Photography

Almost all photographers find themselves suffering from Gear Acquisition Syndrome (or GAS, if you don’t mind) at one time or another. Whether you are eager to try something new or just stuck in a creative rut, falling into the trap of thinking that buying a new camera or lens will instantly revamp your photography skills is something we have all been guilty of doing. Gear Acquisition Syndrome

What is Gear Acquisition Syndrome?

Do you spend more time researching photography gear than shooting? Do you believe that you can’t achieve a particular look without buying the latest shiny product? Then you might be suffering from G.A.S., also known as Gear Acquisition Syndrome. Step into my office and let me share some prescriptions that can help you cure this debilitating disease! It sure helped me!

In all seriousness, G.A.S. can be devastating for your passion in photography. I’ve known many photographers one of them is me, that have been paralyzed and stifled, blaming their lack of gear for their creation of lackluster images. As a self-professed gear junkie, I was constantly switching between camera systems, lenses, and everything else in my search to create better images.

We all need to pass GAS sometimes, but I am talking about G.A.S or Gear Acquisition Syndrome. I define it as the syndrome that makes you buy more and more without really needing the gear. You just want this…and then that, and then another this and another that, etc. While I am writing as a to photographers, I must say that this article has been of help to everyone in many fields, most notably music. So the symptoms are universal!

Only Buy What You Need

The allure of buying new gear and constantly improving your arsenal is strong.  It’s easy to believe that spending more money is a requirement for improving or going further with your photography.  This is certainly not the case.  There are many ways to limit your purchases without limiting your abilities!

Test Before Buying

Many photography stores have gear rental packages or other ways to test gear.  If you’re not sure you need a specific item, go ahead and try it out! Maybe you’ll find you don’t like the weight, or the gears are in an awkward position for you. Maybe you’ll discover a lens is more prone to lens creep than expected, and you’ll decide it isn’t worth the price.

Or perhaps you’ll pick up a new piece of equipment and you will hear birds singing, the clouds will part, and sunshine will pour down on you as you experience a euphoria that tells you this was the item you had been waiting for all your life!  (Okay, that’s maybe a bit extreme, but you get the point.)  Either way, actual experience can tell you so much more than sifting through reviews online ever will.

This is also a great option for traveling!  If you want a specific lens for a trip but aren’t certain you’ll use it often enough back home, try renting. This is the way I love to do it.

The Switchers

Every seen a Youtube video screaming the headline “Why I switched to XXX” or “Why you should move to XXX”? They are all over the place. Apart from the clickbait headlines these are the most blatant types of Youtubers to fuel our G.A.S.

Now, there is nothing wrong with switching systems. However for professionals and enthusiasts alike, it should be a long term and planned approach, as unless you are very wealthy, this is going to be a decision you have to live with for many years. Yet, two months after switching, the same Youtuber will post another clickbait video explaining why they have returned to product XXX. If you have followed their first advice, you may well be stuck in a system you do not like.

These sorts of Youtube photographers follow the money and the freebies with little or no regard for photographers that are looking for real advice.

Spend More Time Shooting

In almost every case of G.A.S. I’ve seen photographers spend countless hours browsing websites doing research on lenses, cameras, stands, and everything else rather than actually going out and shooting. The simple fix is that every time you feel the need to do this grab your camera and go shoot! Set up test shoots during your free time and keep yourself busy shooting. You’ll find that at the very least you’ll increase your creativity and resourcefulness. It will also help you have a better understanding of what you actually need as opposed to what you think you need.

Landscape photography is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding and enjoyable forms of photography. Who doesn’t want to get outside more, to breathe the fresh air, and to connect to nature? Whether your pastime is to capture awesome sunsets at Bali, the orderly structure of a metropolis skyline, or peaceful forest nearby, these landscape photography tips will help you make the most of your next photo expedition. Landscape photography tips

What is landscape photography?

Landscape photography is the art of capturing images that embody the essence of nature and the outdoors. A great landscape photograph transports the viewer and gives them the sense of being there and seeing something incredible. As a landscape photographer, you want the viewer to connect with the emotions you felt when you shot the photograph.

Everyone wants to capture the beauty of new locations.  Even if you are fortunate enough to visit the most beautiful locations on Earth, photography is a never-ending learning and growing process. Landscape photography tips

Plan Where To Go

Researching locations might just be one of the most fun parts of shooting landscapes. Whether it’s a favorite place that you’d been to a million times or an entirely new location far away from your home base, a little research can go a long way in planning to take the best shots possible. You can use online maps to plan your route to the spot and different vantage points that you think will make the best shots.

Once you have an idea of where to go and how to get there, consider when you want to be there. You’ll want to plan quite a bit of time to scout the location in person, set up your gear, and move around the place. But beyond that, you’ll want to plan for the best light. You might wind up taking some sample shots and realizing that you really want to come back at sunset, or even after dark.

Consider a “Do Over”

Just because you have shot a location doesn’t mean you have to be done with it. If you had a great time shooting a location and were super impressed with the photos afterward, consider a return trip. Photography, like any endeavor, is a learning experience. With each trip into the field, we learn more and more about ourselves, our equipment, and our environment. By returning to the same location after we have seen some results, you will be inspired with new ideas for new angles and new approaches to try out. You also might be inspired to hike a little farther and dig a little deeper.

Three Legs are Better than Two

One of the most significant aspects of shooting landscapes is to capture the sharpest detail possible over a wide area. When shooting at the low shutter speeds common in landscape photography, your tripod will become your new best friend. Pick a tripod that is beefy enough for your heaviest gear, but also portable enough to not be a burden. If your tripod is too heavy and too cumbersome, you will find yourself leaving it at home more than you should. Pick wisely….

Use ISO 100 or 200

Always aim for the lowest ISO your lighting and camera can handle (another reason to use your tripod). Low ISO’s will give you rich, high-quality landscapes free from noise. Landscape photography tips

Dramatic Skies and the Importance of Clouds

A blah sky makes a blah photo. While the Golden Hours around dawn and dusk can make even the most dreary vistas beautiful, consider all your options.

Clouds often add interest and drama to a photo. Even just a few fair-weather cumulus puffballs can make a world of difference to an otherwise uninteresting landscape. Streaky cirrus clouds reflect pinks and oranges during sunset, and dramatic and contrasty cumulonimbus thunderheads change the tone of a photo entirely.

Work with the Golden Hours

Lighting is one of the most important parts of any photography and with landscapes this usually translates into shooting during the “golden hour” – the hour right before sunrise and after sunset. This is when the lighting can really make your landscapes come alive. Times to avoid are when the sun is highest (i.e. afternoon), when the intensity and angle of the light creates hard shadows and washed out colors. .

Add Foreground Interest

A great landscape photograph really stands out when it is balanced with depth to it. This means something needs to be in the foreground: a character tree, a piece of driftwood, a sailboat, or a mountain creek. Where ever you are, look for foreground objects that help tell your story. An island in the distance is pretty, but a sailboat passing an island in the distance is epic.

Camera Settings for Landscape Photography

Modern cameras are fantastic in their ability to capture images quickly and to work in very dim light. There is a tradeoff, of course, in that pictures taken at higher ISO settings are very grainy. This is another reason why tripods are so crucial to landscape photographers. Keep the ISO numbers as low as possible. This will result in longer exposure times, but you will be rewarded with higher quality and sharper photos.

Landscape photography invariably requires high f-stops. Apertures of f/11 or f/16 are not uncommon. This ensures that the lens focuses details in both the foreground and background with a very deep depth of field. To achieve both high f-stop and low ISO, slow shutter speeds are a must. At low shutter speeds, remember that a tripod must be used to avoid blurry images from camera shaking. Question: what is your aperture sweet spot of your lens.

The histogram display on your camera can be a great help to all photographers. When used correctly, this informational display can tell you if the bright whites have been clipped or if the blacks are underexposed. This can be invaluable when setting up the shot and picking your camera settings for the perfect exposure.

The Aperture Sweet Spot of your lens

The lens sweet spot is the aperture of your lens that produces the highest possible quality in sharpness. It’s common that photographers think the wider apertures, like 1.4 and 2.8 would be the sharpest of a lens. … In fact, typically the sharpest aperture is 2 to 3 stops smaller than the widest.

There is some generally accepted rule of thumb that to find the sweet spot of a lens you must stop down about 2 to 3 stops from the widest aperture, perhaps even three. So if you’re lens wide open is at f/4, the theory states your sweet spot is about f/5.6 or f/8, and then up to f/11 you should be fine with diminishing returns after that due to diffraction.

Use RAW Formats

RAW files contain more information than their JPEG counterparts. While it might seem simpler to save in the camera as a JPEG, you will be losing valuable information that could be important during post-processing. With the ability to adjust color balance and exposure details much more accurately, developing a good workflow with RAW files can be invaluable.

Change Viewpoints

As landscape photographers, we can’t really ask the mountains to change poses. Our models don’t move, so we have to. Try as many new viewpoints and vantages as possible. Move around a lot. Try way up high and way down low. Be creative.

Find Movement

Another great way to add excitement to a scene is to focus on movement. Water in a stream, cars on a road, or waves on a beach all blur with longer exposure speeds that are common for deep, luscious landscape images. An ND filter can help you achieve just the effect you are looking for while keeping the scene’s details sharp and interesting.

Camp Out and Move In

Plan on spending some time in locations that you love. Come back when the light has changed. Come back after dark. Come back with different lenses. If your spot of choice is too far off-the-grid, consider staying for an entire afternoon with a picnic or even camping overnight. Make the photography just one part of the adventure. .

For this very reason, you may find that your favorite landscape locations are close to home. If they are easy to access and you travel there often, you will see the best lighting, season, and angles for a location. Keep this in mind on your next photography trip. Don’t rush.

Don’t be Afraid to Try New Things

A beauty of shooting with a digital camera is that there is never any harm in trying. Got a wacky idea for an awesome photo? Just try it. In photography, maybe even more than other hobbies, there are no real rules. Try out your crazy ideas, have fun, make mistakes, and most importantly learn from those mistakes. .

Landscape photography tips

Have you ever heard someone say “my pictures would be so much better if I had a camera like you or that photographer”? Perhaps you’re even guilty of saying these words yourself. This is a phrase that I see and hear quite often but is there any truth to it? Or is it just wishful thinking and ignorance? What do you think? 

Will a better camera really make you a better photographer? Will your images instantly become amazing? I’m sorry to say that they won’t. In fact, camera gear doesn’t really matter in my humble opinion.

 

Lets start

With this blog post, I hope that help you to understand that the price of your gear doesn’t define you as a photographer; you’re perfectly able to capture top-notch, professional-looking images even with a point-and-shoot or entry level DSLR or mirrorless camera. The camera doesn’t define the photographer. .

Let me take you back a few years ago to Tanah Lot Bali Indonesia. Tanah Lot Temple is built on the rock in the sea. As the sun starts rising above the horizon and the magic happens. Standing on quit private part of the beach seeing on a distance hundreds, if not thousands, of tourists and photographers.

Right next to me is a man with a Nikon D810, a $3000 lens and a top-of-the-line tripod. After a few minutes, he looks over at my display from my Sony a7r II and asks about the settings I’m using. I tell him what aperture, ISO and shutter speed I’m using and he applies the same settings to his camera.

Now, I’m using a 6-Stop ND Filter in order to achieve a long exposure but he is not. So what happens when he uses a 30-second long exposure? The image becomes completely white. I’m not saying that he’s a bad photographer but it made me wonder why he owns such expensive camera gear when he doesn’t know how to use it. My point is, just having an expensive professional camera doesn’t mean that you’re a better photographer than someone with an entry-level camera. The camera doesn’t define you as a photographer. Skilled photographers are able to capture a good image with entry level equipment. Because they understand the fundamentals of photography. Fortunate I had an extra filter set and adapter ring. So I helped the man out to capture his dream shot.

Learn the Basics

The biggest favor you can give yourself as a beginning photographer is to learn the basics first. Study how the Appenture, Shutter Speed and ISO work together. Read about compositions and techniques that will help you create more appealing photographs. Most importent; experiment and practices as much as you can with it. Make mistakes over and over again.

As you start understanding these fundamentals of photography, you’ll realize that owning a professional camera wouldn’t have helped you in the beginning and it wouldn’t have made your images better right away. Even experienced photographers don’t know everything. They learn every day new things.

Next

If the gear really isn’t that important, then why do most professional photographers use expensive and high-quality gear? Isn’t this a little contradictory? Still, the expensive equipment won’t make you capture better images. What it will do, however, is create higher-quality image files of the photographs you capture. Due to better Dynamic Range, more megapixels and larger sensors, top-end cameras help you produce bigger, better files that you’re able to adjust more in post-processing without reducing image quality.

When you’ve learned the fundamentals of photography your ambitions increase, you’ll feel the need to upgrade to a professional camera – not because your pictures get better but because you want to increase the quality of the files.

Most importent when you do not know fundamentals of photography. Then expensive equipment and post processing are not going to improve your images. Let’s start with the basics. 😉

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Do I need a professional camera

 

Why I love to shoot at Sunrise. The best light for landscape photography is first thing in the morning and the last light of the day. It definitely is worth getting up nice and early to capture a great sunrise. So, get out there, take some photos, and see what you can discover. During my stays on Bali Indonesia I loved to get up early and to hunt for great Sunrises.

Less People

“I am not a morning person”. “I am not an early bird”. You have heard these one many times and for a good reason – most people do not like waking up very early, especially while it is still dark outside. Many of us end up working late, eating late and waking up late, which has become the norm for the bulk of our society?

Why not take advantage of this as a photographer? Instead of being around all the night owls at sunset, if you wake up early, you will not have to battle for a spot or deal with cloning out people in your photos. At sunrise, you might see photographers like you in the area, who are generally going to be more respectful towards other photographers, while those with their cell phone cameras are probably not going to care or even notice that they might be in your frame. This is why I love to shoot Sunrise. .

Light is Cooler

At sunrise, the color temperature of the light is always going to be cooler with more bluish tones, because light bounces off less particles in the air. Short wavelength blue and violet tones easily reach our eyes and our cameras, allowing us to see and photograph a clearer sky with more defined colors. Once clouds start reflecting red and orange colors, we can capture them more vividly, since nothing is scattered in the atmosphere.

In contrast, the atmosphere tends to be thicker at sunset time, bouncing light all over the place and potentially causing sunsets to appear more washed out and sometimes even duller in comparison. Because sunlight passes through more particles, the blue and violet wavelengths often can’t make it through, while longer wavelengths of visible light continue their journey, causing warmer colors to appear at sunset. Cool tones change into warmer tones, creating different, more yellowish light. However, this does not mean that sunsets are always going to look worse. Sunsets can produce more colors than sunrises, which is why you do not want to skip on those either. And in some cases, a particular spot is only good for a sunset due to the position of the sun.

Why I love to shoot at Sunrise