r/AskPhotography

I'm a beginner, and right now everything outside it just a bit lifeless. No green, no sun, just mud and dirt all around. I find it difficult figuring out what I can take pictures of during this time, or how to take pictures in this setting. Any suggestions?

I'm just curious. i do photography as a hobby, and when i go out i take like maybe 30 to 60 photos, but usually theres at most 14 i like enough to keep. And even then, maybe 4 to 5 of those are "good." I don't mind this, in fact i like sorting through photos. Im curious though about how many "bad" photos people take.

Hey everyone,

I’m heading to Poland soon for a documentary-style project (including historically heavy locations like Auschwitz), and I want to approach this thoughtfully both technically and artistically. This is my first time trying to create a cohesive body of work rather than just shooting casually, so I’d really value some input.

Current gear:

•	Minolta SRT-101 + X-700

•	Lenses: 28mm f/2.8, 45mm f/2, 135mm f/2.8

•	Film: 6 rolls HP5, 2 rolls Portra 400

What I’m trying to figure out:

1. One camera or two?

I’m considering bringing both bodies and keeping one loaded with HP5 and one with Portra so I don’t have to switch mid-roll.

But I’m worried about overcomplicating things / carrying too much vs staying focused.

2. Lens choices

I’ll definitely bring the 28 and 45, but unsure about the 135 — does it actually add value for this kind of work, or will it just slow me down?

3. Film approach

I’m leaning toward mostly HP5 for the mood, but I also don’t want to miss opportunities where color matters.

Would you:

•	Mostly stick to B&W?

•	Or intentionally mix in color?

Also debating rating HP5 at 800 or 1600 for flexibility — good idea or unnecessary?

4. Shooting approach

For people who’ve done more serious/documentary work:

•	How do you stay intentional and build something cohesive?

•	How much do you shoot vs hold back?

•	Anything you wish you knew before doing a project like this?

I’m trying to balance being prepared with not getting in my own way.

Would really appreciate any advice or critiques — especially from people who’ve shot similar subject matter.

Thanks 🙏

Post is about Fujifilm exclusively but most of the points apply to the general featureset of modern cameras.

As per requirements:

1. Budget, country, currency ~5k PLN, Poland. Call it $1300.
2. What equipment, if any, you have now and why is it no longer meeting your needs? Fuji X-T30 w 14-45 kit. I got lenses figured out, only need help with the body. "Why's" are below.
3. What kinds of subjects do you intend to shoot? Everything. Portrait, street, landscape.
4. Is it primarily for photography, videography, or both? Only or almost only photography.

I'm one step away from swapping my X-T30 for an X-M5. Found a great deal on one, would I manage to sell my XT i will spend only $200 on this whole thing (and that's if I sell below market value!).

Some things against the swap I'm told to consider:

1. No built-in flash Don't care.
2. No EVF I maybe care? I'm using EVF quite often (30%?) on the XT but mostly because it is there or it looks cool, not much because of harsh lighting. I do like the fact that the color representation is closer to the final picture than on the LCD but with how rarely I'm trying out new recipes I'm fine with lacking that. Again, the LCD brightness was never a problem for me and I never cranked it up past +2 lol.
3. The dials Only ever used the left dial for changing between single and continuous. Don't mind it being gone. And the shutter dial... I'm not a professional (as it shows, I'm sure), the only time I'm consciously picking shutter values is when doing shutter drag. However, when in low light conditions I always have to adjust the values so that the speed stays below 1/8 (shooting freehand). So I AM using it.
4. Screen and features oriented towards vlogging I don't record, ever. I just can't grasp the settings. While I'm not against having more developed settings here, I am strongly against paying for stuff I'm not gonna use and a reduced toolset for photography. Is this true? Also I like the flip-out screen, the flip-up in XT is worse IMO.

As for why I want to do the swap:

1. Size factor Don't crucify me, I know the XT is on the smaller side in this day and age. But I come from CCD compacts and very small cameras in general. The XT is just big enough to warrant it being "an object" I have to carry. It's not pocketable and I don't usually take any bags. Overtime I got used to carrying the XT on a strap but I still take it with me much less often than the smaller arsenal. My biggest hope for the XM5 is to slap a pancake lense on it and conquer the world with it in my big ass pockets.
2. Newest film sim options I buy Fuji stuff for the sims. Hell yeah.
3. Better processor, AF Self-explanatory.

Am I missing anything? Downsides, upsides? As I see it, the X-M5 wins (not by a lot, but enough to justify the price). But no matter how I spin this, I am losing features. I'm used to upgrading, to sidegrading - not very. Any tips? Experiences from y'all? The X100VI is, obviously, far from the available budget

Also I don't mind grammar police here, not much more ways to get better at a language after finishing education than people's corrections lol

I just bought a Canon r50 and checked its counterparts from other brands are like twice as expensive. Is there a catch with Canon r50 or Canon is just a cheap brand.

As all of you can imagine i have a lot of RAW and edited data. Until now i could manage my photos simply by using a few HDDs and SSDs, but as i want to start selling my work i just NEED a good system. However i dont see a reason why i should buy a NAS, because i dont need access from anywhere else, only from my desk. But i happen to mainly edit of my MacBook and then manage everything from my PC, so i cant just have infinite HDDs in my pc, as i need to access them from both computers. So after a long search i found the perfect product: Lexar Workflow Pro. But unfortunately i am not rich enough to spent 2500€ on a single 4TB SSD.

So my question is what kind of system would you recommend for this scenario. Keep in mind that i need at least 1 SSD to work of, the rest can be HDDs. (but if that mix is not possible i could also temp. copy them onto the Mac until i finished my edits).

Hi! Hope this post is allowed. We just received the proofing gallery for our engagement session, and I’m a bit weary about the state of the photos. 60% of the shots still have the lighting stand and the photographer's assistant visible in the frame. They are also completely uncropped.

I know these are just "proofs," but is it standard practice to send them out before doing a basic crop and/or or at least removing the assistant/light? It’s making it a bit hard for us to visualize the final product. Should I expect these to be cleaned up only after we make our final selections? Between poor communication and these shots, we are getting nervous about the wedding day experience. But perhaps I am overthinking it?

P.S. Also, is a couple usually expected to be prepared with poses? We are awkward turtles, so we were hopeful that that the photographer would provide guidance but when we asked they kept pulling out their phone for Pinterest inspo.

I have not thought about it before, are all modern lenses now marked in meters?

I am in Europe, so I may be seeing European only lenses. Are lens markings in the US in feet or also meters? Japan? China? India?

I have older vintage lenses that are marked in imperial measurement (feet), but I wondered about the world now - is it all metric?

Update: I am being dumb, yes, both metric and imperial. Dooohhhh, ignore me. I will go back to my corner :-)

I mostly shoot in low light environments, and switching lenses has been a hurdle because I can’t see the little red notch to align the lens to the camera.

I’m hoping others have solved this.

Here’s what I’ve been trying, with some success:

* I have a small, dim, battery light in my back I can squeeze. It’s a bit bright, but it works.

Things I’m considering:

* I’m looking for semi-transparent red film or red tape, to serve as both a dimmer for the light and shifting the spectrum to red for better night vision. Is there such a thing?

* I think a small, dedicated red light would be great. Any suggestions?

* Gaffers tape or similar low residue adhesive that I can use to create texture so I can feel the lens alignment in the dark.

* Glow in the dark paint or marker that I can use to make little markings. I’d probably put some on the tripod as well to help with visibility while walking around without generating any disruptive light.

Short of buying a second camera, what are some ways to improve the lens switching process, particularly in low light?