Please don't be 'THAT' Photographer... 

Who can hear the baby in the background? I couldn't while I was editing... Thanks for watching! There are some places still available for Antarctica 2024!! geni.us/Antarctica2024 👉 Instagram: instagram.com/jamespopsys 👉 Twitter: twitter.com/jamespopsys 👉 Presets, Prints & Books: www.jamespopsys.com/store 👉 Newsletter: www.jamespopsys.com/newsletter 👉My Gear inc 5% off Kase Filters: www.jamespopsys.com/gear

James, I must say I really like the fact that you don’t shy away from showing us your mistakes and scouting trips that didn’t bring the results you were hoping. I know it’s basically a part of your youtube persona at this point, but so many people try to look flawless these days that it’s really important to have reminders that nobody is perfect right out of the gate, you need hard work, determination, the ability to learn from mistakes and the honesty to admit them. Which is very well connecting to the point you made about how gear doesn’t define one’s photographic skills. Huge respect to you, mate. Thank you for the inspiration!

The best thing about photography is that you only keep getting better at it, so you're always approaching your new favorite picture, no matter what gear you've got.

Whenever I find myself thinking "need updated gear" I say to myself "ten years ago when your camera came out, it was the best on the market and taking professional, more than adequate images then, so why not now!"

When I got back into photography, I pulled out my ancient digital DSLR and forced myself to learn how to use it. I told myself, that if I could master it I would upgrade in a year. I would say for me it was a steep learning curve. With all the bad photos, I had to troubleshoot why they were so bad. Out of focus, dark, and so on. This really forced me to learn the fundamentals of using a camera and photography in general. By the end of the year I was consistently taking better photos. I have upgraded to a nicer camera now. Because I wanted to. Sure it does a whole lot more than my previous one, but I don’t think I would be able to take full advantage of it if I hadn’t learned the fundamentals first. In my opinion, good photography requires developing skill and practice. There is really no shortcut.

What photo snappers may not understand is that it takes a great eye to get the best compositions, and that’s what you have. It can take years to develop it. Keep up the wonderful work!

Its a question that does erks me on the whole. "You take good photos because you have a good camera" Well its true to a point, as without great tools (this case camera) that are suited to your needs and requirements. Its going to be slightly more difficult to achieve the shot you want. But it doesn't mean you wont get a great shot with something cheaper and technically "less capable". As you have to take into account the skill of the user and the scenario.

The camera is a tool to take an image. What you point the camera and how you compose the image is up to the photographer. The women in the dressing gown immediately made me ask the questions around suicide. That is the medic in me. Your determination to make a video was admirable. Well done that man.

Hope your cold gets better, I'm recovering from covid at the moment so haven't been able to get out with my camera. Very grateful for content creators like yourself as I have something to keep me occupied.

Good to see you JP! The best eye, the best imagination, the best experience, knowledge and understanding, then perhaps the best gear. With the exception of the latter, they can all be developed with practice IMHO.

"That band makes such great music, they must have amazing guitars and microphones" "That painter makes such great paintings, they must have amazing brushes, colors and canvases" "That photographer makes such great photos, they must have great camera and lenses" Of course the great artists have good instruments, no matter the discipline, but only with photography the success is attributed mostly to those so often.

James, stuff happens and your honesty of some of the issues and mistakes you've faced in the field is refreshing. Many of us have experienced the same. On gear, one good exercise for me is to go back and review my image library going back years and knowing the camera gear I had then was no where near as sophisticated to what I have now, yet many of the images are as good or some even better than what I've captured recently. It's the effort for detail (preplanning, composition, etc.), not just the hardware that makes the difference in "keeper" images.

My spouse always say "Your camera takes good images". And I always respond with "my role in the photo is off course irrelevant?"

Former director of photography now full time photographer (well for the last 22 years). I was hired years ago to be the director of photography at Travel + Leisure. My first week at the job I was reviewing the shoots that were in house already to see what should be published and what should be rejected. This was when nearly everyone was shooting Pentax 67 or Mamiya RZ. One of the stories I reviewed was shot on 35mm and I had a bit of a snob moment thinking "it can't be good because it isn't medium format". Of course, I was wrong. It was a travel feature on Peru. The images were really great and it re-set my thinking about gear and how a good photographer doesn't need the biggest and best to take memorable pics. (Can't remember the photographer's name but his first was Hans). However, the 35mm format was not the friendliest for magazine layouts which is why medium format was so perfect for publishing. The 6x7 frame filled the magazine page very well while the 35mm format was a long format for the page and cropping was usually necessary. (When I began taking pics full time I used RZ and 4X5 for film and Phase One P45+ for digital...now basically R5 but eyeing the Sony systems).

One of the best ways I've heard it put is this: If you think you're equipment is not adequate enough, look at photographs from the D-day landings. They are some of the most impactful, memorable photos, and they were taken with basic film cameras, using 1940's technology, while under fire. It's not the equipment that's the issue. You can take incredible photos with what you have, you just need to work to improve your skills and keep an eye open for those moments or places worth photographing.

I am very known to your channel and so glad i found it for a couple of reasons,s the first being encouragement,I have a £50 Coolpix i bought off my brother and thought for some time i needed to spend 7/800 pounds to get the best results ,and you have shown me that you do not have to spend that amount to get some really good results,so thanks for that ,I will now continue having fun riding my bike around the villages of Newark on Trent having fun, and enjoying what I like so thankyou.

Dear James, thank you for the entertaining video. I use a very expensive GFX camera and sometimes people ask me whether they need something like this and I always say, if your photo ought to look nice, a modern smart is sufficient enough. I use my cameras because I love using them. It’s all about the shooting experience. That’s why I shoot a lot of film as well. I just love using the gear. I barely use my phone. Ultimately I take so much more images. I don’t justify an expensive camera due to its image quality but to the user experience. For that reason I don’t own a Sony. It’s not nice to use 😁

Love this video, James, with its focus on reality and what can really happen on photography missions; it made me laugh! Must try the chili con carne some time! 👍😎

Oh man, hands down funniest and best photographer ahahaha. I think its the accent that makes your jokes just so pure xD

I totally agree James about not needing the best of equipment. I used to wish I had, but I'm not bothered so much now, would be nice but not essential. I have a bridge camera that has many limitations, but I'm working my way around these and I feel I am benefitting. The camera is on manual all the time and I like that feeling of trusting more on myself to keep on improving and getting the best out of my camera. Great photography James.

I do my photography Street and Landscape with a Canon 450D stock 18 - 55mm lens and 90 - 300mm lens.... total price I paid about 160 quid (+ couple of quid as time went on for extra batteries)

I think some of my best photos are taken on a fujifilm Instax sq6 Polaroid!! I find the more fun you have with any set up the better the experience and photos!!

I love the comment you made about people blaming it on the camera. A friend of mine recently looked at my photos on Instagram and he knows I use a Sony A6100 with a very nice lens and he said the only reason mine are better than his is the camera. He uses his iPhone 13 which has a very nice camera. I have an Iphone 11 and I use it all the time for pictures when I don't have my camera on me. I asked which was his favorite. He picked out a very nice picture of my cat. It was one I took with my Iphone. When I told him he didn't believe me. Had to pull out my phone and show him under the data of the picture it says it was taken with my phone. I gave him some youtube channels to check out including this one and his photography has been getting a lot better. It's not the camera its the person behind the camera. Their is a lot of videos on youtube that show that very well. Pro with cheap camera and armature with the best on the market. Such fun videos to watch.

You are correct about camera gear. I was a professional photographer for 30 years (mostly film). It ain't the arrow, it's the Indian! I have seen beautiful photos made from junky old cameras.

Big thumbs up for using a MSR Hubba Hubba tent ! I just had to replace my version after ten years of hard use. I am sure I will get another ten years out of this version. Loved the picture on the lake :]

Big save and much positive energy despite bad conditions and failed use of gear. Keep up the good mood.

Great video!! Subscribed and can’t wait to see more. I have a decent camera (x pro 3) but my favourite picture of all time was taken on Samsung S6 - the best photos make you feel something and that is beyond the technical capabilities of your gear

Glad I found your channel again. So strange I could've sworn I was subscribed. I rang the bell this time. 🤛

counter point to the “with that camera i could’ve taken that picture” i’ve taken some shit pictures with my fuji xpro 3

you should try going to Strumble Head Lighthouse, its a bit further than Llangranog but its worth it, you should also try Tenby and Newport sands (newport sands is in-between llangranog and the lighthouse i mentioned) the sunsets there can be amazing and at Newport sands there are amazing rocks and cliffs surrounding the beach, also there are some colourful houses opposite the beach on the left.

Nice video, thanks! Would you mind sharing a 'what 3 words' or google pin drop to where you were camping by any chance? I do like finding new spots to camp, especially in Snowdonia and that spot looked pretty decent :)

Excellent point about gear and photography. I'm sure A. Adams and I. Cunningham would agree considering the beautiful work they created and the gear they had to work with. - Elaine

I don't share my opinion much, but I am grateful for your videos with real life stories and mistakes that happen to all of us. :)

Haha I know those remarks about equipment....I just relate it to golfers...who play well because they have expensive clubs..

I love watching your videos and trying to figure out exactly where you are in Wales. Not in a "stalker" sort of way, really... I just love the geography of Wales and the beautiful views. Not sure if it helps the algorithm that I'm constantly going back and forth between the video and google maps. :p

I just burst out laughing at the start of Take 2. Wasn’t expecting that. Good man James 😂😂😂😂

Great video! Thanks!

I do hope you checked on the woman in the dressing gown in the rain - she may have dementia (or other medical condition) and be wandering around lost.

I think we all do it sometimes though. We buy some of the latest and greatest while also having less expensive but still great gear. Look at you, for example, talking about not needing "the best" gear while buying mainly high end Sony lenses.

Nice to see you chilling out!

So the only time I keep saying that gear is holding me back is for wildlife photography. Like. Literally, I cannot possibly get anywhere near close enough to the animals without them running away lol. I need a longer lense...

How can a beginner photographer figure out what it is that they should next improve on and what they are doing wrong? I find this challenging. Sometimes I might take a photo that I personally really like (even just with my phone and without technically improving it much) but I have no idea what / how should I have done different to actually make it a good / great photo.

Great video loving your channel what tent are you using

Always enjoyable, James. 👍🇦🇺🦘

I’m still using my Minolta SRT 201 from 1976.

Best line : oh yes..... Don't need light. I got chilli. Couldn't stop laughing. Thank you for another great video.

I make my photographs with gear the internet thinks is crap. And I sell these photographs to people who think they're beautiful enough to pay for them. But yeah, there are countless people who will tell you it's impossible to do good work with the gear I use. Their loss.

Honestly, the only HUGE difference I noticed in switching from a $500 Sony a6300 to a $2500 Sony A7IV was HDR. The ability to recover detail from underexposed areas is sooo much better on full frame. Everything else was very marginal in improvement

James what are the orange things on your camera I’ve seen alot of photographers with them on their camera

Nice & funny video…Just subscribed 👍🏽

I bought a powershot is130 xt for 35 euro and it makes good photos during the day and i cant tell the difference between my dslr and my powershot

Hi, nice video once again! :) Off topic question. When you were in your studio/office, it looked like you had a monitor hooked up to a mac book? If this is right , Do you find you need to have the computer on charge all the time ? And does this seem to have an effect on battery life in the long term? Im hoping to be soon moving on from an elderly pc desktop, so your set up is an option that ive been considering.

I'm actually about to sell my 100-400 lens and get me a 18-200 instead.. Some people think that it's not the wisest decision (to put it mildly), but I rarely ever use more than 200mm, the thing is so heavy as well and having the 100-400 with me means that I also need my other lens (17-55) with me, which means I'm stuck with 2 cameras + lenses in my bag, which is even heavier. And still I'm missing the 55 - 100 then, which I could use.. I will keep the 17-55 for other occasions since it's also a F2.8 lens, but I wouldn't need to carry it with me all the time then. Now I either take both cameras out to have both lenses with me and carry the heavy weigth, or not take a camera at all because I don't feel like carrying it and not sure which one of the two I could leave home.. Do you think it makes sense for me to sell the 100-400 and get me a 18-200? or do you also feel like it's not too smart of me to do so?

Are you not a Panasonic Lumix ambassador anymore? I noticed you held up a Sony A7IV or something

Someone needs to get a Tiny Pump sleeping pad inflator (YT won't let me add the amazon link) - saves a lot of huffing and puffing.

Podcast of choice? 😊

Yeah I got a rebel t7 so pretty sure me blaming my camera is valid😂😂

@1:42 cue the eye of the storm 😂😅

Honestly, I spend some time looking at all the photos you show in your videos wondering how the hell you made it look so good. Not so much of the "it must be easy with professional equipment" thoughts.

If only I had the gear I already have I could be a better photographer.😎

Strange question here, what are the beige pants you are wearing 😅?

Recently I decided to buy the cheapest and oldest camera I could find with the goal of laughing at how bad it was. What actually happened was I got some really nice photos even when subjecting it to some modestly challenging situations. I printed some from a trip I took with it and put them side by side with photos my friend got on an a7iii, couldn't tell which was which. Now to be fair using the camera is a nightmare, but the images are really quite good. So the moral of the story is that it took me buying more camera gear to realise that camera gear doesn't matter 😆

Would love to see the baby and Emily every once and a while...

Me watching this video: “Yeah, you’re right! I’ve got an 80D and an assortment of glass-maybe I should just work on honing my composition to get better” Me in two hours: “If I don’t buy this R5 and $10k worth of lenses I’ll never be a real photographer”

I hate it when someone opens with a compliment about my work, then follow it with, "You must have a really nice camera."... 😑... Right. The 2 decades of passion, and countless hours of training, weeks of showing up at the same spot at odd hours trying for the right weather while getting eaten by mosquitoes? That's nothing. My entry level camera must be the culprit.

You gotta love that cut from hopeful "A couple days later, I went out for another go" straight into wind and rain on the camera. Thought I was watching a photography video, got a perfectly timed comedic documentary. This is why I subscribe to you, James. This is why.

Those who started with film cameras had the opportunity to learn by fighting their equipment to get good images. The Coronet Ambassador, Zeiss Ikon Nettar (6x9cm negs), Pentax S1a, Canon AE1, Olympus OM1, Lubitel 2 were all basically manual, aperture, focus and shutter speed and your mistakes were very expensive. The embarrassing bit is that some of the images I got back in the day are better than many I have done to-day (where a direct comparison makes sense). Where the mistakes are costly you review your methods very carefully to learn from your mistakes which is missing with present day, effectively no cost, digital imaging.

Always amuses me James how photographers profess that it's "not about the gear" then justify their purchase of a 61 megapixel camera. Great vlog as always James. Hope you feel better soon.

Take 2 made me laugh out loud. Refreshing honesty as always - it’s nice to see that even the pros have numerous less than expectation outings!

From experience, when somebody says, "I could have taken that..", or "it's not that special, they were at the right place at the right time, nothing more" it's usually a sign of jealousy. I've seen those comments and even gotten similar myself, what they often want to say is "damn, I wish I had taken that" and the reality is that for most serious photographers, be they passionate amateurs or actual pros, it's not just luck. They had to spend a lot of time planning, working on their skills and ultimately going out and not getting the results they wanted hundreds of times before it finally all pays off, and makes all the other "failures" worth it. I've actually been asked a couple of times if a certain shot I took was photoshopped, or somebody just assumed I did an image composite because they thought there was no way it could be that "perfect". It was a shot of a lightning strike between two supports of a tall bridge in the middle of the night. For every shot like that I've taken, there's countless others that didn't pan out. But if I don't put myself in the position where the successful shots are even possible, then I wouldn't get any of my best shots. That's just how it is.

Photography IS easy at some point (auto mode ain't no slouch, I hear) but it seems to me that the whole challenge is just being in the right place at the right time with a camera in your hands. Gorgeous location you've got there and I very much enjoyed the picture of the bay in the storm.

I love the “I could have photographed/painted/written/composed that” line of critique. It’s like, yeah…but you didn’t.

I was very tempted to buy higher end stuff. In the end, when i had nearly bid on an ebay auction i asked myself the question: "what am i actually gonna use it for?" In the end i bought a M4/3 camera because i can actually take it with me everyday and use it on a detour on my way back home.

As someone who takes aviation photos with a DSLR ,I can say that you don't need the best equipment to get good photos.

I have been that woman in the ‘dressing gown’ hastily making my way back to the car after a a wild swim ☺️

“I’m gonna go to the mountains….. NOW” 😂😂😂😂

Thanks for persevering at least James! Lots would've just given up on a video at the point of 2 failed videos :)

Perfect timing watching this on Black Friday with cyber Monday looming. Not…buying…new…gear…must…just…take…photos…😂

After watching your video I realized how much I was overthinking about technical stuff and "regretting" picking EOS 90D instead of EOS 6D Mark II or used 5D Mark IV. Lesson learned: Your camera was the best on the market when it got released and everything new comes within few months so just sit back and keep photographing instead of complaining.

Some of my best photos were taken with my cell phone because that was the camera I had with me. Gear has its place, but you're right, skill trumps gear.

I think the pic on the right is from the Sony camera. The sky is bluer, with better highlights and better contrast overall. Or my imagination has run amuck yet again.

James, are you cold soaking your dinner on these trips? Could be time to invest in a Trangia spirit burner and go next level

What you said about people robbing themselves of the chance to get better, is what I often think when someone mentions talent as a reason why someone else is better at painting, cooking, etc. The gear and the natural inclination might make it easier, but they still won‘t take you up that mountain three times.

FYI in psychology it's called an attribution error

James: constantly buying new cameras. Also James: Why you don't need the newest camera.

I used to think that way about cameras. But I realized there's plenty of images that I like that have been taken on phones or terrible film cameras. I use an a6000 and I think it's a great beginner camera. I've been on it for two years, and sometimes I'd like to upgrade, bigger sensor, better resolution, etc but I haven't really hit a wall yet and I still learn every time I go out.

I’m a beginner and I recently switched, from Canon 70d to Sony a6000. The reason was weight. It’s not that I switched to newest full frame because reasons. I felt that I’m not comfortable with so heavy setup. So there are legit reasons to “blame” the gear, and I argue i make better photos now, but just because I’m out shooting so much more often Cheers, love your videos and photos 🙌

I tend to agree with the fact that the medium doesn’t make the artist, but I have to say that since I buy my X-E4 with a 27mm pancake my photography and the joy of taking pictures has increased ten folds. I used to take nice pictures with ny IPhone and I still think is a very valid tool for filmography, but having a fast, reliable camera with a good lens on hand makes you better at improving your craft l. I don’t think it makes sense to me to buy something super expensive but I will surely buy a similar camera just to have second lens attached. I did that in Antarctica with my old Canon which worked well but I lost many good pictures because of its lower speed. Cool video as usual!

I agree. Right now I'm taking what I think to be pretty good photos on the canon 400d. You can buy it used right now for $50 and I LOVE IT! I will upgrade sometime but not until I'm happy with how Im doing

Good points. 🎯 Nice locations. Better luck next time. 🍀 👍🥂

I used to shoot landscapes on a Canon crop sensor with a few mid-level Canon lenses. I'm now on a Nikon Z7 with close to 10k in lenses. There is a big difference in sharpness when printing very large. There is also a lot of quality of life improvements, not having to bracket as much the most noteworthy. But image quality when sharing online? Almost no difference. It's the photographer, not the gear.

I count myself lucky. I started on a Nikon D3300 with a kit lens, and I just kept taking photos. I wanted to, I wanted to just.. take them. Later on in College I got a little more about the gear, but I certainly didn't have the money to go buy any new cameras, so I just used the college ones when I could, and kept running with that camera longer and longer. I kept going forward too, using some of the best stuff, getting involved with film. I used everything from a T3i to a Red Helium, shooting with the best and the worst. After all of that time I finally settled in I suppose. My trusted D3300, with thousands and thousands of photos taken.. was still what I was rocking. But my photo competency had only ever increased, and got better and better. The point I am making is that I got better and my photos drastically improved because of it, so the camera never BECAME outdated, my skills kept up to date and the camera was more than adequate. My camera never became outdated, because I didn't become outdated. If you follow what I mean. I recently bought a Fuji XS-10 - Replacing my camera, not because I really needed something "better" though the features are awesome. I wanted a new tool, something fun for me and something to work with more in the future. I got a wonderful artistry tool out of my Fuji, it's not top of the line and it doesn't need to be. Because the goal is for my skills to be top of the line, not the gear I use. Nothing is holding me back anyways. I was lucky though, I got into photography at a time where I couldn't get swept into the gear hype train, I couldn't afford it, get pulled into the idea that I do need to have something better to take better photos. I just kept trying to take better photos with what I had.

Thanks again, James - it’s the train wrecks that teach us most, and your philosophical approach is inspirational. I’m losing count of the expeditions I’ve undertaken for the perfect shot which crashed and burned, or failed to rise to my inflated expectations, but the sheer joy of the one in a thousand shot (just around this corner) is priceless…

I Laughed So Hard James Because You Are 100% Right About Certain People Always Blaming The Gear And Not Themselves On Poor Photography, I've Taken A Shot And Asked That Certain Trash Talker To Take The Same Shot And OMG Theirs Looks Like A Rubbish Bin That Has Not Been Washed In Years lol ... Nice Video And Info James..

I have an old Soviet Industar 61 that I am trying to mount to my Olympus OM-D-E-10 Mark iV. I bought a good adapter L39 to Micro 4/3. The problem is that when I attach the lens to my camera, it mounts upside down!! Would you know what I should do to fix this??

Friendly advice from someone who just got a camera that takes UHS-2 cards Unless you do sports or Birds in flight, there is no need for those Lexmark cards, they are way too expensive I have a Transcend 700S V90 card for RAW files. Still plenty fast for smaller series of images and less than half the price (64GB at 40€ instead of 90€) And then there is a Lexar 1667x in the UHS1 slot for my JPG’s. It’s a UHS2 that’s barely faster than UHS1 max speed… 128GB about 35€

Thank you james for another great video and nope could not hear the baby in the background ,,😋

Hi James. Great video. I am a hobbyist fighting the GAS. Looking for a good system (micro 4/3 or apsc) for nature, birds and landscape. Is there one you’d recommend. Currently have a Fuji which is great for landscape but doesn’t track birds well. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Patiences is my biggest problem with my photography! I have a very nice 14+ y.o. Nikon D300 which is dying a slow death with a bad sensor?? it no longer produces a photo with an exposure = to the settings, but no problem just bought another 10 y.o. D7000 to hone my skills. But in constant search for good lenses. A video idea??? Thanks for the video's keep showing the successes and fails - give us hope!

You find an out of focus woman in a robe in the middle of the forest, you RUN...that's some spooky shit