Photography

What’s the biggest mistake a new photographer makes?

Photography's Biggest Mistake: The Controversial Lens Choice

OK. What's the biggest mistake a new photographer make? Well, that's easy, isn't it? Be very controversial here. It's really simple to me. Buying a 70 to 200 mil lens. That's it. I don't think anything good happens in that range. Maybe a 85, but beyond that, [CHUCKLES].. But I'm an editorial photographer, you see. So I don't-- I basically shoot everything between 28 and 35. So I can't speak for other photographers. But I did buy a 70 to 200 mil lens once and I have almost never used it. I really should sell it on eBay.

The biggest mistake a new photographer can make is buying a 70 to 200 mil lens, as it's rarely used and doesn't offer much benefit.

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The biggest mistake a new photographer can make, in my opinion, is buying a 70 to 200mm lens. Personally, I don't think anything good happens in that range. As an editorial photographer, I primarily shoot with lenses between 28 and 35mm. While I can't speak for other photographers, I can share that I bought a 70 to 200mm lens once and hardly ever used it. I should probably sell it on eBay.

Can you show one of your favorite shots and explain why you chose it?

Photographer's Quest for Visual Perfection: A Favorite Shot Revealed

Okay, so one of my favorite. Alright so my favorite shot is not a say. No one else is favorite shot. But it's my favorite show. I'm insanely self-critical. I like some of my shots by dislike most of my shots. But there's one shot that to me is as close to Perfection as either becoming not to everyone else just to me because I'm I think all photographers. Well, I can't say that personally, I have been on a journey. My whole life about trying to find Visual Perfection as far as I see, what visual perfectionist, which completely subjective. But I've been on that Journey with myself to try and find the perfect image and this image. I'm bad shit to me. It's the perfect image but it's I don't think ever been anyone else is favorite movie of mine and I'll show you. I took it in Venice Beach in LA and it was just, it wasn't set up. I was just standing out like a 9 of me with a 35-mile Prime on it, and I just turned around and saw this guy and I think, I took two pictures and to me, I just, it's just, it's just perfect. As far as like that shape, the form fact that his hair matches the palm trees, the tones of the Concrete. I just love it. I could look at it all day, so yeah, that's my sad little world for you and my favorite little image in it.

My favorite shot is an image I took in Venice Beach in LA that I feel captures visual perfection for me. It was taken with a 35mm prime lens and features a man with his hair matching the palm trees, and the tones of the concrete.

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Sure, I can show you one of my favorite shots and explain why I chose it. However, I must clarify that my favorite shot may not be everyone else's favorite. As a photographer, I tend to be highly self-critical and often dislike most of my shots. But there is one particular shot that, to me, comes close to perfection, at least in my own subjective view of visual perfection.

I have always been on a personal journey to find that perfect image, and this shot represents that pursuit for me. It may not resonate with others in the same way. Let me show you the image.

I captured this shot in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. It was an unplanned moment, and I was simply standing there with a 35mm prime lens. I turned around and saw this person, and I quickly took two pictures. To me, this image is just perfect. The shape, the form, the way his hair matches the palm trees, and the tones of the concrete all come together in a way that I find captivating. I could stare at it all day.

So, that's my personal little world and my favorite image within it.

Do you use both auto and manual focus? How do you decide?

Mastering Auto and Manual Focus: A Photographer's Insight

Do you suppose auto manufacturers, how do you decide actually a very rarely use? Manual focus these days. I tend to use auto focus and I tend to use it in different ways for different subjects. I have a very wide spectrum by shoot. So if I'm shooting cheaters, chasing, wildebeest on 100 Mil lens and I'm definitely on autofocus. If I'm shooting portraits, doc, you know, documentary scenes and insane, but I'm changing In the way I'll use it. So instead of having it kind of wide overall Focus area, I'll choose a spot area, find eyes to focus on things like that. The only time I really use manual focus is when I've got lots of things. Obscuring, the subject or I do a lot of camera trapping and remote Wildlife photography and I will use it for that.

Auto focus is used more often than manual focus by photographers as it is considered more efficient and accurate. It can be adjusted to different shooting areas, such as using spot area when taking portraits or documentary scenes. Manual focus is only used in certain situations where there is a lot of obscuring the subject or in camera trapping.

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I rarely use manual focus these days and tend to rely on autofocus for most of my photography. However, I adapt my autofocus approach based on the subject I'm shooting. For example, when capturing fast-moving wildlife like cheetahs chasing wildebeest with a 100mm lens, I rely on autofocus. But for portraits or documentary scenes, I make adjustments to how I use autofocus. Instead of a wide overall focus area, I choose a specific spot to focus on, such as the eyes.

The only time I find myself using manual focus is when there are many obstructions obscuring the subject or when I engage in camera trapping and remote wildlife photography. In those situations, manual focus proves to be more effective.

Capture stunning shots with my go-to camera settings

Okay, what are your favorite camera settings? Well, okay. So my camera is almost always set to AV Motes aperture priority. I'll use an ISO. Anything up to 1600 for just normal shooting. I kind of usually leave it around 6:40 aperture wise. I don't completely varies on what I'm doing fine doing portraits on use Phi F of 1. Point 2 2, f 2. If I'm doing standard scenes, I'm going to use like, f/8 to f/11. I like lots of things in focus on, you know, just Landscapes and normal scenes. It's only use F12 on portrayed, a shoe, everything Raw, And that's about it but aperture priority, where? Oh, and I have the so if I'm shooting aperture priority, my standard will be to have the exposure. Sorry, I can't the exposure compensation, probably. Two-thirds of the stop. Underexposed, I find the cameras are much better at dealing with shadows and they are blown out highlights. So I kind of use that as my standard.

My camera is usually set to AV Motes aperture priority, with an ISO up to 1600. Depending on the type of shooting I'm doing, I'll adjust the aperture - f/1.2-2 for portraits and f/8-11 for standard scenes and landscapes. I shoot raw and have the exposure compensation set two-thirds of a stop underexposed.

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Regarding my favorite camera settings, I typically shoot in aperture priority mode (AV mode). For normal shooting, I keep my ISO up to 1600. My preferred aperture setting is usually around f/6.3, but it can vary depending on the situation. For portraits, I might use wider apertures like f/1.2 or f/2 to achieve a shallow depth of field. For standard scenes and landscapes, I prefer narrower apertures like f/8 to f/11 to ensure more elements are in focus.

I shoot everything in RAW format, as it provides more flexibility in post-processing. Additionally, when shooting in aperture priority mode, I often set the exposure compensation to underexpose by about two-thirds of a stop. I find that cameras handle shadows better than blown-out highlights, so this has become my standard practice.

In summary, my favorite camera settings involve shooting in aperture priority mode, adjusting the ISO as needed, selecting appropriate apertures for the desired depth of field, shooting in RAW, and using slight underexposure through exposure compensation.

What do you do with your spare time while waiting for animals to do something interesting?

Waiting for Animals: Phone Crap, Coffee, and Obsessive TV Binges

Okay, what do you do with your spare time while waiting for animals to do something interesting? I kind of do what everyone does. I think I just look at crap on my phone. Certainly if I'm in the UK or the us if I'm in Africa. Where there's no 4G in some of the sort of remote places. I make sure I downloaded loads of seasons of things onto my iPad. If I watching laughs tie Game of Thrones peaky, blinders by will be part of that. Eastbound & Down. Just loads of stuff really, but I do like I am obsessive about watching crap on my client. The thing is with lions, which I just done a lot of lines in the last few years, they just sleep all day that even nothing. So you just dying in the car and just drinking endless cups of coffee. I do that, as well as an endless cups of coffee and I eat because I eat when I'm bored and I annoy people and I send text messages annoying people All all over the place. So, yeah, it's kind of just that ready.

I usually spend my spare time while waiting for animals to do something interesting by watching shows on my iPad and drinking endless cups of coffee. I also eat a lot and annoy people with text messages.

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While waiting for animals to do something interesting, I typically engage in activities that many people do. I often find myself looking at things on my phone, like most people. If I'm in an area with no 4G, such as remote places in Africa, I make sure to download seasons of TV shows onto my iPad. I enjoy watching shows like Game of Thrones, Peaky Blinders, and Eastbound & Down. I can get quite obsessive about watching content on my device.

When observing lions, which I have done extensively in recent years, they tend to sleep all day, providing little excitement. So, I spend my time in the car, drinking endless cups of coffee, eating when I'm bored, and sending text messages to annoy people. It's a way to pass the time while waiting for something interesting to happen.

What’s the most important thing to account for about composition while taking a photograph?

Mastering Composition: Balance is Key in Captivating Photos

Okay question. What's the most important thing to account for about composition while taking a photograph? It's a really hard one actually. I would say that just the overall balance of the frame, you can apply the third rules which are the kind of standard rules for composition but ultimately it comes down to how your subject balances the frame and balance can be affected by geometry by density of color by shadows and highlights. So there's lots of things. So often are squint. I know it's a kind of standard old sort of cliche that you squint but I see if you squint you get Rid of all the detail and blur out the frame basically. So you're looking at the balance because it's broken down so much by your eyes squinting. You can see everything in less detail, but with more understanding of, how have sort of balance of form color density. Affects the whole overall frame. So, yeah, that will be. Yeah. I think my advice.

The most important thing to account for when taking a photograph is the overall balance of the frame. To achieve this, you can use the thirds rule or squint at the frame to reduce detail and blur out the frame so that you can better understand the balance of form, color, and density.

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The most important thing to consider about composition while taking a photograph is the overall balance of the frame. While you can apply standard rules like the rule of thirds, it ultimately comes down to how your subject balances the frame. Balance can be influenced by factors such as geometry, color density, shadows, and highlights. One technique is to squint your eyes, which blurs out the details and allows you to focus on the balance of form, color, and density in the frame. By squinting, you can gain a better understanding of how these elements affect the overall composition. So, my advice would be to prioritize achieving a balanced composition in your photographs.

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Charlie Hamilton James is a National Geographic Magazine photographer specializing in issues concerning conservation, natural history, and anthropology. At 16, he worked on David Attenborough's “The Trials of Life”, and has since been commissioned by National Geographic, the BBC's Spring/Autumnwatch, and The Natural World. In 2001, he set up Halcyon Media to focus on wildlife production, and in 2007 produced “An Otter in the Family”. He also made “Halcyon River Diaries”, and “I Bought a Rainforest” in 2014. He moved to Wyoming in 2015 with his three sons. He was named Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 1991/2 and nominated in three categories for Wildlife Cameraman of the Year in 2007.