Don’t Make this Beginner Camera Setting Mistake!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

🌟QUICK QUESTION: What shooting mode do you most often use?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

I'll go first - mostly Manual for me.

[@davecostello8537]

Aperture mode unless I'm specifically looking to deal with movement one way or another - capture it fast or slow.

[@wolfgangmarvelous7239]

Virtually always manual for me.

[@onlyvideoillupload]

Manual Mode unless I am tracking a bird/other wildlife. Also the Z8?....Making a switch?

[@wolfgangmarvelous7239]

@@onlyvideoillupload I had the same question.

[@brucearnold711]

When did you start shooting with the Nikon Z8?

[@NicholasStein]

What a great lesson in field work. It has it all: composition, lighting, shutter speed, ISO, Camera position and scene features. I also liked you video production. Keeping the water sound in the sound track while showing the photo was brilliant. Showing the camera settings on each photo was very convenient too. I use focus stacking all the time, but do not think about shutter speed that much.

[@davehallock3102]

No comment on the elephant in the room? The Z8?

[@PhotoJohn80]

I know right

[@charliejg]

I was about to go back through videos and see if I missed something! LOL!

[@JuanRojas956]

@@charliejg Let us know if you come across any mention of it in other videos

[@pahawkeye63]

That’s what I was thinking too. When did that happen?

[@TimvanderLeeuw]

I'm noticing an absence of replies to anyone who comments on this so I expect we'll be seeing a video on this soon. 😉

[@jlid1]

I've always loved photographing the woods and streams in Tennessee. You walk in there with a camera and a tripod and you feel like a kid in a candy store!! Great pictures as always, and great advice.

[@JeffAbrahamson-v3q]

Great shots. The ~3 mile paved/gravel road at Tremont is a treasure trove of water flow photography along the Little Pigeon River. I can usually spend 3/4 days on that road alone. There are a minimum of 3 larger waterfalls on either end of that road that are spectacular and are not too difficult to reach. I didn’t see any shots of those in this video; if you missed them, you may want to go back at some point. Fall is absolutely the best time to go.

[@paullavin5449]

I’m not usually a fan of waterfall photography but I enjoyed this one. I think the difference for me was the beautiful tree canopy with the light streaming through. Nice work 👍

[@annbiswas8138]

Always a wonderful time watching you having fun in these glorious locations, Mark! I'm a macro photographer and I still learn something new from each of your videos. Keep up the great work!

[@estanfield872]

Mark… Great video. I was just in the Smoky Mountains last month and it was some of the best water flow I’ve seen in years. Thanks for putting the idea of shooting these streams in the evening. It is sometimes a struggle to hit more than 1 spot in the mornings before the light gets really harsh. I got lucky with a couple of pretty overcast days so it was one of my best waterfall shooting trips ever.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Great to hear you enjoyed it!

[@charliejg]

When I shoot moving water I often have the same problem. So I usually shoot a few at different shutter speeds as well. But, sometimes when I view the images certain shutters speeds appear out of focus because of the slower speed I guess? I know it's in focus because everything around it is sharp. It's just a weird thing my eyes do to me. That was definitely a beautiful area. Like some others here, I noticed the camera change. I think that's what Thomas Heaton shoots as well. Thanks for taking us a long, have a rockin' day!

[@DaveKingMusic]

Fun video! Nice to see you out in the field. Any particular spots you can recommend around Asheville? Thanks!

[@rlfisher]

Thanks for sharing your adventure and your joy! Some really beautiful images!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Roger!

[@TheLastSock]

when i used to shoot river flows, i always shot three images with identical settings, then in photoshop, take an the R from one, the G from another and the B from the third and then combine them in to one photo, the whole image will still be correctly exposed, but the water because it is changing give a nice colour effect..

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Interesting - never heard of that one.

[@qamstel]

Welcome to the Z8 club ❤

[@untouchable360x]

The freedom to make my own mistakes is all I ever wanted.

[@rickdeckard5653]

Your last shot was really fantastic! And you chose a nice shutter speed for the water. Reminded me of a region here in germany called "Harz" with those little waterfalls and big rocks.

[@brucedelorme5026]

Beautiful stream Mark. Is that the Roaring Fork river? Headed there next week.

[@garykanston]

Sure wish I knew what stream you were shooting....I've photographed a lot of waterfalls up in that general area, but these spots didn't look familiar. Nice shots and glad you had a good outing!

[@ronanderson5736]

Awesome video/tips and some awesome photos again Mark! Looks like you switched over to Nikon! Are you enjoying it more than the Fujifilm?

[@PixWaxGB]

Watching how you compose and discuss the points of interest in your frame is inspiring! I have been mainly focusing on wildlife and portraits recently, but will dabble in some landscape later this week. If you are ever visiting/planning to visit England - be sure to visit the county Derbyshire! There are tonnes of areas full of rivers, streams and forest - but on top of that you can head to historic places where you can find old abbeys (Calke Abbey and Keddleston Hall) too. They are all literally 10 minutes away from where I live and we visit them often. Waiting for the summer time opening/closing hours for the golden hour light ;-)

[@gregwarson3483]

Good stuff, as always Mark. The locations and the compositions are inspiring. And glad I'm not the only one who picked up on the Fuji to Nikon switch (you'll need to tell us about that).😀

[@KellyPettit]

Love seeing you in the field! Great vlog.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Kelly!

[@NotAnotherYoutubePhotographer]

Really enjoyed watching how you work on location, figuring out compositions and lighting considerations and using the time when the lighting isn't optimal to figure out compositions for later in the day. I certainly use much longer exposure times when shooting water with a heavy ND on, put most of the water I have shot is quite slow moving, but I will definitely be hunting out a location to try experimenting with approx. 1 second shutter after seeing your results.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@joanpifer5371]

I have an older Nikon that I've loved, but am interested in the Z8. How do you like it? The images are beautiful - thank you for sharing!

[@Niteskate1]

Thanks Mark, gives me some ideas to go explore and see what I can come up with.

[@bvaldes8791]

Great video! I visit it that location in 2020 and can’t wait to go again. Hoping to check it out in the fall someday. Thank you for sharing it with us.

[@JoshuaLambPhotography]

I absolutely love this style video and as always picked up a thing or 2 from your awesome teaching style. You always have great advice that helps Improve my photos. I Hope you have the time to do more like this. I know these can be very time consuming while you’re out enjoying nature but what a great video! 😃 Favorite shooting mode for me would be focus stacking and combining them in PS. If done right in the proper conditions, I love the results of a wider shot.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Great to hear you enjoyed the video my friend!

[@richardhurst3368]

Great advice, in those circumstances with moving water select your shutter speed then change up & down and adjust ISO accordingly use your histogram ( I do) great location and photos, enjoy your videos and information, thanks and G'day from Aussie

[@DennisBater]

What's with the Nikon? Did you trade in your Fuji?

[@miroslavturiak4578]

Mark, it was such a beautiful place! Reminds me of some places here in Great Britain. I love all those photos you showed us in these video!

[@jerrykita8767]

Mark, you were fired up for this one. Looks like you were having fun.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Having a blast my friend!

[@jerrykita8767]

@@MarkDenneyPhoto you attending the US Open?

[@chrisdavis280]

Great video Mark! I instantly recognized this area of the Smokies even though I’ve only been there once a few years back. I’ve been itching to go back ever since. I distinctly remember binging on your videos and then applying the things I learned. It was also one of the first locations I used my newly acquired CPL. I came away with some images I was very proud of from that same waterfall. Thanks for always sharing your tips and insight in such a digestible way. I owe a lot of my development to you!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much for the kind words!

[@blamon01]

Excellent video Mark. It’s good to see you out and about. I always learn something by watching on how you approach a shot.

[@sonicetobehere4343]

Thank you Mark, another great one!!

[@juergenbaumann8817]

nice location and thanks for sharing your insights on the choice of your compositions. Regarding shutter speed experiments, instead of adjusting ISO occasionally, you could choose manual mode but leave ISO on auto (maybe with a cap of your choice on the higher ISO). So all that needs to be done is to change the shutter speed.

[@RichardBO9]

Great video. I hope you have those locations marked for fall. Thank you for focusing on the process and ignoring the new gear. 🤠

[@srivenkat3142]

Beautiful pics. Very nice location. You said it’s Maine correct. It reminds me of the smoky mountains !! 😀👏👍

[@ScottRadarRasmusson]

Beautiful. I could spend all day.

[@Dom.Martel]

Really interesting, thanks for sharing. Did you use any filter? If so, which one?

[@fruhfruh429]

One of my favorite trails in the smokys I’m honestly surprised you haven’t gone because that spot is glorious ❤

[@agoodwalkspoiledgolf]

Mark! Love the Channel, I learned basically everything I know about Photography from watching your videos. Quick question, when you are working in an environment where the light varies from moment to moment and you have to alternate between shoot fast moving subjects and stand still detail shots, do you think there is value in putting your camera in Auto ISO?

[@ardeladimwit]

some beautiful photos there. just watching to watch.

[@lisawells8226]

Just got back from the laurel highlands after a heavy rain and had the opportunity to shoot some beautiful streams and waterfalls. I really struggled with the harsh light that dappled the waters. Any suggestions on working in these types of conditions - where the light is uneven? I experimented with multiple shutter speeds and also did some bracketing. I'm anxious to get them on my computer and see what I was able to capture. I appreciate your thoughts on this subject. TIA. The scenes you captured in this video are stunning.

[@saveamerica5707]

Mark Where is this in the smokies. We are in Waynesville and will be traveling to the park ,

[@billygarrett3911]

Question for you Mark on your shots. A mist filter? Do you like them and do you think that it would have made a difference with these captures? I know that you can do some changes in LR to give that effect also. What are your thoughts about that filter?

[@Cheyenne07]

A really great and informative video. Looking forward to the next one!

[@min_chau6564]

Beautiful video...so no ND filter used in this shooting..right? What polarizer you would suggest .

[@jeffp8042]

"The Cathedral" on Big Creek

[@wimscheenen3535]

BTW, Nikon … did I miss camera switch from you?

[@davidligon6088]

Beautiful shots! I’m way out here in the Southwest, and you are making me miss the Blue Ridge mountains near where I grew up. Please, please, oh pretty please revisit this site and do a video in the fall, and if you can catch it, with some fog. Probably my favorite shot I’ve ever taken was of my wife carrying a yellow umbrella, wearing a yellow rain jacket in the foggy, drizzly woods off Skyline Drive.

[@Ekim1955]

Wonder if you could tell us what lens you were using to capture these great scenes? Great video!

[@lylestavast7652]

some really nice images in there Mark.

[@DarrenJSpoonley]

Super work, my friend was a stunning location

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks Darren!

[@jimhasapis197]

Great video. Correct me if I’m wrong, but that looks a lot like Midnight Hole at Big Creek?

[@tompotter7856]

Outstanding, as usual, Mark! Wish I was there! Oh, wait, I kinda wuz! 😁

[@TravelPhotoGuy]

Upper Tremont rd? If it is, I love that area! Was there last week and got one of my favorites of 2024.

[@grahamowen6918]

Hey Mark- how long have you had the Nikon?

[@rickwisephotography]

Mark did you use a polarizing filter on your lens. If not, why not?

[@RedSinter]

Well, Mark doesn't the choices of lenes and even camera systems, and their computations per the exposure triangle affect those choices. And what determines your choice for Shutter Priority over Aperture Priority? Speaking of places with Rocks, Water flow, and the surrounding naturally environments you should hike the Middle Fork of the Feather River is Ca. Actually there are a lot of those similar conditions even on the North Fork which is literally right bext to the road. The Middle Fork is hike and camp only. Though this is very gorgeous and very up close and personal. The Feather is a larger body of water. Another option would be the Pit River or the McCloud. One distinction of the Feather is Feather Falls its one of the Tallest in the nation at I think 623 ft. Thanks for the lessons.

[@zwieseler]

I mostly use aperture priority. Don’t do much photography where speed would be in play. 8:34 I would have a bit more spread in my tripod legs there….

[@wimscheenen3535]

Your enthousiasme is contagious 😊. Great video, thanks for sharing 👏🏻🙏🏻

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much!

[@jefferyedwards5003]

Not positive, but looks like Big Creek. Not far from home and was going there this week or next. If is, go to Midnight Hole and during fall colors.

[@jefferyedwards5003]

Yep, thought it was. Recommendation, some good areas past the camping area and not near the trail.

[@bryanmurray2404]

Was very curious about the tripod you use.. brand? Where to get it?

[@bobcarrphoto7938]

Welcome to Big Creek. One of my favorite sections of the park since the 1970s. The area with the arching canopy of trees is called The Cathedral by us locals.

[@gtapis]

When did you make a camera switch?

[@timpaine6180]

Welcome to the GSM!!! If you're ever in this area again I would love to book you for a 1 on 1 workshop if you would consider that. The river photography here in the fall is absolutely beautiful!!!

[@imranfotography]

Pleasure to see the process…. 👍👍👍

[@johnchambers6272]

Wow beautiful area and such an inspiring video. Thank you Mark.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

My pleasure!

[@julianpaxton5750]

Nice video and good to see you having fun…

[@vzshadow1]

I struggle with composition. Please walk us through some in an upcoming video. One question, why are you shooting a Nikon?

[@Psyko_Blood]

I rly rly like the colors out of the box bzw on the camera screen (on the Nikon i think id was) o: do you use picture profiles or something like that?

[@smkunder1]

Beautiful images! Just wondering what you’re using in the way of filters for these shots

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much - just a polarizer

[@rosemaryclark610]

I love watching your videos and I love your enthusiasm. I'm the same way. I often have to remind myself to breathe, haha! Thanks again for a great video.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much!

[@fjperras]

Apparently, I'm not the only one who noticed you were shooting with a Nikon Z8. But I haven't seen what was the motivation. Were you just checking this body out or are you in the middle of switching from Fujifilm? Also, caught you shooting with different focus point. I get why you would do this on medium format but did you really needed that on full frame with descent aperture? Did you end up focus stacking in post with those Z8 shots or did you just picked the crispest shot? That was a very nice video, thank you so much for sharing.

[@pentagramyt417]

Because Z8 is trendy! It's like an iPhone. ;)

[@garybeat6637]

Some great images. Nice to see you back out in the field!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rickkremer0525]

question, i saw that you had a filter on your lens, what lens and filter were you using?

[@milosivanisevic1311]

Yes Mark when you started using Nikon?

[@steveh1273]

Ditched Fuji GFX for Nikon Z I see. Interested to know why; weight difference?

[@PrinceJvstin]

I plan to visit the Smoky Mountains next Spring. Looking forward to it

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Paradise!

[@patriziabertorello2722]

Great video and breathtaking place!!! Places like this are a source of inspiration to try different kinds of shoot ... 👍🔝

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thank you!

[@MrJason8957]

Now I am considering a trip to the Smokies for the summer.

[@donna.downey]

You can't go wrong Jason! We have a small cabin in what used to be a lodge and a few cabins. It was built in the 50s and closed and someone bought it and redid the cabins. It backs up to the Blue Ridge Parkway! Perfect location photography. Enjoy Jason... you will also love the relief from the warmer temperatures of the "lowlands".

[@FranzGraf]

Yeah, in water scenes I so often forget to just take different shutter speeds... Thanks for reminding.

[@thomasjohn4262]

When I went to GSM, I was awe struck. I can’t wait to go back.

[@aqueoussilkllc9654]

I think I’d just want to stay there! The sound and beauty!

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Same!

[@kevinandersonphotos]

Tommy’s the best! Great video 🤙🏼

[@markh2719]

Great video Mark. You got some really nice pictures from a beautiful location. I'm located in Canada and not familiar with the area. What is the name of this river/stream?

[@chrisbartlett8146]

I was photographing a two step waterfalll with the 2nd part about 50 meters back from the first fall and like you take multiple exposures and due to advise given ended up lending two differently exposed shots. Another overseas photographer was there and he told me he blends the back fall and the front fall because they require different exposures.

[@roblebby3765]

Beautiful location Mark. I would love to know where it is if it can be located easily. Between this place and Clingman's Dome, I feel like I could stay busy with my camera for a long time. On the other hand, I'd bet locations like this are scattered all over the 520,000 plus acres of the GSMNP and are just waiting to be found!

[@min_chau6564]

What b camera you are using to record your shooting?

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Osmo Pcoket 3

[@min_chau6564]

@@MarkDenneyPhoto Thanks Mark

[@Soniab960]

which camera did you use

[@JamesMcFatter-v7u]

First went to the Smokies in 1980. Still going.

[@phaedruscj3330]

Maybe a series fall, summer, winter and spring from your favorite location.

[@nevvanclarke9225]

I say for water. I don't like.... Anything more than half a second I don't like the snow look, I prefer a little bit of texture... Also given the location there's not much wind there so you don't need to worry about shutter speed of trees too much. I do like that shutter speed of about one third. And yes, I'm curious about the Z8 over the GFX. Did your GFX get damaged?

[@Rich33527]

Awesome. Thats one of our favorite trails to hike.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Mine too!

[@dalemartin6828]

GreT to see you on location again man

[@draffish5661]

Great video Mark thank you

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@lphilpot01]

It must be great to live near mountains and other legit subject matter... 🙂 Here in Louisiana we have slow muddy thick water that kinda just sits there... although the mosquitoes do move quite a bit!

[@mariamullin4031]

Beautiful photos

[@reidnorthrup2688]

The Big Creek area is a great place. Been several times myself.

[@susanfirth2279]

What a great location. I attended that webinar you did recently about shutter speeds and found it very good. Lots of helpful tips. Fabulous images Mark. Thank you for sharing.

[@MarkDenneyPhoto]

Thanks so much Susan!