For this month I’ve been working on getting a better feel for E-M1 Mark III, fully utilizing the technological features, and working on my overall compositions. Stepping up from a mid-level DSLR to a pro level camera brought a drastic change to both the way I approach my subject, and my overall photography workflow.
After shooting with the camera for a month, I can say with confidence that the smaller sensor size delivers high resolution images at half the weight I normally carry - sample photos below!
9mm | 5s | F6.3 | ISO 200
10mm | 6s | F2.8 | ISO 200
It blows me away how I can get crisp images like these without ever needing a tripod. For my preferred photography style, the best feature this camera has is image stabilization. When partnered with the 12-100mm PRO, I got up to 3.5 seconds of image stabilization; that’s like a lifetime when you’re shooting a photo and compared to my DSLR that can’t handle 1 second. It’s the perfect all-around camera and lens combo.
80mm | 13s | F11 | ISO 200
21mm | 15s | F11 | ISO 200
Another benefit of the PRO lenses is the image quality. A known weakness for all-purpose lenses is that the image quality drops once you start zooming in; however, I didn’t have an issue with the 12-100mm lens. The photo shot above was at 85mm (170mm FF equivalent) and it came out surprisingly well despite both shooting at a longer focal length and cropping the photo.
I’ve also been challenging myself more to use the 7-14mm PRO to get wider shots. Not switching lenses is a bad habit I have especially during sunset since I’m trying to capture as many photos as possible. I’m working on decreasing my dependency on all-around lenses and to always find my own way of presenting landscapes.
12mm | 8s | F10 | ISO 400
16mm | 1/320s | F4 | ISO 200
My mentor, Chris, really helped re-instill the basics of photography with an emphasis on a scene’s details. The small changes he recommended helped me capture more of the scenery. In the photos above I tried implementing his feedback by including foliage and getting low to find a unique perspective. It was also a great reminder to include negative space so the audience can pinpoint your subject, making sure that subject doesn’t get lost when you crop/zoom in to the photo, and making edits in Lightroom.
12mm | 1/50s | F4 | ISO 200
35mm | 8s | F9 | ISO 200
It’s been immensely foggy in the Bay Area and I’ve had to diversify from just shooting landscapes to learning how to take photographs when you don’t have ideal conditions. The moody fog doesn’t resonate with my type of photography but I can’t help but think how the cool climate is essential to California’s recovery from the wildfires. Missing a handful of sunset missions can’t compare to nature’s recovery and experiencing the cool weather is a great sign.
57mm | .4s | F11| ISO 200
50mm | 1/30s | F4 | ISO 200
It’s been, without a doubt, an immensely difficult year for everyone. Jobs lost, travel plans cancelled, lockdowns, and after the recent wildfires in California, it felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. However, by the time this photography project started, I knew I wanted to showcase our resiliency and to break free from the negative thoughts that this is how everyday life is now going to be. About 4 months ago, the entire Bay Area was covered in an orange post-apocalyptic haze.
The shot above was from a recent trip to the Golden Gate, the iconic SF landmark, bustling with activity. It makes me hope that sometime soon, we’ll back to normal!
