Advanced Photography Tips, Tricks & Secrets

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Thanks for watching! Here's two of my other favorite tricks/secrets that didn't make the video: 1. On whatever camera you use, modify the file name to something unique rather than the default "IMG_1234" structure. For example, I either name mine after the camera (like "NZ6_1234" for the Nikon Z6) or after a generic word like "SKY_1234" or my last name "COX_1234." That way, it's immediately apparent which photos on my hard drive are mine, and which camera they're from, with a lower chance of ever duplicating file names. 2. When you're shooting the Milky Way, it can be annoying to wait 20-30 seconds to see your photo each time when you're trying to figure out your composition. Personally, I set my camera to ultra-high ISO values like 51,200 and very short exposures like 1 or 2 seconds. These photos have horrendous image quality, but they make it literally 10x quicker to try out different compositions. Once I find the composition I like, I switch back to my usual camera settings of 20-30 seconds at a more reasonable ISO. If you have any tricks of your own, let us know below!

[@ashutosh4276]

Suggest me camera phone for photography under 255 dollar

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

@Atticus Parzival - Sorry, I really don’t test phones or have enough knowledge to give you a good recommendation there. Some dedicated phone review sites would be a more helpful place to look.

[@ashutosh4276]

I am honoured by your suggestion . Really appreciate that

[@ralphnetta4563]

Great idea! Why didn’t I think of that? Well;now I know why I keep you around - LOL

[@ralphnetta4563]

You just never stir delivering. R

[@davidarthur99]

Spencer, these are very useful tips. Thanks for sharing. BTW, you are an EXCELLENT teacher of photography.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

David, thank you for saying so! And glad these tips could be useful.

[@agarwalsonika7]

Very useful tips. I usually shoot 3-4 videos, and used to get pretty confused. Now I click a blank picture between my takes, and it solves my problem.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

That’s awesome! Glad to hear the tip could be useful for more than just panoramas.

[@f1remandg]

Excellent! Truly Excellent, probably one of the best ten mins I’ve ever spent, in relation to photography that is! DG U.K. New Forest

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Wow, thanks! Glad to hear it.

[@Naomi-Palmer]

Well done and very informative! Love the subtle humor as well. I'm glad I no longer have to use my tripod to remove people from a scene.

[@noahliebelt2183]

I just stumbled onto your videos today by accident.. I'm loving all of your tips and tricks. Learning heaps! Thank you! (From Australia)

[@johnupper5225]

Lots of good tricks; I particularly like the two where you use your hands to preview the lens size or the light. I was trying to imagine using Tip #5 for macro or portrait, and it won't work. This tip is (as you say) for landscape photos, but not for anything else.

[@livedeliciously]

OMG. That bookending tip is life changing. Thank you!

[@sigsegv111]

Hello Spencer .. thanks for your video, I like it ... I dare to say that you've forgot for the very most important trick that needs to mentioned .. maybe you could make another video revolving about that matter ... in my humble opinion, the very most important trick is to have a `strong workflow', yes, the strong workflow for everything .. workflow that is trained and settled by intentional practising .. workflow, that covers everything, starting with every move you do while changing your lens, going through fixed order and steps you do while adjusting the camera for the scenery that you're about to shoot and ending with how you lay down your backpack and organize yourself and your gear on the shooting site .. there's nothing worse than to lose your perfect moment because your chaotic activity to set up scene takes 5 minutes instead of 2 and in the process you put your lens in danger anyway, because you don't have the time to put on a back and front caps because you're in hurry and don't know what to do afore

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Absolutely! I think the in-field workflow you're describing demands its own video. You're absolutely right about how important it is. It's the type of thing worth learning how to do blindfolded.

[@scopace314]

Great video, thanks for the tips. Regarding #10 on crowds, you mentioned using the Average (aka Mean) function in Photoshop. I might suggest using the Median function instead. This gives the most common pixel value, rather than the average of them. Like if you have a black background and white objects moving, averaging will always make any spot they are in some shade of grey. Median will make it black. It eliminates any blur or loss of clarity associated with averaging/long exposure, and you don't need to take as many pictures either (4 or 5 usually suffice, but occasionally more are needed). Give it a try sometime. Thanks again!

[@kingvideo-]

Hello, I really like your teaching ability and speaking voice, you are very well organized in presentation. I would really like to see a video on tips and techniques of taking street photography of people. I think that is fascinating and fun but whenever I try my hand at street photography, I really struggle with settings that consistently give me good focus of the people I photograph. Also, I am way to slow fiddling with settings when the person or people may get impatient. Just something I would like to see you teach about.. You do a great job in your training videos.😃

[@grephusingati7807]

I like this dude he simplifies every detail for any photographer...

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Thank you, Grephus! That's the goal.

[@ralphnetta4563]

Been waiting a while for you to put out something - AND YOU DIDN’t Disappoint and I never fail to learn something that makes me think 🤔 . Please don’t let us wait so long next time ... LOL

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Thanks, Ralph! Ran into some issues filming this one, hence the delay, but my plan is still to publish one video per week whenever possible. Glad to hear that you’re looking forward to them!

[@ralucatamas141]

Thank you . I am a beginner and I find very helpful all your classes , tutorial and video

[@michellewesson4409]

SO happy I found this channel. Your teaching methods and tips are spot on for me. 💯

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Excellent! Thanks for saying so and glad you’ve enjoyed the videos.

[@laurelb8372]

Very clear and good examples, thank you

[@adampapworth]

Great video, really enjoyed your presentation. Thankyou.

[@samkong2804]

I'm new to photography and found these tips really helpful. Thank you.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Great to hear, thanks!

[@vikassaraf3122]

Bro u are awesome!! Glad I am spending a lot of time on ur website!!

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

I really appreciate that!

[@imtiazindia]

By far the most underrated KZbin channel on photography. Spenser you are absolutely brilliant. Every trick you mentioned is truly helpful. I love your hands man. They are pure artists hands, I don't know if anyone has ever mentioned this to you. You are naturally gifted and extremely talented. May your tribe grow, boy.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Very kind of you, thanks!

[@Smillii]

Back button focusing is something I've been using pretty much ever since I got my D3200 like 3 years ago. I mainly shoot landscapes and I sometimes need to bracket the shots for better dynamic range. Having the AF off the shutter button made the whole process much faster.

[@shasharlene]

All of these tips will be very helpful esp. To beginners like me. thank you for sharing your talents & tips master!

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Awesome! Happy to hear you found them useful. Here’s hoping they help out during your next photoshoot.

[@shasharlene]

@@PhotographyLifeChannel they will. Imma use this tips!

[@rogerhampton2844]

I'm relatively new to photography but I've watched literally hundreds of videos and read shed loads of articles. I'd got to the stage where I didn't feel I was learning anything new, until this evening when I found one of your videos. Since then I've watched 5 or 6 more and feel like there has been a real sudden leap in my photography knowledge. I can't wait to try out some of your tips and techniques. Thank you. Subscribed!

[@yvonnenystrom]

Excellent tips!!!!!!

[@douglasquick3956]

Excellent Tips Spencer. I have reviewed a number of your videos and am blown away by your knowledge and your skill at presenting that makes it all so easy to understand. Thanks so much !

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Thank you! Very kind of you to say. My biggest goal is to make these topics easy to understand!

[@joshuadefibaugh3634]

For your angle of view, download the Artist’s Viewfinder Mark II. It’s a simple app for iPhone (and android too, I would assume) that lets you load your camera and lens and shows your field of view. I have a 24-70 range set up so I know how different focal lengths will look.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Right on, that’s a great suggestion!

[@ketanmdoshi]

Most crisp and useful tips ever seen..wonderful

[@arnej.mortensen3114]

Excellent teacher!. To the point, structured, simpel... Very good!

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@avinbarana3015]

Excellent tips. Thanks

[@robertgiguere875]

Love your videos!!!

[@digitaltechvs]

Great channel,great video,thanks for share.

[@ushren]

Hey man, you're one of the most creative photographers on KZbin. Come back dude.

[@wingincamera]

Concerning "Bookending" for pano's, I do the same thing, only I use either an open hand or point my finger in a direction to start the series. Then a closed fist to stop the series. I do the same thing for focus stacking a series of photos.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Nice, I like that variation! Thanks for adding this. And agreed, it’s not just for panoramas, but also for focus stacking, HDRs, averaging, etc.

[@ebrahimsheriff9537]

Thank you! Terrific video.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Much appreciated!

[@csc-photo]

Great tips, thanks! I'm interested in more details on astrophotography / capturing great Milky Way shots. Mainly setup tips (noise reduction settings needed, if any - max exposure times before stars blur - etc.). I just found out I live fairly close to a very low light pollution state park, so astrophotography is definitely in my future. :)

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Thanks for the idea! I’d really like to do a Milky Way video soon, agreed.

[@dafyddthomas7299]

Excellent video

[@EricRoseBahamas]

Very useful, Spencer, as usual. All the Best from The Bahamas 😎

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Cheers, Eric! Glad you liked it!

[@clairecarswell5876]

Found this video very useful thank you!

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Happy to hear it, thank you!

[@stevebanks484]

Hi Spencer - just discovered and watched a few of your videos. As a keen amateur (mainly wildlife and landscape) I have been looking for something that provides me with a little more advanced technique and approach to my photography and your channel really explains many aspects and techniques simply and really well for my skill level. Thanks and I will continue watching. 👍

[@echoauxgen]

All good Advise!! Not shown but good info, everyone is trying to capture the comet use a pair of night vision binoculars, they are a new thing. As it gets fainter and further you will need help finding. Also it sometimes happens something gets in a eye (bug or dust) always carry a small mirror and a bottle of water!

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Cool, I didn’t know about the night vision binoculars idea! Bet you could even capture it with a phone at that point, especially if the binoculars are on a tripod (I’ve seen some great phone pictures of it through a telescope already).

[@scrptwic]

My main trick is to leave the camera settings always the same when I turn it off . I leave it in Apature Priority F-11 and change from there .

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Good one! Thanks for adding. It reminds me of the “custom settings mode” on some cameras (like U1 or C1) to save default settings for various types of photography. Not all cameras have it, but if yours does, you can save a full snapshot of your settings to recall them immediately. Could do C1 portraits, C2 for landscapes, and C3 for sports. Saves a lot of time later.

[@amandajones661]

I love this video.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Awesome! Happy to hear it.

[@cowpony11]

Great stuff. Learned some new things. Back button focus really is the way to go

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

It definitely is, back button focusing rocks. Glad you enjoyed the video and picked up some new tricks!

[@leninmoreno4020]

Great tips, thanks. I learned a new thing or two 😀

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Awesome, glad to hear it!

[@VITYAb-SHWED]

Thanks!!!

[@NataliaSkorokhod]

Great video as always, and it's nice to see some tips which are not often mentioned. Also, love the humour, as usual :)

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Thanks, Natalia! Glad you enjoyed the humor. It’s how I keep myself entertained while making these.

[@hugozeelie3438]

New to the channel, but very happy to have found it! Very informative and your style keeps me 100% engaged 👊

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Right on! Glad to hear it!

[@steveking6204]

Excellent video. So helpful. Thanks!

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Sure thing! Happy you liked it.

[@opalyankaBG]

If using a mirrorless camera, simply pick a B&W shooting mode and enjoy the world in B&W. No need to wonder how the photo will look after converting it :)

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Exactly, it’s awesome!

[@donhuff3795]

Thank you, some very good tips/tricks.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Glad you liked them! Thanks for the feedback.

[@ObservingBeauty]

Great experience sharing !!

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Much appreciated!

[@tshuvahavodah237]

Awesome

[@vishypai7554]

Your 1st Tip on Angle of view is interesting. It would be great if you could make an exclusive video on this trick with real life illustrations for different focal lengths. Thank you.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Thanks Vishy! Glad you liked that trick. It would be difficult to do a separate video on it for the main reason that any examples I give won’t be universal. Because it depends on the length of your arm, hand, and fingers - not to mention what sensor size your camera has - this trick just varies too much from person to person. It’s pretty easy to figure it out with your own gear, though. I do like the idea of making a separate video if it were possible, but just being straightforward, I don’t think I can make one that is general enough to be helpful.

[@vishypai7554]

@@PhotographyLifeChannel I see what you mean. It is an original and extremely useful and practical technique during visualisation process, and all without pulling out and attaching lenses. Will try it next time I am out shooting. Thanks again for sharing.

[@ThePurpleHarpoon]

I have a rather good way of dealing with framing a scene. If I want a wide view I attach my 18-70mm lens, if I want less in the frame than the 18-70mm can give me, I attach a 70-200mm lens. Most people don't pack more than 2 or 3 lenses, so the choice is quite a simple one.

[@richardeveritt3683]

Thanks 4 UR Tips Secret Trick Very Clear Easy Understand Asperger Easy Read very Plan English Thanks So Helpful use Your tricks That Just Grand Thanks Very Useful Sincerely MR.R. D.EVERITT

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

I’m glad they could be useful!

[@john-tka2369]

If ones lenses have a focus-hold button, (as my Sony & Olympus lenses do) then there's another "best of both worlds" approach to back-button focusing; you can leave auto-focus assigned to the shutter button for general convenience - but then override it, as required, simply by holding the button on the lens. This approach is also do-able by using one of the camera buttons with "AF-ON" assigned to it.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Good tip, thanks John!

[@davidpowell5437]

Great assortment - something there for everyone! It never hurts to be reminded that edges matter. A lot. Perhaps you could discuss the Crop? - Nay Never! controversy sometime. FWIW I'm a cropper...

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Thank you, David! I have a personal list of which edits I’m willing to do or not, and cropping is 100% something I’ll do. Practically all my photos are cropped to a small degree at least, if only to straighten them by 0.1 degrees (I’m super picky about my horizons). I try not to crop too far purely for image quality purposes, but at the end of the day the final image is what matters to me most.

[@NickCoburnPhillips]

Good one! Thank you :)

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Sure thing!

[@JeganSriragavan28]

Great video..

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Thank you! Glad you like it.

[@juul-sam]

Really love the double the distance method! What is the maximum focal length you can use this focusing method? Thanks!

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Happy you found that useful! It’s a mathematically accurate technique no matter what focal length you use. The issue with longer focal lengths, especially 200mm+, is that they have such a shallow depth of field that getting complete front-to-back sharpness is much harder. Unless you’re focused nearly at infinity, you’ll have some out-of-focus blur no matter what aperture you pick. The DTD math still applies, but at that point it’s not especially useful; if your subject is even 100 feet / 30 meters away, there’s no aperture (or focusing distance) you could use that would be sharp from the subject to infinity.

[@bryancc2012]

nice video. I carry camera everyday but don't know what to shot in city. can't find the "impact“， any suggestions?

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

I’d probably start by thinking about what it is in the city that interests you the most, not even related to photography. Skyscrapers? Shops or markets? The people? I always like the look of city lights just after sunset and am not much of a people photographer. That really informs the types of subjects I try to find in photography as well. Chances are good that whatever interests you about the city in general will also be something that you’re good at spotting for photography. I hope this helps and good luck!

[@IndroneelMukerji]

How about tips for film cameras?

[@MOAB-UT]

Great tips. Which ND filter should I get? Going to Zion NP soon- want to shoot the water. Nikon D5500 crop. I am only buying one filter. Should it be for my prime 50mm, 18-140mm or my 70-300mm? Thanks!

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

I'd definitely get one that fits the 18-140mm (or, alternatively, get one that fits your biggest filter threads, and then use an inexpensive step-up ring on the other two lenses so that you can swap the filter to all three lenses as needed). In any case, I'd recommend a relatively mild ND filter. Based on my experience shooting in Zion, the canyons are usually dark already and you may not need any ND filter at all. I wouldn't get one that's more than 5 stops.

[@MOAB-UT]

@@PhotographyLifeChannel Thanks!

[@MOAB-UT]

@@PhotographyLifeChannel Thanks good to know.

[@heron123100]

Are you at Pinyon Canyon?

[@quanathan]

3:00 that bird eyeball look scary as fuck

[@Pulsar8205]

Need your help in buying a camera, for bird and animal photography mirroless is good option or not. If DSLR I am planning for D850 and mirror less means z7. Also what is your thought of sony mirroless A7r111

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

If wildlife photography is your main goal, I would get a DSLR (or possibly the Sony A9). The tracking system on most mirrorless cameras just isn’t at a high enough level yet that it *beats* that of a comparable DSLR. The D850 is possibly the best all-around camera on the market today, and if it fits with your needs, that’s what I’d recommend. The Sony A7r III is more specialized for landscape work.

[@Pulsar8205]

@@PhotographyLifeChannel Thank you for your advise and taking time to reply for my request, your training videos are awesome and helping me a lot, Sony A9 will not fit in my budjet, so can I go ahead with Nikon D 850 also I am interested in macro photography whether D850 solve all my purpose...

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

@Karthick Hrisk - Sure thing! The D850 is excellent for macro photography, maybe the best on the market.

[@genebrown2580]

@@Pulsar8205 Check out the Sigma 60-600 lens. It has the best image stabilization I have used and has tack sharp glass.

[@elisabethnixon6785]

Hope this works

[@YankeeTankerOutdoors]

Better polarizing trick. Face the sun. Which ever way your shoulders are pointing is 90 degrees.

[@tomskih203]

B&W covers a multitude to mistakes XD

[@michaelvail2446]

Well done and very informative! Love the subtle humor as well. I'm glad I no longer have to use my tripod to remove people from a scene.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

Haha, thanks, Michael! Seems that whacking people with a tripod is considered annoying these days. Unbelievable.

[@SniperPhotography]

Thank you for your well presented video.

[@PhotographyLifeChannel]

You’re quite welcome!