7 Photography STRUGGLES and how to solve them! 

Thank you for all your sensible advice, Mads. I’m 60 years old and took up photography during lockdown here in England. Now I’m hooked on it. 👍

Great video Mads. What about a video teaching us how to read the weather for mist, sunrises etc.

My wife and I struggle with taking photos in our home area as we’ve have driven every backroad in a 50 mile radius. Getting our drones has helped a lot as we can get a whole new experience at our favourite locations. It’s like my wife says, “It’s like taking the same shot of a bride and groom week after week. After a while it gets hard to come up with something new”.

The difficult thing is to have an eye for a good composition or to learn it. I keep noticing that I don't take enough time for this. But I think my pictures are better than 3 years ago 😎

Your comments on having a couple of zoom lenses, rather than 10 primes, makes so much sense. I've been thinking about my zoom and trading it in but you've made me rethink (and save some money) thanks!

For your 2nd question in this series. I find using alltrails and GaiaGPS to find local trail's and alltrails shows pictures/videos taken by other people.

Your point about comparing our work to that of others is well taken. When I find myself doing that in an unproductive way, I try to turn it around: what can I learn from this image that I admire so much? What do I admire about it? Or even, what do I dislike about it (because we can also compare our photos to others not as far along in their journey and judge harshly - it goes both ways!)? Admiration or envy of someone else's work is an indicator of a growth edge. It's an invitation to learn something new about our skills, our perspective, and what's important to us as photographers. Also, Mads, love your differentiation between "rules" and "tools." What a fabulous reframe! Thanks for sharing your valuable insight.

Excellent tips! Biggest problem for me is lack of transport to get to places...i solve it by arranging as many trips as possible with photo buddies...but then just have to accept whatever conditions we get...so be it...better to be out shooting something and enjoying the natural world!

"Getting out of bed early" - I laughed out loud! I have planned to get up for sunrise every day for the last week and missed it every time!

As simple as the advise of "Just get out of bed" is, it is actually excellent advise.

Hello from Thailand. I've been following you for a long time. Thank you for all the knowledge and great photography tips you've been sharing.

I sold all my gears because of lockdown except for my tripods and some filters and the struggles of shooting locally, this video made me want to buy a camera again.

Thanks Mads, another great vlog and every point you've made we can perhaps all relate to I'm sure. Whilst I look at many other fine landscape photographers works (including yours:) I shoot purely for the enjoyment of being at one with the landscape, nature and myself. I never cloud my mind with thoughts of other photographers or their work as I want my work to reflect my art, my tastes and whilst I listen and take on board what others think of my work I always remain true to myself and shoot for me. Thanks again Mads and keep up the great channel!

I remember that day at 19:40 in the Faroes :) I'm still in awe at how big those waves were and how tiny I felt comparatively. Glad we didn't lose a camera there as well! Great Video as always Mads! Comparing my work to others and struggling to make images with impact have been my two biggest struggles so far. I do recognize that I am inching forward one photo at a time, and I always try to remember my own progress from even a year or two ago.

I live in the Rocky Mountains of the US and find myself shooting with my big zoom much more than a wide angle lens. Sure, there are times when the wide angle is definitely the appropriate choice but when a scene is actually several miles away being able to zoom in on it brings out the detail and beauty of a large peak, cirque or whatever else captures your interest.

I saw in one of your prior videos that you look for weather conditions that should result in fog. Can you be more specific? That is do you look for, say, a certain difference in predicted temperature and predicted dew point? Do you simply look for a foggy forecast? I'd like to know what kind of weather forecast you find most useful for fog.

Good commentary on the photographers’ dilemmas

What a great resource you are!

My biggest struggle is far and away the tyranny of the mundane. I've been in my area (deep south USA) so long that it's almost impossible to see what's in front of me. It's like there's no subject matter. Of course, there is, it's just soooooo familiar that I'm not seeing it. All all fairness, there's a lot of visual clutter so nice (never mind, striking) foregrounds are hard to come by. It's flat terrain and very "monochromatic" in a way - Not necessarily in color terms, just very *same* no matter where you go. I'd like to avoid the cliche / iconic subjects but I'm starting the think the reason they're so iconic is, there's nothing else. Very good video. Excellent points.

Weather is interesting...ha. Texas - 30 straight days over 100 F. A/C is very interesting :) Great information Mads !!

Sage advice and a really helpful video. I too struggle with getting up early!

Thanks Mads, it is really nice to have this summary of issues we all work through!

Thank you Mads! Fantastic reflections, super helpful!!

Information was spot on. Thanks!

Just subscribed after seeing your phenomenal favourite photo on Nigel Danson’s live video. The advice you give in this video is the most helpful I’ve ever encountered

I try to spend the same amount of time taking photos as I do watching these videos. Denmark has plenty of places for a landscape photographer to see, you’ve proven that. Thanks for sharing again Mads. Stay safe 🇦🇺

Thanks Mads, my struggle is representing the glory of nature. Another point I will make my family and friends tend towards my panoramas before anything else.

My biggest struggle currently is getting things tack sharp. I feel like a big part of it is that I still haven't figured out how to use light properly. I do see changes in my compositions and thought processes though, even when the images don't turn out, so I feel like in making progress at least.

Thank you Mads for another excellent video. My biggest hurdle was translating my vision of the scene into reality on the print... thanks to your excellent photoshop course, different advice, It is slowly beginning to happen..

Good summary of perceived roadblocks and personal struggles and expectations. Greatest snuggle for me is removing all the distractions and being able to see the trees for the forest. Tons of scrub plants in our wooded areas and busy scenes. Finding the angle of approach to minimize clutter is challenging. Taking my 100-400mm along helps solve some of these issues as often at a distance it is easier to isolate. Enjoying the journey and thankful for guides like you.

Just loved this video with all the great tips ! Good job once again Mads. :)

Probably one of your most thoughtful and philosophical videos that you've made Mads. My main problem is getting discouraged and down after a string of disappointing photo outings. The best cure is watching your channel, or others like Nigel Danson's. Photo books also help. BTW, you are SO right about how to get up and out early in the morning! Once your brain starts thinking ("Ill probably have better conditions this evening." or "I'll try tomorrow morning instead.") you've just made it ten times harder to get moving. Better just to pop out of bed immediately! Thanks for another great video.

Great tips as always Mads. One of my greatest struggles is getting up early in the summer. After watching your inspiring all-nighter video a couple of weeks ago I've done three all-nighters now with great results. My main reason for staying up was to catch any noctilucent clouds in the early morning but they have sadly eluded me in South West UK this year.

Mads thanks a lot - loved it!

Great video Mads thank you.

Really great tips Mads along with some great examples.

Excellent and very informative class, especially for a person who’s been trying to take a good photo or two for the last fifty years. Thank You!

Great points, and nicely illustrated with your skillful photos!

Totally relate to your comments about Imposter Syndrome and comparing work to the work of others Mads. Initially I used to beat myself hard about my work when comparing it to others but in time and thinking about it more, I realised that I was comparing my work to others who were perhaps more experienced than me and been on their photography journey longer. I likened it to my professional career in the fire service and realised development and experience go hand in hand so a trainee firefighter cannot be compared to a 30 year veteran, therefore as you say its about practice and becoming proficient in what your doing. After that I became more relaxed and nowadays I mainly compare my work to my previous work to look at and chart progress. I love to look at the works of others for inspiration and more importantly to celebrate their accomplishment and learn from them indirectly or directly in the case of your fantastic tutorial series.

Hi Mads, thank you for revealing such useful tipps.

Super advise and direction Thank you. My biggest struggle is restricting the number of shots I take on an outing. I end up taking numerous shots of the same scene with just different angles/perspective ( sometimes only minor changes). Then get overwhelmed when I get home while attempting to chose my favorite (s)

Thanks Mads great advice as usual.

Got around to watch this video just now, Mads. What can I say? You captured the essence of struggles I as an amateur (but enthusiast) photographer encounter. And, living in Stockholm, Sweden, your advice on the all-nighter is really helpful for me. Keep up your great work!

Thanks for the good insights Mads! 😃

Good reminders - especially for those of us getting bored with our home territory!

Funny is a few years back I took a vacation with a friend and we rented an airbnb owned by a photographer but I found very interesting airbnbs around amazing places got to be careful who you rent from. I carry two cameras, one I dont worry about changing a lens and other a more professional lens so I dont miss shots and can shoot quickly under any situation. Composition is what rocks in photography (still experimenting on that one), your a master Mads just spot on every time, always amazed❣

Thanks for the information and this was an excellent video keep up the great work🤗

Hi Mads, as usual, a great video refreshing important things on Landscape photography.

Mads, I think this video is your best-ever advice video. While I really enjoyed your stunning images of Iceland, I actually enjoyed your photos more of your homeland. It proved there is so much to see and photograph locally if we take the time to look. You mentioned about exploring. People don’t want to take the time to do that. I love the outdoors and that is a big part of the enjoyment. The end result does not always have to be a photograph. I live in Pennsylvania, really like seeing all the locations from ‘across the pond’ and wish I were there. I’ve watched UK photographers thinking how lucky we are in the U.S. to have so many places that are great like Utah parks, etc. Yes we do, but still not easily affordable as I am retired on a fixed income. But, happy to do local photography which can be difficult, but the challenge is fun. I think what is important is to enjoy with landscape and outdoor photography is to please yourself first. I don’t think that is being selfish. If you worry about your number of likes on social media, you will find disappointment. Too much favoritism. Not wishing to be judged by someone that has no understanding of photography or simply not interested in you subjects. I had in mind a photo of birches just two miles from home. I waited a year until foggy conditions were great for the photo. Got the photos, pleased with them. Few comments, but one was from a person that only complained about the weather being nice. Uggggh. Well, at least I was pleased. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm.

Thank you for these stimulating ideas! All so useful and relevant to what I struggle with...as a serious amateur, not a professional, but a person who wants very much to improve the photography I do...using basically the same equipment as you! A7r3 plus lenses: 50mm, 90mm, and 100-400, plus a 24mm I rarely use. Where to go and what to point the lens at are the biggest questions, and also getting out of bed early, or staying out later, instead of heading back home for dinner...going out alone as a female can sometimes be a challenge too, depending on the environment. I have been in some sketchy situations. I always look forward to your videos and your marvelous photos!

Always so much great information. Thank you I bought both composition e books and love them! Since they’re on my phone I can use them on location and that’s really helpful.

Always such good advice ! for me the change from primes to high quailty zooms was my game changer, but I did make the mistake of not paying for the best zoom lenses in the beginning, as I did not have endless funds, however, having always used primes, I noticed the lack of detail and contrast, so having learned this lesson, I saved up my money, sold the lenses and cameras I had and purchased 2 high quaility zoom lenses, and 1 high quaility Camera, so now I have a 16-35mm F2.8 GM and 24-105mm F4 G and Sony A7R4, now my results are better than my prime days. Also your advice on doing your own thing, learn from others but do not compare, stop being an imposter and start developing your own style !! Thanks Mads for your ongoing energy and enthusiasm :-)

Thanks Mads !

Thx for explanation, very good and helpful Video.

Mads once again you have nailed it. Amazingly helpful, what a great skill that you can just talk at a desk and show some images and communicate and teach so much (and still be entertaining). Keep up the great work!

Good answers! 🎯👍🥂

Thanks for another great video Mads, lots of good tips. My biggest struggle is how to take my time to set up and shoot with a tripod when constrained to public trails. I feel like I’ll be in the way of other trail users so I end up hand holding and regretting it when I get home. I’d love to hear how others deal with shooting from narrow trail areas.

Thanks Mads for all your great advice. Would you make a video also about maintenance? Cleaning and caring for all your gear and tips you've learned

Excellent video! Thanks. Lots of helpful information.

Thanks great video

I went out this morning in my local area it was my first time I actually didn't even take image.. I got very muddy flip flops and no sunrise.. But if you don't go you'll never know..

Mads, enjoyed the discussion. Struggles, where to start…. I find I can create an unlimited number of struggles within myself. You stated it, everyone is different. Secondly, we are artists creating something that we should like ourselves. Just trying to recreate someone else’s work may be one of the greatest forms of a compliment, but it is not art. I try and just keep in mind this is for me alone…. Very hard to do of course, but there really is no other reason to be capturing a photo unless you are being paid to capture something for someone else…. Great thoughts and thanks as always… Keep snapping!

Just on the point you raise about some guy who got angry because you weren’t using primes, I absolutely must agree with your view, that zooms are fine. Some of the best photos I’ve taken were on old cameras with inferior lenses. Sometimes it’s the inferiority that makes the image somehow more human, flawed and therefore more interesting, inadvertently expressing an unfathomable beauty

Great video Mads with a lot of very inspirational thoughts. I live in Australia in an area not to dissimilar to where you are in Denmark: rolling hills; wide open spaces; canola fields; wind turbines, windmills and plenty of lone trees. It has views you would die for however sometimes it's hard to get out of that rut of photographing the same scenes over and over but just from a different direction etc. My biggest struggle with photography is that quite a few times I go out with the best intentions but just can't seem to get motivated to pull the tripod out, set the camera up etc even though time is not an issue. Yet some days I just can't get my gear out fast enough as my senses are overwhelmed with so many potential compositions to shoot; seems to be a case of everything or nothing lol. Anyways, for the record watching your vids always gets my thought process going so kudos for that and thanks for giving your time to share your knowledge 😉👍 PS: I'm a Sony shooter also (A72) and was wondering if at some point you might be interested in doing a video showing how you have your camera buttons and dials customized for the way you shoot; for quick access to certain functions if any. Just a thought ;)

Great video once again! Towards your question at the end, my biggest problem in my opinion is myself beeing too critical with myself. Sometimes I just need to step back and enjoy the photos I took instead of focusing on the mistakes I made. Learning the balance between critical view to improve and joyful view to appreciate what I have done.

But but... Primes!!! J/k I happily just take the tamron 17-27 and 28-200, seen as I'm shooting at apertures around f8 I don't see why I'd take 4+ lenses that are incredibly sharp when I can take 2 easier to carry lenses that are sharp enough.

Although I started out thinking that few of these struggles applied to me, I was surprised that I jotted down 4 takeaway notes from the seven topics addressed. Thanks, Mads!

Yet another great video, Mads! Although it did make me tired just thinking about 4:00AM! 😉

Denmark has many landscape sites. I'm familiar with the west of Jutland (Jylland) particularly around Stadil and West Stadil Fjord. These coastal areas and fjords are great birdlife locations, too. My initial introduction to those places was as part of the small team extending a Royal Australian Air Force memorial near Stadil (EE138); it became a familiar area over some 15 years. Of course, further historical remains along the coast are remains of the Atlantic Wall.

Watching from Lolo, Montana, USA

Hi Mads, Mojn.... and thanks for a great video, yet again. I have made some small 2-3 day trips to different places by using low price airlines, like Ryanair.... pay 10-20£ for a trip to lets say Edinburgh, and just stay in a hostle or airbnb. You can realy go nice places for verry little money and take some pictures in new locations. I shoot with a small Fujifilm X-E3 and I can therefor travel light. (Not a great idea if you think eviroment.... but still a nice idea.)

Thanks for all the advice Mads. One thing that i sometimes find when i get back home and get the photos on screen is that I find i have better shots if i zoom in to certain parts and crop, even after spending time in the field trying to get the composition. ps I also use affinity photo and interested to hear some other comments regarding possibley using your post procesing ebook and if it could be compatible.

In the summer of 2019 I spent several days in Copenhagen, Malmo and Stockholm and it really is amazing, nightfall around midnight and dawn before 4 am. Especially in Stockholm, the sunset lasts for hours, it's a dream from a photographic point of view, I only see advantages. No, I've never been to Iceland, then all this would be trevial ​​but it's a cliché that I haven't done yet.

Thanks

Although I usually wake up at 5 am on weekends out of habit, I have insane problems setting my alarm clock for 3 or 3:30 am in the summer. And even then there are always doubts as to whether the whole thing is really worth it, whether the weather isn't too bad after all. And even in the evening I always have my doubts. I've been in Aarhus for a few days now and even pinned a few spots from your map, but I wasn't able to take any proper photos once.

Mads Great tips I have always looked at my area like tourist as I am lucky to live in California. California has so many natural wonders to photograph from the Hollywood Sign to Yosemite I may never photograph them all that doesn't mean I won't try.

Thanks for the great video. Do you ever do any focal length blending to help show the majesty of nature? Any focus on it in your course?

My biggest struggle for me the climate change, because in here Hungary, nature is becoming drier and therefore there is less and less fog. Have you ever made a video about the weather analysis, what you are watching, from which you know that you should go?

Well made primes are going to be sharpest wide open increase a little bit with closing down and then start getting a bit less spectacular yet more sharp then zoom lense past f8. Plus they open much brighter then zoom lense and weight much less. So about a sceene out of 3 can be frozen without pumping up iso like on the zoom lense. Plus, an image out of 3 can be made by stitching increasing the resolution of the shot instead of zooming and using a focal lenght of the zoom lense that is mediocre on the zoom lense. Plus a picture out of 3 can be framed using foot steps instead of the zoom. I don't like most photo taken at wider then 35mm either. Most of the time they are mostly sky or ground or both aa you say. But they also show major distortion, don't share the feeling on site and to remove the distortion you loose lots of resolution. And in many case the use of stitching or in high wind croping to the most essential makes it work without the fanciness of the wide or ultra wide lense. The 70 to 200 is mostly a 135/100mm. Its feild of view is between 29 and 10 degree horizontaly. The 100 is about 19 and the 135 is about 15. Zooming with the feet is most often possible. I use a 40mm and a 135mm. In some case I would apreciate a 75mm or so. But not offten enough to actually do it. I try to crop as tight as I can to actually portray my vision instead. That if a stitching or moving in or away is not possible. With stitching you can make a full frame rival easily with big medium and large format! And with big cameras the choice of quality lense is limited and the capacity for the lense to be tuned with precision for the sensor is not as subject to competition as with full frames. Plus they then weight and cost much much more for less performance. I am not doing this for a living and I am not very talented in photography, but I still think that with a 35mm or so and a 105mm or so, most landscape picture can be achieved with much more artistic capability then with zoom lenses. And that would still make it with two lenses! Much lighter and much more well calibtated lenses. To use the lense fastness/brightness at its best in landscape, the use of a range finder do wonders I have seen. It is called zone focussing and it is worth a try. By determining the main subject distance (where to focus) and then the distance of the farthest and nearest subject wanted sharp, an f stop can be determined with a chart brought on site or probably an app on the phone. This way it is always the widest apperture that is chosen and a maximum use of the lense quality can be optimized. For much more crop shots, telephoto zoom lense are probably a better option. For at this point the feild of view need to vary much less, over the last 10-15 degrees. And at this point primes are on another price scale and they would prpbably be of interest only for sports, personalities and wildlife shots, where it is of interest to create an intense sense of intimacy with the subject! Which is mostly of no interest in landscape. To frame a smal sceene needs more addaptsbility. For smal sceene (at a distance) suppose that they don't fit well at a wider feild of view. And if a full 360 degree can be made under ten frames with a wide angle lense, many frame are required at a focal lenght longer then 200. Even more at 400 or 600. And it would be unpractical to prepare for all these possibilities with a bunch of primes for sure! I am not criticizing your position on zoom lense. I just wanted to share you the experience that I had with good primes and the use of zone focussing that zoom lense users are missing out on. They do because their lense is not interesting wide open and there is never an interest in attempting to shoot wider if only to reduce iso. So they stick with the habit of shooting at f8 and up. And that is where the good prime shines. Most distant sceenes can be shot very open. But with a zoom lense, this is not even interesting or feasable. And to that we can add all the increase possibility of focus stacking using much more versatile depth of feilds following the needs of the sceene... One more thing I am discovering is the fact that croping more allow to shoot much more open for a same depth of feild. Possibility again either not available or not interesting with the zoom lense. In a way a high resolution sensor might be more usefull then a zoom lense. Especially when considering that lenses are much more precise at the center of the image and gradually loose their cleanlyness towards the edges. So shooting a wider sceene then needed is allowing an improved depth of field at a larger apperture and so can help to reduce iso. So for exemple, I could decide to stitch shots from my 135mm to get all the sceene if I can't back up or get closer. But I can shoot a larger sceene that I would crop more with the 40mm. In this last case I gain a deeper depth of feild at a faster opturation and can avoid cranking the iso. I might upt for this solution in high winds.

I love your videos. May i ask, how do you do borders around images, and what is the correct width?

What exactly do you look for in morning weather forecast that determines whether you will wake up at 4am and go out?

In comparing yourself to other's work...One thing to remember, is that no one's perception of themselves is the same as how others see them. This goes for the general perception as well as everything they do/produce as well. So, how can you compare yourself/your work to others if your perception of yourself is not accurate. Learn the basic tools and let your own creativity guide you. No guarantee others will like what you do either, so do it for yourself. Anyway, just my thoughts on it. Cheers

Thanks Mads, You cover a lot of stuff here that's all true. Last year I went on a photo roadtrip in Iceland and travelling 2200 km in 2 weeks makes that I was only able to visit many places briefly. I did get amazing shots but I still have to figure out what the 'ideal' time is to spend on a location... Doing an 'all nighter' sounds nice but not when you have a family and are expected at the office monday morning 8 am ;-). It will certainly help finding composition by slowing down, looking around and taking the time to do it right. I guess you making vlogs need to walk back and forth often so I wonder if that sometimes helps you finding compisitions ?

Always interesting videos Mads. ;-) I have a question for you: Do you think it's easier to appreciate a landscape with human presence or without? Thank you!

I find it no problem getting 3 o’clock in the morning out of my bed, if…….. If i now what i want to photograph! Specially when weatherconditions are looking good. But… if i’m not having a goal, it’s a struggle. I love my bed!!!

My biggest struggle is getting up early. Finding the time is second. I also wish I could travel to different locations.

Nice vid mads, thank you for that! Other question, imagine your in my country the netherlands, no Mountains, no holes in Mountains in the water, and no ice, what is there to photography, please react!

Any advice on putting the like and subscribe button the right way round? 😂😂😂 Loved the video some really great advice 👍

You forgott on struggle . How to get out and take good photographs

Get out of bed early??? I'll never be a good landscape photographer.

it is that fact that I would shifts so one week I get up at 4:50 and the next week I get home at 22:30 so when off I dont want to get up LOL

You forgot to add more one thing for struggling photographers is to read damn camera manual 🤣🤣🤣

I try very hard to only compare my photos to photos I have taken previously. I am an experiment of one, and only I can judge the results.

Is that a turntable behind you ?

I dont agree that water should look flat and lifeless or that nature photos has to look perfect. This is just style remnants of the 90s. I prefer realism.

Hey Mads. Thanks for a very interesting and informative video. I do like your way of deliverance of your topics in your videos. I was wondering if your photo processing course could be beneficial to someone like myself. I say this due to it being based at most others on using photoshop. As much as I'd love to have lightroom/photoshop, in the past couple of years have ended up with a VERY tight budget, and I therefore have chosen to use GIMP and Darkroom. I'm wondering if it would be hard to relate what you teach in Lightroom /Photoshop. I have only been doing post production on my images for 6 months so I have little knowledge of this kinda thing. I was just wondering what your reply would be to this? Keep up the good work. 👍

Mads, why is your subscribe button upside down? 🙃

Biggest struggle? Too much gear, stuff, equipment you bring in the field. These days I am photographing the most attractive spots in the Dolomites and having a 12kg backpack + drone + tripod with me nearly brought me down. Ok, eventually the great results will last my short term pain in the spine … :-)

Mine is to be more like uou haha 😄

People get caught up on IQ but even if you took photos on an iPhone they would look good because of the content of the photo…IQ is overrated