Q&A December 2023
Hello and welcome to the December 2023 Q&A blog. You asked a bunch of questions and here I will answer as many as I can.
Gear
Do you use lens filters and why (not) and if yes which ones?
I use the Urth magnetic system and mostly use ND for video. Sometimes I might use a CPL if I have reflections I need to remove but it’s rare. I might use ND in daylight if I want to slow the shutter down too.
All Ricoh GR Questions
I purchased one a while back but after a day of using it, really didn’t like the experience and thought it felt a little cheap. If I want to use a proper camera, the XT5 is ideal. If I want a pocket camera, nothing beats the iPhone 15 Pro.
Best Budget Fuji Zoom?
Sigma 18-50 f2.8
In your opinion what's the best hybrid camera on the market now?
I can only comment on what I have used. I would say either the Fujifilm XH2s or the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
All Leica questions
I briefly tried a Q3 and it seemed like an amazing camera. I can see why they re so popular and if I had to have one fixed lens camera for travel, it would be the Q3.
Would you rather have a smaller lens or a great quality lens?
It depends on purpose. For backpacking give me size. For a big personal or client shoot I will take quality.
Budget friendly Fuji camera?
Depends on the budget but I will take a good used XT3 or XS10.
Which lenses would you bring, for a long hiking trip over several days?
I would want to have a lens for documenting the hike but also a lens that allows me to zoom into the scenery and get great telephoto shots. I would personally bring a 35mm and something between 85mm and 135mm. If you’re unsure, a 24-70.
All questions regarding what gear I use
https://www.snapsbyfox.com/my-gear
If u had money to buy one lens what would it be?
If it’s just one lens for the rest of my life then a 24-70 f2.8 for sure.
How do you set your white balance?
Full auto unless I can see it’s struggling. If the camera is struggling I can either lock it or put it into 4700ish. Of course shooting in raw means I can change it later.
Can you make any lens work in most situations if you get creative ie a 75mm lens for city?
Yeah you can make a lens work but whether you will walk away with what you want is a different story. I would avoid forcing a lens on a specific location. Some places simply don’t work with a 75 and require a 35.
Will I switch to another brand and if so which one?
I have no plans on switching camera brands as in my opinion it’s a waste of time and money given that what I have now works perfectly for me. If Fuji disappeared tomorrow and I had to switch it would be to Leica. Although the other brands like Sony, Canon and Nikon offer more value for money, I find them incredibly dull.
When I travel I remote backup to keep my shots safe, what company do you use for your backup?
I always have two physical copies. One on laptop and one on SSD. If I can I upload the photos to Lightroom Cloud but it’s not always possible depending on internet. iCloud does everything else.
Do you use Fuji recipes often?
No, never actually. I messed around with them once last summer but overall didn’t like the process and prefer to shoot raw.
Can Fujifilm xt4 be used for professional photography for work?
Yes.
Other than Fujifilm lenses, have you tried brands like sigma and tamron?
Yeah but always found native fuji lenses to be the best.
What's your take on the 180 degree shutter rule? Bullshit or nah these days?
If you’re filming a static scene then it’s not gonna make a huge difference. But for anything with movement, it pains me to say that it’s not BS and the difference is clear.
F2 or F1.4 primes?
If 50% or more of your photography is at night, get the 1.4. if less, get the f2.
What is the aperture number you use the most?
Most of the time I’m between 2.8 and 5.6.
Which lens would you more likely to bring to travel - 90 f2 or 50140 f2.8?
If I am going somewhere like Iceland, then 50-140. If a city then the 90 for sure.
I've been learning the basics on an XT1, but I'm reaching a ceiling in crop & quality. Recc for upgrade?
XT3 or XS10
Excited about buyin my first Fuji camera, any things I should be aware of?
Buy with the 16-80 kit lens. Saves you a lot of money and the 16-80 is an amazing backup lens for the future.
What do you think about the use of zoom lenses for street photography?
They are awesome for the job if you don’t mind a bigger / heavier package.
Can only use one focal length for the rest of your life, which one would it be?
35mm (full frame) on a high resolution sensor so I can crop.
Ever considered using flash in street photography?
No way. Anyone who fires flashes in random peoples faces can get in the bin.
What's your take on the GFX lineup for street photography?
Pointless. Too big, too heavy and too expensive. They are designed for commercial work. It’s a bit like trying to hammer a 1cm nail with a sledge hammer.
Photography
Do you find yourself pursuing a certain "theme" or "story" when you go out to capture photos?
Very rarely and can’t remember last time I did that. My photography is mostly reactive and I just go for a nice walk and see what I can get.
I've decided to get back into photography after a break but I'm scared I'm not good enough.
Good enough for what or who? I think you need to focus more on the process of photography and not the result.
How do you know if your photo is good?
If there is a clear subject or reason for someone to look at it. If it’s visually pleasing. If it makes you asks questions. Above all if you like it.
What do you do when you're lacking inspiration, what gives you inspiration?
Usually means I’m close to burnout and need to slow down. Best way to deal with it is to focus on exercise and health. Second best thing is to book a trip to a place you’ve never visited before. Third thing is to browse some photo books.
How should I start pursuing my passion for photography?
By going out and taking photos…
How do you get comfortable getting up close to strangers when taking street photos?
I don’t and can count on one hand how many close up photos I have. I think getting close in peoples space is disrespectful and it’s something I avoid as much as possible.
What drives you to keep interested in street photography?
I don’t have a specific interest in street photography as a genre. Matter of fact I don’t like 90% of street photography. I like to take photos of daily life and document my travels. Be it in NYC or in the Scottish Highlands. To answer your question, at this moment I don’t have any real interest in the street photography niche. As for what drives me, being able to travel, see different places and photograph them.
Do you start a shooting day on the street off with a specific goal or just open mind?
Always an open mind.
How to take good pic in foggy days?
Slightly overexpose (+0.6ish), set the camera to AF-S and be ready to switch to manual focus if the fog is really thick. Other practices still apply such as composition and finding sources of light.
Do you have periods of time in which you don't make good photos/feel stuck?
Of course!
How long did u take to find a solid style in composing and post and wich was the process?
Around 5-6 years.
How do you know if your photos are improving?
When you start taking less photos and the scenes you found interesting a couple years ago no longer have the same appeal. When you become more picky and when the photos you once thought were amazing are just average now.
What are your top tips for anonymizing your street subjects?
Silhouettes are the best way.
Is there some thing you did that skyrocketed your improving in photo?
Shooting as often as possible - 2-3 times per week.
Do you crop your photos?
All the time. Probably 5% of my photos are not cropped.
Travel
What's the best hidden gem to visit and photograph in London?
In the summer I would visit Richmond and Richmond Park. If you want something more built up, The Barbican is awesome. Neither are hidden gems but they are great.
What are your true thoughts about Madrid? Did you find it beautiful/ photogenic or meh?
Madrid is a great base to travel from if you have a car. There are plenty of amazing small towns, villages and incredible nature a short drive away. As for Madrid itself I thought it was ok for photography but I wouldn’t go there specifically to shoot.
Will you visit “insert location name” anytime soon?
I’d love to visit everywhere but time is of course limited. So yeah for sure, one day.
How long did it take to recover from food poisoning and how to manage while travelling?
The most recent one only took 24 hours before I could function again and 3 days before I felt 100%. Some take a little longer but on average 2-5 days. I always make sure to travel with various tablets for stomach issues and rehydration sachets. Best way to manage it is to avoid it by always washing hands, avoiding meat or raw vegetables and being extra careful where you eat and what you touch. However you can only be so careful and it’s a matter of luck. The more you travel the higher the risk.
All questions regarding where I plan to visit in 2024
Focus is on Asia and Europe in the summer.
What are the qualities of a city that make it better/ worse for street photography?
If I am travelling with the sole purpose of taking photos then the main quality is how walkable a city is. I want to be able to walk everywhere without needing a car or public transport. Secondly I want to make sure photography is actually allowed and is not heavily restricted. So you might find NYC much more suited to photography compared to Dubai for the reasons mentioned.
I'm soon traveling to Lisbon / Porto. What places do you recommend for photography?
You can find all travel blogs here and both of them are a little further down https://www.snapsbyfox.com/blog/category/Travel
Business
How do you know it was time chance from hobby to a business?
You never do. I waited till I was making about 50% of my monthly day job income before jumping. It’s always a risk but nothing interesting or worthwhile in life happens without taking risks.
How did I start as a photographer and where does most of my income from from?
Most of my income comes from YouTube and my own products. There is video on this coming soon. I started by sharing my work and process online while doing odd freelance jobs for cash while I had a 9-5 day job.
How did you become a travel photographer? | think it's a really good occupation.
I am not a travel photographer per se as I don’t really shoot for travel brands on a freelance basis. I’m a travelling photographer more like. I shoot for myself / social media and make a living from making products around photography and sharing my journey online.
What event made you realize your photography could turn from a hobby into a paying, full time job?
When I started to make around 25% of my day job income. There is no specific event, just slow steady progress over the years.
Other
What were your inspirations to create your current photo publishing cycle on IG?
None, I just share whenever I have something to share.
How to edit soft look in photoshop?
https://www.snapsbyfox.com/blog/how-to-get-the-soft-look-in-photos
What or who is inspiring you recently?
Knowing how fortunate I am to be from a safe part of the world and have the freedoms that many people right now can only dream of. Knowing how finite and fragile life can be is the only inspiration I need to wake up and make the most of every day.
With a fairly large following do you feel pressured to constantly upload new videos?
Not at all. If anything the bigger my following gets, the less I want to share in general.
Based on which criteria do you rate your own photos. Let's say like 1-5 stars in LR?
5 = Portfolio best of the best
4 = Good photo
3 = Acceptable
2 = OK to use as a filler somewhere
1 = OK for backgrounds
Do you do photography full time? If so what are some of the best lessons/tips on how to monetize it?
Yeah I do. First of all is you need to find a niche and get good at it. Then work out whether you want to do freelance or build an audience online around your work.
