I did like this video and also subscribed to your channel, you deserve a 100K on RUclips ;) Because some of your tips in this clip made me rethink the way I shoot images with my Nikon
they told me I won and I just have to send them $300 for the shipping fee's. But that sounds fair, I mean they are sending me a 85" OLED TV for free so I don't mind paying them for the shipping.... I cant wait to get my new 4k 85" tv. I even sent them an extra $200 for faster shipping, the guy was so helpful to tell me about the quicker shipping method, he didn't have to waste his time talking to me and helping me. So is isn't you exactly its one of your employee's. Thought he said it was you. He even proved it was you by making me send him a screen shot of the comment that I won.... Proof is in the pudding....
@@michael-4k4000Those guys are so kind, it's unbelievable. Thank God there is at least one good man in Sodom. I pray for him both night and day, almost obsessively.
We amateur photographers as we photograph occasionally are always forgetting these basic rules and are left wondering why the photos are not perfectly sharp. Here you showed with practicality and simplicity the main mistakes we made.
Absolutely! I was anxious when I was taking a shot with my new camera and unconsciously stabbed the shutter release. Thought my autofocus didn’t work, didn’t think about me causing camera movement. After watching his video I played around with my camera and found that being gentle with the shutter release can make a big difference in a sharp image. Now I’m going start using my elbows for hand held shots. I’m learning so much more from these videos.
Same issue with me. So I have created a checklist and check it everytime I start shooting, it reads like this: Set Custom White Balance[ take pic of white photo] Menu -> Custom White Balance Info -> WB ++ Set lcd screen brightness to see the screen in bright daylight: When you shoot a lot of photos in a bright sunny environment you can always set the highest LCD brightness on your CANON Camera to achieve the best screen readability. Menu ->LCD brightness ++ Set picture style ++ and so on. Checklist really helps.
I've found recently if I need stability then a monopod is really useful for sharp images when you want to travel a bit lighter and not carry a tripod. It doubles up as a walking stick too.@@OnTheRiver66
My hot take: you're a better teacher than a photographer. And clearly you're an amazing photographer. I'm currently binging all of your videos, thanks for doing what you do.
I've been in the image and content generation game for 25 years and this is by far the best channel on RUclips. This channel excels not only in terms of raw information and accuracy but delivery of content and production. Thank you for these videos they are fantastic and helping me communicate to other people through issues they are having and this is one of the few channels I trust to have very succinct and accurate information with very good descriptions as to why things are the way they are. It's the kind of instruction that can only come from somebody who not only intimately knows their craft, but also understands why things are the way they are from a historical perspective.
I'm a professional wedding videographer and I always look in youtube for new ideas and something I might be missing. Mostly it's not the case, but in this video I found a good checklist to improve my work. Especially the overcast lack of sharpness, I didn't knew that. Thanks for the great content and keep it up!
Great tips. An additional one regarding technique. I come from a rifle shooting background and as a trained marksman, the standing (weight two-thirds on one front/left leg), holding (as you describe), breathing and shutter rolling (as you describe) techniques are each key. The breathing technique is also important. Take the shot either at the top of the inhale or the bottom of the exhale. As one breathes in/out the upper body moves and with it the camera, but at either the top or bottom of the breath the upper body is momentarily still. That is when to take the picture. It matters less whether one opts for the top of the inhale or bottom of the exhale, but I prefer the former. Hope that helps.
Yah. That's good advice. I find then, the remaining body vibrations, heartbeat, for example, carry over to shake. Using tripods & cables / remote the preferable. 🌙🐰
I'm a photography teacher and I very rarely manage to get through RUclips videos because they're usually full of utter tripe, this is very good, watched the whole thing and all of it is sound advice.
@@skunksmirch7185 Additionally, having just looked at it again, the bloke is a wildlife Photographer. I'm not a wildlife photographer by any stretch of the imagination and I'm not so full of myself to think, that there's nothing to learn from this bloke. He may have easily had some nuggets of information that are a part of his specialism, that I'm not familiar with. Moreover, a lot of my students are interested in Wildlife Photography and might appreciate his knowledge. Having watched it, I liked his delivery and his explanations and thought that's done really well. Hence my appreciation of his video. Having taken pictures since 1972 on all formats from 110 up to 10x8 I'm still open to learning new stuff.
@@skunksmirch7185 I someone is a GOOD teacher, he will always learn something somewhere... Someone who does not understand this usually does not know much (but he thinks he knows everything...)
Simon, I can't thank you enough for the wealth of knowledge you share with us: I went from "OK" pictures (motion blur, low contrast, etc) to some pictures that my friends don't believe I took. Best compliment ever! :)) All pretty much thanks to you! So, if you ever come down south 790 miles to New England, you're invited to an ACME NEIPA beer or a coffee. Thanks again!
I knew 95% of this, but I can only perform about 25% before the target has run or flown away. Maybe that's the difference between a pro and an amateur. Very well organized and thorough lesson!
Very good advice Simon! The one area where we differ is in direct sunlight versus indirect overcast conditions. I definitely prefer the latter and have no trouble producing sharp images under these conditions. Direct sun is fine early morning or late afternoon/evening but in the middle of the day, particularly when the sun gets higher in the sky, it produces harsh contrast and often an unpleasant shine on the feathers. I think a great example of how amazing indirect sun/overcast conditions are is your super image of the immature Yellow-crowned Night-Heron shown in the video. It is super-sharp but clearly not taken in direct sunlight!
Hi John. Agree on harsh sunlight being the worst. Certainly cloudy is better than harsh sun. As for the heron, I was in the shade on a sunny day. If it would have been cloudy with more reflected and scattered light I think it would have cost me in sharpness.
I'm formerly a newspaper freelancer who hasn't taken paid work in ten years and I'm starting to get back into photography these last two years, so your videos are a very helpful find for me. I'll even be dabbling in portrait work, something I haven't really done before.
As always, great advice by a superb photographer and teacher. One additional technique I use to help mitigate camera shake from using the shutter is to set the timer on 2 second delay (for Canon bodies). This allows you to press the shutter button then hold completely still while the camera takes the picture 2 seconds later. Works great on still subjects. Just remember to take it off of the 2 second delay when you want to start shooting any moving objects - it's easy to forget!
1 more tip - shoot in continous mode, get 3-5 shots series each press of shutter. It helps stabilise when you press/release shutter button. You can be as gentle as you want, you will apply additional pressure or release pressure, which can move your camera. While holding button down you apply constant pressure which wont move your camera so if you move camera with pressing button, it will be stable by the time you make second/third photo.
This is a really good collection of reasons for blur. As someone who has fought all these effects I really appreciate that you pass on this important information to other photographers. About technique, one of the reasons why I like to use a grip is that it adds some extra mass which helps to keep the camera and lens more stable. I found it's not just about tucking in your arms but also assume a solid pose with your legs spread out a bit and locking up your body, it's a bit like becoming a tripod. I disagree about shooting in direct sunlight, you might get good sharpness but you also have to deal with a high dynamic range so you often end up with either blown out whites or underexposed dark areas. There is a tradeoff here I think. Also colours will pop a lot more in very diffuse light. I like diffuse light as long as there is a lot of it, and if it's not at right angle to you shooting, so during noon would be a bad time.
This is genuinely one of the best and most helpful videos on this subject I've seen. Concise, to the point, and with a few tips I'd not seen elsewhere. Thank you!
We amateur photographers as we photograph occasionally are always forgetting these basic rules and are left wondering why the photos are not perfectly sharp. Here you showed with practicality and simplicity the main mistakes we made.
I’m new to photography, Simon. By watching just a few of your outstanding instructional videos, I believe I’ve taken giant steps forward already. It’s nice to get tips for better photos, but your videos go further in explaining the “why” behind the tip. This is excellent, since knowledge is empowering. I’ve already used the knowledge gained from you to take some bird photos that surprised and delighted me. This has given me big motivation to pursue this hobby further. Keep up the great work. You’re making a difference in the lives of people like me. By the way, I live in a small town in central Wisconsin, near a beautiful glacier lake.
Wonderful, thank you! Great refresher and the heat haze/waves, even around a car, was a killer tip. Same as in so many fields, it's the accumulation of positives that contribute to the whole.
Thank you so much Simon! I was out for photography the last few weeks and since the weather isn't so good in Germany (Wind, Rain, ...) i had issues with sharpness and didn't really know why. Then I saw your video and I didn't really know that weather, light and overcast days had such huge impacts on sharpness of my images. Since I found your channel, I learned a lot of new things in wildlife photography which is really helpful since I startet my "career" in July 2022. Huge thanks, Simon!
I did a lot of bird photography in 2020 and struggled with this a lot, and for a while felt I needed a better camera, but in the end, I added a decent flash and started getting better sharpness and colors than I ever thought my 10-year-old camera could deliver. I'll take your other tips into consideration too. Thanks!
Hi, Simon, I am Simon ! I am watching your video all the way from Millau, France. At first I thought your video will be boring but after just a few second I understood there are high quality and much valuable video than other one I watched. Thanks so much
I'm happy to admit that I'm a novice, but I still learn a lot from your videos. I like the concise, no-nonsense approach. Thank you for the work you put into them.
Pro photo journalist from Germany here - stunning wildlife footage, Simon! Love your photo lectures, great to share w/students. Proud to be a new sub - Susan Ville
Nice video and great tips. My little tip, use a shutter release cable/remote to take pictures. On the releases I have, pushing the button half way down will open the shutter and lift up the mirror (DSLR). Then after a few seconds you can depress the button to actually take the picture. I mostly use this when take night sky / astrophotography or when I am doing macros, both of which I am using a tripod. The mirror movement can cause vibrations that will show up - especially on star pictures.
Use a wireless remote, many cameras can be controlled over WiFi with a smartphone app. Or use the self timer so the camera/tripod will settle after pressing the shutter button.
Thanks Simon. I have a old Canon 100d (starterskit) which I only used in automatisch mode to make my picture. The amount of settings/modes/... did scare me a bit to go a bit further with maling photo´s in any otter mode than the automatisch/preset modes of the camera. After watching a couple of your videos I felt trying and experimenting with manual modes on my camera using your lessons/tips. Even so that on my vacation to prague and croatia this year I forced myself to only use manual modes and shooting in Raw. Me and my familie already see a great improvement of my skiles, although I still have quite a way to go. Thanks for your lessons to help me improve and finding a whole different kind of love for my hobby. I´m saving up for a New camera/lenses from the Canon r series (in doubt for a r7 or a r8, because my kids do performances in dancing on stages. Dark and lots of movement) Keep up the good work.... Greetings from Belgium
One stabilization technique that I sometimes use is that I attach my tripod, which weighs maybe about 3 kilograms, to my camera, in folded position. I can grab the folded-up tripod with my left arm and the SLR body with my right hand, and press them against my chest and my head. Whether I am panning on something, or just trying to hold the camera steady at a fixed direction, camera shake is greatly reduced by the weight, bulk and added support that the folded-up tripod provides.
@@simon_dentremont Sorry Simon, I don't check my messages here often. Yes, please feel free to use my comment in your course and any other material you wish. Great work! Thank you!
I've watched a lot of RUclips photography tips, and I must commend you on sharing these insightful ways of getting better shots. I immediately tried the recommendations in this video, and have been practicing. Good news is, I can see the images getting better and better. Thank you for sharing!
I learned photography from the John Shaw books in the 80's. My son has a new interest in outdoor photography and he told me about you and I love the way you teach. New sub!
Wow, I have talkes with numerous experts on the subject - I had no idea why my pictures remained unfocussed when adressing moving objects, until now: the wrong autofocus. No one yould tell this to me. Thank you!
I started wildlife photography about a month ago. I live in Los Angeles and it’s been pretty much nonstop overcast and cloudy since before I started. I’m “satisfied” with my beginner photos with very basic gear, but I really want to see how better light affects the sharpness.
I have been making my living with video and still photography for more than three decades. This was the first of your videos I have encountered and I must compliment your presentation, delivery and results. Your tips can be helpful to someone of any experience or skill level. I know I will never know it all, and some of the things I did know you helped me better understand why they are true. Count me as a subscriber and appreciative of your helpful communication.
I'm shooting film (usually street stuff). But then, I'm thinking of maybe trying out wildlife photography sometime. And just for people like me there is a deeply modified Soviet Zenit camera commonly known as "Photographic Rifle". Basically it's a modified Zenit with a sniper rifle-like stock, and shutter button hooked up to the trigger. It looks convenient for this kind of stuff. I guess I'll try it out sometime, even though its a bit expensive compared to other Soviet cameras I own (It's around the same price as Praktikas where I live). So I gotta save a bit of money
NO MATTER HOW EXPERIENCED I AM, YOUR SUGGESTIONS ARE USEFUL REMINDERS. YOU ARE DOING GREAT SERVICE TO THE PROFESSIONAL PASSIONATE PHOTOGRAPHERS. THANKS A LOT. DILIP KUMAR PENTU
Best channel ever. I am capable at many genres of photography and just recently bought an old tamron 200-500mm lens for my a7iii and watched tens of videos of yours before going out shooting some ducks. Oh man! Instant Quality on my first take on wildlife! Now it's more a matter of getting better poses and getting some more solo action while their flapping their wings around. So much fun but this genre is so tiring i couldn't believe it. I almost felt as tired as when i was going fishing. Good stuff! Thank you very much Simon
Between the first pictures shown and the pronunciation of your last name I was sold and clicked "subscribe" before the introduction was over. Thank you for the tips.
I watched all the way through, but to be honest, I’m still none the wiser. I think it’ll take me a long time to understand because there’s so many parameters on my DSLR.It’s a nightmare I will save it to watch again
Thanks for the tips, even for a general photographer who does it for personal pleasure, it still makes a big difference to know you can improve those shots.
Hi, Simon. This Ariel from Buenos Aires, Argentina and this is the first video I've seen of you. I was impressed by the newspaper's tip to check the sharpness of the lens. This information is very useful. I'm gognna test my Sigma 100-400. Best regards!
I've known lots of people who think it's their eyesight making the viewfinder blurry. I think the diopter is a little known option from the 35mm film days.
Biggest tip for me, and the most frustrating to discover, was stopping down my lenses! I have found the sweet spot on all my lenses, through trial shooting, and it made a HUGE DIFFERENCE!!
I was practicing shooting without a tripod at night quite a bit for a year, and found that stabilization technique you showed at the end works even better if you use breathing in conjunction with it. You take a deeper breath, breathe out and squeeze the trigger, it reduces the shakiness of your body quite a lot (since your body naturally relaxes when you breathe out from a deeper breath), timing this is key tho. Thanks for all the informative videos, yours is my new go to photography channel =D
Just one more thing since this channel reignited my photography again :) i remembered one more thing i was doing. You can use the neck strap to stabilize your camera if shooting "from the hip" using the tension of it around yor neck, by stretching it forward, as "one leg" of a tripod, reduces the inherent shaking that comes with a live pulsating body. The elbows and arms as the two other legs, making a solid triangle in front of you.
This was a great video I've been shooting for about 15 years starting off in highschool, and i never taken a class. But the highlights for me were; 1. I didn't know the center of the F stops was the sharpest part of the lense, it 💯 makes sense but this is just something that no one has flat out old me. 2. How to hold the camera and how to move with it. 3. How to physical take that shot, by rolling over my fingers to avoid vibration by aggressively jabbing at the button. Your shots are incredible, besides that it's clear that you are a real professional and have a lifelong passion of shooting! Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge!
Awesome video and great advice. I'm still quite new to photography and I struggled with getting long-range images sharp, and your advice helped me getting my images a lot more sharp when shooting long-range! Thanks!
One more thing to check: the resolution and or quality level (depending on your digital camera) of the saved jpeg/raw image. If you have an older digital camera, this is where you may see a longer lapse of time between shots because the camera's CPU may be lagging between shots.
@@Micro-MooJPEG, like MP3, is outdated by a couple decades but here to stay.. at least webp's and avif's and such are getting use online on web pages that you don't realize
@@mikafoxx2717 «getting use online on web pages that you don't realize...» Who do you think doesn't realize it? The WebP problem is a low pixel format, only 8 bits per channel.
At 1st I though “another focus video” but this is far from that! Finally a presentation that make sense and with ideas that have been missed in so many other focus videos! Thank you this is the best I’ve seen!
Wow, i just learnd so much in under 8 minutes! This was clear, straight to the point valuable lessons for a beginner like me. Thank you so much for this!
My bonus tip: When shooting a moving object shoot in burst mode because at least one of every five images will be in focus. Camera dependant of course.
I also do that! One mistake I learned from was not to be zoomed up too close, your picture can be custom cropped later but you need the full object in there to start with!
@@Nortonsnorton Exactly 👍 It's also cheaper (in the long run) and more practical to buy a slightly more expensive camera with double the megapixels like a Sony Alpha 7R V where you no longer need to spend thousands of dollars on lenses because you can now crop the image to your heart's content.
Hi Simon! my name is Mikael Thelin and lives in the southern part of Sweden. Just want to thank you for all the tipps, and hope you continue even when you are out in nature. Thanks
Awesome video and great advice. I'm still quite new to photography and I struggled with getting long-range images sharp, and your advice helped me getting my images a lot more sharp when shooting long-range! Thanks!
Thanks for these tips, I plan on shooting a short documentary while I'm on a trip and I am just starting out so these tips are great to get sharper shots. Appreciate it.
Hi Simon, it's Kim from Newfoundland, thanks for the tips. Finding good light this time of year is really difficult, I spend time on the east coast which surprisingly has been having better weather than the west coast lately. Winter photography is even more difficult with consistent grey days. Light is everything. Thanks for your videos, I find them helpful and reassuring.
I just took up photography in my mid thirties, and your videos have been fantastic. I'm an xray tech by trade, so a lot of these concepts translate quite easily, and your tips are clear and concise. I appreciate all the Canon info, as I am working with a Canon EOS Rebel XSi, and though my features are limited, I have already seen clear improvement in my images in just a couple weeks.
All valid tips and good to know. I would add that investing into good lenses is a must and good does not automatically mean high price. There are lenses that have surprising image quality/price relation. Using same/similar holding and shutter release techniques, I can occasionally go down about 2-4 stops below accepted limit (ie. shutter speed equal or greater than focal length). My personal preference is external LCD/LED screen because it helps me frame better than using viewfinder and is also helpful (tilting and turning) when shooting from awkward positions. For my current old camera (Sony A55), I've disabled all image stabilization features. Those simply did not work well enough or even introduced shake (like, on tripod). Newer cameras probably fare much better.
Monopods are a great addition to wildlife and sports photographers kit. Solid enough to act like a tripod but lightweight enough to be lifteref if necessary.
Roll the button! My high school photography teacher would say - squeeze the trigger! but he was a big war buff and tied it all in with Take the shot!!.. I like this so much more! thanks for the vid
GREAT point about heat. Im down in sunny Florida and it's a real challenge when shooting dog sports like herding, hunting or even lure coursing. I am disabled and have had to overcome my own shaking, but I also shoot many times laying down which makes panning a real challenge in reducing camera shake.
I learned a great deal. d'Entremont speaks succinctly and to the point and makes practical suggestions for improvement. In the future I plan to preview more of his tutorials.
Thank you for another fantastic video filled with awesome real world experience and information. I had not heard, "Laboring under correct knowledge" before. Thank you for this. Years ago I was told, "The harder you work, the luckier you will be" and I can say this has been true for me.
This has to be one of the best videos i have watched explaining things that is straight to the point. And everything mentioned just make sense. The way you explained it is just superb.
Thank you for your video's. They are such a help. Calmly presented very valuable information without fuzz. I shot manual with auto iso today. Of course some photo's are now with acceptable noise while they would otherwise be unsharp and not usable. They where all sharp. I knew I cant choose Aperture, time and iso, but didnt realize I should let the camera pick iso if Aperture and time is fixed. Also I now understand why poor but enough light gives perceived poor sharpness. I could even see it with my eyes without taking a photo.
Thank you for your explanation about aperture. I was in the studio today trying to do art repro and got so frustrated because I couldn’t get a sharp photo, even though I had great light (two flashes), tripod, ISO 100, Shutter 1/200 and aperture f/32 - smallest available shutter on my Nikkor Macro 55mm from the 1970s. (I use an adaptor ring and have it on a Canon 600D). I tether to Lightroom Classic 12 so I can use the 27” monitor in the studio to make sure the picture really is in focus. I’ll go read up on diffraction and I will try the newspaper experiment at 2s on a tripod to see if I can figure out which aperture is best with this lens/body combo. Thank you.
I am a beginner and I wish one day I will be able to take quality picture like you do. I really enjoy your video they are a lot better than the course I followed in Montréal at a specialyse camera store where I learned almost nothing. Keep up the good work it realy help poeple like me that does not know to much. Thank you so much for your video.
There are scammers pretending to be me and offering prizes via telegram. Stay away and report them! Thanks!
I did like this video and also subscribed to your channel, you deserve a 100K on RUclips ;) Because some of your tips in this clip made me rethink the way I shoot images with my Nikon
they told me I won and I just have to send them $300 for the shipping fee's. But that sounds fair, I mean they are sending me a 85" OLED TV for free so I don't mind paying them for the shipping.... I cant wait to get my new 4k 85" tv. I even sent them an extra $200 for faster shipping, the guy was so helpful to tell me about the quicker shipping method, he didn't have to waste his time talking to me and helping me. So is isn't you exactly its one of your employee's. Thought he said it was you. He even proved it was you by making me send him a screen shot of the comment that I won.... Proof is in the pudding....
@@michael-4k4000 You should send them extra $300 for even faster shipping!🤣🤣🤣
@@gunners6034 Yeah he should send them a grand--probably get it three days ago and delivered by two babes in bikinis. 😁😁😁
@@michael-4k4000Those guys are so kind, it's unbelievable. Thank God there is at least one good man in Sodom. I pray for him both night and day, almost obsessively.
We amateur photographers as we photograph occasionally are always forgetting these basic rules and are left wondering why the photos are not perfectly sharp. Here you showed with practicality and simplicity the main mistakes we made.
Absolutely! I was anxious when I was taking a shot with my new camera and unconsciously stabbed the shutter release. Thought my autofocus didn’t work, didn’t think about me causing camera movement. After watching his video I played around with my camera and found that being gentle with the shutter release can make a big difference in a sharp image. Now I’m going start using my elbows for hand held shots. I’m learning so much more from these videos.
Same issue with me. So I have created a checklist and check it everytime I start shooting, it reads like this:
Set Custom White Balance[ take pic of white photo]
Menu -> Custom White Balance
Info -> WB
++
Set lcd screen brightness to see the screen in bright daylight:
When you shoot a lot of photos in a bright sunny environment you can always set the highest LCD brightness on your CANON Camera to achieve the best screen readability.
Menu ->LCD brightness
++
Set picture style
++
and so on. Checklist really helps.
I've found recently if I need stability then a monopod is really useful for sharp images when you want to travel a bit lighter and not carry a tripod. It doubles up as a walking stick too.@@OnTheRiver66
My hot take: you're a better teacher than a photographer. And clearly you're an amazing photographer. I'm currently binging all of your videos, thanks for doing what you do.
this dude has an eye for good photos that are powerful. AND he’s also a good teacher too!
I've been in the image and content generation game for 25 years and this is by far the best channel on RUclips. This channel excels not only in terms of raw information and accuracy but delivery of content and production.
Thank you for these videos they are fantastic and helping me communicate to other people through issues they are having and this is one of the few channels I trust to have very succinct and accurate information with very good descriptions as to why things are the way they are. It's the kind of instruction that can only come from somebody who not only intimately knows their craft, but also understands why things are the way they are from a historical perspective.
I'm a professional wedding videographer and I always look in youtube for new ideas and something I might be missing. Mostly it's not the case, but in this video I found a good checklist to improve my work. Especially the overcast lack of sharpness, I didn't knew that. Thanks for the great content and keep it up!
Great tips. An additional one regarding technique. I come from a rifle shooting background and as a trained marksman, the standing (weight two-thirds on one front/left leg), holding (as you describe), breathing and shutter rolling (as you describe) techniques are each key. The breathing technique is also important. Take the shot either at the top of the inhale or the bottom of the exhale. As one breathes in/out the upper body moves and with it the camera, but at either the top or bottom of the breath the upper body is momentarily still. That is when to take the picture. It matters less whether one opts for the top of the inhale or bottom of the exhale, but I prefer the former. Hope that helps.
Thanks for sharing! I too shot rifles and archery and breath is important!
I totally agree. I have the same background.
and dont drink caffeine !
Yah. That's good advice.
I find then, the remaining body vibrations, heartbeat, for example, carry over to shake.
Using tripods & cables / remote the preferable. 🌙🐰
For me, exhale(bottom) works better. Seems like my heart rate slows a bit.
I'm a photography teacher and I very rarely manage to get through RUclips videos because they're usually full of utter tripe, this is very good, watched the whole thing and all of it is sound advice.
I really appreciate that!
If you are a teacher what new you got from this dude? The answer is nothing, unless you are a complete amature
@@skunksmirch7185 A nice easy to understand video to pass on to my students.
@@skunksmirch7185 Additionally, having just looked at it again, the bloke is a wildlife Photographer. I'm not a wildlife photographer by any stretch of the imagination and I'm not so full of myself to think, that there's nothing to learn from this bloke. He may have easily had some nuggets of information that are a part of his specialism, that I'm not familiar with. Moreover, a lot of my students are interested in Wildlife Photography and might appreciate his knowledge. Having watched it, I liked his delivery and his explanations and thought that's done really well. Hence my appreciation of his video. Having taken pictures since 1972 on all formats from 110 up to 10x8 I'm still open to learning new stuff.
@@skunksmirch7185 I someone is a GOOD teacher, he will always learn something somewhere... Someone who does not understand this usually does not know much (but he thinks he knows everything...)
I've improved so much as a wildlife photographer because of your videos Simon. Thank you for these posts!
Welcome James!
His Video's have helped me a lot in Local High School Action Sports.
@@tmewborn1 so many of the techniques are the same!
James, I’m working on a video course for wildlife photography. Can I use your comment in promotional material, with attribution?
@@simon_dentremont I'd be honored! :)
Simon, I can't thank you enough for the wealth of knowledge you share with us: I went from "OK" pictures (motion blur, low contrast, etc) to some pictures that my friends don't believe I took. Best compliment ever! :)) All pretty much thanks to you! So, if you ever come down south 790 miles to New England, you're invited to an ACME NEIPA beer or a coffee. Thanks again!
Thanks so much!
I knew 95% of this, but I can only perform about 25% before the target has run or flown away. Maybe that's the difference between a pro and an amateur. Very well organized and thorough lesson!
Practice
Very good advice Simon! The one area where we differ is in direct sunlight versus indirect overcast conditions. I definitely prefer the latter and have no trouble producing sharp images under these conditions. Direct sun is fine early morning or late afternoon/evening but in the middle of the day, particularly when the sun gets higher in the sky, it produces harsh contrast and often an unpleasant shine on the feathers. I think a great example of how amazing indirect sun/overcast conditions are is your super image of the immature Yellow-crowned Night-Heron shown in the video. It is super-sharp but clearly not taken in direct sunlight!
Hi John. Agree on harsh sunlight being the worst. Certainly cloudy is better than harsh sun. As for the heron, I was in the shade on a sunny day. If it would have been cloudy with more reflected and scattered light I think it would have cost me in sharpness.
I'm formerly a newspaper freelancer who hasn't taken paid work in ten years and I'm starting to get back into photography these last two years, so your videos are a very helpful find for me. I'll even be dabbling in portrait work, something I haven't really done before.
EXCELLENT! The part about tucking in your arms and moving your torso and squeezing the button is a great tip!.
As always, great advice by a superb photographer and teacher. One additional technique I use to help mitigate camera shake from using the shutter is to set the timer on 2 second delay (for Canon bodies). This allows you to press the shutter button then hold completely still while the camera takes the picture 2 seconds later. Works great on still subjects. Just remember to take it off of the 2 second delay when you want to start shooting any moving objects - it's easy to forget!
1 more tip - shoot in continous mode, get 3-5 shots series each press of shutter. It helps stabilise when you press/release shutter button. You can be as gentle as you want, you will apply additional pressure or release pressure, which can move your camera. While holding button down you apply constant pressure which wont move your camera so if you move camera with pressing button, it will be stable by the time you make second/third photo.
Great tip!
This is a really good collection of reasons for blur. As someone who has fought all these effects I really appreciate that you pass on this important information to other photographers. About technique, one of the reasons why I like to use a grip is that it adds some extra mass which helps to keep the camera and lens more stable. I found it's not just about tucking in your arms but also assume a solid pose with your legs spread out a bit and locking up your body, it's a bit like becoming a tripod. I disagree about shooting in direct sunlight, you might get good sharpness but you also have to deal with a high dynamic range so you often end up with either blown out whites or underexposed dark areas. There is a tradeoff here I think. Also colours will pop a lot more in very diffuse light. I like diffuse light as long as there is a lot of it, and if it's not at right angle to you shooting, so during noon would be a bad time.
100 pct agree not shooting in bright full mid-day sun which I mention in lots of other videos.
This is genuinely one of the best and most helpful videos on this subject I've seen. Concise, to the point, and with a few tips I'd not seen elsewhere. Thank you!
We amateur photographers as we photograph occasionally are always forgetting these basic rules and are left wondering why the photos are not perfectly sharp. Here you showed with practicality and simplicity the main mistakes we made.
I am not a photographer and mainly shoot video but I have to say your tutorials are fantastic. Straight forward and to the point.
I’m new to photography, Simon. By watching just a few of your outstanding instructional videos, I believe I’ve taken giant steps forward already. It’s nice to get tips for better photos, but your videos go further in explaining the “why” behind the tip. This is excellent, since knowledge is empowering. I’ve already used the knowledge gained from you to take some bird photos that surprised and delighted me. This has given me big motivation to pursue this hobby further. Keep up the great work. You’re making a difference in the lives of people like me. By the way, I live in a small town in central Wisconsin, near a beautiful glacier lake.
welcome!
Wonderful, thank you! Great refresher and the heat haze/waves, even around a car, was a killer tip. Same as in so many fields, it's the accumulation of positives that contribute to the whole.
Michael, I’m working on a video course for wildlife photography. Can I use your comment in promotional material, with attribution?
Thank you so much Simon! I was out for photography the last few weeks and since the weather isn't so good in Germany (Wind, Rain, ...) i had issues with sharpness and didn't really know why. Then I saw your video and I didn't really know that weather, light and overcast days had such huge impacts on sharpness of my images. Since I found your channel, I learned a lot of new things in wildlife photography which is really helpful since I startet my "career" in July 2022. Huge thanks, Simon!
Great to hear! Danke!
I did a lot of bird photography in 2020 and struggled with this a lot, and for a while felt I needed a better camera, but in the end, I added a decent flash and started getting better sharpness and colors than I ever thought my 10-year-old camera could deliver. I'll take your other tips into consideration too. Thanks!
Great!
Hi, Simon, I am Simon ! I am watching your video all the way from Millau, France.
At first I thought your video will be boring but after just a few second I understood there are high quality and much valuable video than other one I watched.
Thanks so much
Too kind! Merci!
I'm happy to admit that I'm a novice, but I still learn a lot from your videos.
I like the concise, no-nonsense approach.
Thank you for the work you put into them.
Pro photo journalist from Germany here - stunning wildlife footage, Simon! Love your photo lectures, great to share w/students.
Proud to be a new sub - Susan Ville
Many thanks!
Nice video and great tips. My little tip, use a shutter release cable/remote to take pictures. On the releases I have, pushing the button half way down will open the shutter and lift up the mirror (DSLR). Then after a few seconds you can depress the button to actually take the picture. I mostly use this when take night sky / astrophotography or when I am doing macros, both of which I am using a tripod. The mirror movement can cause vibrations that will show up - especially on star pictures.
buy mirrorless XD if and when you can
Use a wireless remote, many cameras can be controlled over WiFi with a smartphone app.
Or use the self timer so the camera/tripod will settle after pressing the shutter button.
I just discovered you channel, and I must say that you are on of the best, and most knowledgeable photographers on RUclips.
Appreciate that
I am just getting into photography as a hobby, and this advice is very, very much appreciated!! Well done!!
The rolling the finger to press the button made a lot of difference for me. Thanks!
Great!
Thanks Simon.
I have a old Canon 100d (starterskit) which I only used in automatisch mode to make my picture. The amount of settings/modes/... did scare me a bit to go a bit further with maling photo´s in any otter mode than the automatisch/preset modes of the camera.
After watching a couple of your videos I felt trying and experimenting with manual modes on my camera using your lessons/tips. Even so that on my vacation to prague and croatia this year I forced myself to only use manual modes and shooting in Raw. Me and my familie already see a great improvement of my skiles, although I still have quite a way to go. Thanks for your lessons to help me improve and finding a whole different kind of love for my hobby. I´m saving up for a New camera/lenses from the Canon r series (in doubt for a r7 or a r8, because my kids do performances in dancing on stages. Dark and lots of movement)
Keep up the good work....
Greetings from Belgium
One stabilization technique that I sometimes use is that I attach my tripod, which weighs maybe about 3 kilograms, to my camera, in folded position. I can grab the folded-up tripod with my left arm and the SLR body with my right hand, and press them against my chest and my head. Whether I am panning on something, or just trying to hold the camera steady at a fixed direction, camera shake is greatly reduced by the weight, bulk and added support that the folded-up tripod provides.
i’ve stuck the bottom of my monopod onto my belt buckle…works!
LOVE your no nonsense approach to education. What a breath of fresh air! Beautiful work! Subscribed.
Rick, I’m working on a video course for wildlife photography. Can I use your comment in promotional material, with attribution?
@@simon_dentremont Sorry Simon, I don't check my messages here often. Yes, please feel free to use my comment in your course and any other material you wish. Great work! Thank you!
I've watched a lot of RUclips photography tips, and I must commend you on sharing these insightful ways of getting better shots. I immediately tried the recommendations in this video, and have been practicing. Good news is, I can see the images getting better and better. Thank you for sharing!
Clinton, I’m working on a video course for wildlife photography. Can I use your comment in promotional material, with attribution?
@@simon_dentremont No problem at all. You're welcome to 🙂
I learned photography from the John Shaw books in the 80's. My son has a new interest in outdoor photography and he told me about you and I love the way you teach. New sub!
Oh this has to be legit!!!
Wow, I have talkes with numerous experts on the subject - I had no idea why my pictures remained unfocussed when adressing moving objects, until now: the wrong autofocus. No one yould tell this to me. Thank you!
I started wildlife photography about a month ago. I live in Los Angeles and it’s been pretty much nonstop overcast and cloudy since before I started. I’m “satisfied” with my beginner photos with very basic gear, but I really want to see how better light affects the sharpness.
I have been making my living with video and still photography for more than three decades. This was the first of your videos I have encountered and I must compliment your presentation, delivery and results. Your tips can be helpful to someone of any experience or skill level. I know I will never know it all, and some of the things I did know you helped me better understand why they are true. Count me as a subscriber and appreciative of your helpful communication.
Wow, thank you!
Yup, I agree.
Frank, I’m working on a video course for wildlife photography. Can I use your comment in promotional material, with attribution?
@@simon_dentremont Simon, I thought I had replied to this but don't see it here. Sorry for that. Please feel free to use my comment as you like.
Youre posting great videos! This is the best "bird specific" photography channel on the Tube
Thanks Simon
Thanks very much!
Walter, I’m working on a video course for wildlife photography. Can I use your comment in promotional material, with attribution?
Just found your channel. Man this is the most detailed video I've ever seen. great job you are a pro
The best tip is to go out and take more photos. Great video.
Totally agree!
Great Video! Awesome tips. Being an amateur photographer myself, all these tips are very helpful. Keep them coming. Great work.
Glad it was helpful!
Dallas, TX here... Simon, you shared SO MUCH valuable / usable information. Thank you very much!
My pleasure!
As a very beginner in photography, I really like your simple and clear explanation, thank you so much
Glad it was helpful!
I'm shooting film (usually street stuff). But then, I'm thinking of maybe trying out wildlife photography sometime. And just for people like me there is a deeply modified Soviet Zenit camera commonly known as "Photographic Rifle". Basically it's a modified Zenit with a sniper rifle-like stock, and shutter button hooked up to the trigger. It looks convenient for this kind of stuff. I guess I'll try it out sometime, even though its a bit expensive compared to other Soviet cameras I own (It's around the same price as Praktikas where I live). So I gotta save a bit of money
NO MATTER HOW EXPERIENCED I AM, YOUR SUGGESTIONS ARE USEFUL REMINDERS. YOU ARE DOING GREAT SERVICE TO THE PROFESSIONAL PASSIONATE PHOTOGRAPHERS.
THANKS A LOT.
DILIP KUMAR PENTU
Dilip, I’m working on a video course for wildlife photography. Can I use your comment in promotional material, with attribution?
Probably the best video I’ve seen on getting sharp photos. Very informative and explained well. Thank you!
Best channel ever. I am capable at many genres of photography and just recently bought an old tamron 200-500mm lens for my a7iii and watched tens of videos of yours before going out shooting some ducks. Oh man! Instant Quality on my first take on wildlife! Now it's more a matter of getting better poses and getting some more solo action while their flapping their wings around. So much fun but this genre is so tiring i couldn't believe it. I almost felt as tired as when i was going fishing. Good stuff! Thank you very much Simon
Excellent!
Between the first pictures shown and the pronunciation of your last name I was sold and clicked "subscribe" before the introduction was over. Thank you for the tips.
HAha!
I watched all the way through, but to be honest, I’m still none the wiser. I think it’ll take me a long time to understand because there’s so many parameters on my DSLR.It’s a nightmare I will save it to watch again
Great Video! Every Photographer could use this no matter what stage he's at. It's also a good refresher! Thank You Simon. Murph.
Glad it was helpful!
Murph, I’m working on a video course for wildlife photography. Can I use your comment in promotional material, with attribution?
@@simon_dentremont Sure, Happy to help.
Thanks for the tips, even for a general photographer who does it for personal pleasure, it still makes a big difference to know you can improve those shots.
Hi, Simon. This Ariel from Buenos Aires, Argentina and this is the first video I've seen of you. I was impressed by the newspaper's tip to check the sharpness of the lens.
This information is very useful. I'm gognna test my Sigma 100-400.
Best regards!
I am just starting to get serious about photography with a Cannon DSLR. These tips were excellent. Thankyou!
My biggest challenge... realising my 'diopter adjustment' had made my viewfinder unfocussed and me not realising! Took me ages to realise!
oh dear!
I've known lots of people who think it's their eyesight making the viewfinder blurry. I think the diopter is a little known option from the 35mm film days.
Great point. I had my cataracts done at the end of last year, haven’t altered the diopter. I will do so tomorrow.
Thanks for the reminder.
Biggest tip for me, and the most frustrating to discover, was stopping down my lenses! I have found the sweet spot on all my lenses, through trial shooting, and it made a HUGE DIFFERENCE!!
Right!
Golden hour is my preferred light.
I was practicing shooting without a tripod at night quite a bit for a year, and found that stabilization technique you showed at the end works even better if you use breathing in conjunction with it. You take a deeper breath, breathe out and squeeze the trigger, it reduces the shakiness of your body quite a lot (since your body naturally relaxes when you breathe out from a deeper breath), timing this is key tho.
Thanks for all the informative videos, yours is my new go to photography channel =D
Just one more thing since this channel reignited my photography again :) i remembered one more thing i was doing.
You can use the neck strap to stabilize your camera if shooting "from the hip" using the tension of it around yor neck, by stretching it forward, as "one leg" of a tripod, reduces the inherent shaking that comes with a live pulsating body. The elbows and arms as the two other legs, making a solid triangle in front of you.
This was a great video I've been shooting for about 15 years starting off in highschool, and i never taken a class. But the highlights for me were;
1. I didn't know the center of the F stops was the sharpest part of the lense, it 💯 makes sense but this is just something that no one has flat out old me. 2. How to hold the camera and how to move with it. 3. How to physical take that shot, by rolling over my fingers to avoid vibration by aggressively jabbing at the button. Your shots are incredible, besides that it's clear that you are a real professional and have a lifelong passion of shooting! Thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge!
Welcome!
Awesome video and great advice. I'm still quite new to photography and I struggled with getting long-range images sharp, and your advice helped me getting my images a lot more sharp when shooting long-range! Thanks!
Hello Simon,
This is a wonderful lesson on sharpness. I will refer it to my students as you taught it better than I can. My thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
One more thing to check: the resolution and or quality level (depending on your digital camera) of the saved jpeg/raw image. If you have an older digital camera, this is where you may see a longer lapse of time between shots because the camera's CPU may be lagging between shots.
I would say, just raw. Why JPEG? By the way, JPEG as a standard is dead a long time ago.
@@Micro-MooJPEG, like MP3, is outdated by a couple decades but here to stay.. at least webp's and avif's and such are getting use online on web pages that you don't realize
@@mikafoxx2717 «getting use online on web pages that you don't realize...» Who do you think doesn't realize it? The WebP problem is a low pixel format, only 8 bits per channel.
At 1st I though “another focus video” but this is far from that! Finally a presentation that make sense and with ideas that have been missed in so many other focus videos! Thank you this is the best I’ve seen!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow, i just learnd so much in under 8 minutes! This was clear, straight to the point valuable lessons for a beginner like me. Thank you so much for this!
My bonus tip:
When shooting a moving object shoot in burst mode because at least one of every five images will be in focus.
Camera dependant of course.
True! I cover that in some of my other videos, like how to shoot birds in flight.
I also do that! One mistake I learned from was not to be zoomed up too close, your picture can be custom cropped later but you need the full object in there to start with!
@@Nortonsnorton
Exactly 👍
It's also cheaper (in the long run) and more practical to buy a slightly more expensive camera with double the megapixels like a Sony Alpha 7R V where you no longer need to spend thousands of dollars on lenses because you can now crop the image to your heart's content.
Thank you for these tips. You have pointed things out that I haven't heard on any other RUclips videos.
Hi Simon! my name is Mikael Thelin and lives in the southern part of Sweden. Just want to thank you for all the tipps, and hope you continue even when you are out in nature. Thanks
My pleasure!
Your the best camera youtuber iv found so far! Thank you. New sub
Yay! Thank you!
Awesome video and great advice. I'm still quite new to photography and I struggled with getting long-range images sharp, and your advice helped me getting my images a lot more sharp when shooting long-range! Thanks!
7:12 Really? Free hand? You're a master, man!!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Haha thanks! My eyebrow almost bled with how hard I was mashing it against the eyecup!
Thanks for these tips, I plan on shooting a short documentary while I'm on a trip and I am just starting out so these tips are great to get sharper shots. Appreciate it.
Hi Simon, it's Kim from Newfoundland, thanks for the tips. Finding good light this time of year is really difficult, I spend time on the east coast which surprisingly has been having better weather than the west coast lately. Winter photography is even more difficult with consistent grey days. Light is everything. Thanks for your videos, I find them helpful and reassuring.
I know what you mean about poor winter light! Thanks!
This guy is such genius, I love your videos. Thank you
I just took up photography in my mid thirties, and your videos have been fantastic.
I'm an xray tech by trade, so a lot of these concepts translate quite easily, and your tips are clear and concise. I appreciate all the Canon info, as I am working with a Canon EOS Rebel XSi, and though my features are limited, I have already seen clear improvement in my images in just a couple weeks.
Great to hear!
This video is definitely awesome! Thank you so much dear Simon for the informative tips, especially the stabilizing tips at the end ❤❤
Great video. I love your no BS straight-to-point format. You have a new sub! Southern Onio here.
Jesus loves you
Allah does not love
Needed to see that
Yeah? He thinks yer a 🍆🍆🍆
Jesus didn’t have a camera
I thought Jesus walks on water, heals the blind etc camera shouldn’t be a big deal
44 year Photojournalist / Photo Editor here in Southern Arizona, USA. Your tips were spot on. Excellent video Simon. Bon!
Merci!
De rien.
All valid tips and good to know.
I would add that investing into good lenses is a must and good does not automatically mean high price. There are lenses that have surprising image quality/price relation.
Using same/similar holding and shutter release techniques, I can occasionally go down about 2-4 stops below accepted limit (ie. shutter speed equal or greater than focal length).
My personal preference is external LCD/LED screen because it helps me frame better than using viewfinder and is also helpful (tilting and turning) when shooting from awkward positions.
For my current old camera (Sony A55), I've disabled all image stabilization features. Those simply did not work well enough or even introduced shake (like, on tripod). Newer cameras probably fare much better.
Thanks for sharing!
Such a goood feeeling when you are in the zone while panning at a slow shutter speed
Monopods are a great addition to wildlife and sports photographers kit. Solid enough to act like a tripod but lightweight enough to be lifteref if necessary.
thank you Simon finally I can take sharp photos
Never have I ever heard this topic discussed and explained so clearly. Amazing. Thank you.
Roll the button! My high school photography teacher would say - squeeze the trigger! but he was a big war buff and tied it all in with Take the shot!!.. I like this so much more! thanks for the vid
Thanks a lot. You explained why I'm not all the time successful in capturing birds. Never heard such a advice.
GREAT point about heat. Im down in sunny Florida and it's a real challenge when shooting dog sports like herding, hunting or even lure coursing. I am disabled and have had to overcome my own shaking, but I also shoot many times laying down which makes panning a real challenge in reducing camera shake.
Literally just started, with a second-hand Canon EOS 7D and a Tamron 28-300mm lens. This was very helpful! Thanks :)
Glad it was helpful!
I learned a great deal. d'Entremont speaks succinctly and to the point and makes practical suggestions for improvement. In the future I plan to preview more of his tutorials.
Thanks very much!
James, I’m working on a video course for wildlife photography. Can I use your comment in promotional material, with attribution?
Thank you for another fantastic video filled with awesome real world experience and information. I had not heard, "Laboring under correct knowledge" before. Thank you for this. Years ago I was told, "The harder you work, the luckier you will be" and I can say this has been true for me.
Your content is great , lots of knowledge plus you don’t waste people’s time at all . Keep going , you are best .
I appreciate that!
This has to be one of the best videos i have watched explaining things that is straight to the point. And everything mentioned just make sense. The way you explained it is just superb.
Dim, I’m working on a video course for wildlife photography. Can I use your comment in promotional material, with attribution?
@@simon_dentremont Sure, glad to help.
WOW! So much information in a single view. Kudos!
Thank you for your video's. They are such a help. Calmly presented very valuable information without fuzz.
I shot manual with auto iso today. Of course some photo's are now with acceptable noise while they would otherwise be unsharp and not usable. They where all sharp.
I knew I cant choose Aperture, time and iso, but didnt realize I should let the camera pick iso if Aperture and time is fixed.
Also I now understand why poor but enough light gives perceived poor sharpness. I could even see it with my eyes without taking a photo.
Excellent, excellent video and obviously a very very experienced and professional who is full of knowledge! Thankyou!
Thank you for your explanation about aperture. I was in the studio today trying to do art repro and got so frustrated because I couldn’t get a sharp photo, even though I had great light (two flashes), tripod, ISO 100, Shutter 1/200 and aperture f/32 - smallest available shutter on my Nikkor Macro 55mm from the 1970s. (I use an adaptor ring and have it on a Canon 600D). I tether to Lightroom Classic 12 so I can use the 27” monitor in the studio to make sure the picture really is in focus.
I’ll go read up on diffraction and I will try the newspaper experiment at 2s on a tripod to see if I can figure out which aperture is best with this lens/body combo. Thank you.
I would have never thought about half this stuff. Subscribed. Thank you!!
I am a beginner and I wish one day I will be able to take quality picture like you do. I really enjoy your video they are a lot better than the course I followed in Montréal at a specialyse camera store where I learned almost nothing. Keep up the good work it realy help poeple like me that does not know to much. Thank you so much for your video.
Thanks again for breaking down, your videos are very exciting and easy to understand
The most complete video I've ever seen on this subject. Perfect
Thanks!
Excellent tips . Love the last to dominate the sharpness to focus on the creative part of photography
dude that 1/50th photo of the heron is insane. To shoot that handheld at 700mm really goes to show how important technique is. My technique sucks lol