend hours trying to find one photo to justify my time…. Another tip is when you get focused on a scene, take a step backwards and just turn 180 degrees. The number of times I have done this and found a better shot is amazing…. Great content and love the reminder…. Thanks for sharing each week and keep snapping! Look forward to your posts each week.
Great suggestions. I have not used the longer lenses much for landscape. But know I prefer the more abstract frames. You've connected alot of dots for me. Tx very.
Thanks Mark. I've gone through much of the same issues with my photography. I was focused on capturing the grand scene, fixated on the weather, etc.
My first lens was a 50mm 1.4 that came with my Nikon FM. When Mother Nature is not co-operating sending boring sky, I switch gears and concentrate on a single flower or plant, Lichen on the rock can render interesting patterns. I will also slap the ND filters on and do some long exposure.
Headed to western NC on Friday for 6 days in our glorious mountains. I look forward to using your ideas to look at different ways to look at possible landscape photos on the trip. Great ideas as always Mark. Stay cool down in the Sandhills!
My first lens is (it is still with me every time I go out to take an image) the XF 18-135.
I took some of my favorites with this one, I love the versatility and the overall quality of this lens.
Wide angle 16mm Sigma, then 56mm.Thanks again Mark for the Priceless advice.
This was very informative. I agree with your insights as well. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I have watched thousands of hours of videos on Photography and this is one of the best out there. Your screenshots of Lightroom filled with dozens of similar pictures with an un-inspiring sky made me laugh out loud as it looked like something right off of my own computer. As you say, how many times do all the elements come together just at the right time! Excellent video, I really enjoyed your work. (First Lens 28-75mm)
Mark, I may be wrong but I believe you just helped me both improve AND enjoy my photography. Thanks!
Mark, Another great tutorial. You always produce inspiring tutorials with fantastic images to emphasize your message. Job well done once again. I think I can speak for everyone to say thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us amateur shutter bugs.
I recently got a 35-150 lens, and I am able to just kinda look at everything through different focal lengths and revisit later and found lots of good pics zoomed in on random interesting features
I purchased my first Camera, a Nikon FM, in 1980 came with a 50mm, which I used for years.
Probably one of the most interesting photography video I have seen on youtube so far. You send photography to basics and not only editing as many instagram photographers are focused on, the subject, cropping and light. thanks for that
Awesome information. It was like a slap in the face eye opening experience. I have been fixated on the grand scene and not the smaller details. I will diffidently take this info to the field.
Thanks.
This is so true and the same time so hard. I'm watching your channel from some time but recently noticed that you perfectly touch the topics that I'm struggling. Really find it helpful and motivating. Big thanks for your work and help!
Great topic! My path started much like yours - lots and lots of photos with a wide-angle lens of the same uninteresting vista just hoping the light or sky would cooperate. I'm just now getting better at working around those conditions and trying to see things differently! Great advice!
I am fairly new to digital photography (just a couple of years) and did some film photography when I was younger, 40 years ago. With my new digital kit and interest in landscape photography, I started out using my 16-35mm zoom lens, mostly at the wide focal lengths. I found that a lot of the wider focal length images were lacking to me and also found that I started to prefer shooting more at 35mm than 16mm. Now I am more often taking out my 70-200mm zoom and shooting any focal length that lens has to offer, depending on the subject and how far away it is. I like closer up images much better now than wide open. I will still use a 16 to 20 mm focal length when warranted, but find that more often I like the images that are closer in perspective. Thanks, Mark, now I understand better why I'm feeling this way. Great video as usual!
Awesome to hear you enjoyed it Ed!
Thanks for sharing....my first lens for my DSLR was Sigma 18-200mm for my Nikon D70s ...next I purchased a Nikon 50mm prime (special edition)...I then upgraded my camera to a Nikon D7100 & loved using the two lenses...I now have more lenses but still love my first two... cheers 😀
My first lens I used primarily for landscape was the NIKKOR 35mm 1.8. Several waterfalls, mountain ranges, etc from this lens. It was great because I could also use it in a lot of my portrait sessions.
I use the storyboard technique with wedding and newborn photography... A wide shot, a midrange shot and a close up shot to tell the story. I never thought about using this technique with landscape photography. Thank you for sharing this video!
Thanks so much for watching Amy - great to hear you enjoyed it!
This really got me thinking about cropping some of my old photos before going out in the field again. Thank you Mark!
One of the best informative videos ever Mark, you just explained exactly my photography work flow, heaps of images of the same thing and waiting for the light to change. I now will have a different approach in mind, thank you for the inspiration. My first lens was a Sigma 24-105mm f/4 art lens, I've since purchased a 16-35mm f/4 and a70-200mm f/2.8.
Oh thank you....I do not enjoy landscape photography....this has excited me with new vision......yeeha
Great advice. Also, I’d add, think about the time you think it will take for you to look around and take in the possibilities, and then double it. Rushing through a scene or location while trying to identify a composition has always been a constant trap for me in that ‘productivity’ you’re mentioning.
A good video. For the first 20 years of my photography I only had a fixed 35 mm lens and only really got interchangeable lenses since using digital cameras. On a trip to Switzerland a couple of years ago I only had 3 lenses on a APS-c camera an 11-22, and a 28 and 85 mm prime. I rarely used the wide angle for landscapes and for the bulk of my shots including panos used the 28 mm f1.8 and for more intimate shots used the 85mm. This video reminded me very much about TJ Thorne's book "there is no such thing as bad light" and Sarah Merino's "intimate landscapes" They are both talking about the same thing as you are here but you added the interesting part of chasing light. I use a Fuji system and mostly shoot with a 16-55 but also carry and regularly use the 70-300 I do have a couple of wide angle primes but enjoy most my 90mm f2 as it makes you think about what you are shooting.
First Lens for Landscape was the Nikkor 18-140mm. Love this lens.
My first lens for landscape was a 70-200 f4