I love my 35mm f/1.4 lens. At that focal length, it's relatively wide while offering a very wide aperture. The images I create with it remind me a bit of the medium format look.
I like it so much, that I wanted to try other fast, but even wider, lenses. And that's what I did!
I like cameras and lenses like any other photographer, but I know that owning a lot of gear only brings problems and makes my job harder. I have a few requirements that a new piece of equipment has to meet before I buy it, but there's one rule I cannot break no matter what.
The snow and ice are melting really quick, and they are revealing all kind of scenes. I stumbled upon this one during my morning walk yesterday: an American flag that had been underwater for a while.
phone
“real camera”
I knew there was an image there, so I turned on my compact camera and started to look for the right angle. After just a few seconds, it died. "Battery exhausted". I couldn't believe it.
I knew it was about to die when I left home, and made the terrible mistake of not bringing an extra battery. So I did the only thing I could do: I pull out my iPhone 7 and took a shot.
I immediately loved the result and I wanted to capture it again with a better camera. So I went home, grabbed a new battery, and soon enough I was back at the scene. It had taken me half an hour, but it was too late. Everything that made the image work earlier was just not there anymore: the Sun was higher in the sky and the reflections on the water looked bad; also the wind had picked up creating small waves.
It goes to show that camera gear does matter, but nothing will ever beat good timing: being at the right place, at the right moment.
In this video, I invite to come along on my morning walk. I'll show you some of my favorite spots where I've made some of my images.
I've been taking many more images than I usually do lately. It's been so cold that I need to keep moving to stay warm, so I don't have as much time to think about the composition. I shoot every angle that looks interesting, and go through those shots later from a warm home.
Thing is, I delete a lot of pictures. I felt like it was a waste, so I created a few contact sheets that I share with you in this video.
More info about contact sheets:
Following up on this week's newsletter, in this video I discuss loneliness when taking photos. Also, a few images I made on that beautiful snowy day.
Rachel and I visited the Notre Dame campus on a beautiful and snowy morning. I made some images and recorded a POV video.
This is the video of the day trip to Michigan I talked about in last week's newsletter. I went there trying to capture the cold, and there's no better place to do so around here than Lake Michigan.
It breaks my heart to see other photographers fighting their gear. Every second they spend adjusting the camera settings to get the perfect exposure, is a second they are not paying attention.
I'm a huge fan of automatic modes (I use either Program or Aperture). I use autofocus, and I don't even know what I have the custom buttons set up to do.
My camera does a pretty good job most of the time, and when it doesn't, it's easy to correct in post.
This gives me the freedom to focus on what really matters: making the image.
Let your camera do its thing, and focus on doing your part. Spend less time changing the settings, and more time moving around.
There's a light down the road. I pass by it almost every day, and most times I'll snap a picture of two. I've seen it in all conditions: sunny and clear, stormy and rainy, white and snowy. I thought I'd seen all this place had to offer... until a couple of days ago. It felt like I'd just walked into a movie. It didn't look real. It was so beautiful... just perfect.
This is the video of the snowstorm I was talking about a few days ago. I hope I was able to communicate how excited I was of being out there making images, and I hope that encourages you to do the same.
I also got to make a bunch of images, shown at the end of the video.
Beautiful day today. pic.twitter.com/Dd0H1ivSzM
— adrian (@aows) February 5, 2021
We got yet another snowstorm. While the other ones had come overnight, this one happened during the day so I had the chance to go out and photograph it.
It was brief but very intense, a mix of heavy snow and sleet, and some strong winds. You wouldn't be blamed for calling those conditions miserable.
Yet somehow, I loved it and felt sad when it was over. For over an hour, I got soaked, I was cold, my cameras were taking a beating... all of that made me feel so alive.
That's what photography is for me. A tool of discovery, to experience moments that I would otherwise avoid in exchange for some comfort.
With all the snow we're getting here lately, I thought it'd be useful to make a video sharing some of the techniques, tricks, tips... whatever you want to call them, I use when I shoot in the snow.
We got some more snow, so I went for a walk around town trying to make the most of it.
A couple of days ago, I talked about the images that don't exist yet, and how I usually get excited about the images that I'm about to make. I also talked about the snow we were going to get that day, and in this video, you can see the result. You can see the images that didn't exist, that do now.
It's time to wonder about the next ones.
I'm keeping an eye on the weather forecast as I write this. Tonight, we are expecting a snowstorm that is supposed to bring a few inches of fresh snow. That's my hope, at least. I'll be ready to drive somewhere else if I don't wake up to a winter wonderland tomorrow.
It's on days like these, with the anticipation of what's to come, that sometimes I wonder about the images I'll have a chance to create tomorrow. Images of scenes that don't exist yet. Fleeting moments that will present themselves only for a brief moment in time, and that we photographers have the privilege to capture forever.
Isn't photography just great?
For the last 6 months, I've been using nothing else but an iPad as my only computer to do all my photography and video work. The experience has been great so far, but there are some significant downsides you should be aware of, should you try to do the same.
You can't fail when you go out to take some photos. You only fail when you don't.
Someone messaged me recently about their adventures in the fog: they tried once but failed; the second time was a success. I saw the work they created and it is indeed beautiful.
Those images weren't made on the second day, though. By exploring a location first1, we know what to expect and where to go to make the most of the conditions.
Most times, we will come back empty-handed. We need to learn to fail and embrace it as part of the process. If we don't, we'll eventually stop trying.
The key to making good images is perseverance, and realizing that we will fail many times before we can succeed.
1 This is not scouting: scouting implies you are exploring an area for future photoshoots. I prefer to explore with my camera in hand and try to make images right away. It makes it easier for me to see the potential of a location. Always carry a camera with you.
This image is a perfect example of what I talked about in "Images only you can make".
I made it from the balcony, on a beautifully white morning. This scene would have never worked if it wasn't for the snow: there's water, aquatic plants, cement, grass and so many other elements - too busy. But this morning, all of that had been erased by the snow.
There it stood the pier, alone. Something belonging to a very different, remote time. Almost out of place.
You don't have to go to faraway lands to find beauty. Just don't forget to look for it.
Often, I lose track of time when I'm taking photographs. That's usually not a problem, but when temperatures are well below freezing like a couple of days ago, one can face some consequences.
I was so focused on making images that I "forgot" how cold it was. Of course, I was aware of it: the pain in my face was a constant reminder of the hostile environment.
When I grabbed my video camera and tried to talk to it, I could barely move my jaw. A couple of hours outside had numbed the muscles in my face. They were so cold that I almost couldn't talk.
I can't think of any other thing I'd be doing in weather like that, for that long, that isn't photography. In fact, I can't wait to do it again.
I love it.
