An Essential Landscape Photography Lens?

Summary

In this video, the host explores the unconventional use of a shallow depth of field with a 35mm f14 lens for landscape photography, challenging traditional wide-angle, high f-stop techniques. They visit South Stack Lighthouse, experimenting with different lenses and apertures to demonstrate how shallow depth of field can enhance storytelling in photos without distracting from the subject. The video also highlights the importance of lens quality when shooting wide open and the impact of focal length on depth of field, concluding that while not ideal for all scenarios, this approach can yield striking and engaging images.

Takeaways

• 🎥 The video is sponsored by Squarespace, offering a discount for website creation with the code 'james'.
• 📸 The main theme of the video is exploring the use of a 35mm f/14 lens for landscape photography, challenging conventional wide-angle, high f-stop techniques.
• 🌄 The video features a photoshoot at South Stack Lighthouse, a location visited earlier in the year under different conditions.
• 🔍 The creator discusses the storytelling aspect of shallow depth of field in photography and how it can be used effectively in landscape shots.
• 🏠 The video includes interactions with a viewer named John, who also has a YouTube channel, and mentions of using different lenses like 20mm and 70-200mm.
• 🌅 The creator anticipates a potentially dramatic sunset but notes that cloud conditions might affect the outcome.
• 🌾 The use of out-of-focus elements, such as huts and wildflowers, is highlighted as a way to frame the subject without distraction.
• 📷 The importance of leading lines in landscape photography is acknowledged, with examples of how they guide the viewer's eye to the subject.
• 🌆 The video demonstrates the use of different lenses and apertures during the golden hour and blue hour, emphasizing the creative possibilities of shooting wide open.
• 📚 A reminder is given about the quality of lenses at wide-open apertures, noting that cheaper lenses may not perform as well and that high-quality lenses are sharp even at f/1.4 or f/2.8.
• 🌉 The video concludes with a recap of the benefits of using wide apertures in certain landscape photography scenarios and a call to appreciate the depth of field provided by wide-angle lenses.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video?

The main theme of the video is exploring the use of shallow depth of field in landscape photography, challenging the conventional approach of using narrow apertures for maximum depth of field.

What lens did the photographer buy and why did it receive mixed reactions?

The photographer bought a 35mm f/14 lens from Sony. It received mixed reactions because many people consider landscape photography to be a prescriptive endeavor that typically involves using wide-angle lenses with narrow apertures for depth of field, making the f/14 lens seem unconventional.

What is the conventional approach to landscape photography mentioned in the script?

The conventional approach involves going to a location with a tripod, setting up a camera with a wide-angle lens at f/16, using the base ISO, and focusing to ensure everything is in focus, possibly using focus stacking if necessary.

Why did the photographer choose to shoot at South Stack Lighthouse?

The photographer chose South Stack Lighthouse because they had previously visited it under epic conditions and wanted to experiment with shooting exclusively at f/14 to see how it would affect the landscape photography.

What other lenses did the photographer use in addition to the 35mm f/14?

In addition to the 35mm f/14, the photographer also used a 20mm lens that only goes to f/18 and a 70-200mm lens, which only goes to f/28, both shot wide open.

What is the significance of using shallow depth of field in storytelling for photographers?

Shallow depth of field is significant in storytelling as it allows photographers to include elements in the image that do not distract from the subject, helping to convey more about the scene without drawing attention away from the main focus.

How does the photographer use the huts in the landscape to their advantage?

The photographer uses huts as framing tools when using shallow depth of field, throwing them out of focus so they do not distract from the subject, which in this case is the lighthouse.

What is the photographer's opinion on the use of leading lines in landscape photography?

The photographer believes that while leading lines can be overused, they can work brilliantly to guide the viewer's eye to the subject, especially when combined with shallow depth of field.

What challenges does the photographer face when shooting at different times of the day?

The photographer faces challenges such as changing light conditions, the need to adjust composition to avoid including uninteresting or messy foreground elements in focus, and the desire to capture dynamic elements like birds flying through the scene.

What advice does the photographer give regarding shooting wide open with different lenses?

The photographer advises that shooting wide open can work well with good quality lenses, but not all lenses perform optimally at their widest aperture. They also note that the usefulness of a wide-open shot depends on the focal length and the distance of the subject from the camera.

What is the importance of the赞助商Squarespace in the video?

Squarespace is the sponsor of the video, and the photographer thanks them for their continued support. Squarespace is highlighted as a platform suitable for anyone wanting to showcase their work online, including photographers, designers, and others, without needing technical knowledge.

Outlines

00:00

📷 Exploring Shallow Depth of Field in Landscape Photography

The speaker expresses gratitude to Squarespace for sponsoring the video and offers a discount for their services. They discuss their recent purchase of a 35mm f14 lens from Sony, which sparked debate on social media due to its unconventional choice for landscape photography. Traditionally, landscape photographers use wide-angle lenses at small apertures for maximum depth of field. However, the speaker advocates for the creative use of shallow depth of field to enhance storytelling in photography. They share their experience shooting at South Stack Lighthouse with various lenses, all at their widest apertures, to demonstrate the artistic potential of this technique. The speaker also discusses the weather conditions and their hopes for a dramatic sunset, which adds a layer of anticipation to the narrative.

05:00

🌅 Creative Framing and Depth of Field in Sunset Photography

The speaker continues their discussion on the use of shallow depth of field, emphasizing how it can be employed to include elements in a photo that add context without distracting from the main subject. They provide examples from their shoot, such as using strands of grass to lead the viewer's eye to the moon and a boat, and how these elements enhance the scene's depth. The speaker also touches on the challenges of shooting with a wider lens, like the 20mm, and the need to get closer to the subject to achieve the desired depth of field. They experiment with different compositions, using a wall and a banister as leading lines to guide the viewer's attention to the lighthouse. The speaker acknowledges the conventional wisdom of landscape photography while advocating for the exploration of alternative techniques.

10:00

🌉 Night Photography and the Role of Fast Lenses

As the video progresses into the blue hour, the speaker discusses the advantages of fast lenses in low-light conditions. They mention their ability to shoot at wide apertures with minimal noise due to the high-quality lenses they use. The speaker also corrects a misconception about the depth of field at different focal lengths and apertures, using PhotoPills to illustrate the point. They capture a shot of the unnamed white building with dramatic cloud formations and the coastal landscape, highlighting the creative possibilities of night photography. The speaker concludes by reiterating the importance of lens quality when shooting wide open and the impact of focal length on depth of field, encouraging viewers to consider these factors in their own landscape photography.

Keywords

💡Shallow Depth of Field

Shallow depth of field refers to a photographic technique where a lens is set to a wide aperture, resulting in a narrow zone of sharp focus while the rest of the image is blurred. In the video, the creator uses this technique to emphasize the subject of the photo, such as the lighthouse, by blurring the background and foreground elements that could potentially distract from the main focus.

💡Landscape Photography

Landscape photography is a genre of photography that captures natural scenery and the environment. The video discusses the traditional approach to this genre, which often involves using a narrow aperture (like f/16) for maximum depth of field. However, the creator challenges this norm by using a wide aperture (f/1.4) to achieve a different artistic effect.

💡Sony 35mm f/14 Lens

The Sony 35mm f/14 lens is a specific piece of photographic equipment mentioned in the script. It's a lens with a wide aperture, which is typically used for low-light conditions or to create a shallow depth of field. The creator purchased this lens to experiment with unconventional landscape photography techniques.

💡Framing Tools

Framing tools in photography refer to elements within a scene that can be used to draw attention to the main subject. In the video, the creator uses huts and walls as framing tools to focus the viewer's attention on the lighthouse, utilizing shallow depth of field to keep the subject sharp while the frame is slightly blurred.

💡Leading Lines

Leading lines are a compositional technique used in photography and art to direct a viewer's gaze into the image. In the video, the creator mentions using a banister and a wall as leading lines to guide the viewer's eye towards the lighthouse, which is the main subject of the photographs.

💡Wide-Angle Lens

A wide-angle lens is a type of lens that provides a wider field of view than a standard lens. In the video, the creator uses a 20mm wide-angle lens to capture more of the scene, which is particularly useful when shooting landscapes or when the subject is far away.

💡Blue Hour

Blue hour refers to the period of twilight during dawn and dusk when the sky takes on a blue hue. The creator mentions capturing a 'blue hour' shot, which is a technique used to take advantage of the soft, blue light to create a moody and atmospheric photograph.

💡Telephoto Lens

A telephoto lens is a lens with a long focal length that is used for capturing distant subjects with a narrower angle of view. In the video, the creator uses a telephoto lens to focus on the lighthouse, isolating it from the rest of the scene and capturing the pastel colors in the background.

💡Focus Stacking

Focus stacking is a technique used in photography to increase the depth of field by taking multiple photos at different focus points and then combining them in post-processing. The video mentions this technique in the context of landscape photography, where everything is often desired to be in focus.

💡Squarespace

Squarespace is a website building and hosting platform that provides tools for creating websites with ease. The video script mentions Squarespace as a sponsor, highlighting its use for photographers, designers, and other professionals to showcase their work online without needing technical knowledge.

💡ISO

ISO in photography refers to the sensitivity of the camera's sensor to light. A lower ISO, like ISO 100 mentioned in the script, is used in well-lit conditions to reduce noise in the image. The creator adjusts the ISO depending on the lighting conditions to achieve the desired exposure.

Highlights

Introduction of a sponsored video by Squarespace with a discount offer for viewers.

Purchase of a 35mm f14 lens by Sony and the controversial nature of using it for landscape photography.

Discussion on the traditional approach to landscape photography and the challenge to conventional norms.

Use of shallow depth of field as a storytelling tool in photography.

Photographer's visit to South Stack Lighthouse and the decision to exclusively shoot at f14.

Misinformation corrected about the depth of field at different apertures and focal lengths.

Use of huts as framing tools in landscape photography with shallow depth of field.

The impact of shooting at different times of the day on photography composition.

Technique of using wildflowers and a building in the background with a shallow depth of field.

Explanation of how shallow depth of field can enhance the storytelling aspect of an image.

Example of using grass strands and the moon to draw attention to a subject.

Use of a 20mm lens for wider angle shots and the importance of subject distance for depth of field.

Discussion on the use of leading lines in landscape photography and their role in directing the viewer's eye.

The photographer's strategy for shooting during the blue hour and the challenges of low light conditions.

The importance of lens quality when shooting wide open for landscape photography.

Consideration of focal length and its effect on depth of field in different shooting scenarios.

Conclusion on the effectiveness of using wide apertures in landscape photography for certain compositions.

Acknowledgment of the sponsor Squarespace and its features for showcasing creative work online.

Transcripts

a big thank you to squarespace for

sponsoring this week's video if you need

a website or a domain go to

squarespace.com forward slash james for

10 off your first purchase

hello everybody i hope you're all well a

few weeks ago i bought this lens which

is a 35mm f14 from sony and i mentioned

i'd done so on my instagram stories and

a few people said what earth have you

done that for that that's ridiculous and

predominantly the reason they said that

was that for a lot of people landscape

photography is quite like a prescriptive

endeavor

basically you go somewhere with an ice

for you you put your tripod up you stick

your camera on top of that tripod with a

wide angle lens attached set that lens

to f16 shoot with the bass iso and hope

that you get everything in focus and if

you don't then you focus stack and that

represents landscape photography and i

think that's absolutely fine but i also

think that shallow depth of field is one

of the best tools we have as

photographers for storytelling so this

week i went to south stack lighthouse

which i last visited in january of this

year when conditions were epic and i

decided to shoot exclusively the f14 as

i did a couple of months ago in another

video

and actually that's not true i also use

my 20ml that i'm filming this on right

now and that only goes to f18

and i also used as you'll see my my

70-200 which only goes to f28 but i shot

wide open on all my lenses and i don't

know if i made any kind of point with uh

what i shot but i had a lot of fun so

here's how i got on

right there i don't want to speak too

soon but i think we might get super

lucky here as you can see out to see

where the sun is going to set

over there in just over an hour's time

there is no cloud at all but above me

see if i can show you

there's kind of dispersed high cloud and

it's heading out to sea so so long as it

doesn't catch the setting sun

i think

hopefully it'll all glow

i might have just jinxed it though

[Music]

so the thing is as you know like when

you're making a video you have to think

about everything other than photography

so much

i know exactly whether it's such a pain

yeah i've just bumped into john

who has seen some of the videos and he

has a youtube channel too so i'll link

him we've got a treat tonight i think

well what's epic

about huts like that is they make for

fantastic framing tools

when you're using

shallow depth of field because

you can throw them out of focus so

they're not distracting

for your subject which in this case is

obviously the lighthouse but

as i say they work brilliant as a frame

even

if they're completely out of focus so

that worked pretty well but now

i'm going to shoot

down here because

last time i was here as i mentioned in

january i was shooting sort of up

further by the hut really and the other

side of the hut because the sun was

setting kind of over there now that was

over three months ago as you can see the

sun is now gonna set on this side of the

lighthouse so i think the the staircase

leading down to the lighthouse

will give me some more opportunities for

uh half decent shots i think

could be wrong

but let's at least go and find out

my word i don't know if you can hear

these birds down here

i'm making a racket

uh right first off apologies for the

shadow of the tripod in this clip

you can imagine how much that pains me

but uh this is quite a nice scene i

think and you've got these wildflowers

in the foreground and then the the

building

in the background i can't be more

specific than that i don't know what it

is now if i was to shoot this at f-16 i

think you'd get a reasonably pleasant

shot two-thirds of a stop underexposed

to protect the whites of the building

you get that but the trouble is as you

might be able to tell that there are

patches of dirt

around the uh the wildflowers and that

foreground is actually just a bit messy

i mean it's nice enough to be included

as a foreground but i don't think it's

nice enough to be included in focus so

f1 4

i think

we're gonna get a slightly better result

let's have a go

[Music]

yeah

i think that's a bit nicer

i don't know that that's really the best

example of what shallow depth of field

can can do for your image so here's one

from nubra a couple of videos ago and i

think this displays my point much much

better so the whole point as far as i'm

concerned of using shallow depth of

field is that you can include stuff

within your image that doesn't distract

from the subject so it tells you more

about your scene without throwing your

focus away from what you should be

looking at and in fact on top of not

distracting you sometimes it can help

draw attention to your subject so here

for example you've got these two strands

of grass and the moon in between them

and it's slightly embarrassing just how

many shots it took me to achieve that

but i think it works quite well and

likewise a lot of these strands of grass

are pointing towards the boat and the

lighthouse and i think they give you a

much deeper sense of what's happening in

the scene than if they weren't there and

if they were there but in focus i think

they'd throw your attention away from

the subject so i think this is a much

better example of what i'm trying to

talk about

yeah

okay this is a wider angle shot so i'm

going to use the 20 as opposed to the 35

and what's tricky with the 20 is that

because it's a wider lens the stuff you

want to throw out of focus has to be

closer basically so i'm going to try and

use this wall

to uh emphasize

shallow depth of field something like

this

i think that might look quite nice

maybe something from here too

although i'll get down a little bit

lower to make sure this banister doesn't

get in the way of those wild flowers

down here so something like

from here

so i'll go with that

don't want to include massive amounts of

the sky because uh currently

there's nothing going on

in the sky these clouds are kind of

dispersing before they get anywhere near

the horizon

which might mean it's going to be a

little bit less dramatic

of a sunset than i thought initially

but that's okay uh now i'm a little bit

conscious that by way of making this

video i sound like i'm being negative

about all conventional landscape

photography advice and i don't mean that

to be the case despite the fact that i

hate tripods i think most

photography advice landscape photography

advice

is very sensible including

constant talk of leading lines which

i think maybe gets a bit overused but

here

well

i think there's an option

or a couple of options

with this banister

yeah that one

right well there's a few shots here

this banister works brilliantly

as a leading line to the lighthouse as

does this wall to be honest

something like

and again even at 20 mil you're getting

just enough of a shallow depth of field

to know immediately where your eye is

supposed to be looking and that that's

the lighthouse so the leading line helps

but the yet the shallow depth of field

helps

take your eye to the lighthouse too

okay well the light

is starting to soften

just a touch we are

well

five minutes something like that from

sunset and i'm conscious of going too

much lower because i don't want the the

lighthouse to break the horizon so i've

just put the telephoto on to get a nice

shot

of the lighthouse and nothing else maybe

with the pastels

in the background

obviously i won't be shooting at f 1.4

with my uh

70-200 but i will shoot f28 to kind of

continue the theme

and doing so gives us something like

this

not quite as exotic as f14 but uh

still nice

get a shot of the sun as well

a little bit away from the theme of the

video but actually f2a in terms of depth

of field at 70 or 135 is very similar to

f14 at 35 mil

guessing a little bit there but roughly

going on to photo pills turns out i was

completely wrong so at 70 mil 200 meters

away at f28 the the near plane is 45

meters and 135 mil it's just over 100

meters whereas at 35 mil f1 4 is 25

meters so

i was completely wrong quite a useful

tool this though

okay then first blue hour shot

and i'm going 20 mil it's basically

the uh the white building that we're yet

to name

amazing clouds up above it and these

layers of cliffs

dropping down into the water down there

which is

despite the fact there's no swell

causing a bit of kind of

white water

i mean not a huge amount of white water

is it really but uh

i've mentioned it now well this is where

really fast lenses tend to come into

their own when it when it goes dark and

right now i can shoot at

let's have a look

250th of a second

at iso 100 and it's basically dark i'm

not too fussed this time of day about

foreground interest anymore because

there's no light shining on it so

everything in the foreground is

basically just dark what i am interested

in is waiting to see if a flock of birds

flies through that pink sky

past the lighthouse

although the amount of my life i've

waited for things like that to happen

is not good

one last shot of this building i don't

know the name of

and now i'm gonna go back up towards

that hut

because i'm dissatisfied with blue arrow

so far

[Music]

don't ask me why

i like the look of this telegraph pole

let's

let's shoot that quickly

uh yes so there we have it there was

some photoshop

wide open landscape photos and i i think

largely they worked quite well a word on

shooting wide open though i'm very lucky

to have very good quality lenses i mean

this lens wide open is absolutely

ridiculously sharp and actually the same

goes for my 70-200 f28 the sharpness

wide open it's unbelievable and not all

lenses are like that if you pick up a

very cheap 50 ml lens and it can shoot

f18 chances are at f18 it won't be

particularly sharp so that is often

something to bear in mind if you if

you're hoping to shoot wide open is that

you often won't get the best optical

performance wide open unless you spend a

lot of money on lenses which

i can do because my job but yeah that's

that's worth noting i suppose and the

other thing i would say about shooting

wide open is that a lot when it comes to

landscape photography depends on the

focal length and so for instance if

you're shooting at 135 mil at f18 that's

not particularly useful in lots of

circumstances for landscape photography

because hardly anything is in focus so

if you're shooting in bluehour for

instance and you've got an f18 lens

shooting at 135 mil there are probably

quite a few use cases for that however

the reverse of that is that a 20 mil so

this lens if i'm shooting at f18 then

providing my subject is 10 meters away

or over then everything behind my

subject will be in focus which means in

blue hour i can shoot with this lens

wide open knowing that pretty much

everything is still in focus and i don't

think people really appreciate that i

think a lot of the time regardless of

focal length people think you need to be

shooting at f8 or f11 to have lots of

stuff in focus but if you've got a

wide-angle lens that's not the case

anyway yes hopefully that was

interesting i also made another video

this week uh just a midweek editing tips

video so i'll link that in the

description and a big thank you also to

the sponsor of this week's video

squarespace so if you're a photographer

or a designer or a mechanic or a cook or

anybody who makes anything and you want

to show your work to the world

squarespace is a fantastic solution so

perhaps you've got a portfolio or a blog

maybe you want an online store maybe you

want some newsletters in any case

squarespace has got you covered and you

don't need any technical knowledge at

all i've used squarespace for well over

five years now i don't know a single

line of code and i've never had to lots

of squarespace is drag and drop it's

incredibly customizable then even

someone like me can do it so if you're

looking to showcase your work online i

wouldn't look any further than

squarespace and you can check out

squarespace with a free trial by going

to squarespace.com and after that if

you'd like to make a purchase just go to

squarespace.com james and you'll get 10

percent off your first purchase so a big

thank you to quest space for the

continued support of this channel and

thank you to you for watching hopefully

it was interesting and uh i shall be

going back to to south stack soon i

think because i love that location well

the next time i'll probably allow myself

a few more aperture options it's not

ideal for everything but my point is it

works quite well for some stuff