Mastering Blue Sky Photography: Essential Tips

[@distantmedia]

Thanks so much for watching! 📸If you’d like to support the videos I make here on KZbin please check out the links in my description! 🙏❤

[@mikemccall4855]

As someone who photographs mainly on trips, I take the light as it is at almost every location, at all times of the day. You've just given some of the most helpful advice for outdoors photography. Excellent video.

[@distantmedia]

@@mikemccall4855 thanks very much Mike, very high praise indeed! Appreciate it and glad you enjoyed the video!!

[@iaincphotography6051]

It's great to have blue sky days, more so after the crap summer we've had this year. More colours to your palette yay.

[@distantmedia]

haha yes exactly, I love a rainy day but this year was too far 🤣 Cheers Iain!

[@ashstubbings2603]

I personally love going out with my camera on clear blue sky days! Yes, admittedly the light can be a bit harsh but I still love it! I must be one of those fantastic photographers you were referring to! 😁😁😉😉

[@distantmedia]

My kind of guy haha! It's just a different kind of day rather than a problem if you go about it the right way isn't it. Thanks for watching matey, hope your week is going well so far!

[@ashstubbings2603]

@@distantmedia Not had much chance to get out with my camera this week so I'm feeling a bit 'Cabin Feverish'. Hopefully tomorrow or over the weekend. 😁😁

[@distantmedia]

@@ashstubbings2603 urgh I know that feeling well haha, yes fingers crossed for that mate, at least the autumn beauty is almost here (no idea where I’ll go to shoot for it mind you😂)

[@taterandy3958]

How about how to photograph small towns

[@distantmedia]

@@taterandy3958 For Autumn? or just in general for a video?

[@philipplangenbacher]

Thanks for this inspiring and refreshing video and all the useful tips! Even as a novice, having taken up photography only 1.5 years ago, I had already taken too many preconceptions (via other photo youtubers) about whether it's worth shooting in bright sunlight or other unfavorable conditions. You and other photographers who are happy to still get the best out of a bright, blue sky day have given me confidence to just go and try. Also, I think that being at peace with the fact that you're not going to get a massive "banger" that day helps a lot! 🙂

[@distantmedia]

@@philipplangenbacher you’re most welcome, thank you for watching and giving it your time! 😁 - you’re right, there’s a lot of advice out there telling people not to bother unless it’s this or that, when really you can get an amazing image at any time of day, anywhere. It’s just all down to how we go about creating that image! - and true, some days you just won’t get the best you want, that’s fine too! 🥳

[@jimbruton9482]

A couple more tips - carry with you a polarizing filter and perhaps some neutral density filters. The polarizer will help reduce excess glare and the ND filters may help on exposure of certain objects. You touched on exposing to the right looking at the histogram (I did watch until the end) but if it may be worthy to learn how to bracket exposures and process in post. That way your final image won't have blown out whites or shadow areas.

[@distantmedia]

Solid additions mate! I don’t think I took the CPL off for the full week in Scotland thinking about it haha. Bracketing is a love/hate one for me, DR these days is so ridiculously good I often find one shot to be enough and then I have to go through culling. But you’re right very very useful in the right situations! Especially long exposures!! 👌👌

[@davidgillespie6604]

Great Advice Greg! Its interesting how often I end up shooting on blue sky days. I am slowly teaching myself to stop adding warmth in the white balance to fake golden hour, and lean into the colours that are there. As you say subtle is best. I do like to use the calibration sliders in lightroom to desaturate, and even change the tone of the blues

[@distantmedia]

Thanks mate! - indeed me too, I think it started as simply not being able to get out at golden hour, but without realising I actually like it now 😂

[@stuartvh4562]

Top tips, Greg. Thanks!

[@distantmedia]

@@stuartvh4562 my pleasure fella! Thanks for watching! 💪🏻

[@QuietCornersPhotography]

Agree, always turn a (seemingly) negative in to a positive. The only thing stopping you enjoying photography in these different conditions is your attitude and approach. Be adaptable, embrace the challenges and have fun.

[@distantmedia]

@@QuietCornersPhotography couldn’t have said it better myself my man! 💪🏻💪🏻

[@ersway]

Good video and also a good subject to cover. Somewhat odd though a recommended video that features my hometown of Pittenweem 👌

[@distantmedia]

@@ersway no way! We had a day working our way down that portion of the east coast, beautiful place!

[@ersway]

@@distantmedia Yes I grew up there from when I was 8, moved away at 25 (1988) been down south since. Parents still live there, so obviously I visit often. Always have my camera (A7Rii) love getting out for sunsets and sunrises, special place!

[@distantmedia]

@@ersway awesome to hear! So much to see as well, certainly can’t do it all in one week so I’m sure we’ll be going back up there as well!

[@dianebouchard5691]

Great video with great advice!

[@distantmedia]

Glad it was helpful thank you Diane! Appreciate you stopping by!! ❤🎉

[@alanbudge]

Great tips and thanks for highlighting the beauty of blue sky days. Most channels will advise to avoid this but thankfully, some of us here disagree. My favourite blue sky location is woodland where there’s a huge choice of light, shade and colours. Do you print your own work? If so I’d be curious as to what you use and what your process is. I’ve recently got into this and love it. It’s like the final piece of the jigsaw. Only downside is I’m running out of walls and patience from my wife.

[@distantmedia]

@@alanbudge cheers Alan! One of the most over rated advice you see on KZbin is shoot in golden hour, there’s so much more than that haha! I do, well as of very recently anyway, I used to use a local lab for all my printing but it’s not the same as doing it yourself at home! Will definitely share that process once I’ve refined it a little more! 😎 hahahaa you will need to build more rooms 🤣

[@ChrisThe1]

Man I don't understand people sometimes. Bright blue skies are my favorite thing to shoot

[@distantmedia]

@@ChrisThe1 one of mine too! But obviously stacked up against many other conditions they are definitely the main one people avoid / think they can’t get nice photos in

[@ChrisThe1]

@@distantmedia to me it's the cloudy days. No matter what I do I can't shake the feeling that every photo would look better with sunlight ^^

[@distantmedia]

@@ChrisThe1 I feel more and more that way as the years go by now as well, which is funny cause I was all about clouds and mood a few years ago. Maybe it’s our current mind state 🤣

[@ChrisThe1]

@@distantmedia yeah, I don't want my photos to feel happy ;) Thanks for the replies, earned yourself a sub

[@distantmedia]

@@ChrisThe1 hahah who would ever want that 😏 - appreciate that mate thanks for joining the channel!

[@paulm8157]

Practical advice, Greg, well illustrated. IMO, versatility is the heart of the matter - too easy to get sucked into shooting only one set of conditions, one type of subject. Very often I have to deal w/harsh light for festivals held mid-day. ETTL works, too (yes, I watch good channels all the way through😊). W/time and experience we can find good images anywhere, at any time (and sort out all the bad ones, as well). What’s wrong w/blue foliage?😂 Then there’s “sky replacement” in post.😊 BTW, what does the sign above your talking head say along with “Quit”? Or is that a secret subtext to the theme? Minor suggestion: update channel pic to color version. Cheers!

[@distantmedia]

Always knew you were a full length watcher Paul don’t you worry 😜 yeah I think I’ve said this before but I know photographers who wait for sunset then drive to the same spot and take the same photos, year in year out 😂 do something different guys! It says ‘don’t quit’ - nothing to do with the video lol, it sits next to a matching coloured print of a vinyl record player. Ps profile picture update is pending (been on the list for a while 😂😂)

[@allstargamer1122]

Hy my brother how is it going Hope you remember me I was searching you in all of my liked video and i finally found you By the grace of god i think i will be purchasing my first ever camera this year 👏 man i miss your videos looking forward to learn more with you

[@distantmedia]

Of course! Welcome back 😎 amazing to hear about the first camera, hope you get it soon!! Thanks for checking this one out bro!