Point and shoot is not testing of a camera if you care control the sky and exposure correctly.

It's still true today. BUT... You can't blame the tool. The responsibility lies with each individual, not to fall into this trap.

Well... You've managed something with this video that no other You Tuber has ever managed before: This is my first ever YT comment because you prompted me to chuck in my two-bobs' worth with your final musings on no longer getting 'satisfaction' from the now sterile process of taking photographs. Multiple decades ago I was a fair-to-middling film photographer (LOVED my Nikon F4). But then, with the emerging dominance of digital photography and what I considered back then to be 'Cheating' post-processing, I stomped off in a snit and I've barely touched a camera over the past 12-15 years... To my immense detriment I now recognise. But I'm back. I have a Sony a7 (11-years old I think), a heap of vintage lenses left over from my F4 and a growing collection of vintage glass from other manufacturers that I use on the Sony with the appropriate adaptors. No auto-focus, no IS/IBIS or any other tech to compensate for dodgy technique or instability and unique lens-quirks that can offer real 'character' to your images. Aperture priority still works though, because while the camera doesn't know what actual aperture is set, it does know how much light it's receiving, so it sets its SS accordingly. And actual photography is FUN again, and so is (dammit) post. Not sure how well the use of vintage lenses will integrate with your professional work, but if you want to start enjoying actual 'Photography' again...

I had a BMW k100RT it was a marvel of engineering - everyone who rode it said it was a marvel but it just didn’t have any character - great bike but nothing memorable no character - that’s like Leica - brilliant expensive perfect engineering but no character

He looks like the push doctor out of Emmerdale. Some same mannerisms too.

For the headphones you use in ears, but I prefer on ears headphones. The one I use are the Tozo openbuds. They are great. When going out I still can hear the surroundings and they are very light and great sound. Give it an try and then love them. 🙂

I'm brutal at deleting images. If it's not good enough to print and put on my wall, it gets deleted. I could see the benefit of keeping photos if I made composites using parts of other photos. But I don't. So, to me, there's no need to keep a poor photo. I'll probably regret it one day.

Long time photographer here. Really enjoy the videos but i can’t disagree more with the file management advice. While it’s good to keep shots about which you’re unsure, keeping everything will just lead to bad organisation and never reviewing. Culling is a skill, like any, that needs to be developed. Especially in this day and age of spray and prey, keeping 800 shots of the tide coming in is ridiculous. Pick and reject flags in Lightroom, auto advance, bulk select all reject, delete. If you’re not sure, don’t flag it at all. Then run a Smart Folder to review once in a while of unflagged shots. Cull your photos people. Otherwise you’ll never get through anything imo. Worried about deleting photos you may not mean to? Learn to use the software better.

James are you falling off?

I recommend using a normal lens to start learning photography. That would be 40, 45, 50, 55mm focal length on a full-frame camera. My zoom lens selection would be a midrange zoom such as a 35-70mm, 28-85mm, or 24-105mm.

Hello James, I like you philosophy's about very practical and useful conditions for photography. Very professional. Thanks for sharing your insights. Bert.

Love the transparency

Now i want cake.

Have you ever had a SD card fail and you lost all your work? I'm having the dilemma of a lifetime right now on which camera to buy. Not sure if I'll regret the Sony 6700 when I start doing client work and personal KZfaq content.

My personal reasons for shooting film: the brilliant look of slide film on the light table, the crisp simplicity of BW film, and the cool mechanical cameras (some built like robust little automatons with fascinating clockwork mechanisms).

KZfaq just popped you into my feed and I couldn’t resist. What a wonderful review of this lens with the added attractions of your beautiful photography and personality. I’ll be back! PS I also use several G lenses and I worry about distortion, but I always shoot wildlife and nature so in the end I don’t really see the distortion.

A multi-tool. A Leatherman or something like it.

In my bag I have one extra lens usually a zoom. A notebook. Pen. Extra battery. Still carry the bellroy camera bag. Is it too big? Maybe. Do I care. Nahhhhh lol

Really good video! Like your edits. Good explanation of supporting elements.

Love your content man! And since we talk "gear" in this vid, do you still use the X-Pro 3?

My greatest memories from travels are from times I put my camera away (for any reason). There's more than life through a lens.

My peak design clip is one of my favorite accessoiries because I get to have my hands free while hiking without the camera dangeling from my hip :)

Thank you for showing that golden hour is not the only valid time to shoot. And in fact, might be the wrong time in some cases! Now if only I could figure out how to create a nice composition when the background is always busy, contrasty Australian scrub no matter which way I turn, I'd be very happy.

Where's your hoodie from James? Love it.

What about a quality watch for keeping track of the time. Is yours a Tudor?

I hope you do a video on Storage. I am always picking brains on how to orginize my images. I also store 99.9% of what I snap. I have a web server in my house and a NAS that I built and both backup to my dad's house nightly with a script I wrote years ago. I accidently erased one of my big (for me big is 5tb :) external drives .. Luckily it had just backed up the night before, so it was pretty good to restore .. I also do not use MS or Apple software (why would I? My degree is in IT Security, I kind of know about those two companies :) ). Great vid, hope the wife doesn't see your dirty shoes (I like to wear Topo hiking boots - great big toe-box, little, tiny price tag, and wonderful heal support for walking along the side's of hills/trails).

Not having a style is a style.

I really miss my electric bike! It was an incredible tool to go further, see more and take more photos. One day I'll get another one.

Yes please do the storage video 🙏🏻🙏🏻🎉

the chance of anyone seeing this are probably quite slim but, if your camera has it, use ISO Bracketing because it doesnt need to take multiple pictures. It only physically takes one image but gives you multiple different exposures as output, so nothing in the scene changes and neither does shutter or aperture. Works amazingly in burst mode, itll just keep taking pictures. just keep in mind the different levels on noise

Trying to find reasons to buy the M11-P, huh? 🤣

I love your style. My closed-minded view of photography has expanded after this video. I personally always liked darker and more balanced photos, but the examples you show prove that art has precedence over science when you want to capture beauty.

Don't want an excuse to put your camera away? This sounds so much like just a statement made to make you seem SO unbelievably committed or hardcore or something Imagine being in an area that's less than safe and now you've got thousands of dollars worth of gear hanging in you for everyone to see in plain sight. Hell, even stopping somewhere to grab a bite to eat, I want my camera in a bag and protected from being knocked around or spilled on. Having space in your bag for your camera isn't an excuse to put it away - it's for responsible gear management/safety

As a photographer, I require 1 popscicle every 15 minutes! Also, as an Oregonian, I require waterproof shoes capable of stepping in 6-inch puddles...

A shower cap, much cheaper and will keep your camera dry in the rain in a shower.

I totally agree. When we talk about ART, the quality of the image is not THAT important. Old photography prove this. For me, the best thing about modern photography is the performance of new cameras, which allow us to capture impossible moments much more easily. Good photography, from phones to modest cameras, just because they are incredible tools, very fast and convenient, we have them with us all the time, and that is a big difference in the yeld of photographic opportunities. Specially for me, as I love capturing points of view, far beyond scenes and landscapes.

Camera manufacturers: 👀

I dont buy them……I download them for free from a secret paradise full of everyone’s presets. ;)

A really thought-provoking video. I have osteoarthritis and ache ...well, all-over really and carry far too much gear...so that is definitely being culled.

I love deleting.

Is the juice worth the squeeze. Like it 😂

You mention the distortion and why the lens is a G rather than G master, I own a 14mm G Master, incredible lens, and I also own a 12-14 G F4, sometimes I need those extra 2mm for interiors but the difference in distortion from a G to a G master is huge... I guess that's why is so expensive.

Loved this video, i think im gonna also buy a bicycle like that and make some content through my area, great vid, great ideas. Love 👍🏻👏🏻😊

Great seeing you two together. Sound advice given. Sometimes (in fact quite a lot of the time), less is more IMO. I’ve found what really helps too is only taking one prime and having to use your brain. If I have a zoom it introduces indecision, and then I get a load of shots, all at different focal lengths, and I get fed up trying to work out which one, if any, are keepers.

Vehicle photos polized Time lapse nd filters Other than that just a camera and mabey a bluethooth remote for self portrait

I agree with the notebook! But I'd also suggest culling most notification and/or turning on DND by default (with the appropriate settings configured if you want to allow certain contacts to get through immediately.)

I love deleting photos! It's part of my process as a digital cleanse!

Emily won't watch this 😆 Great video James, even if she doesn't watch it.

Many say RAW is better....i am sooo confuzzled

Brilliantly simple and simply brilliant!