Charlie Hamilton James

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.
 
Transcript: "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."

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.
 
Transcript: "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."

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.
 
Transcript: "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."

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.
 
Transcript: "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."

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.
 
Transcript: "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."

Yes, definitely go to school for photography. It's important to understand the technical aspects of photography and have complete control over your camera. Even if you think you know it all now, going to school can still help you learn more and expand your knowledge.
 
Transcript: "Should I go to school for photography? Yes. Yeah, it's great. I mean, I fail spectacularly actual school and then I had a year off and I went too far, my School of Art, and I did a btec national diploma in photography, which is a really low grade. It was two year course and well, we were using dark rooms back then and I, you know, we have to photograph things like that. Out of water glass and I used to hate it. Dripping nuts with which you pour trait. And we learn all these basic techniques which the building blocks of good photography, and most of those technical. But you need that, you need to know all the technical stuff in it, and it's not just knowing it, it's knowing all of it from the basics and the basis upwards understanding your camera absolutely inside out because good photography, Is about a lot of it's about control. You know, I see a lot of people go out of the camera and they've got these numbers on it. They really know what they do. You can't really be a really good photographer unless you are in complete control of your camera. And you know exactly what every setting does and how changing settings and balancing things in your head is going to change the actual visual of the image you'll take. So I would say, yes, absolutely, go to photography School. I spent bitched and moaned my way through it. I was a complete idiot and a rebel, and my teacher just despaired of me and then I walked out and ten years later and still photography. Now, I look back and think, wow, I actually learnt some really important stuff and had I taken it more seriously, and listen more, I would have benefited a lot more."