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My name is Simon d'Entremont and I'm a professional wildlife and nature photographer from Eastern Canada. This video will show you how to get that shot, even when you're surprised!
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My equipment:
Canon R5 body amzn.to/3S5jtBf
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FLM Tripod (CP 34 L4 II) and Levelling Head (HB 75) www.flmcanada.com?aff=sdentrem
Sigma Art 50mm f1.4 lens amzn.to/3FjGkkW
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Little bit off-topic, but it's very sweet to see you get more and more comfortable in front of the camera. Not saying you were shy or anything in the first videos and up to here, but you seem much more relaxed and open if that makes sense, I love it! Great video as usual, Simon :)
His style is perfection and always with a deft light humour :) A great teacher.
Always learning! Thanks!
I agree with you. If you compare his first year to now, the change is very different. Simon smiles more, is very relaxed, and makes you feel at ease just watching his videos. Thank you Simon for just being you and giving us such great advice.
@@youritguy1 yes! he is an incredible teacher!
Noticed the same thing!
Having "emergency settings" is honestly the best thing I've learned from watching youtube videos about photography. Thank you!
Great to hear!
Do you know, by chance, the "emergency settings" for a Nikon? Or at least what they call it?
@@bnm0312 Nikons with a U1 and U2 dial are for instant settings. Nikon has been sporadic using them, I wish every camera body had them.
Growing up whenever we got home from fishing my dad made us clean out the boat and put everything up before we went to sleep even if we got home at 2am. This lesson/habit has never left me and has served me well in photography. All batteries are put on chargers, all cards are backed up and imported into Lightroom etc right when I get in, this way I never wonder about it when going on another shoot. I sure miss my dad.
He taught you organization & responsibility. My dad never cared about me. You are lucky.
The BEST advice I ever got about photography was simple and has served me well ever since: "Push the button... at exactly the right time." At the time, I laughed it off but, to this day, I am always setting myself and my camera up for "the exact right time".
Great tip!
Well, that's like saying "If you arrange letters of the alphabet in exactly the right way, you will end up with a doctoral dissertation."
'.. at exactly the right time' : Hat tip to Cartier-Bresson: Couldn't be more right.
The photo with the owl, heading towards you in flight, is amazing!
Simon I have learned more from you than from any book or KZhead video series. Even though I shoot architecture in big cities and you take amazing wildlife photos, your thoughts and recommendations are very useful. Thank you for what you do, you are very generous with your time and talents!
Simon, there is no way to describe your content. It is simply amazing, man! This goes from very useful tips, deep dive instructions to going back to basics even to those who have experience. Thanks a lot for this channel!
Wow, thanks!
One other thing…I always check over my equipment before the next shoot. This includes changing my camera settings to what I anticipate will be close to what I need on location, and having some kind of a strategy for the day (timing, potential subjects, lens requirements, weather, lighting, additional gear, snack/water, my wardrobe). Planning in advance has increased my success considerably.
It also reducess stress levels considerably. Just like athletes and fighters mentally train, the same principle can be applied for everything. The only time where it can have a counter effect, and even lead to the so called analysis paralysis is in social settings. Trying to come up with entire conversations and predict what someone will say can lead to friction when reality differs. But I digress :)
You are a lifesaver! I was in a total rut, not having touched my camera for months. I usually work for AID programs abroad, so very different field. Right now I am stuck in Germany (for reasons), really frustrated with the few shots I took here and there without being able to work. I started feeding the birds in my garden, googled videos on bird photography... and now I shoot with Auto ISO, have a button for emergency settings, and am much better with Lightroom. I do not know any other channel where I repeated stop the video, play around with my camera and settings, and go outside to try out a few tips. Amazing content that pulled me out of my rut, changed the way I shoot, and now I can't wait to get out into the field again. Thank you so so much!
Once again, such excellent advice! My biggest challenges of photography is being ready to capture those unexpected moments, especially ones that involve fast movement, such as birds and other animals. You’ve convinced me that using the custom buttons is going to be a great tool, in particular, for our trip to Africa this summer.
Great tips, Simon. I was quite pleased to find I use every single one of them. Programmable settings are a life saver in event photography as well. When you constantly run from indoors to outdoors or switch between using flash or not, there is just no time to manually change everything. Sometimes I even have two cameras with different glass and quick settings at ready. That guitarist jumping up in the air, newlyweds doing spontaneous dance move or performer doing a trick are not gonna wait until you set everything up.
The one difficulty I always have when listening to your incredible presentations is either listening to you or getting carried away in my mind on time travel - fascinated and captured by your one-of-a-kind incredible pictures you create.
Wow, thank you!
One reason I love your channel is, your videos have gotten me out of my comfort zone. I never thought I would do these things until I started watching your channel: Use my histogram, use auto ISO, use back button focusing, gotten away from using 64 ISO for everything in daylight, take more than one shot of the same instance. I'm using more potential of my D850 than ever before. After watching this video, I'm anxious to use the custom settings option, and looking to see if I can set up an "emergency" button. I've always done things the "safe" way, and my shots were good but not better. All because I was afraid I'd miss "that" shot. Now they're getting better every time I go out and shoot. Thanks.
Still producing the best tutorials on YT! Thank you.
Wow, thanks!
Excellent tips, Simon. While I do not have an emergency button set up, I do have my 3 user controlled buttons set to Astro settings, Landscape settings, and Action settings. Now all I need to do is to remember to use them instead of fumbling with trying to change settings in a hurry.
I just found your videos. Every single one has an important piece of information for me. Thank you for putting good stuff out.
As always, another great video. The consummate instructor. Your easy, to the point guidance makes your videos a pleasure to watch.
Thank you very much!
One more tip I recommend for readiness, always remember to format your cards after you have uploaded and backed up your photos. There's nothing worse than shooting some good stuff right away and realizing you have 3000 exposures from the last session still on your card, and you don't have immediate access to another card.
Thanks for the video; great information. I remember when we were celebrating a grandkid’s birthday. I took out my camera to check out light settings in the house and found out that my memory card was not in the camera. It was in my computer back home where I had downloaded photos. I had to drive several miles to buy another memory card. Now, I always double check that the card is in the camera. Thanks again.
You know what they say about common sense.....not too common. Great tips from one with that priceless commodity, "experience". Thank you Simon. I personally put those "what if" missed shots on a sticky note by the door, as you advised. Took me some time to develop the discipline to do it as I come in after an outing, not the next day. Appreciate all you share with us.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I dunno why, but I chuckled when you said you're "walking around duck ponds" but always set-up "ready for action". Rock 'n roll! :) Great video as always. One minor extra thing that helped me was getting rid of the silly screw-in 'soft shutter' button that so many of us have added to our cameras. If my camera is accidentally left on in my bag, the sticking-out soft shutter button would bump the inside of the bag and start filling up my memory card with shots. (I removed that button after advice from someone in the London Fuji shop, who alerted me to damage some cameras had sustained because of it).
My photography hobby developed out of a passion for the outdoors, hiking and travelling. I once was at sunrise at a well known viewpoint in Graaff-Reinet (South Africa). It was end of winter, snow on the mountain tops in the distance, but not cold anymore and a warm breeze blowing in. As I was making my way at the top of the cliffs to the viewpoint, a black eagle (which was probably roosting on the cliffs below the path) suddenly came hovering into view a short distance from me, hovered there for a few seconds and took off into the distance. I didn't even think of taking a photo, but the memory is mine forever :)
Force of habit after every photo session, come home download the camera via wifi (easy with the R5) then recharge the batteries if required. 5 shots or 500, the proses is the same. Great tips Simon thanks. Stay safe 🇦🇺
Thanks for that!
Preparing our cameras for the next great opportunity makes a lot of sense. Very real life. The work of sharpening our craft is really about the art of increasing our odds. Your owl-over-the-hood-shot is truly remarkable. I have another idea along this theme of capturing the lost shots: Go back three years and look through your photo library again. You tastes have matured and you may discover a good picture by seeing an old one in a new way. You may also stumble across that picture which you always thought was kind of good and realize that it actually has something special. Good video.
Nice tips! I can't remember how many times I missed a photo due to wrong settings. Last week I did a short trip with my wife to a castle garden. I assumed there would not be many photo opportunities there (since it was a garden), but I was so wrong! Many beautiful architecture, wildlife and portrait photos. Needless to say I only had 1 battery charged (and 2 completely empty) and had to manage it all day
Again, great tips in an easy to watch format to switch ! Applying your “LUCK” has been of the greatest help to me. I reserve one of my C spots on the R6ii for my ready to go settings. And as I walk around an occasional click between C settings and back, always lets me know I’m on that ready to go setting. As I’ve been know to accidentally move a wheel or two just in rambling around. Thanks again.
Love your videos! They are so informative and pleasant to watch.Your photographs are pure magic!!!! Thank you very much for sharing.
Great tip. I’m a Sony shooter and my A7iv has three custom memory settings, I use the first one for video settings always the same in my studio, second is the main photography settings (aperture priority, with a minimum shutter speed setting and a reasonable cap on the auto iso, white balance etc) then I use the third setting exactly as you have described for the emergency on. Particularly useful as I have a small child who usually needs a shutter speed as quick as any bird of prey.
Great tips, Simon! I have a couple of small velco-flapped pouches on my camera strap for extra memory cards: right-side empties, left-side full and I have a separate charger in my car console that runs off my car's USB outlet, so in a pinch, I can (at least partially) charge when driving between shooting sites. Spare batteries go in an inside pocket of my parka (I live in Iceland). I've even squeezed a few images out of dead batteries after putting them in my armpit for 20 minutes or so. Warm temps can revive a battery for a few shots in desperate cases.
Great tips, thank you! Wish I had this video when I was beginning photography.
Another great video Simon, thanks so much !!
You are a born teacher, better than any other photography youtuber I follow
Great video, as always! Your work is stunning!
Great video. My t7 does not have the setting options. Walk around settings is good and I usually do that the time I forget is when I had an opportunity then forget to reset for the next opportunity. That happens. My best opportunity was getting a red tailed hawk in flight. Here' was on a power line and I got ahead of him and when he took off he few right across in front of me. Memory cards and batteries so far haven't been a problem for me. Always carry an extra and so far have never had to use them. Always charge out when I get home. I like your videos that are good for what ever gear we use.
The emergency button for bird settings is a life saver! This solves one of the biggest issues i had while photographing nature.
Wonderful photographic pearls of wisdom. Thanks for sharing Simon!
"Luck favors the prepared!" I always go set up for only the shots I want, but the idea of the setup being ready for action makes a lot more sense. Thank you1
Exactly!
A very early photographer by the name of Seneca is generally credited with the saying "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity." Or perhaps he was a philosopher? 🤔 It was a long time ago...
I've had my Fuji X-T3 for 2 years now, and have been procrastinating setting up the Q-menu shortcuts. This video reminded me that I really really need to set those up.
These are great tips. Thank you for sharing these tips. I will implement these into my shooting for sure
I am not a wildlife photographer but I cannot thank you enough for so many great tips and photo tutorials. The emergency button setting has now been set on my cameras. I have a spare memory card in my wallet, but I generally always carry a spare glasses case with extra batteries, a memory card, and an Allen key. This is for the 2 or 3 times I forgot these items. Thanks.
Agree on allen key!!!!
I love the idea of a spare glasses case for storage. Thanks!
What’s the Allen key for?
@@99seaweed L-brackets and tripod screws that tend to come loose
What about screwdriver for the tripod head that needs one? What size allen key do you need anyways? @@simon_dentremont
Most practical tips I ever get online is from Simon :)
As always, fantastic. I've always been picky about recharging the moment I get home, especially now with an R6 that has two LCDs to juice. (~400 frames per battery versus my D-series family that can go 1,200+ frames.) The price of off-label LP-E6 backup batteries has also come down considerably in the last few months. I also use relatively low-capacity cards -- 16G -- to keep myself honest for offloading and reformatting. And thanks to you, I'll be programming all three of my custom function dial options this evening. Thank you, sir.
Wonderful tips, Simon! Your suggestions are incredibly helpful and spot-on! The examples from your work are incredible, thank you so much for sharing them!
My pleasure!
All great tips - every one of them. And the best tip of all: The best captures are *about* something, rather than of.
Simon, I can't tell you or even count the number of times I've missed a shot because I wasted time getting the camera settings I wanted or needed. Your "emergency" action button is genius and I plan to set that up on my R5 immediately. Thanks!
The ROI of this channel is amazing. Really the best time value on this platform. Thank you Simon d’Entremont.
Glad you enjoy it!
I always have spare batteries in my camerabag. As soon as a battery is empty, I don't put the empty battery back in my camera bag but in the pocket of my trousers. When I come back home the battery in the pocket of my trousers will remind me to start charging ;-)
I love your videos. They are so clear and demonstrate your indepth knowledge. More than that they show how honest you are largehearted too to share your hard earned knowledge. Warm regards
So nice of you
Finally, a video that isn`t about the Sony A9III. Btw also more interesting.
A great reminder in this video... I use to take 2 spare batteries with me .. Just to be sure... Great advice on pre setting and quick access... Thank you
Great tips, thanks for sharing 🙏Appreciate you sharing your knowledge and expertise
I can see you've changed how you talk and present yourself which made this a very pleasant video to watch. I found other videos informative but not 'enjoyable' for a lack of better words, but I really did enjoy watching this today.
Great tips for sure! To add winter tips that I learned, when shooting from a car window, turn off the car, the radiator tends to blow hot air out from under the wheel well causing my images to be distorted. I also keep my batteries in my pants pocket to keep them warm as the Li-Ion batteries die quickly when very cold.
The emergency button idea is a new tip for me and love it!!! I will definitely set that up.
Glad it was helpful!
I never ran out of batteries or memory cards in the field, but then again, I use huge memory cards and always carry spare batteries and cards. I came close to filling the cards once.
Another fantastic video.
Simon, you're a legend with amateur photographers like me. You're videos are fantastic
You know how often I bring my camera to work to take photos after work, but I always forget my memory card. It's frustrating! Love the video.
Thanks for the e-book
I learned the hard way with white balance. I was playing around with some settings inside and had the white balance set for incandescent, but forgot to change it before shooting some geese in a pond down our street the next day. It was very bright out so I didn't notice until later when I reviewed and saw everything was blue. Thankfully the shots were in a RAW format and I could fix the white balance through Lightroom, but it was a reminder to check everything in anticipation.
Emergency button is now set up. What a great tip. I travel a lot, and sometimes I shoot some cool looking people. And now I have set up my people settings on the emergency button. I usually have my travel/city setup on c1 and my people on c2, so I can switch with a small turn between both. But the emergency button is quicker - love that feature and didn’t know it. .....Greetz from 🇩🇪
Simon, you've convinced me to fire up the 3d printer and make a battery/sd card key ring for my car keys.
Great tips,especially the bonus tip. As always, 8:22 a practical video with examples. Thanks!!
Excellent advice once again!
Great tip Simon!
Wow, that S.E. Owl is amazing and so sharp! Cool video Simon!
Excellent video and suggestions for a novice such as myself, thank you.🍷
Great video as usual. I learned the hard way to check everything on the camera every time I went out. I was taking phots at night in Quebec city and I had my ISO set at 1000. The next day I forgot to check it and assumed that it was on Auto ISO; big mistake! It was a sunny day with no clouds and I was taking photos in a park around noon. Well I cursed myself so much after and promised to check all the settings every time I went out. That is my routine now to check all the settings.
I've run into that 'empty memory cards/batteries' problem, except once I forgot to put in my memory card at all. Great video, Simon!
I love your videos so much and I am a wedding photographer!!!! I always come to your videos first when I am searching for an answer. Truly I respect and appreciate your knowledge! I have learned so much from you Simon.. thank you I am so happy to have found your videos!!!! 🎉❤
I'm so glad!
been using cameras for 2½ yrs and havent yet landed with zero power and no more room on sd-card. but im just a amateur photographer so i dont think i will ever have a full card :P side note: love your way to explain the different things
Your intro is cinema quality. Music and the video
You know, I never really thought about any of these settings. I took a look at my own camera, the Canon Eos Rebel T7, and looked at all the settings for different scenes/photo types outside of the manual settings. Adjusted them a tiny bit, and will start using them as I'm still learning what all the settings do and how to best use them with my camera.
This channel is incredible. I've learned so much from you.
I appreciate that!
Great tips... And awesome photos...
Great suggestions, I've got my pentax. Set up for 5 different shooting types.
I am binge watching your videos. You actually give sound advice. 🔥 And I love your photos
Glad you like them!
One thing I used to get really bogged down with was trying to shoot at too low an ISO. I got fixed on it being as low as possible, which meant I missed a number of good opportunities because the shutter speed was just a hair too slow. A reality check from a photographer friend cured me of that (plus a new camera where outrageously high ISOs have great quality didn't do any harm).
I love your advice: sensible and inspiring. Thank you!
You are so welcome!
I now have 3 batteries, always on full charge, and a big enough memory card to outlast the batteries when shooting action scenes. I learned my lesson after going out with only 20 photos remaining in the memory card. And on another occasion with the battery literally flat, a couple photos and head back home... And not having walk-around settings, also guilty. Emergency button I never thought about that, I'll look in my camera settings if it is possible. As always, great video and thanks for sharing your knowledge.
One of my favorite photos is a SUPO (screwed up photo opportunity). I saw a magpie sitting on a fence post, trees in the background and an old picnic table in front. Nice little composition, settings all correct, but I was a little too slow on the shutter button. I caught just the back half of the magpie as it flew out of frame. I like it because it reminds me that every photography second is precious. I can laugh about it now, but at the time I was so frustrated I nearly went unconscious. :)
Ive done this in many games but never realized it applies to my photagraphy aswel haha Cool tip!
incredible video! during it, I immediately went after my camera to see what it has to offer. never had thought some of these tips before, so really really thank you!!!
Glad I could help!
Another great video with little suggestions that are phenomenal again ❤️
Thanks very much!
Simon, your in front of the lens presentation is SO MUCH BETTER than when you began posting! We would dare say your 'performance' now is more professional and engaging.
I’m learning!
Great tips again. Got the two card in my R6M2 and always 4 full battery's with me. Like your tip for the emergency button. I have mine set to the c1, 2 and 3, but this looks a lot faster instead of turning the switch knob :)
Simon is the type of guy to “miss a photo opportunity” while also still getting that photo.
Thank you Simon, the guy that says this isn't a vital video is fun of u know what. Thanks again for the refresher.
Thanks Simon! Very helpful!
Glad I watched this as I’ve got 2 flat batteries in my bag I need to charge. In Too much of a rush when I got home!
i am huge fan of your work simon especially your tips and tricks ..you have been inspiring many enthusiastic photographers like me ..thank you for this video
My pleasure!
I didn't go with 1 dead battery but I went on a hike with a dead battery in the camera (it no longer accepted a charge after the last charge) and the battery in my sling was dead. I missed out on a perfectly lit photo of 2 bucks in a fight, now I test all my gear before I even make my coffee for these hikes.
I needed your chimping and pano example a little over a month ago. Shot a number of panos, handheld as I usually do, and never checked them until they were on the computer back at home. I found more than 1 that had 1 or 2 frames that were a bit blurry. I'm guessing I was just being too quick and didn't hold steady enough, and the IS couldn't compensate. For some, I still had enough frame to stitch, but for a couple they were a complete bust. Unfortunately, I'm not planning on driving back the 1200 miles to reshoot them, even if I could find the exact location with the exact conditions. Live and learn and try again.
Not at all off topic. This video was filled with gentle reminders for this amateur. Just in time for fall through spring bird photography in my yard. Excellent.
Glad it was helpful!
This video motivated me to figure out how to get some of these things set up on my camera -- an old Rebel XTi I was gifted -- and I learned that you can add a custom firmware called 400plus that enables this stuff!! Super cool, and so glad I did that -- finally having auto-ISO is so nice
Great video, as usual. Sometimes the best pics are behind you rather than ahead. It pays to keep your head on a swivel when photo scouting.
Absolutely
I always keep a lens on my camera when I'm home. You never know what might happen! I got some amazing pictures and video of the neighborhood hawk, who perched on my tree, with a mourning dove in its talons!
Regarding spare batteries and memory cards: I went to US Open and forgot my CF Express card in the reader at home. Thankfully I had an SD card in my R5 'just in case, will never really use it because it is slow'. I switched from RAW to CRAW and managed to fit 7,000 photos on that 256gb SD card I then went to NYC marathon and forgot all spare batteries. Only had one 80% charged in camera. Shot 1,800 photos until it went dead and then went home.
I will definitely add a custom setting on my R5 for unexpected action pictures. But I prefer to use Fv instead of M, took me a while to really appreciate it, but now it's my most used setting. Thank you for the reminder.
yes, FV and Manual with auto iso are essentially the same. Great mode.
Ha! Just started playing around with photography for a few weeks and never had empty battery or full cards. Always emptied my cards and recharge right after going home. 😎
Loving your videos, got me from complete amature to half a pro in like 2 weeks, grew into my camera crazy fast and already playing with a mirrorless 🫡