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Enjoyed this one. Could you do a little more on how you think about bicycle use for outdoor photography? I know you’ve changed from a mountain bike to a gravel bike. I’m curious as to your reflections on using drop bars with a 50L backpack laden with gear. I am thinking of getting a fat bike and no suspension for exploring landscapes but wondering about your thoughts having experienced both types of bikes. Even the car side of things. Do you drive an SUV so you can get to more remote locations or should landscape photographers be able to get by with a hatchback? I think other people might be really interested in these sort of questions too and no one else is doing it on RU-vid with a photography focus (aside from Thomas Heaton with his apocalypse style van setup)
Just those first minutes was some of the best photography education I've ever learned even though you didn't say much. Watching you transform the standard profile shot to a shot with context (the coastline, rocks) was almost mind blowing. All you did was spend one minute, step back, and boom a massively better photograph. I'll remember to 1) keep on searching for context and 2) think of what elements to add the next time I go shooting.
James, for some reason I learn a lot from you, I think it’s because your honest with yourself and your photography, this alone spills over into my psyche and helps my own photography journey so thanks. I’m all to aware of the key predicament btw, i’ve since discovered that my camera bag has a handy clip in the top pocket for keys maybe yours does but you haven’t stumbled across it wondering what it’s for like i did for about a year of using the bag!! Anyway, always enjoy your video? thanks again. 👏. Oh, haven’t read the other comment so i’m probably just repeating what someone else has said with the key thing!!
You should do some photoshoots with Henry Turner (Morecambe - Landcaster area). You and Henry are my favorite Photographers to watch on RU-vid. Thanks for the video!
Love that 24mm GM. One of my "pry it out of my cold, dead hands" lenses, along with the 1004-400GM and 135 GM. I had the 85 1.8 for a good while and I loved using it for landscape. I sold it after it started collecting dust when I purchased the 135, which I think I prefer that focal length over 85 anyway. Especially as a "walking around" lens. I use it for street photography a lot.
Nice challenge ! The modern day high megapixel camera's allow using primes with a substantial gap in focal length because you've got plenty of cropping options.
Hi James, first time visitor. Love your video and perspective. I used a borrowed Sigma 85 f1.4 on my Sony for a few shots for a series I called portrait style tree shots. For majority of the images, I used my Tamron 17-28 and 70-180 shot at f2.8. The images have a magical look to them. I am looking at adding a fast 85 and possibly a fast 24 or 35 to my lens line up.
Wow finally a sponsor I have used! They are good though, bought and sold stuff with them. First time I added the camera battery as an extra but they regretfully let me know its considered part of the camera! who knew🤣.
Thanks James! I love shooting old shacks, especially with rusty corrugated tin roofs. They add colour, texture and interest IMO. Hope your bird knowledge is coming along. MPB is absolutely fantastic.
This is really interesting. Shooting wide open is usually not your first idea for your landscape images but even at wide open these shots look amazing! Great video👍
I need..."A bird with an ND filter." I love the 24mm shot of the hut on the right and the wall in the foreground on the left. Hope Emily and Noah are well. Cheers.
I've loved taking my 35mm 1.4 out for landscape/environmental stuff. Definitely creates a unique look. Think you took some great images with these lenses! Thanks for the video James. Learnt something new as always (and no, not about the ill advised colour of the trousers. I have a pair a similar colour I liked for about 5 minutes until my kids climbed all over me after eating lunch!!! 🤣).
I had a jacket and trousers (fairly expensive!) that were very light coloured that my older daughter as a baby blooped all over them. They were never the same again. This is a hazard for new parents (even photographers) which is not well or widely enough appreciated. You found some better locations than I did on the Llyn Peninsula where I stayed and photographed the landscape many years ago.
So glad I am not the only one who has trouble with keys, I am so paranoid about losing mine I put them in a different more secure ( I thought ) jacket pocket and then forgot they were there so put my glasses in the same pocket resulting in a massive scratch on one lens so new pair required... cant win . Anyway great video as always James. I think the good shed would be a fabulous subject in different more moody light and turbulent sea.
I think alot of people refuse to shoot wide open cuz lenses rarely look their best at their max aperture. But with lenses today, especially from the likes of Sony's GM and Sigma, that's not as much the case anymore.
People prioritise sharpness over creativity. Noise and softness can be a tool in themselves. A good picture and framing is always better than a perfectly sharp image
@@chrisfairhead5643 Agreed. But I'd rather start with a technically perfect photo if I can, then add whatever I want in post. Its easy to take sharpness away, and much harder to add it (and make it look good) if it wasn't there to begin with.
@@careywest I do agree it is much harder to add sharpness. I will always try and perfect the shot. But I wouldn't discard an image if it isn't technically perfect but I like the framing or subject
Great video! I see you're using anchors on your top strap spots on the camera body. I threw an extra anchor on the strap location on my vertical grip, and it makes using the strap over just one shoulder way more comfortable in portrait mode.
James, I'm curious and probably a lot of other viewers are too about why you went back to full frame. I shoot both FF and M4/3, and tell myself three or four times a year I'm going to sell one or the other but can never make up my mind. Can you do a video on this please?
Great video James. I recently bought an adapter for using my analogue lens (Helios 44m-4 58mm f2) on my Canon 250d but I was disappointed to not be able to switch aperture. (For those who doesn't know, most helios lenses have an aperture pin behind the lens and normally camera psically pushes that pin when you click on shutter. So with adapter, lens stuck on widest aperture unless you modify it.) Now I got inspired to use it on bright daylight aswell
That was a fun trip to watch. I'm just guessing here, but I believe that these lenses have very low flare, like most GM primes from Sony. Some of your scenes involved a lot of stray sky light plus atmospheric and surf haze. It might be interesting to see how much shadow detail you can capture with them relative to, say, a high-quality zoom. Probably not wide open.
Big shoutout to the Collins Bird Guide app, because nobody remembers/bothers to put a paper book in their backpack along with all the camera gear 😉. And it’s an app-version of one of the best bird books
I love the Sony 24mm 1.4, a great Lens ! Remember to aways use Lens Hoods, in overcast weather the light comes from every where. I can very highly recommend these Lenses that I own for Landscape Photography, the Sony 14mm 1.8 GM, Sony 24mm 1.4 GM, Voigtländer APO-LANTHAR 35mm 2.0 Aspherical, Zeiss Sonnar 55mm 1.8, Voigtländer Macro APO-LANTHAR 65mm 2.0 and Sony 135mm 1.8 with Sony A7RIV and A7RIVA.
Recently bought a used Irix 45mm f/1.4 and cannot wait to use it in a similar way after watching this. It's kinda heavy, as most Irix lenses, but I imagine the quality will make up for that~
Take home message for me was give things a go. I think we can all become too restricted by supposed rules etc. I dont mind at all if a landscape isn't all in focus, when we look at it ourselves its not. Its the thing I love about photography, we can and should be all different. Loved the old shacks. And omg the sinking feeling you get when your keys aren't in your pocket.....
Crazy that I never though of 85mm as a landscape lens I guess you can if you can stay further back and wanted that compressed picture like one you took of that building such a great shot.
That bird at 3:19 is a cormorant, or a "shag" as I believe they're called in the UK. Once you see them in flight often enough, they're very recognizable.
There's a bird book by Collins publishing that do all species for Europe and their range. Very good and detailed. Never leave the house without it. I've put page markers on the side with the families on it for quick access
Sometimes need to stick to de basics bird, mammal, reptile or plant. Just like photography get the basics good and then the more detailed stuff will come. I really like the way you speak about your photo trip shoots. Keep up and maybe some AirTag or some thing like Tile can help track down lost items.
This lens seems more suited for taking to a forest environment rather than the beach… wide angle and f1.4 should be a big benefit there. Thanks for your videos, always a treat to watch!
If you still have the 85/1.4 you could try some bokeh panoramas (aka Brenizer Method). Basically, it's shooting a multi row panorama of a simple subject, wide open, and the result is an unusually shallow DOF wide angle image. You can create some very unique and interesting images. No tripod required!
I think the bird was a cormorant and I'm wondering how your trousers made you lose your keys? 😁 I love those shots of the shacks! So interesting to look at and also interesting coming up with stories of what purpose they serve!!
Considering Sigma has their mirrorless 85mm f/1.4 (though with _WILD_ pincushion distortion), I half wonder if they'll do their own 24mm f/1.4 for the people that wanted this pairing but for cheaper.
Thats the thing about photography.... there are always lenses that we want to shoot with but can't really justify. Next time see if you can borrow a 400mm F2.8 or if you need to go a little lighter - the 200-600mm. I think that would be an interesting video :)
I’ve got a video Idea about you talking if studying photography in college is actually worth it or if it’s better to learn everything online. I’m studying photography online and I’ve barely done any photography barely learned anything they haven’t even taught the camera basics maybe twice or three times. But one of your videos I’ve learned alot more from it than a whole 6 months in college. It’s really disappointing.
Would this be a stupid pairing for an a6400? It would crop to roughly 36mm equivalent lens but change the aperture to higher F stop right? I could possibly upgrade to FF cam body in future. If anyone replies its much appreciated.
I wonder how many lenses were sold after your last mpb sponsored video. I bought my Canon 10-18 from them and have since recommended them to some people in my photography fb groups. (We ordered from the US branch.) - Elaine
Great video James. That bird looks a lot like a Cormorant. Loved the images in this. How do you prevent the Rode Mic picking up the wind on the coast? I can never get my windshield to stay on properly. Was an enjoyable watch. Thanks for sharing.
@@intrepidscotland8091 We have them flying a lot around the coast in Mid Wales. From the shape of the back end it’s very similar to a shag but it is difficult to tell from such a distance.
Somebody get James a copy of Olsen's Standard Book of British Birds (expurgated version)! Great photos all throughout, especially the dilapidated huts. Your having told broader stories about these subjects from greater distances did not showcase the shallow DOF capabilities as much as close-in detail shots would have. However, catching that sea spray on the rocks at that distance probably benefited from the aperture. Rather than shoot everything wide open you could have followed up with a stopped down version and then made comparisons.
Hey, is that Slide or Slide Lite on the Sony? If Slide how do you find the bigger strap? Just got myself a Batis 135mm to go along with the Batis 40mm, the collection is forming nicely 😁 How are you finding the battery grip? Cheers
I like how you uncannily described my exact thoughts about the first hut photo seconds after showing it to the viewers lol So I checked MPG, they don't have a single S5 :o . Three G90s though! James do you need click-throughs from your links, or is the ad just a "display and share" type? Because by default that clickthrough gets blocked in my browser.
Cormorant. That's what the bird was. Or a Shag. But someone else has already told you. I thought I saw a machine gun in front of one of those huts you were taking photos of. I could be wrong.
Carabineer is your best friends with car keys it have stopped me from losing my keys so many times I hook them on my pants or inside of any bag and it happens sometimes I hook them on my camera too 🤣
