The Himalayas are home to the world’s greatest mountains and, unsurprisingly, also some of the world’s most stunning and highest roads. In particular, the northwestern Ladakh region of India is a famous destination that’s home to the world’s highest motorable roads. For that reason, it’s a top-of-mind international motorcycle riding destination, and from my own experience, it absolutely lives up to the hype. But how do you prepare for such an adventure?
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Tips For Becoming A Successful Photographer
Photography has never been more popular—with greater than ever access to great cameras in both smartphones and mirrorless cameras, among others, so many people have picked up the hobby. But when it comes to turning pro as a photographer, it takes much more than just being able to click the shutter at the right moment. So here are a few tips to help you become a successful photographer:
#1 You Need To Have A Passion For Photography
This may seem like an obvious one, but it is essential. You need to have a genuine passion for photography if you want to be successful. It takes more than just taking pretty pictures. You must be passionate about learning new techniques, experimenting with different styles, and constantly improving your craft. The best photographers I know cannot help but shoot—it is their obsession, whether at work or in their free time.
#2 You Need To Be Willing To Invest In Your Craft
Investment can mean a lot of things when it comes to photography. It can mean investing in better equipment, taking courses to improve your skills, or even just investing your time into learning more about photography. Whatever form investment takes, you need to be willing to do it if you want to stand out amongst a sea of skilled hobbyists all with access to the same tools and information. Invest in the best you can reasonably afford to begin with, and then gradually build from there are you discover what you’re passionate about AND what people hire you for.
#3 You Need To Be Willing To Network
Networking is a huge part of any career, and photography is no different. Get out there and meet other photographers, attend workshops and conferences, and just generally get your name out there. The more people you know in the industry, the better your chances of finding success. But don’t be a phony social butterfly, always looking at how people can serve you. The best way to network is to be genuinely interested and to be generous with your time, knowledge, and effort. Show people you are reliable, hardworking, interesting, and always open to improvement, without expecting anything in return, and they will eventually open doors for you.
#4 You Need To Be Mobile
As a photographer, you need to be willing to travel. Events, photo shoots, and even just vacations will often require you to be away from home. The truth is the best photos often require some effort to reach and you need to be willing to make the journey.
A reliable, practical car is a huge help to carry all your gear and get around. But this is a huge investment that you need to be smart about—if you need to buy a car, check out websites edmunds that can help you pick the right car for you and get the best deal for it.
#5 You Need To Be Creative
Many of us focus on being technically sound, spending hours upon hours watching tutorials on both shooting and post-processing. But there is no shortage of skilled photographers out there, so you need to find a way to stand: Be creative with your shots, editing, and overall photography approach. Consistently practice your eye, try to see what the way you see and photograph things distinct, and lean on that. Pour the passion into it, as we said in #1, and often, creativity will follow.
#6 You Need To Be Professional
This matters just as much as being able to snap great pictures consistently (shameless plug hehe). You need to be professional if you want to be a successful photographer. That means being punctual, polite, and respectful to your clients. It also means having a strong portfolio that you can show off to potential clients. You should be a pleasure to work with while also being able to hold your own amidst client demands and feedback.
Furthermore, teach yourself or ask help when it comes to administrative, accounting, and general business matters. You need to keep the lights on to keep the passion alive.
These are just a few tips to help you become a successful photographer. But remember, becoming a successful photographer takes time, dedication, and hard work. So don't get discouraged if you don't see results right away. Just keep working at it, and eventually, you'll get there.
From Clueless to Content Creator: A Guide For Beginners!
Excited to share that I’ve launched my first-ever online course on Skillshare! Check out the video above for a preview of what you’ll learn in this beginner-friendly course on the fundamentals of creating quality content that attracts and builds an audience.
Sign up for Skillshare Premium FREE for 14 days and check out my course here! https://skl.sh/3uqNOvj
FROM CLUELESS TO CONTENT CREATOR goes over:
THE QUALITIES OF GREAT VIDEOS
- The single crucial element every successful video needs to have
- Identifying the value you want to bring--and why that is crucial
- Why having a point of view is far more important than production value
- What skills to work on and dive deeper into
- Gear and tools - what you ACTUALLY need to invest in
- Case studies in each lesson to illustrate the principles being discussed
PRE-PRODUCTION
- Effective planning and pre-production and the impact it can have on your content
- Practical video script structure for maximum engagement
PRODUCTION AND POST-PRODUCTION
- Tips for shooting high-quality video
- Tips for being great on camera
- Top tips for a better edit
- How to share your video and eventually build an audience
- Success as a creator and why building a huge audience isn’t necessary
Video creators at any level can benefit from this course, whether you’re just starting out or have experience but need refocus on what really matters.
Hope to see you there! Drop me a message or comment anywhere if you need help accessing it or want to give or get helpful feedback!
6 Great Tips For New Budding Photographers!
As a person working professionally with cameras, I’m asked often by beginners how to get into photography. It may seem intimidating at first when you don’t have any experience under your belt and you compare yourself to your idols on Instagram, but not to worry—the main thing you need is time and practice! Here are 6 top tips for any new budding photographer looking to get to the next level in their photography!
You don’t need to spend a lot!
Being a photographer, you will need a camera, but you don’t need to buy the latest and the greatest. A cheap DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) or mirrorless camera is a small and easy to handle camera and works best for amateur photographers. These large sensor cameras, from the cheapest to the most expensive, mostly take pictures of very similar quality, and by paying much more you are paying for more features geared for expert/professional use, not necessarily image quality. In other words: start with a good APS-C sensor camera and shoot away! Start here and work your way up as you learn more about photography.
Composition hack: Use the rule of thirds.
This is one of the first things you’ll learn in photography class. This is basically where you divide your shot up with two vertical lines and two horizontal lines, creating a grid of nine evenly sized boxes. You can use this “grid” to help take your shot by dividing everything between those boxes. It’s an easy shortcut to creating compelling compositions, and you can play with the rules (and break them!) as your confidence increases and you develop your eye.
Speaking of which, you may want to have your eyes tested when entering the world of photography. While your camera is the object creating the shot, it helps if you can see well to begin with to capture the shot you were after.
Always keep your camera on you.
We’ve all had those moments where we wish that we had our camera to take a picture of something weird and wonderful that you’ve stumbled upon. Keeping your camera on you all of the time solves that problem. You’ll find yourself taking pictures of random things, and that’s great! Over time, as you shoot and review your images over and over, you’ll begin to notice what catches your eye, how the light in real life becomes represented on camera, how you could have shot a subject better, and more.
Don’t worry about finding the perfect shot.
The truth is, finding that pinnacle moment is unlikely, especially when you’re just starting. And the best photographers in the world have thousands of images they’ve shot and not ever shown to anyone else in order to get the tiny handful of perfect shots. So don’t be afraid to take pictures of objects that seem a little boring to begin with! Take a fresh look at your everyday surroundings. You may find a particular shot with incredible light balance, or you may notice something pretty like a flower or a dragonfly, which will turn into an incredible picture. Don’t judge until you’ve started working on the photos, and even a photo that seems mundane on its can take on a whole new meaning when shot as part of a series that tells a bigger story.
Experiment
On that note, remember not to overthink or prematurely judge your images! You’ve bought a camera, so experiment with it! Try different settings and learn what each of them does so that in the future, when you do find that perfect shot, you’ll know exactly what to do. And don’t limit yourself to one way of shooting or even one way of editing images. Your priority now is to get good and find out what you love shooting and different ways to express yourself. With so many people shooting now, it’s even more important to let loose and be creative to develop your own photographic voice. In the age of digital photography, you lose nothing by shooting more and trying out everything that looks interesting!
Take photos often
Finally, take photos at every chance you get! Remember: Practice makes perfect, and even for experts, quantity is your way to build quality. But not only does it improve your skills with a camera, but it also documents your life, leaving you with many memories to return to. For me, to tell the truth, great photos are almost always the result of memorable experiences and dedicated effort, so in that way, a great photo for is both an artwork and a beautiful memento of a particular moment.
Hope this list helps you get further on your journey through photography! And feel free to share your thoughts and other tips in the comments!
INSTANTLY IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY By Fixing These 10 BEGINNER MISTAKES
Back with another in-depth tutorial this week for beginners! Here's my take on the 10 Beginner Mistakes video, with instant fixes and concepts that will help you get from total newbie to pretty decent.
Feel free to share any additional tips or ask more questions in the comments!
Gear used for tutorial:
Sony A7RII
Sony Zeiss FE 55 f/1.8
Sony A6300
Benro Aero 2 Travel Angel tripod
Saramonic UwMic9
Music licensed via Epidemic Sound
Subscribe to my channel - http://www.youtube.com/AaronPalabyabChannel
Instagram: http://instagram.com/aaronpalabyab
Facebook: http://facebook.com/a.palabyab
Twitter: http://twitter.com/aaronpalabyab
How to SHOOT THE MILKY WAY - COMPLETE BEGINNER'S GUIDE
Get your first good shot of the Milky Way! This week’s video is a complete beginner's guide on how to shoot the Milky Way, covering gear, planning, shooting, and editing in Adobe Lightroom.
CONTENTS:
0:22 GEAR
3:09 PLANNING
7:36 SHOOTING
13:51 POST-PROCESSING
Shooting the Milky Way with a mobile phone: https://youtu.be/wToXZHpUwUc
LINKS TO GEAR AND APPS (Lazada links for PH viewers are affiliate links, the rest are normal links)
LENSES (2019)
Samyang 24mm f/1.4 (Canon EF) https://c.lazada.com.ph/t/c.bfSR
Samyang 14mm f/2.8 (Canon EF) https://c.lazada.com.ph/t/c.bXmc
Sigma 14mm f/1.8 (Canon EF) https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1321306-REG/sigma_14mm_f_1_8_dg_hsm.html
Laowa 15mm f/2.0 https://www.venuslens.net/product/laowa-15mm-f2/
Sony 24mm f/1.4 G Master (Sony FE) https://cameras.ph/product/sony-fe-24mm-f-1-4-gm-lens/
Samyang 16mm f/2.0 (Canon EF-S) https://c.lazada.com.ph/t/c.b07T
Fuji XF 16mm f/1.4 (Fuji X) https://c.lazada.com.ph/t/c.b07h
Sigma 16mm f/1.4 (Sony E) https://c.lazada.com.ph/t/c.0Atg
CAMERA (2019, selection only)
Entry-level DSLR: Canon EOS 200D Kit with 18-55mm lens https://c.lazada.com.ph/t/c.b077
Entry-level Mirrorless: Fuji X-T100 kit https://c.lazada.com.ph/t/c.b07i
Mid-level Mirrorless: Fuji X-T30 (body only) https://c.lazada.com.ph/t/c.0AtT
Advanced Mirrorless: Fuji X-T3 (body only) https://www.henryscameraphoto.com/FUJIFILM-X-T3-BODY-BLACK
Full-frame Mirrorless: Sony A7SII https://www.henryscameraphoto.com/Sony-Alpha-A7SII-BODY
TRIPODS
Benro FGP18A Go Plus Tripod https://c.lazada.com.ph/t/c.bfSk
Zomei M8 Go Travel Tripod https://c.lazada.com.ph/t/c.b07R
APPS AND WEBSITES
Light Pollution Map https://www.lightpollutionmap.info
Dark Site Finder https://darksitefinder.com/map
Dark Sky app https://darksky.net/app
PhotoPIlls app https://www.photopills.com/
Sky Guide (iOS) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sky-guide/id576588894
Star Walk 2 Free (Android) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vitotechnology.StarWalk2Free&hl=en
Moon Calendar https://www.moongiant.com/
Accuweather https://www.accuweather.com
Milky Way Exposure Calculator https://www.lonelyspeck.com/milky-way-exposure-calculator
Adobe Lightroom Classic https://www.adobe.com/lightroom
Lonely Speck SharpStar 2 Precision Focusing Tool https://www.lonelyspeck.com/sharpstar/
Gear used for tutorial:
Sony A6300
Sony Zeiss FE 55 f/1.8
MeFoto Roadtrip Tripod
Saramonic UwMic9
Music licensed via Epidemic Sound
Subscribe to my channel - http://www.youtube.com/AaronPalabyabChannel
Instagram: http://instagram.com/aaronpalabyab
Facebook: http://facebook.com/a.palabyab
Twitter: http://twitter.com/aaronpalabyab
Website: http://www.aaronpalabyab.com
Business Contact / Licensing:
aaron [at] aaronpalabyab.com
How to Elevate Your Photography (Without Buying Any Gear) →
If you want to learn how to become a better photographer without spending a fortune on gear, check out my guest post over at Submittable.com! It’s got highly actionable tips to help empower you to up your photography game and inspire you to use your creativity and skills to level up significantly. Thanks for reading!
EXPOSURE STACKING for Mobile Phone Astrophotography
Using Starry Landscape Stacker to see if I can improve the quality of my mobile landscape astrophotography! Watch to see the result.
I HIGHLY recommend you watch this in 4K on your computer! It's hard to see the details on a mobile phone.
I shot 11 images at f/2.0, 32s, ISO 3200 in RAW using my 2016 Asus Zenfone 3 Deluxe and brought these into Lightroom then Starry Landscape Stacker and back into Lightroom.
Shooting the Milky Way with a Mobile Phone
Manual Stacking Tutorial on Lonely Speck
All Night Astrophotography Adventure in Zambales
Subscribe to my channel - http://www.youtube.com/AaronPalabyabChannel
Instagram: http://instagram.com/aaronpalabyab
Facebook: http://facebook.com/a.palabyab
Twitter: http://twitter.com/aaronpalabyab
Business Contact / Licensing: aaron [at] aaronpalabyab.com
All Night Astrophotography Adventure in Zambales!
An all-night astrophotography adventure in search of great night skies in Zambales to practice shooting with my new star tracker, the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini. Photographer Angelo Mendoza and I explore more areas of San Felipe and Botolan for landscape photography, starry landscapes, and time-lapse.
Mobile astrophotography stacking tutorial
Our previous photography road trip to Zambales
Follow Angelo Mendoza on Instagram
Don't forget to subscribe to see the final time-lapse film!
Gear used:
Sony A7RII
Samyang 24mm f/1.4
Sony Zeiss 55mm f/1.8
MeFoto Roadtrip Aluminum Tripod
Varavon cold shoe battery mount
Vlog shot on iPhone X
Edited on FCP X
Music licensed via Epidemic Sound
Subscribe to my channel - http://www.youtube.com/AaronPalabyabChannel
Instagram: http://instagram.com/aaronpalabyab
Facebook: http://facebook.com/a.palabyab
Twitter: http://twitter.com/aaronpalabyab
Business Contact / Licensing: aaron [at] aaronpalabyab.com
Shooting Beautiful Landscapes on my iPhone X
This week I’ve made two YouTube videos on my experience with the iPhone X as a photography tool!
The first video talks about how, ever since I upgraded from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone X, I’ve been leaving my Sony A7RII at home more, for reasons including improved image processing, the telephoto lens, 4K video at 24p and 60p, portrait mode, and RAW shooting and editing. If you’re into the more technical side of things and been wondering if you should upgrade from a previous generation iPhone, this is the episode for you!
The second video talks about how my most popular landscape photo on social media this year was shot on an iPhone X and what that unexpected occurrence taught me. In this video I address the issue of the gap that exists between how we regard our work and how the audience receives it by digging into the question: If an iPhone photo that took me seconds to capture and edit is more popular than photos that took so much more effort to shoot and process, does that mean that the effort I put into the latter actually doesn’t matter?
Hope you enjoy and learn something from this week’s twin episodes! The truth is that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed shooting with the iPhone X as compared to my iPhone 6 and have gotten surprisingly good results from it. Check out my current gallery of iPhone X photos below (click on each image to see larger):