At 51, I started a new hobby in photography. Now, just 2 years into it, I would go back and tell myself to enjoy the ride! Don't stress about all the learning details. They have come and I'm confident many more will come. Just enjoy the fun of your photography journey. Love your channel from across the pond in wonderful Wyoming, USA! Keep up the good work!😊
Henry, your videos are getting even better. This one has a professional quality that speaks to your skill and experience. As for my looking back lesson: I would slow down, be more careful, more precise. I have always darted about looking for all possible compositions instead of concentrating on a few superior takes.
Really very astute of you on taking your time being more careful and precise. Those things are all important parts of "seeing" and it's the same for every single photographer who's even a little serious about photography. We want to get EVERY shot EVERY time we go out, but I learned as a beginner, lugging around a medium format sheet film camera on an old and heavy field camera tripod of my father's, and from photographers like my father and others, to take your time and restrain your urge to take a lot of shots. Further, back then when I was beginning, sheet film was expensive for a 10-year-old, the tripod was heavy and the sliding wooden legs stuck, the whole contraption was cumbersome and took time to set up. Those difficulties in and of themselves taught me more about economy when out shooting. Often, I'd work so very hard to set up the tripod only to go under the dark cloth and realize what I saw wasn't going to be a good photograph at all, AND for CHRIST's sake it was upside-down and backwards! Slowing down and being more deliberate is key to good image making. Either as you say, we dart about taking pictures of everything (and often pictures are ALL they are) or we take our time, take fewer pictures and getting perhaps a few only, but of those fewer pictures perhaps we get one or two much better photographs than we would have when rushing about taking lots of pictures. In my day every exposure COST you and you didn't waste them. Today, I still have this tendency to "count" and just the other day I came back from shooting some infrared and I said to someone, I just shot a whole roll today, meaning I had taken 36 photographs. When I was looking through them in my studio, it was a new card, and I had PBP0001 to 0036 and I had to shake my head, what were the odds of that? You're absolutely right, the more deliberate and patient we are in the field, the more economical we are in snapping that shutter, the more time we spend in seeing, composing and exposing, the better our end result. We are never going to take ALL the pictures it's possible to take! That is impossible, so maybe we take our time and take ONE really good one! There's always tomorrow...
Sadly I hate digital post processing, mainly because it is too daunting to learn properly since I grew up in the world of film. I tend to focus on composition and light purely to let the camera do as much as it can reducing the amount I need to do with software. Each to their own I guess, but love all the videos as it gets me thinking.
I'm from film days myself and was taught to get the composition and exposure at the shutter button. But even so, the masters of our art did some work in the darkroom. The temperature of film developer could enhance or bring down contrast. The choice of paper dictated clarity. My point is, don't shun post-processing. Post can be your best friend even used sparingly.
If you look at the composition on Henry's camera and the haze and lack of definition in the landscape you can see the finished processing improves the photograph no end. Cameras are not fool proof: they cannot expose for highlights and shadows equally so some processing is required if you want proper results.
The most important parts of editing are usually just exposure, contrast, shadows, highlights, maybe saturation. These are the basic functions that can make your photos pop, and are very easy to learn. can be done in seconds actually.
In the last almost three years I have gone through 3 cameras and each time I really have not taken the time to learn the gear. My first camera was a very beginner type camera, the second was much more advanced, but I never took the full time to learn all it could do. I always wanted something newer and better (or so I thought). Now I have a Fuji X-T5 and there is so much to this camera, I don't know how I will ever be able to learn everything about it. So I guess for me, I would learn what my camera can do based on what I want to photograph, because really, I am still trying to figure that out. Great vide Henry, always enjoy your commentary and knowledge that you so freely share with the world. Crack on!
Believe it or not, post processing was a large part of what drew me to photography. Of course, back then, it was simply called developing. The moment I saw an image appear in the developer tray, I was hooked. I joined my high school photography club and spent as much time in the darkroom as I could. Now I really just enjoy getting out and capturing images, but still see the importance of processing. All the pieces have to work together.
I had gotten away from photography (started in 1970 with my first SLR that I bought on the SUB Tender in Holy Loch). When I decided to return to it years later, I had decided to go your route and develop myself. Alas, I could find no film locally and the only cameras available locally were these digital things.
I understand that when you’re making videos, it’s kind of hard to wait for that perfect light to film and take some great photographs at the same time. If I have any suggestion or tips for any beginners who love landscape photography is to always bring the camera with them and stop when the light and atmosphere is screaming for photographs. And the most important thing about this style of photography is stopping and taking probably fewer images, but capturing a few ones that really shines. Thanks, Henry, for the video!🙏😉
I went crazy buying lenses and gear early on. Several years later, probably 80-85% of my best shots were taken with my 24-70mm f2.8 lens....almost none at f2.8. If I had just bought the 24-70 f4, or 24-120 f4, I would've been set and saved a ton of money.
If there is one thing i have realised when watching this video, and it has nothing to do with photography, it's the fact i have not been out of the city for years. And it's quite a sad realisation. It's so beautiful where you are and it's been a long time since i've been to the hills. Or seen the coast. Life just gets in the way. Must promise myself to get out there and get out of this city. Great video Henry, cheers mate and all the best.
That also was true in the old film/darkroom days. Yes, you needed a good negative to start with. However, it took great effort to make the print sing. And it took years to learn a reasonable workflow starting with choice of film all the way through to how to finish and mount a print.
When I started, the only 'post processing' you could do was dodging and burning in the darkroom (yes, I'm old!!) I also worked in IT for over 30 years, so apart from watching great videos like yours Henry, the less time I spend on a computer the better! So if the image from the camera isn't to my liking, so be it, that's how it stays!
I started as a darkroom assistant and there was a lot more than D&B, although that was the most common thing. But we controlled contrast in multiple ways from developer type, temp and concentration through multi-grade printing papers and, yes, d&b while printing. We also did exposure bracketing, one of my jobs was cutting out masks(in cardboard) and feathering the edges with sandpaper. But there was also spotting to remove objects(cloning we call it now) and occasionally multi exposure(aka composites). We even occasionally(it was hard to get right!) used unsharp masking to enhance (aka sharpen) edges. Most modern photo editing techniques come from the darkroom. Incidentally, I too wound up in IT as a programmer and photography became my hobby, but those apprentice skills still come in useful.
Totally. I'm a real estate photographer for a living, and I reckon post processing is close to 80-90% of the work. I won't share my workflow, its really boring and a trade secret! but I think I must do close to 50 adjustments to each photo, pre processing steps, HDR merging, masking, and so on.
Too right Henry - the post is so critical, but, as you say, needs a gentle touch. Great job on these videos, my friend. Love the enthusiasm and energy!
I've never got past being a beginner but since no one will ever see my work it doesn't matter. To answer the question about what's important I agree it's post production. The exposure-triangle for good/balanced shots is easy to learn (from magazines in the seventies); as for composition, well my photo-my rules (bent out of shape from the same magazines.) That said I did do a one-day course will Alison and Rob at Cotswold House Photography in Bourton on the water, last year. Great day ! They took me to places which inspired me. When we looked over the day's shooting, Alison took less than 30 seconds a frame to transform the photos I'd taken-exposure triangle and compositional framing all my own. She made ordinary snapshots into, for one or two examples, living fine art! They're on my wall still. I watched her do it and she explained it but all I can do is change the contrast. So I take snap shots and leave them in the camera. It gets me out of the house and walking.
Knowing what to focus on is the gift. I don't know if it can be learned. It's like which outfit it the best to wear, it takes a special talent. The best $$$ camera equipment doesn't make a great photographer.
I was raised using sheet film and medium & large format cameras. The Dierdorf 5x7 & Graflex 3-1/4x4-1/4 so Saint Ansel & my father and his friend Minor White didn't leave me any leeway to deviate from the "Zone System" path from the camera to negative to the print! Or 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 each as important as the other and the success of the end result is only as good or as bad as your steps along the way. From the camera and using the Zone System you previsualize so that you know exactly how the print will look, there are NO doubts. Ansel always said the negative is the "Score" and the print is the "Performance!" In the digital age I still see in the old way and mostly working in B&W (BW only in post with raw or jpeg) it's fading over time, but I still see the negative & final print in BW before I press the shutter release. Today's technology does not require such complicated and technically challenging postproduction as we had with film. Knowing which developer to make up for the negatives I had, then paper grades and enlarger settings, contact print or enlargements and all the process. NO MORE CHEMICALS and breathing those fumes for hours and hours in the darkroom for me! Post is still complicated BUT it's a lot less time consuming and it's EASIER, and I'm hardly a master of Lightroom or Photoshop and I'm constantly learning, but the simple answer is working as I do, I keep it simple and do very little to overmanipulate the image in post, hardly doing more than fiddle with levels/contrast/exposure to get what I want.
Well, since I started with a 100% manual Pentax film camera, it would have to be getting aperture, shutter speed, and focus down until it is just instinct. Back then ISO was just part of the film, and there were limited choices. Today, I would say, in order, learning how to use, along with the strengths and weaknesses of your camera, specifically for the exposure triangle and focus to make good decisions there, then picking a post editor and exploring and practicing every nook and cranny of its capabilities.
Agreed - For me, 'taking' the image and 'making' the image, hover around the 50/50 paradigm. Best bit of advice I ever got was, "You can't polish a turd". To this end I try to get a photo as it 'presents itself' and I then record it in Raw, even if this makes for a slightly flatter image, pre processing. This now gives post-processing gives much more room to 'reveal' the image, without having to under, or over compensate. It is rarely a 'fix' but a fun, creative endeavour. To this end, subtle and considered polishing, allows me to find the image I first saw and now, hopefully matches the end result.
Hi Henry, the following is just my humble opinion. Post processing has always presented me with problems, firstly a steep learning curve, I use Serifs Affinity which is pretty powerful, akin to the other big two (which I can't afford), the steep learning curve, I'd say, puts new photographers off. I say that because in this day and age of instant results of near perfect speedy results from phone cameras, post processing is time consuming. I'd also say, most us dont want to spend hours in front of a computer trying to learn post processing jargon. Learning how to use a digital camera alone is enough of a challenge for newbies, where if I'm right, most us are using older DSLRS, as mirrorless bodies are just too expensive (and their lenses). Today we are forced into being cost conscious, having to make priority life style choices. Great video Henry, loving the channel.
For a new photographer, I wish I'd learned everything my camera can do. When I started shooting in 1977 with my Olympus OM-1 with the 50mm f1.8 kit lens, learning the camera was simple. Get your focus and light meter where you want it and take the photo. When I started with digital in earnest taking photos became an endless school of details, many of which I'm still learning. The principles of the exposure triangle haven't changed from film to digital. What a camera can now do with the information of light is a different world. Knowing how to run the machine that is a camera makes work better and lets one concentrate on light, composititon, subject choices, etc.
That's a great point. I would even go so far as to say that modern day cameras actually get in the way of the creative process, as we end up having to make a multitude of decisions as to what settings to dial in - a complete distraction of what we should be focussing on. It's why heading out with a prime lens (50mm perhaps) and shooting 100% manually (even if only as an occasional exercise) can be a great way to foster and stimulate creativity.
Henry, that cute little Herdwick almost stole the show! Seriously, though, I was properly stunned by those gorgeous panoramas. Once again, top drawer, mate...and kudos to Simon - what a thoughtful guy.
Two things come to mind that I have learned. Fog can be plus, not something to be avoided. #2 Often it is better to get in closer. The top or both sides of a nice tree don't allways need to be in the photo. Thanks
Great video and the processing does bring the photos to life! The first things I told a friend who started doing photography with me. Shoot raw and jpeg even if you don’t want to do Post Processing at the moment as you probably will and you can go back to them. Don’t keep every shot, some are not worth it, you will be happy that when you go back to PP your first shots you don’t need to sort them too! Create a file system that you understand, don’t let Windows put them where it thinks they should go, who he hell knows what date they took pictures of a Kestrel, but put it in a folder named Kestrel, you’ll alway be able to find it! I know that’s 3 things, but it’s what I told him all at the same time. As for raw vs jpeg I try to help the understanding by explaining raw as “all the ingredients for the cake, you can add or remove some flour or sugar or leave out the cherries” jpeg on the other hand is “the cooked cake, you can cut it open and add some cream and you can ice the top with fondant or flat icing but you can’t change the cake because it is already baked.”
You are absolutely right. Post processing is a big part of the final image.. In fact, post processing led to me NOT getting rid of my 20mp camera in favour of a 47mp camera. Lightroom is so good now that I can upscale my images to over 90mp and you would never guess that a 90mp camera was not used..
Completely agree Henry ! I came from film but did not no about the development end of it to much ! shoot the roll bring it to the local shop before lunch on a Tuesday. The Agfa van would pick it up and you,d get your prints back the following Tuesday . When I went digital again post processing / manipulating was "cheating" rather than enhancing and bringing out the best of the raw files !! Cracking images in this one man even the Eiffel Tower did,nt look too out of place 😀 I hope you have a great weekend !!
What do beginning photographers need? 1. The camera basics - knowledge of aperture, shutter and ISO; 2. Post processing knowledge (fairly easily acquired on YT; 3. Patience; and 4. A bunch of Henry turner videos. 😀
Great video. I would say that in the beginning it’s most important to learn to “see” as a photographer. To be able to look at the world and know how the camera will interpret that. Also, looking at as much photography books as possible.
....and its a really important point you make that once you have some experience of post processing, you can learn to shoot with post processing in mind. What looks good on the back of the camera isn't always the most usable file in post processing. I often have clients asking to see what I'm shooting on the back of the camera. I always politely refuse, they always look disappointed at the captured shot, but delighted to see them when they are finished.
Henry, you asked the question "what would I change if I could go back to day one of my photography journey " . Having grown up with film cameras, I would have moved to digital cameras immediately instead of being so stubborn in the thought that digital would just be a fad. I got left behind and now I feel it's impossible in my advancing years to catch up. Lightroom and photoshop feels so complicated to this dinosaur. I do admire you young people who just who just seem to take to it so easily. Great channel bye the way.
I agree with your comments about Lightroom and Photoshop but found Snapseed solved all my post processing problems, and it's free.It's very easy to use and works wonders.
If I could transport myself back to day one? What would I do differently? Well I'd spend a lot more time watching RUclips videos for the purpose of learning and also for inspiration. I only learned the value of watching videos such as yours about halfway through my journey with photography. So we're talking about six years bumbling around, not really knowing what I was doing, not even understanding the basics. Then six years in I started watching RUclips videos for the purpose of learning and my photography has come on in leaps and bounds since. So...yes...understanding how valuable RUclips can be as a repository of knowledge and advice has been absolutely vital in my development as a photographer.
Great video Henry. The dialogue is polished as are the finished compositions. ‘Yous’ is good! My tip to my younger self would be ‘get out there with your camera and shoot’. Today with digital photography you can shoot to your heart’s content without worrying too much about the cost of processing. Back in my younger days it was prohibitively expensive to shoot too many images. I wish I had some though. Later when I turned to digital I wish I had grasped the advantage of shooting RAW. Memory use was the problem back then but as you stress in your video post processing is the key to a great ‘popping’ photo. Keep up the good work Yous.
Well being as I started taking photographs at the age of 12, I'm now 63, the most important thing for me to learn straight from the getco was the exposure triangle, then composition
100% And both are as important and relevant now as they were decades ago. Get a grasp of these and you have a solid foundation for life (photography life, I mean🙂)
Can't agree more on the importance in post processing when shouting in RAW. I used to shoot primarily in jpeg for web application but since I've retired it's Raw all time everytime and do have the freedom to express myself in my photography.
Another great video Henry! Love the images and location. I'm also another one that loves post processing! But for beginners - I think stressing composition and light are still the most important things to tackle. Learn to compose an image and read the light - then the image will look after itself for the most part. No matter how much processing you do - it won't fix a bad composition. Keep up the great work mate! Cheers!
Interesting choice! Thinking about it, I really came to agree. It's actually the skill, that took me the longest to master. And it's such a powerful tool to use on your images! Most of the best images have been postprocessed quite intensively and wouldn't stand out as much otherwise.
My my that last photo has a real ethereal beauty, nicely brought out with the subtle edit. On the topic of the video; what I would do differently is related to the content of this video - too often I leave a location at sunset and neglect blue hour; only recently have I started hanging around for 45min more and I find I am getting totally different photos and compositions; only disadvantage ofc is walking down in the dark; something a bit of wild camping solves to be fair!
I'm the consummate "lazy bugger". Post processing is too much of a chore for me. There are times, however, that I wish I could love it, as you do! If I were to go back to the beginning, I'd put more effort than I did back then into things like composition and scouting. I was more of a snapshotter than a photographer back then.
I saw the thumbnail and thought that you may be talking about something that I discovered, almost to my cost. When I put a new card in my Nikon I always format it by going into the setup menu and selecting it then going through the protective 2 stage confirmation process. I then start taking pictures. What I discovered is that if I then accidentally catch the menu button it returns to the Format selection and if I don't notice it and accidentally catch the OK button it starts the confirmation. I have only ever had this happen once but I now protect against this by backing out of the menu fully before shooting. Hope this is useful.
Henry, i agree with you 100 percent. But before I get into why i agree i will say this, that statement is going to piss of alot of people that are allergic to post processing. Now i look at photography like baking a cake, you can eat a plain cake but it tastes like one, once a cake is frosted and decorated that cake is now elevated to a higher level and if you do it well enough you might be able to sell that cake and so post processing is the icing on the cake so to speak i will add that even if you shoot jpeg files, post processing will help because many times you will not take a photo in perfect light. Every camera that I use, Pentax,Olympus,Fujifilm, Panasonic and Nikon give me a different file regardless of it being raw or jpeg and post processing helps them all
First and foremost, I get a lot of value and entertainment from your videos. Would love to join you on a shoot down the road a bit. Second, if I was to go back to mh photography day 1, I pretty much shot everything back then on film. Manual everything, when I made the jump to digital, somehow my brain left me hanging at having to learn digital on Auto... 😔 I know, what was I thinking.. Today my first suggestion would be to not even start shooting on Auto at all, forget about it and begin the journey with complete control over your images.. Cheers
Finding this vid, and your channel fills me with confidence. I've been using Photoshop, and Lightroom for over 2 years now but only just recently bought my first DSLR. Actually learning PS eventually gave me a passion for photography 😊
In response to your question at 3:00, I would tell myself shoot in RAW and learn better composition. I could always go back and fix my post-processing if in RAW, but I can't fix composition.
I have to agree! I enjoy post processing as much as the actual taking of the images! The tools have really improved over the last 5 years…making it easier to finish my photos! Great job…well done! Thanks for taking me along!!!
Exposure triangle and composition for me. If you edit a bag of spanners, it'll likely still be a bag of spanners. After that I'd say understanding the kit I've spent too many pound notes on. Post processing I'd put down as rounding out the skillset.
Understanding how and why to shoot in manual and why you might want to shoot in other modes would be first for me, with post being second. Just IMHO. Thanks for all the work you put into your videos and other work.
Interesting question! I’ve been playing with landscape photography since lockdown when I originally bought a Nikon Z50 to replace a D5200 so I could shoot music videos at home. My D5200 had been my everyone has a camera in a cupboard” kit but the autofocus was bad. I fell for “you need a full frame for landscapes” argument but wanted another one good for video so also bought a D780. Then some lenses…. My day one? A mirrorless full frame with a good zoom and just use it. In fact, like yours! Z7 and a Z lens. Stop carrying loads of gear for miles, that and a tripod does it all.
Becoming proficient in processing has definitely been the difference for me in stepping up my game. You touched upon it on your video Henry so for me stepping back to younger Jim i would say, shoot in Raw as you then can unlock the potential of your image when you learm to process to a good standard. Great images this week by the way
In the early days, the aspect of photography that was the biggest epiphany to me was learning how to read medium tone (as well as up to +/- two stops) for any color using manual metering. For example everybody can relate to the color of a medium tone red firetruck. It becomes a matter of learning to read the tonal values of any color and then deliberately choosing the exposure for something in the scene (subject), whether something medium tone or something in half stop increments off medium tone. In any composition there are likely several areas in the image that can be exploited to get your optimum desired exposure. Once that is under your belt there should be very few missed exposures. Forsake autoexposure and take control! Cheers.
I teach & less than 1% of students realise " correct" exposure just means a default "mid" exposure because so called educators on youtube never explain it properly. Watch a vid on manual mode & they all say put the meter in the middle...regardless of the scene.
Hi Henry, another super video. Some wonderful images here. Looking back, I would urge myself to take more time and turn ‘snaps’ into more considered images.
I started, as many others did here in film photography, so, other than the odd enlarger and development techniques, you basically had to get it right straight out of camera. All of the publications of the time hammered it home that film selection, composition and correct exposure were key to great photography. Nowadays, we are rather spoilt for the things that we can achieve in digital photography, such as post processing. I do still prefer the pure photography elements over post processing, although I do sometimes dabble on the computer here and there.
First picture taken was with my brothers camera back in 1976. My regret from the early years is not joining him more in his cobbled together darkroom in the attic. Didn’t really start with my own camera until I was 15 in 1980 and relied heavily on Chemist shops developing and printing films or taking slides. I did manage some darkroom time in the art dept at school and again wish I had taken that further. Over the years I fell out of love with photography because the prints I got back just did not please me. Now with digital I can take as many as I want and tweak what I want when I want. Like you I really enjoy the post processing time after a shoot. Often doing it as soon as possible so the image in my head is still fresh.
I think I share your penchant for editing- and for me it has mostly been about bringing the camera's image back to as close as the scene when I shot it... most notably the dynamic range and tones... I like shots as they appear with the naked eye... so someone else sees what I did... Kudos for bringing the sheep back lol :D
To be honest Thomas, regarding post proccesing - Less is more I bracket but use the 'best shot'?. The dynamic range in modern cameras even Mf3s is very good To each his own 📷👍
During my photography early days, I decided that I do not post anything publically (no matter how good/simple) until it's gone through some form of post-processing. I do not believe in SOOC (strait out of can) images and feel that even the most delightful image can be improved dramatically with a simple edit or color adjustment.
Thanks for your thoughts. Don't waste too much money on upgrading gear would be my advice (which I haven't followed). Enjoy taking photographs. Learn about composition and the histogram. In particular that the most important thing is that it helps to avoid clipped highlights and shadows.
I find It’s so different Today in digital. In Film days I’d say Most important was composition. As after that , many average hobbyist were fine leave processing left to a lab & or an automated system of exposure & print. It was a small few experienced & or the much needed lab equipment & chemistry to finish it.
I wish I’d focused on seeing the light more in compositions. Or maybe that’s because I still feel like I’m lacking in that area. OH, and you’re cracking me up with the pop-up sheep in mid-sentence. 6:05
In my prime the photo had to be complete in camera because a dark room was almost never available and cropping was basically it. Now there are home computers and incredible software that makes the impossible possible.
I’l add PREPRODUCTION to the list of important things. Where do you go to shoot? What equipment do you bring? Haveing some extra batteries and memory cards. Haveing a plan, but also be capable to improvise.
I think that the beginner DSLR photographer quickly recognises that photo production falls into two halves- taking the photo and processing the photo. I think it is a sliding scale tho. I think it starts out as a 50/50 balance, in taking/processing, as we strive to improve our keeper rate. As we learn our skills, the balance changes, to maybe 70/30, as we learn what result we want and learn to manipulate the camera settings to achieve the effects 'in-camera' and do less post-processing. We have to appreciate that we need a percentage of post processing, via our RAW converter. In addition, as we baecome more skilled, we begin to experiment with post processing, not necessarily to improve our 'keeper rate' but to change the effects and the nature of our photos, using HDR, IR, focus stacking, compositing etc.
I really enjoyed the video, Henry. You like the same as with photography, which makes it my go-to channel. Your advice are always on point and it's refreshing that you're always out in the nature while finding examples (shots) to talk about. Not sure if it's your cup of tea but could you do one video about street photography? like cityscapes or street evening photography for special lighting?
Post processing provided it enhances the photo is great but so many go over the top and ruin the natural look. My post processing is minimal. Noise removal of necessary and slight exposure correction..
What a wonderful message (again)!!! If I had to go back I would suggest composition and light to my younger film shooter self. Patience would be very close to the top of the list as well. Being that I shot film for most of my life, the patience was inherently there due to cost. One could not afford to spray and pray. You had to make sure it was what you really wanted. Once I started digital, I seemed to have lost my patience, take way to many shots, and am overwhelmed during the processing stage. Processing is definitely not my favourite part. I much prefer the adventure in making the images.
I don’t know what I’d like to have known just starting out that I didn’t already know. I spent a lot of time educating myself via RUclips on both the use of a camera and Lightroom as I was saving to buy my first piece of kit. Thanks to people on YT such as Mike Browne and Anthony Morganty I feel like I had a head start. Btw that pano just after the 10 minute mark gets three thumbs up.
Nice Video And Fantastic Shots, Keep Up The Good Work... So For Me If I Can Go Back To The First Time I Started Would Be ... To Go Out And Film/Shoot As Much As I Can Before It's Too Late ..
I think looking back, I would have told myself to SLOW DOWN. To first do my research before even arriving at a site, but most important to leave the camera in the bag when I get there and just wander around a little until I see something that really inspires me.. then look at it a squinch more and afterward, pull out the camera. So tempting o just pull out the camera and hammer away.. and miss something I might have seen otherwise. Of identifying additional options so I know where to set up. Don’t know how many times when I started I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, winging it, and then stumbling on what I really liked when I could have found options right from the start..
Yes, a brilliant video Henry, really enjoyed it. I'm a bit ambivalent about post processing! A lot depends upon the composition and I find that if I've enjoyed taking the image then I tend to spend more time and enjoy post processing! My photography seems to fall onto 2 categories; 1. a planned trip where I spend quite a long time getting a decent composition, waiting for the light etc. 2. more of a spontaneous 'quick snap' of something that takes my interest at the time. I seem to enjoy post processing category 1. more!
Nice photos Henry. I like to keep my post processing to a minimum, just small edits to try and get the photo looking as close as possible to how I seen it with my eyes.
I think you raise a very interesting point, Henry. I suspect that there are people who feel obliged to use every tool and slider in whatever software they use; conversely, there are others who see it as a minor, all-but-irrelevant part of the process of producing something memorable, if not beautiful and just want a preset they can click and be done with it. Again, with my writing background, I imagine what my pieces would be like if I couldn't (or didn't) edit my works, just run a piece through a spell-checker and hit print. Personally, I am ware of the importance of post-processing, as it is here that a dowdy image can be lifted to make something memorable and beautiful. The semi-regular live streams for my PP software (ON1) demonstrate this capably. I'd still, if I could rewind back to my youth, want to give a lot of effort to composition for it is here that I feel I'm particularly weak; that said, during a course, I did a unit in photography, and we did spend a fair amount of time in the darkroom with the lecturer helping with things like cropping, dodging, burning, paper choice, etc. So maybe I ought to put a lot more effort into PP now...
Another great video Henry. If i could go back it would be slow down and take more care in the composition. Enjoyed the journey as usual. Great image's.
I think the same as I did. Learn how to use a camera entirely in manual mode. Often when out shooting in difficult lightning conditions etc I can switch to manual quicker and take the shot without spending time going through menus.
Gorgeous images - as always. I think the first thing I would do would be to slow down and secondly, learn to shoot in RAW. It took me a very long time to work up the courage to do that and now I can't imagine shooting in jpeg. I agree that post processing is at least 50% of a successful image and most youtubers I follow seem to skip over that bit to focus on composition and settings. I could take the same images at the same time and not have near as good an end result - largely because of the edits. I think it would be great if - even once a month - you'd quickly, at the end of a video, throw in a bit of your process. Thanks for another entertaining video!
Interesting thought. Experience gives you technical knowledge and compositional skill, but post is an acquired taste. Early doors I was a “post is cheating” person, but since trying “properly” I’ve found myself always correcting the image in post to give me the image that my eye thinks it saw.
14:25 love this photograph. Im a new follower all the way from Huntsville Alabama 😊 really love the way your breaking it all down but will bring on location. I’ll definitely be watching more. Also, your talking voice is very lively! 😊
Exquisite images…..as always! Great video and 100% agree about the post-processing. I’ve been shooting raw for many years and post is a given….a must…otherwise all images look kinda blah. I love post processing and I also like spending time learning others tips & tricks so if you do decide to make some post videos I would be a fan! Thanks Henry for another great show!
Honestly after photographing RAW and editing for a while I just photograph JPEG, I get just as good results and don't have to spend a lot of time with bad or expensive software.
I only use the basic functions of Capture NX-D, for me this is photography. However, I would change my equipment if I could for a Q 2 . I feel that I would be more creative, that I would be able to focus better on the composition.
Henry. Another great video. As a fairly new starter in photography, I think learning to get your composition right, and then the correct camera settings can seem daunting. Then when you come to post processing, we’ll that’s another mine field to cross. I am using Lightroom Classic and just wonder what do all the different buttons and sliders do. Alter exposure, make a mask, tone curve and many others where does a beginner start. Yes there is plenty of help on RUclips but when I try the same techniques it just doesn’t look the same.
I found looking at presets and checking their various levels helpful. Also just adjusting all the sliders all the time and overtime starting to grasp what effects they'll have. Looking at "how to edit like" vids on RUclips. Just keep chipping away bro 💪🏼
I would go back and learn so much more about post processing by far. I still fight with what and how to use photoshop sometimes. But there is nothing like being outside and capturing a moment in time. Keep on trucking Henry, your videos keep getting better and better mate.
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At 51, I started a new hobby in photography. Now, just 2 years into it, I would go back and tell myself to enjoy the ride! Don't stress about all the learning details. They have come and I'm confident many more will come. Just enjoy the fun of your photography journey.
Love your channel from across the pond in wonderful Wyoming, USA! Keep up the good work!😊
Henry, your videos are getting even better. This one has a professional quality that speaks to your skill and experience. As for my looking back lesson: I would slow down, be more careful, more precise. I have always darted about looking for all possible compositions instead of concentrating on a few superior takes.
Really very astute of you on taking your time being more careful and precise. Those things are all important parts of "seeing" and it's the same for every single photographer who's even a little serious about photography. We want to get EVERY shot EVERY time we go out, but I learned as a beginner, lugging around a medium format sheet film camera on an old and heavy field camera tripod of my father's, and from photographers like my father and others, to take your time and restrain your urge to take a lot of shots. Further, back then when I was beginning, sheet film was expensive for a 10-year-old, the tripod was heavy and the sliding wooden legs stuck, the whole contraption was cumbersome and took time to set up. Those difficulties in and of themselves taught me more about economy when out shooting. Often, I'd work so very hard to set up the tripod only to go under the dark cloth and realize what I saw wasn't going to be a good photograph at all, AND for CHRIST's sake it was upside-down and backwards! Slowing down and being more deliberate is key to good image making. Either as you say, we dart about taking pictures of everything (and often pictures are ALL they are) or we take our time, take fewer pictures and getting perhaps a few only, but of those fewer pictures perhaps we get one or two much better photographs than we would have when rushing about taking lots of pictures. In my day every exposure COST you and you didn't waste them. Today, I still have this tendency to "count" and just the other day I came back from shooting some infrared and I said to someone, I just shot a whole roll today, meaning I had taken 36 photographs. When I was looking through them in my studio, it was a new card, and I had PBP0001 to 0036 and I had to shake my head, what were the odds of that?
You're absolutely right, the more deliberate and patient we are in the field, the more economical we are in snapping that shutter, the more time we spend in seeing, composing and exposing, the better our end result. We are never going to take ALL the pictures it's possible to take! That is impossible, so maybe we take our time and take ONE really good one! There's always tomorrow...
Sadly I hate digital post processing, mainly because it is too daunting to learn properly since I grew up in the world of film. I tend to focus on composition and light purely to let the camera do as much as it can reducing the amount I need to do with software. Each to their own I guess, but love all the videos as it gets me thinking.
I'm from film days myself and was taught to get the composition and exposure at the shutter button. But even so, the masters of our art did some work in the darkroom. The temperature of film developer could enhance or bring down contrast. The choice of paper dictated clarity. My point is, don't shun post-processing. Post can be your best friend even used sparingly.
If you look at the composition on Henry's camera and the haze and lack of definition in the landscape you can see the finished processing improves the photograph no end. Cameras are not fool proof: they cannot expose for highlights and shadows equally so some processing is required if you want proper results.
The most important parts of editing are usually just exposure, contrast, shadows, highlights, maybe saturation. These are the basic functions that can make your photos pop, and are very easy to learn. can be done in seconds actually.
In the last almost three years I have gone through 3 cameras and each time I really have not taken the time to learn the gear. My first camera was a very beginner type camera, the second was much more advanced, but I never took the full time to learn all it could do. I always wanted something newer and better (or so I thought). Now I have a Fuji X-T5 and there is so much to this camera, I don't know how I will ever be able to learn everything about it. So I guess for me, I would learn what my camera can do based on what I want to photograph, because really, I am still trying to figure that out. Great vide Henry, always enjoy your commentary and knowledge that you so freely share with the world. Crack on!
Believe it or not, post processing was a large part of what drew me to photography. Of course, back then, it was simply called developing. The moment I saw an image appear in the developer tray, I was hooked. I joined my high school photography club and spent as much time in the darkroom as I could.
Now I really just enjoy getting out and capturing images, but still see the importance of processing. All the pieces have to work together.
I had gotten away from photography (started in 1970 with my first SLR that I bought on the SUB Tender in Holy Loch). When I decided to return to it years later, I had decided to go your route and develop myself. Alas, I could find no film locally and the only cameras available locally were these digital things.
I understand that when you’re making videos, it’s kind of hard to wait for that perfect light to film and take some great photographs at the same time.
If I have any suggestion or tips for any beginners who love landscape photography is to always bring the camera with them and stop when the light and atmosphere is screaming for photographs.
And the most important thing about this style of photography is stopping and taking probably fewer images, but capturing a few ones that really shines.
Thanks, Henry, for the video!🙏😉
I went crazy buying lenses and gear early on. Several years later, probably 80-85% of my best shots were taken with my 24-70mm f2.8 lens....almost none at f2.8. If I had just bought the 24-70 f4, or 24-120 f4, I would've been set and saved a ton of money.
If there is one thing i have realised when watching this video, and it has nothing to do with photography, it's the fact i have not been out of the city for years. And it's quite a sad realisation. It's so beautiful where you are and it's been a long time since i've been to the hills. Or seen the coast. Life just gets in the way. Must promise myself to get out there and get out of this city. Great video Henry, cheers mate and all the best.
That also was true in the old film/darkroom days. Yes, you needed a good negative to start with. However, it took great effort to make the print sing. And it took years to learn a reasonable workflow starting with choice of film all the way through to how to finish and mount a print.
When I started, the only 'post processing' you could do was dodging and burning in the darkroom (yes, I'm old!!) I also worked in IT for over 30 years, so apart from watching great videos like yours Henry, the less time I spend on a computer the better! So if the image from the camera isn't to my liking, so be it, that's how it stays!
I started as a darkroom assistant and there was a lot more than D&B, although that was the most common thing. But we controlled contrast in multiple ways from developer type, temp and concentration through multi-grade printing papers and, yes, d&b while printing. We also did exposure bracketing, one of my jobs was cutting out masks(in cardboard) and feathering the edges with sandpaper. But there was also spotting to remove objects(cloning we call it now) and occasionally multi exposure(aka composites). We even occasionally(it was hard to get right!) used unsharp masking to enhance (aka sharpen) edges. Most modern photo editing techniques come from the darkroom. Incidentally, I too wound up in IT as a programmer and photography became my hobby, but those apprentice skills still come in useful.
@@alangauld6079 I should have typed 'the only post processing I could do'...!! 🤣
Totally. I'm a real estate photographer for a living, and I reckon post processing is close to 80-90% of the work. I won't share my workflow, its really boring and a trade secret! but I think I must do close to 50 adjustments to each photo, pre processing steps, HDR merging, masking, and so on.
Too right Henry - the post is so critical, but, as you say, needs a gentle touch. Great job on these videos, my friend. Love the enthusiasm and energy!
I've never got past being a beginner but since no one will ever see my work it doesn't matter. To answer the question about what's important I agree it's post production. The exposure-triangle for good/balanced shots is easy to learn (from magazines in the seventies); as for composition, well my photo-my rules (bent out of shape from the same magazines.) That said I did do a one-day course will Alison and Rob at Cotswold House Photography in Bourton on the water, last year. Great day ! They took me to places which inspired me. When we looked over the day's shooting, Alison took less than 30 seconds a frame to transform the photos I'd taken-exposure triangle and compositional framing all my own. She made ordinary snapshots into, for one or two examples, living fine art! They're on my wall still. I watched her do it and she explained it but all I can do is change the contrast. So I take snap shots and leave them in the camera. It gets me out of the house and walking.
Knowing what to focus on is the gift. I don't know if it can be learned. It's like which outfit it the best to wear, it takes a special talent. The best $$$ camera equipment doesn't make a great photographer.
Time of day plays a big part in your composition. I hide away from picture taking through the heat of the day.
I was raised using sheet film and medium & large format cameras. The Dierdorf 5x7 & Graflex 3-1/4x4-1/4 so Saint Ansel & my father and his friend Minor White didn't leave me any leeway to deviate from the "Zone System" path from the camera to negative to the print! Or 1/3, 1/3, 1/3 each as important as the other and the success of the end result is only as good or as bad as your steps along the way. From the camera and using the Zone System you previsualize so that you know exactly how the print will look, there are NO doubts. Ansel always said the negative is the "Score" and the print is the "Performance!" In the digital age I still see in the old way and mostly working in B&W (BW only in post with raw or jpeg) it's fading over time, but I still see the negative & final print in BW before I press the shutter release. Today's technology does not require such complicated and technically challenging postproduction as we had with film. Knowing which developer to make up for the negatives I had, then paper grades and enlarger settings, contact print or enlargements and all the process. NO MORE CHEMICALS and breathing those fumes for hours and hours in the darkroom for me! Post is still complicated BUT it's a lot less time consuming and it's EASIER, and I'm hardly a master of Lightroom or Photoshop and I'm constantly learning, but the simple answer is working as I do, I keep it simple and do very little to overmanipulate the image in post, hardly doing more than fiddle with levels/contrast/exposure to get what I want.
Well, since I started with a 100% manual Pentax film camera, it would have to be getting aperture, shutter speed, and focus down until it is just instinct. Back then ISO was just part of the film, and there were limited choices. Today, I would say, in order, learning how to use, along with the strengths and weaknesses of your camera, specifically for the exposure triangle and focus to make good decisions there, then picking a post editor and exploring and practicing every nook and cranny of its capabilities.
Agreed - For me, 'taking' the image and 'making' the image, hover around the 50/50 paradigm. Best bit of advice I ever got was, "You can't polish a turd". To this end I try to get a photo as it 'presents itself' and I then record it in Raw, even if this makes for a slightly flatter image, pre processing. This now gives post-processing gives much more room to 'reveal' the image, without having to under, or over compensate. It is rarely a 'fix' but a fun, creative endeavour. To this end, subtle and considered polishing, allows me to find the image I first saw and now, hopefully matches the end result.
Hi Henry, the following is just my humble opinion. Post processing has always presented me with problems, firstly a steep learning curve, I use Serifs Affinity which is pretty powerful, akin to the other big two (which I can't afford), the steep learning curve, I'd say, puts new photographers off.
I say that because in this day and age of instant results of near perfect speedy results from phone cameras, post processing is time consuming. I'd also say, most us dont want to spend hours in front of a computer trying to learn post processing jargon.
Learning how to use a digital camera alone is enough of a challenge for newbies, where if I'm right, most us are using older DSLRS, as mirrorless bodies are just too expensive (and their lenses). Today we are forced into being cost conscious, having to make priority life style choices.
Great video Henry, loving the channel.
For a new photographer, I wish I'd learned everything my camera can do. When I started shooting in 1977 with my Olympus OM-1 with the 50mm f1.8 kit lens, learning the camera was simple. Get your focus and light meter where you want it and take the photo. When I started with digital in earnest taking photos became an endless school of details, many of which I'm still learning. The principles of the exposure triangle haven't changed from film to digital. What a camera can now do with the information of light is a different world. Knowing how to run the machine that is a camera makes work better and lets one concentrate on light, composititon, subject choices, etc.
That's a great point. I would even go so far as to say that modern day cameras actually get in the way of the creative process, as we end up having to make a multitude of decisions as to what settings to dial in - a complete distraction of what we should be focussing on. It's why heading out with a prime lens (50mm perhaps) and shooting 100% manually (even if only as an occasional exercise) can be a great way to foster and stimulate creativity.
@@ThorstenMerz Yeah, I like my 50mm.
Henry, that cute little Herdwick almost stole the show! Seriously, though, I was properly stunned by those gorgeous panoramas. Once again, top drawer, mate...and kudos to Simon - what a thoughtful guy.
Two things come to mind that I have learned. Fog can be plus, not something to be avoided. #2 Often it is better to get in closer. The top or both sides of a nice tree don't allways need to be in the photo. Thanks
Great video and the processing does bring the photos to life!
The first things I told a friend who started doing photography with me.
Shoot raw and jpeg even if you don’t want to do Post Processing at the moment as you probably will and you can go back to them.
Don’t keep every shot, some are not worth it, you will be happy that when you go back to PP your first shots you don’t need to sort them too!
Create a file system that you understand, don’t let Windows put them where it thinks they should go, who he hell knows what date they took pictures of a Kestrel, but put it in a folder named Kestrel, you’ll alway be able to find it!
I know that’s 3 things, but it’s what I told him all at the same time.
As for raw vs jpeg I try to help the understanding by explaining raw as “all the ingredients for the cake, you can add or remove some flour or sugar or leave out the cherries” jpeg on the other hand is “the cooked cake, you can cut it open and add some cream and you can ice the top with fondant or flat icing but you can’t change the cake because it is already baked.”
RAW and JPEG for speed, otherwise RAW.
You are absolutely right. Post processing is a big part of the final image.. In fact, post processing led to me NOT getting rid of my 20mp camera in favour of a 47mp camera. Lightroom is so good now that I can upscale my images to over 90mp and you would never guess that a 90mp camera was not used..
Completely agree Henry ! I came from film but did not no about the development end of it to much ! shoot the roll bring it to the local shop before lunch on a Tuesday. The Agfa van would pick it up and you,d get your prints back the following Tuesday . When I went digital again post processing / manipulating was "cheating" rather than enhancing and bringing out the best of the raw files !! Cracking images in this one man even the Eiffel Tower did,nt look too out of place 😀 I hope you have a great weekend !!
Hi Henry, didn't realise you were a poet!
Post is one thing I struggle with, I know what I want to achieve but often I fail!
Excellent video.
What do beginning photographers need? 1. The camera basics - knowledge of aperture, shutter and ISO; 2. Post processing knowledge (fairly easily acquired on YT; 3. Patience; and 4. A bunch of Henry turner videos. 😀
Great video. I would say that in the beginning it’s most important to learn to “see” as a photographer. To be able to look at the world and know how the camera will interpret that. Also, looking at as much photography books as possible.
....and its a really important point you make that once you have some experience of post processing, you can learn to shoot with post processing in mind. What looks good on the back of the camera isn't always the most usable file in post processing. I often have clients asking to see what I'm shooting on the back of the camera. I always politely refuse, they always look disappointed at the captured shot, but delighted to see them when they are finished.
Henry, you asked the question "what would I change if I could go back to day one of my photography journey " . Having grown up with film cameras, I would have moved to digital cameras immediately instead of being so stubborn in the thought that digital would just be a fad. I got left behind and now I feel it's impossible in my advancing years to catch up. Lightroom and photoshop feels so complicated to this dinosaur. I do admire you young people who just who just seem to take to it so easily. Great channel bye the way.
Practice and use all the tools and channels available. :) Have fun!!!!!
I agree with your comments about Lightroom and Photoshop but found Snapseed solved all my post processing problems, and it's free.It's very easy to use and works wonders.
If I could transport myself back to day one? What would I do differently? Well I'd spend a lot more time watching RUclips videos for the purpose of learning and also for inspiration. I only learned the value of watching videos such as yours about halfway through my journey with photography. So we're talking about six years bumbling around, not really knowing what I was doing, not even understanding the basics. Then six years in I started watching RUclips videos for the purpose of learning and my photography has come on in leaps and bounds since. So...yes...understanding how valuable RUclips can be as a repository of knowledge and advice has been absolutely vital in my development as a photographer.
I love post. I do prefer shooting without shadows. I'll wait for the clouds. :) Happy shooting!
That pano at 14:20 is fantastic!
Great video Henry. The dialogue is polished as are the finished compositions. ‘Yous’ is good!
My tip to my younger self would be ‘get out there with your camera and shoot’. Today with digital photography you can shoot to your heart’s content without worrying too much about the cost of processing. Back in my younger days it was prohibitively expensive to shoot too many images. I wish I had some though. Later when I turned to digital I wish I had grasped the advantage of shooting RAW. Memory use was the problem back then but as you stress in your video post processing is the key to a great ‘popping’ photo. Keep up the good work Yous.
I think it was Ansel Adams that said the digital negative is like a composer’s score, the post processing the performance. Or something like that :-).
Well being as I started taking photographs at the age of 12, I'm now 63, the most important thing for me to learn straight from the getco was the exposure triangle, then composition
100% And both are as important and relevant now as they were decades ago. Get a grasp of these and you have a solid foundation for life (photography life, I mean🙂)
Can't agree more on the importance in post processing when shouting in RAW. I used to shoot primarily in jpeg for web application but since I've retired it's Raw all time everytime and do have the freedom to express myself in my photography.
Best. Light. Ever.
Another great video Henry! Love the images and location. I'm also another one that loves post processing! But for beginners - I think stressing composition and light are still the most important things to tackle. Learn to compose an image and read the light - then the image will look after itself for the most part. No matter how much processing you do - it won't fix a bad composition. Keep up the great work mate! Cheers!
Interesting choice! Thinking about it, I really came to agree. It's actually the skill, that took me the longest to master. And it's such a powerful tool to use on your images! Most of the best images have been postprocessed quite intensively and wouldn't stand out as much otherwise.
My my that last photo has a real ethereal beauty, nicely brought out with the subtle edit. On the topic of the video; what I would do differently is related to the content of this video - too often I leave a location at sunset and neglect blue hour; only recently have I started hanging around for 45min more and I find I am getting totally different photos and compositions; only disadvantage ofc is walking down in the dark; something a bit of wild camping solves to be fair!
I'm the consummate "lazy bugger". Post processing is too much of a chore for me. There are times, however, that I wish I could love it, as you do! If I were to go back to the beginning, I'd put more effort than I did back then into things like composition and scouting. I was more of a snapshotter than a photographer back then.
I saw the thumbnail and thought that you may be talking about something that I discovered, almost to my cost. When I put a new card in my Nikon I always format it by going into the setup menu and selecting it then going through the protective 2 stage confirmation process. I then start taking pictures. What I discovered is that if I then accidentally catch the menu button it returns to the Format selection and if I don't notice it and accidentally catch the OK button it starts the confirmation. I have only ever had this happen once but I now protect against this by backing out of the menu fully before shooting. Hope this is useful.
Exposure, composition, feeling/reason, that's it- finish in LR.
Henry, i agree with you 100 percent. But before I get into why i agree i will say this, that statement is going to piss of alot of people that are allergic to post processing. Now i look at photography like baking a cake, you can eat a plain cake but it tastes like one, once a cake is frosted and decorated that cake is now elevated to a higher level and if you do it well enough you might be able to sell that cake and so post processing is the icing on the cake so to speak i will add that even if you shoot jpeg files, post processing will help because many times you will not take a photo in perfect light. Every camera that I use, Pentax,Olympus,Fujifilm, Panasonic and Nikon give me a different file regardless of it being raw or jpeg and post processing helps them all
First and foremost, I get a lot of value and entertainment from your videos. Would love to join you on a shoot down the road a bit.
Second, if I was to go back to mh photography day 1, I pretty much shot everything back then on film.
Manual everything, when I made the jump to digital, somehow my brain left me hanging at having to learn digital on Auto... 😔
I know, what was I thinking..
Today my first suggestion would be to not even start shooting on Auto at all, forget about it and begin the journey with complete control over your images..
Cheers
Finding this vid, and your channel fills me with confidence. I've been using Photoshop, and Lightroom for over 2 years now but only just recently bought my first DSLR. Actually learning PS eventually gave me a passion for photography 😊
Totally agree post processing is still not that easy for me and its so easy to over do the process
In response to your question at 3:00, I would tell myself shoot in RAW and learn better composition. I could always go back and fix my post-processing if in RAW, but I can't fix composition.
I have to agree! I enjoy post processing as much as the actual taking of the images! The tools have really improved over the last 5 years…making it easier to finish my photos! Great job…well done! Thanks for taking me along!!!
Great discussion, very nice photos. That sheep seemed to take a real liking to ewe.
Exposure triangle and composition for me. If you edit a bag of spanners, it'll likely still be a bag of spanners. After that I'd say understanding the kit I've spent too many pound notes on. Post processing I'd put down as rounding out the skillset.
Thank you Henry for another corker. IMHO these photos have to be up there with some of your best. I hope at least one makes next year’s calendar!
I agree! That is something I knew so little about and that as I've learned it, it's helped my work look so much better!
Understanding how and why to shoot in manual and why you might want to shoot in other modes would be first for me, with post being second. Just IMHO. Thanks for all the work you put into your videos and other work.
Interesting question! I’ve been playing with landscape photography since lockdown when I originally bought a Nikon Z50 to replace a D5200 so I could shoot music videos at home. My D5200 had been my everyone has a camera in a cupboard” kit but the autofocus was bad.
I fell for “you need a full frame for landscapes” argument but wanted another one good for video so also bought a D780. Then some lenses….
My day one? A mirrorless full frame with a good zoom and just use it. In fact, like yours! Z7 and a Z lens. Stop carrying loads of gear for miles, that and a tripod does it all.
I would have invested in better glass sooner. Processing included developing negatives and printing when I started.
Becoming proficient in processing has definitely been the difference for me in stepping up my game. You touched upon it on your video Henry so for me stepping back to younger Jim i would say, shoot in Raw as you then can unlock the potential of your image when you learm to process to a good standard. Great images this week by the way
In the early days, the aspect of photography that was the biggest epiphany to me was learning how to read medium tone (as well as up to +/- two stops) for any color using manual metering. For example everybody can relate to the color of a medium tone red firetruck. It becomes a matter of learning to read the tonal values of any color and then deliberately choosing the exposure for something in the scene (subject), whether something medium tone or something in half stop increments off medium tone. In any composition there are likely several areas in the image that can be exploited to get your optimum desired exposure. Once that is under your belt there should be very few missed exposures. Forsake autoexposure and take control! Cheers.
I teach & less than 1% of students realise " correct" exposure just means a default "mid" exposure because so called educators on youtube never explain it properly. Watch a vid on manual mode & they all say put the meter in the middle...regardless of the scene.
Hi Henry, another super video. Some wonderful images here. Looking back, I would urge myself to take more time and turn ‘snaps’ into more considered images.
I started, as many others did here in film photography, so, other than the odd enlarger and development techniques, you basically had to get it right straight out of camera. All of the publications of the time hammered it home that film selection, composition and correct exposure were key to great photography.
Nowadays, we are rather spoilt for the things that we can achieve in digital photography, such as post processing.
I do still prefer the pure photography elements over post processing, although I do sometimes dabble on the computer here and there.
Such beautiful photos. I still need to learn to stack my photos. Thanks for a lovely view of the mountains. Brenda from Maryland
First picture taken was with my brothers camera back in 1976. My regret from the early years is not joining him more in his cobbled together darkroom in the attic. Didn’t really start with my own camera until I was 15 in 1980 and relied heavily on Chemist shops developing and printing films or taking slides. I did manage some darkroom time in the art dept at school and again wish I had taken that further. Over the years I fell out of love with photography because the prints I got back just did not please me. Now with digital I can take as many as I want and tweak what I want when I want. Like you I really enjoy the post processing time after a shoot. Often doing it as soon as possible so the image in my head is still fresh.
I think I share your penchant for editing- and for me it has mostly been about bringing the camera's image back to as close as the scene when I shot it... most notably the dynamic range and tones...
I like shots as they appear with the naked eye... so someone else sees what I did...
Kudos for bringing the sheep back lol :D
To be honest Thomas, regarding post proccesing - Less is more
I bracket but use the 'best shot'?. The dynamic range in modern cameras even Mf3s is very good
To each his own 📷👍
Your work is amazing (as usual), and your storytelling is elegant and engaging. Well done, sir.
Thank you very much!
I like the editing in this one mate. Made me laugh!
During my photography early days, I decided that I do not post anything publically (no matter how good/simple) until it's gone through some form of post-processing. I do not believe in SOOC (strait out of can) images and feel that even the most delightful image can be improved dramatically with a simple edit or color adjustment.
Thanks for your thoughts. Don't waste too much money on upgrading gear would be my advice (which I haven't followed). Enjoy taking photographs. Learn about composition and the histogram. In particular that the most important thing is that it helps to avoid clipped highlights and shadows.
Beautiful shots mate.
I find It’s so different Today in digital. In Film days I’d say Most important was composition. As after that , many average hobbyist were fine leave processing left to a lab & or an automated system of exposure & print. It was a small few experienced & or the much needed lab equipment & chemistry to finish it.
I wish I’d focused on seeing the light more in compositions. Or maybe that’s because I still feel like I’m lacking in that area. OH, and you’re cracking me up with the pop-up sheep in mid-sentence. 6:05
In my prime the photo had to be complete in camera because a dark room was almost never available and cropping was basically it. Now there are home computers and incredible software that makes the impossible possible.
Really enjoyed the second pano.
I’l add PREPRODUCTION to the list of important things. Where do you go to shoot? What equipment do you bring? Haveing some extra batteries and memory cards. Haveing a plan, but also be capable to improvise.
Cracking images Henry, many thanks for your continued excellence and input.
I think that the beginner DSLR photographer quickly recognises that photo production falls into two halves- taking the photo and processing the photo.
I think it is a sliding scale tho.
I think it starts out as a 50/50 balance, in taking/processing, as we strive to improve our keeper rate.
As we learn our skills, the balance changes, to maybe 70/30, as we learn what result we want and learn to manipulate the camera settings to achieve the effects 'in-camera' and do less post-processing.
We have to appreciate that we need a percentage of post processing, via our RAW converter. In addition, as we baecome more skilled, we begin to experiment with post processing, not necessarily to improve our 'keeper rate' but to change the effects and the nature of our photos, using HDR, IR, focus stacking, compositing etc.
I really enjoyed the video, Henry. You like the same as with photography, which makes it my go-to channel. Your advice are always on point and it's refreshing that you're always out in the nature while finding examples (shots) to talk about.
Not sure if it's your cup of tea but could you do one video about street photography? like cityscapes or street evening photography for special lighting?
Post processing provided it enhances the photo is great but so many go over the top and ruin the natural look. My post processing is minimal. Noise removal of necessary and slight exposure correction..
What a wonderful message (again)!!! If I had to go back I would suggest composition and light to my younger film shooter self. Patience would be very close to the top of the list as well. Being that I shot film for most of my life, the patience was inherently there due to cost. One could not afford to spray and pray. You had to make sure it was what you really wanted. Once I started digital, I seemed to have lost my patience, take way to many shots, and am overwhelmed during the processing stage. Processing is definitely not my favourite part. I much prefer the adventure in making the images.
I would have loved to have spent more time in the darkroom (the last time I was in one was back high school) Great photos, by the way.
I don’t know what I’d like to have known just starting out that I didn’t already know. I spent a lot of time educating myself via RUclips on both the use of a camera and Lightroom as I was saving to buy my first piece of kit. Thanks to people on YT such as Mike Browne and Anthony Morganty I feel like I had a head start. Btw that pano just after the 10 minute mark gets three thumbs up.
Nice Video And Fantastic Shots, Keep Up The Good Work... So For Me If I Can Go Back To The First Time I Started Would Be ... To Go Out And Film/Shoot As Much As I Can Before It's Too Late ..
I think looking back, I would have told myself to SLOW DOWN. To first do my research before even arriving at a site, but most important to leave the camera in the bag when I get there and just wander around a little until I see something that really inspires me.. then look at it a squinch more and afterward, pull out the camera. So tempting o just pull out the camera and hammer away.. and miss something I might have seen otherwise. Of identifying additional options so I know where to set up. Don’t know how many times when I started I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, winging it, and then stumbling on what I really liked when I could have found options right from the start..
Yes, a brilliant video Henry, really enjoyed it. I'm a bit ambivalent about post processing! A lot depends upon the composition and I find that if I've enjoyed taking the image then I tend to spend more time and enjoy post processing! My photography seems to fall onto 2 categories; 1. a planned trip where I spend quite a long time getting a decent composition, waiting for the light etc. 2. more of a spontaneous 'quick snap' of something that takes my interest at the time. I seem to enjoy post processing category 1. more!
Nice photos Henry.
I like to keep my post processing to a minimum, just small edits to try and get the photo looking as close as possible to how I seen it with my eyes.
Another amazing vid, Henry! The special zoom onto the sheep.... 💜💜💜😂
I think you raise a very interesting point, Henry. I suspect that there are people who feel obliged to use every tool and slider in whatever software they use; conversely, there are others who see it as a minor, all-but-irrelevant part of the process of producing something memorable, if not beautiful and just want a preset they can click and be done with it. Again, with my writing background, I imagine what my pieces would be like if I couldn't (or didn't) edit my works, just run a piece through a spell-checker and hit print. Personally, I am ware of the importance of post-processing, as it is here that a dowdy image can be lifted to make something memorable and beautiful. The semi-regular live streams for my PP software (ON1) demonstrate this capably. I'd still, if I could rewind back to my youth, want to give a lot of effort to composition for it is here that I feel I'm particularly weak; that said, during a course, I did a unit in photography, and we did spend a fair amount of time in the darkroom with the lecturer helping with things like cropping, dodging, burning, paper choice, etc. So maybe I ought to put a lot more effort into PP now...
Another great video Henry.
If i could go back it would be slow down and take more care in the composition.
Enjoyed the journey as usual.
Great image's.
I think the same as I did. Learn how to use a camera entirely in manual mode. Often when out shooting in difficult lightning conditions etc I can switch to manual quicker and take the shot without spending time going through menus.
Gorgeous images - as always. I think the first thing I would do would be to slow down and secondly, learn to shoot in RAW. It took me a very long time to work up the courage to do that and now I can't imagine shooting in jpeg. I agree that post processing is at least 50% of a successful image and most youtubers I follow seem to skip over that bit to focus on composition and settings. I could take the same images at the same time and not have near as good an end result - largely because of the edits. I think it would be great if - even once a month - you'd quickly, at the end of a video, throw in a bit of your process. Thanks for another entertaining video!
Interesting thought. Experience gives you technical knowledge and compositional skill, but post is an acquired taste. Early doors I was a “post is cheating” person, but since trying “properly” I’ve found myself always correcting the image in post to give me the image that my eye thinks it saw.
Great video, tips and photos. The blue hour panorama was amazing 🙂👌
14:25 love this photograph. Im a new follower all the way from Huntsville Alabama 😊 really love the way your breaking it all down but will bring on location. I’ll definitely be watching more. Also, your talking voice is very lively! 😊
I wish I'd taken Photographs that pleased me ,rather that photographs I thought would please others.
And you were so close to the top Henry, guess this is not Wainwright number 53. Not yet at least.
Stay safe 🇦🇺
Exquisite images…..as always! Great video and 100% agree about the post-processing. I’ve been shooting raw for many years and post is a given….a must…otherwise all images look kinda blah. I love post processing and I also like spending time learning others tips & tricks so if you do decide to make some post videos I would be a fan! Thanks Henry for another great show!
Honestly after photographing RAW and editing for a while I just photograph JPEG, I get just as good results and don't have to spend a lot of time with bad or expensive software.
I only use the basic functions of Capture NX-D, for me this is photography. However, I would change my equipment if I could for a Q 2 . I feel that I would be more creative, that I would be able to focus better on the composition.
Henry. Another great video. As a fairly new starter in photography, I think learning to get your composition right, and then the correct camera settings can seem daunting. Then when you come to post processing, we’ll that’s another mine field to cross. I am using Lightroom Classic and just wonder what do all the different buttons and sliders do. Alter exposure, make a mask, tone curve and many others where does a beginner start. Yes there is plenty of help on RUclips but when I try the same techniques it just doesn’t look the same.
I found looking at presets and checking their various levels helpful. Also just adjusting all the sliders all the time and overtime starting to grasp what effects they'll have. Looking at "how to edit like" vids on RUclips. Just keep chipping away bro 💪🏼
I would go back and learn so much more about post processing by far. I still fight with what and how to use photoshop sometimes. But there is nothing like being outside and capturing a moment in time. Keep on trucking Henry, your videos keep getting better and better mate.
Gorgeous images. Really like your work. Greetings from Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada