Landscape Photography: Why cameras suck?

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If my camera could see the world the way I see it, and record what I feel, our life would be so much easier. In this week's video I get out in the hills close to home to demonstrate the most important feature in the landscape that will change our photographs and how we process them.
Of course the title is just a joke and I love my Nikon D850, in fact, I'm holding it now!
Video edited by Ann Kristin Lindaas
Images ©Alister Benn
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[@guykerr8111]

Thanks.... I watch/watched a lot of videos on how to adjust various things in LR and/or PS. What I don't see very often is one on why I am doing things. I appreciate the insight into the role of blacks. More of similar would be helpful for me.

[@nickshepherd8377]

Thanks Alastair. I sense you were really in the moment and that is reflected in some magical meaningful photographs. ❤️

[@nickward2922]

Gosh the transition of blacks is a wonderful concept. I wonder if the same could be said of the transition of focus. When experiencing a landscape our eyes are more like the middle apertures than f64.

[@Paul9]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen this subject covered before by anyone and so important. I’ve struggled with this in the past myself and felt like something was off in my images but couldn’t but my finger on it. I also used to be obsessed with front to back sharpness even in large scenes but nowadays I’m happy for a slight softness in distance features which I think helps convey depth and make the image much more believable.

[@Alister_Benn]

Very happy to hear that and I all the great feedback

[@tjsinva]

Another tasty morsel of food for thought. 🍴 👍 🥂

[@howardrankin7119]

Superb advice and very thoughtfully explained and demonstrated

[@dwrisdon2487]

I enjoy being a professor of education at the local university. I preach to my students constantly that they are at the center of every event which occurs in their classroom. You just nailed the same issue relative to being a photographer. I love it. It is a concept that bears constant declaration. I love the approach. Thxs.

[@ronnyjansson4207]

Profuond and thought thru as always, mysteriously there is at least a 0 missing in the number of subscribers!

[@MrDoucet2You]

"Cameras Kind of Suck", well, sometimes the camera is pretty good but I am the one who sucks at taking advantage of all the bells and whistles which is why I watch your videos. Thanks, Ben for taking the time to help us to stop and analyze how we actually see things around us. It's something that we take for granted and don't fully understand the nuances of a scene at the moment. Very good post-processing tips that I will pay closer attention to in the future.

[@FlosBlog]

I dont know if one even needs many bells and whistles on a camera

[@MrDoucet2You]

@@FlosBlog we may not "need them" but it's certainly nice to use them. Metering systems for one is a Bell and Whistle that comes in quite handy as a built in feature it far outweighs the ease of use of bulky hand held meters. Let's see, the ability to change ISO on the fly is pretty handy. Dialing in specific shutter speeds in increments that film cameras couldn't do, that's handy too. I could go on but I'll spare the readers the obvious.

[@FlosBlog]

@@MrDoucet2You well, we have different definitions of bells and whistles then. But then I do not see how you’d need much advise about changing the exposure.

[@jamesewer5586]

Yes! You’ve brilliantly articulated something that’s been on my mind for a while. There are so many tutorials on composition out there, but few explain why these techniques are effective.The limitations of the sensor is such an important lesson. Great Vlog!

[@anvilcloud]

Stuff I didn't know. Very educational. Good photos too.

[@jimmosca7843]

I don't think I have agreed with you more than in this video 🤔 Thank you !

[@alanclark9691]

Your tip on the natural recession of blacks was extremely interesting and indeed useful. Many thanks Alister.

[@RossMDavidson]

Thank you Alister. Have a good trip. Will look forward to your new videos.

[@RichardMcL]

Thank you a very intelligent video. Thanks for sharing, Greetings from Northern California.

[@derricksansome236]

Wobble away. Hardly! As ever you articulate the thought processes in a very clear way and have highlighted to me personally something I am missing doing; get the real feel of the place whilst in the landscape and you have a greater chance of recreating that feeling when in post, thus a greater chance of an image that speaks. Thanks again Alister. Best wishes.

[@bossofthemoss450]

Agree Guy’s comments and Keith’s, in respect of our lack of camera and technique mastery. It’s still a wonderful world and art form. 😉👏👍

[@pbajzek]

Thanks for presenting this so clearly and thoughtfully. These are principles I “know” but don’t always bring to mind while photographing.

[@seantomlinson3320]

I like this style, more in the field. Interesting audio transition at ~1:29.

[@Alister_Benn]

Lol, for sure ❤️

[@davidschulz999]

Finally! I learned something amazing. Thanks.

[@cragfast06]

Absolutely transformational video Alister. Thank you so much for the solid gold advice that this video offers. 👏👏👏

[@DA-yd2ny]

Thank you 😊

[@andyv6127]

Very useful tips in that. Thanks

[@hansrookeliasson1950]

Thanks a lot Alister for explaining the why and how, the way you show this really helps to understand. Next time out there, and in post-processing, I will try to apply the concept. You have a new subscriber! Travel safe and stay healthy.

[@andrewherbert9938]

Nice job on that last image Alister and the blacks tip is very interesting, not something I’d really thought about before

[@gerbenlubbers3403]

Thank you Alister for the way you see photography, and I feel the same way about it, to be in the field and exploring how nature comes in. I often struggle how I bring this feeling into de picture in post processing. This video helps a little and I will take it with me into the field while I am creating my pictures out there. Succes on your Photo-trip and stay healty.

[@jph364]

Wow what a super useful insight on the use of detail near by and far and the black transition!

[@jean-guyhuot7869]

Thank you for such a precise explanation of things we take for automatic when we're out in the field.

[@iaincphotography6051]

Eureka, at last someone talking sense. Too many landscapes look unreal and not as the human eye sees them. Not sure how you feel about wide angle lenses used on the verticle, but when you see someone photographing a waterfall. then filling the foreground with a big rock or other rubbish and the subject now becomes secondary in the frame. If they can't get any closer then change the lens..

[@SimonWillig]

Wow, this is such a valuable lesson, many thanks!

[@MiguelACoronaDM]

Great lesson and one I'll put into practice. Thank you!

[@canuckdon]

Thanks, Alister - very instructional.

[@alastairgraham6172]

Great video, thanks…👍🙂

[@JeffJolly1]

Nice explanation of what can be a difficult subject :) It took me a long time of wondering why my photo's didn't quite seem to look how I remembered a scene and it wasn't until I started to learn more about the way cameras work, particularly with dynamic range of the sensor on digital cameras, that I started to realise what was the problem and then start to figure out ways of how to deal with it. If your video had been around 10 to 15 years ago you would probably have saved me many many hours because IMHO you have managed to explain this subject and talk about fixes all within a half hour!!! On the subject of cameras and advancing technology, what do you reckon are the chances that a future generation could have a sort of built-in application like a cut-down version of lightroom that assess a scene and the parts of the image that it would recognise as being too dark or too light and adjust the sensitivity of the pixels on that part of the sensor..??? PS If Sony/Nikon/Canon are interested in my idea I'm open to offers ;¬)

[@AndrewCooperPhotography]

Thanks Alister another very insightful video, excellent post processing tips,

[@jefftrapp5407]

Enjoyed it!

[@MarkRomine]

Well explained! Have a great trip!

[@neilcole3406]

Most interesting and fascinating, thank you!

[@lesliedougan2897]

Your detail on the two videos at the start of the photo you were discussing had more depth of field on both of them.

[@rocketmanab]

Excellent video... I was thinking about this 'cameras suck' concept when trying to take woodland shots. Our eyes automatically separate the interesting tree, or twisted trunk or whatever it is from the background....go to take a picture of it tho, the camera takes it all in and it's just a mess. Unless there's some mist or fog around...

[@andrewmckinney3053]

5 stars!!! : )

[@migranthawker2952]

You know the saying - a bad workman always blames his tools!!!

[@Alister_Benn]

Absolutely - I am the weakest link in my creativity.

[@washingtonradio]

"Cameras Kind of Suck" is a reminder that cameras are tools the we need to understand how they work and understand their limitations. Then you know what to do to compensate for their limitations.

[@234cheech]

well said

[@traviscalkins]

👍

[@neilboggin3346]

Am intrigued by the eye vs camera dynamic range challenge. I spotted this sometime ago & deliberately stopped shooting with sunglasses on if I really wanted to see the light. With shades on you’re looking through an ND filter anyway & your eyes will only partly correct. Is this something you’ve experienced? PS thanks for the black point gradation tip - every days a school day!

[@tonys3112]

you dont hear much about use of reverse grads ......how often do you use yours and when and where do you use it the most. Tony New Zealand

[@Alister_Benn]

It’s pretty much the only one I use, pretty much any shots around sunrise or sunset. The Kase one is awesome

[@kbqvist]

Really interesting, thanks - although the title (fortunately) doesn't reflect the content very well :-)

[@Alister_Benn]

I was having a laugh 😂 it’s been a long week

[@jaym5938]

Cameras suck? You mean human limitations suck - not being able to draw or paint what we see with our eyes? What sucks is human ego and limitation, not ingenuity.