Woodland Photography with the 150MP Phase One XT

One of the best things about a good quality woodland is the fascinating combinations of everchanging colours, textures, light, and shadow. The detail is so beautifully intricate that a high-resolution camera is ideal for capturing the intricacies and then rendering them in print. I was delighted when Phase One offered to lend me their XT system for several weeks, so I put it to good use in my local woodland. The conditions were less than favourable but woodland photography never fails to be enjoyable. The first images shown were made last month and I've blended these into more recent work to highlight the seasonal changes.
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[@90053]

The lightning strike was fascinating. Thanks for sharing that.

[@jonglass]

I'm not a big kit guy either, but the fact that this camera has rise and fall movements (and I presume others) kind of puts it in a different category! I, for one, would love to see more about this camera!

[@Jay-ej5wi]

Your doggy is one of my favorite things about your videos! Stay blessed and safe always, you guys!

[@Malinois_Whisper]

Of course Stas and I love the last image most.

[@lynnecliffe3056]

Simon, you certainly have an eye and a heart for capturing the beauty in the woodland. Thank you ever so much for letting us in.

[@cosmogang]

I love the music. Sounds like a stripped down version of “Silas and the Magic Car” by Mew. Fantastic images.

[@martinjn2920]

Nothing to say about this video other than just one word, superb. Thanks Simon.

[@danevarkevisser4670]

Thanks Simon. Without doubt one of my favourite photographers on KZbin. I love that you are unafraid to take on the complexity of the woodlands in your photographs. In my opinion, your willingness to do this makes your images more engaging and stand out from the crowd. In photography we are generally taught to simplify and minimise the compositional elements which is fine, but too often these images beyond their initial impact have little to hold your attention.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

That's much appreciated, Dane. Many thanks :)

[@berniewhitebrown]

Totally agree and beautifully said Dane. The music and images at the end created such a special gentleness and peace. Thank you Simon for sharing your gifts, vision and artistry in such a unique way.

[@cliftonwhittaker260]

I love that picture of your dog. Beautiful!!! You'll keep that one forever.

[@DanaPushie]

Simon, I love your work, the complexity, the strength of character, the inherent beauty you capture. Today's ubiquitous scrolling does not belong here. Great work requires quiet contemplation. Forgive me, but I fear we may have lost our appreciation for mature expression. This is such an eye opener. Congratulations. Just stunning!

[@jameslovell71]

Excellent video Simon. Would love to see some more with Phase One XT.

[@dmitry.sh.8946]

Probably the best device for landscapes today!.....5+

[@stuartlauchlan7061]

Such a beautifully composed video Simon, not just the images. A very enjoyable watch on a Sunday evening.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Thank you very much, Stuart :-)

[@TheMoodChasingPhotographer]

Oh the dreaded moment of no memory card! 😂 17 minutes of insight and joy to finish off the weekend! The image at 13 minutes is a superb composition!

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Hehe, many thanks James 😃

[@jacktaylor6190]

Beautiful area!

[@besimai]

a video from your perspective of the phase one sounds wonderful !

[@c.augustin]

Yes, give your impressions on the Phase One XT! It seems to have some interesting properties - not so much the resolution (and the price, but rather DoF and rise/fall and shift left/right). Have you ever thought of going Canon and use their tilt/shift lenses?

[@carlb401]

No need to, He could get one of the adapters and use Canon lenses on his Sony.

[@c.augustin]

@@carlb401 Well, I heard from an architect who tried it, but found to have lots of problems with this kind of setup. Perhaps the adapter wasn't that good, or whatever.

[@carlb401]

@@c.augustin I know there are quite a few adapters now for the sony system, but it would get expensive trying them all out.

[@fubband]

Sublime video, Simon! A perfectly zen inducing watch with so many wonderful images 🙌🏻🐶♥️

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Thank you very much, Martin :)

[@enricooldoino1967]

Thanks for havig shown how a photo changes from good to very, very good with good light or mist or both!.Yes it would be interesting to know if you can see differences in prints ( for example a 30x40) with the phese one

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Always much appreciated, Enrico 😀

[@allanternent8862]

Great pictures and video will look forward to next one

[@peterfritzphoto]

Magnifiscent work, Simon. There's something truly magical about a forest; we definitely have a connection to trees and their very special environments.

[@howardrankin7119]

Would love to hear more about how the Phase impacts your creativity . Beautiful imagery again

[@denisesavage2382]

Beautiful Simon. Feels like the woodland is getting ready for it’s winter sleep. Going to bed . . .

[@marvinbeatty]

That lightning strike though! Wow... not something I've ever seen in my forest wanderings. Lucky you!

[@LyndseyMacPherson]

Magnificent!

[@Luigi13]

I love your woodland images Simon, you have the eye for woodland landscapes. The 150K pixel camera brings out a lot of detail for sure, and the colors are also vibrant. Look forward to more images with it. Cheers.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Thank you very much, Luigi!

[@tompetersphotography]

Great video buddy, some lovely complex scenes captured in harmony

[@richdoak9349]

Excellent video, Simon. The light you got on the second visit to the ‘V’ composition was stunning. Also the woodland looked fantastic, I need to get out and explore more in the park 😃 I always find your videos so helpful when composing woodland. Great work!

[@willdphoto]

Loved your dogscape!

[@timscanlanphotography]

Hi Simon. Excellent content as always. Love the Bird Cherry image. Many thanks for sharing.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Many thanks, Tim :)

[@NealeSmith76]

Lovely camera that, was always curious, well out my current budget. I shoot 99% of my work on Canon TS-E lenses, even any landscape work, I just love the possibilities it opens up.

[@GingerCaptures]

First of all I'd like to thank you for the sheer inspiration you have given my in my woodland photography 🙏 and what a very inspiring video, The triangular Oaks is a great composition 🥰📷👏

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Thank you very much. Great to hear you like it :-)

[@narelle4868]

There's a dream-like quality in this video and your pics are incredibly beautiful. No point in explaining the Phase One to me as I wouldn't be spending so much money on equipment as I'm an amature, but I'm sure others would be interested. Keep it brief please, so that I don't nod off. 😃😊

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Many thanks :-)

[@johnchan6191]

Wow, gr8 vdo & pics. Gr8 work & exploration as chosen your composition. Thx 4 demo yur digital bak. Thx 4 sharing on Utube.

[@EdAb]

I regularly use the Nikon PC-E line of tilt/shift lenses for photojournalism, but almost never for architecture. I find the unconventional use of these lenses to be absolutely fascinating. It would be wonderful to hear more about how these camera/lens movements impact your landscape photography!

[@ianiles6430]

Meg is lovely, obviously, but that image before her appearance amongst the photos at the end, was a stunner. As for the Phase One, unless they take kidneys in part exchange, I'm sticking with the Z7, but the vertical shift facility is something I've been thinking about for a while. A Fotodiox ROKR tilt-shift adaptor paired with a medium format lens is my plan.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Many thanks Ian! That sounds like a good plan 👍

[@LesliePugh-yh6cs]

Hi loved the images at the end of video really beautiful

[@johnpunnett1426]

Excellent vlog Simon - I thoroughly enjoyed. I just love your thought process & the fact that you return to locations when conditions are better. Some absolutely superb images as well - absolutely love the image at the end (prior to the Meg shots at 17.01) - defo one for the next book... :-) The 'first' cathedral image I would of dismissed just because of the branches in the middle that were crossing right across the background interest.... just shows how little I know - your retake with the light shafts at 6.40 was stunning....👍great work. Thank you

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Thank you very much, John! Glad you enjoy the images and dialogue :-)

[@davidstevenson1950]

Some lovely images here Simon. I, for one, am interested in your thoughts on the Phase One system vs your current system, for making prints. Does the greater dynamic range and resolution make a difference in your printmaking? I'm sure it does make a difference, but is it clearly evident or do you really have to look for it and would that difference disappear when viewing a print through glass and at normal viewing distances?

[@otavioleitefotografia]

Great video!

[@ellyelzinga01]

That was another great video, Simon! So interesting to see what the lightning did to the tree, I do hope the tree will survive it. But as you said, it is a big and strong tree. Also, I loved watching the difference between the different images without and with fog, it changes them completely! The light you got on the image at 6:40 is stunning, I think this is my favourite image of the day, even though I was really impressed by the other images as well!

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Thank you very much, Elly :-)

[@Floydian1311]

Nice and interesting video, Simon. The P1 is indeed a beast! Short question, what kind of pouch are you using for your Cube?

[@savagefrieze4675]

Some lovely images. I appreciate your talking about the images as you do. Since you highlighted the camera in the title I was expecting your thoughts on the camera and the images produced by the camera. The video feels like false advertising to be honest. I understand one really needs to use Capture One to get the most out of Phase One cameras and I’m wondering if that’s true. Please let us know you experience and your feelings about using the camera and about the images.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Thank you - talking as I do about the creation of woodland images is the main focus of the channel. Sorry that it fell below your expectations, but I never titled it as a review or in depth discussion. I talked about the camera more than I ever do so I think the title is fair. Mine were edited in Lightroom. Thanks.

[@larryjohnson1451]

I came across your channel 18 months ago and have found and watched all these videos. I particularly enjoy watching you select a subject and then work your way in to the composition. For more than 15 years I shot with a 6x7 systems and four or five primes. I loved the incredible detail and smoothness of the chromes and how large I could print from a 200 mb drum scan. When I finally succumbed to digital full frame shooting I missed that fine detail. I was intrigued when I saw you'd use a Phase One XT for this video and when you mentioned the shallow DOF for that lens I wondered whether you'd consider shooting to stack two or three captures to make a stunningly sharp file that might print brilliantly to 4' x 6' or more? That would be more for an institutional display probably but some who might watch this channel might do sales like that. (I did a dozen years ago.) Anyway, I'm a fan of your approach -- and always look forward to the glimpses of Meg.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Thank you very much, Larry. Yes, and focus stack would be an option assuming that movement int he leaves is minimal. A lot of storage and processing power would be needed :-) Another option would be to stitch together some images from my Sony camera or use the pixel shift feature.

[@trevorsneath4665]

How do you go back to 60Mp after seeing the detail in 150? Truly beautiful photos once again. Thanks

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Currently on 42mp, but I still love the Sony :-) Many thanks!

[@neilcole3406]

Nice music too Simon, is there anything better than a piano for woodland photography?

[@kevins8575]

I'm not so much interested in the camera, but you did talk about the vertical shift capabilities. What is your experience with tilt/shift lenses for woodlands? That sounds to me (not a woodland photographer) as a very useful tool.

[@tiziocaio8657]

How does the image quality compares to the GFX100s?

[@loooopeytunes]

It destroys the gfx completely in terms of details and dynamic range. Also the iq4 sensor is larger than gfx sensor. For versatility, the phase one wins again. Unlike mirrorless camera, you can change the digital backs and update the sensor without replacing the camera body and lens because they're interchangeable.

[@philippecarpentier801]

Bonjour Simon, Formidable coup d'œil et toujours de belles composition 👍. Après l'essai d'un Phase One, ça va être compliqué de retrouver le Nikon 😁. Merci pour ce beau travail.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Thank you very much, Philippe!

[@SD_Alias]

As expected, these are wonderful pictures by you. I would be interested to know if you see any advantages of the system compared to your 35mm camera, apart from the enormous resolution. I find the shifting very good. But i would have expected an additional tilt function with such an expensive camera. Instead of TS in camera one can work well with TS lenses on 35mm cameras. The Fuji GFX system might be a cheaper solution between the two systems. And there will soon be 2 TS lenses for it... Enjoy the time with that beast… ;)

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Thank you very much for your kind words, queries, and suggestions. Much appreciated :)

[@TheRestlsFootball]

Extremely relaxing to watch. Would tou mind sharing the name/ author of the track in the background? TIA

[@romiemiller7876]

Edit with Capture One?

[@wimscheenen3535]

Great video Simon with some excellent photos! I guess it’s fun trying out a camera like the phase one, or am I wrong?

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Many thanks! It was nice to try something new :-)

[@boristahmasian9604]

Hi Simon, great video. I am a big fan of your work. I know you mentioned at the end that you don't talk gear. However, from what I have seen on KZbin, your images from the Sony 42MP sensor look just as superb as the XT. I shoot with an A7RIV and I am totally satisfied and will print up to and beyond 40"x60". Obviously what you see on your office monitor is a different story. Are the differences that massive between your Sony 42MP and the XT? Thanks.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Many thanks, Boris! No, there's not a huge difference unless you make VERY big exhibition prints. Yes, the files are very impressive, but the 36" prints at our exhibitions from the a7r3 were very good indeed 👍

[@boristahmasian9604]

@@SimonBaxterPhotography Thank you Simon. If you ever decide to do photography in Southwestern US, let me know. I am based in Las Vegas, Nevada.

[@mikejohnston9185]

Some great compositions there Simon. I was just thinking that 'cathedral' composition would look good with some light streaming in....... and there it is! The resolution of the Phase One is astonishing - however, the lack of depth of field negates that to a degree. Obviously it's hard to judge on a video, but I noticed on the final few images, especially the one with the alien face👽that the nearest branch looked very sharp and everything else soft. The fact that there is so much detail in the plane of focus probably exacerbates the effect. That's something I would appreciate for wildlife photography (obviously not feasible with this camera) but not so much in a woodland where I like to see detail over a greater area - just my take as a hobbyist and tight@rse🤑

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Many thanks, Mike! I think if you like the camera enough then you learn to love its 'look'. I'm used to shooting for more DOF but several years ago I tended to shoot for more selective focus. There's also the option to focus stack but that's something I prefer to avoid :)

[@hamsterneckliving]

With 150 mp it seems like you blow it up to a ridiculously large size. It also feels like if you took a wider shot that you could find and crop in quite a bit if you saw smaller shots within the original shot while your processing. How big is the file size of one photo?

[@ChrisMustermann]

It’s always interesting, how “flat” a scene looks without some kind of atmosphere such as light or mist. It’s great, that you show these first shots in comparison. As a non-professional it calms me down, that it’s not always my composition that makes a shot “boring”. Sometimes it is, but sometimes it’s only the missing atmosphere

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

It depends. Sometimes I make images that really do need the atmosphere but sometimes flat is good. Obviously I love mist, but it's too easy to get hung up on mist that we miss many other opportunities that photographically have just as much merit as the atmospheric images. The lack of wow factor might make some perceive viewers perceive standard conditions as boring, which is a shame. Composition first :-)

[@ChrisMustermann]

@@SimonBaxterPhotography Good point! Here in Germany the weather is a bit monotonous most of the time and if I would wait for great conditions I spend my time waiting. One should enjoy the outdoors instead of defining the beauty of nature by the chances of a great photograph. A good shot is only a bonus…

[@c141charlie]

Questions about the Phase One: 1) Is the image quality improvement (e.g., dynamic range, color, etc.) over full frame proportional to the price increase? 2) Did the depth of field become unmanageable? 3) How are the files to edit? 4) Could you monetize the camera such that there you would see a positive return on an investment?

[@jayolson-goude9686]

LOL, driving home with wet dog… BTDT, yuck! 15:42 is stunning.

[@karimnasser9226]

I'm sure the Phase One is an amazing camera, however I doubt my 4K TV (8 MegaPixel) does it justice.

[@RobertTeague]

I assume you have tilts and swings on that body. Aperture is only one way to set your depth of field, you can also tilt the lens plane (or if the camera allows, the film plane). Jack Dykinga's "Large Format Nature Photography (sadly, no longer in print) is one of the best resources for that type of photography. Joe Cornish is a master at this, so pick his brains.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

No tilt and swing on the XT but that wouldn't really work for my style and the perspectives I tend to shoot at anyway. Joe uses a different setup with the digital back. He doesn't typically use tilt and swing in the woods either but I'll check :-). Cheers!

[@lostmonkey5540]

Very interesting video as usual and you got some lovely images out of it. Probably going to get downvoted for this but I don't think letting your dog explore the forest off-leash is setting a good example. Plenty of studies show the negative impact dogs have on wildlife in nature areas - especially when off-leash.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

I respect that and take your point. However, I know my dog and the woodlands I photograph incredibly well. Her impact is less than my own as her footprint is lighter and she's never hurt any wildlife. Her presence goes unnoticed but I see my own, which is why I don't revisit the same spots too often. She invariably stays very close, but I will remain mindful :)

[@lostmonkey5540]

@@SimonBaxterPhotography @Simon Baxter I don't doubt your repect for nature. Mostly my worry is that when you (and several other popular photogs on YT) are seen with dogs off-leash in nature areas it will make it seem more acceptable to people who might not be as mindful and keep their dog close. I guess in some areas that is probably ok but it can be highly damaging in others - even when it seems that the dogs goes mostly unnoticed.

[@gkalantzes329]

Great work as usual Simon. Please don't sell out to gear sponsorships! That camera in the US is $60k. Lenses run &11k. That's way out of reach for 95% + of photographers out there. No interest in hearing any more about it.

[@SimonBaxterPhotography]

Thank you. Never going to happen. I didn't get paid for this, I simply borrowed the camera which was interesting to try :)