10 Questions I’m Often Asked As A Photographer By Other Photographers

As a popular and prominent photographer in South Wales with my work with Great Photography Walks South Wales, and with my work online on various Facebook groups and of course with my work on One Camera One Lens, I very often get asked many questions about my photography. Here I choose ten questions that I get asked the most, and give you my honest answers!

Why did I leave Nikon for Fujifilm?

I had been with Nikon for around a decade or more, after leaving various other digital and film cameras. I was at a point with Nikon that I was just not happy anymore with a number of things such as the colour science of the images and the size of the equipment. Plus I really wanted to go mirrorless, and Fujifilm fitted the bill for everything that I was missing with Nikon.

Why do I usually carry just the one camera with one lens?

Its not just the one camera and one lens that I carry, but for much of that time (and increasingly more of that time), that lens is a prime lens. I get asked this all the time! I carry one camera and the one lens the majority of the time because I like to travel light, and I like to have something in mind before I go out on a shoot, so I choose my lens very carefully!

Why is my one lens usually a prime lens?

Simple, there are a number of reasons I like to use prime lenses, which I have mentioned many times. I love the wide aperture, so low light is never an issue, plus I can always get my bokeh shots which I like. I also love the freedom that carrying a prime gives you. In your mind, you can visualise the composition before you even life the camera to take a photo. It frees the thought of toying with multiple focal lengths, so you can concentrate on one thing. Plus of course, the look and sharpness of a prime is generally so much nicer than that of a zoom lens.

Why didn’t I buy a Fujifilm as a second camera instead of an Olympus?

I recently bought an Olympus Pen E-PL8 rather than buying a Fujifilm X-T20/30 camera as a second camera, which some people really thought was odd, seeing my love for Fujifilm. I purchased the Olympus as it was smaller, it is still an interchangeable lens camera and lenses are cheap for it!

Do I usually shoot in jpeg or raw?

Amazingly, I’ve almost always shot both raw and jpeg! I did stop shooting raw files for a very brief time, but realised I just needed them as backup for when getting it right in camera didn’t work. However, I have recently gone back to editing raw files for the majority of the time, and as always, use the camera jpegs as my everyday backups so I always document where I have been.

Why do I use Darktable over all the other software I use and review?

I own a lot of software due to the fact I get sent it to review for this website. I also try and keep myself up to date with all the main packages, so I can offer help and advice, plus, actually have experience in them all so that I can give informed answers to those looking for advice. I use Darktable, not because its free (as I have all the packages), but because I really like its power. Its super powerful, and has everything I need in editing software with powerful masking, powerful tools, great colour control and a light table view which I use a lot.

Do I get paid for blogs/walks/reviews/photography etc?

No, the only thing I get out of this is the free software. I enjoy doing it, and this website showcases my photography. Of course, you can always donate by PayPal to mgadams1970@gmail.com which will be an avenue I will be pushing in the coming weeks.

Why don’t I use filters?

There was a time with Nikon that I was always using one filter or another. These days, I rarely use filters as most of the time I can just simulate the look I want in software or use a technique such as bracketing which is non-destructive. I do use ND filters for long exposures when needed, and I do use Infrared filters for infrared work.

Why don’t I use a tripod?

I’ve used tripods in the past, but honestly, I really dislike them for a number of reasons. Firstly, my brain works fast, so I am constantly seeking compositions. They say a tripod slows you down, and yes it does, but that also means I miss compositions and events that I would have otherwise had. Getting the shot is important to me, and a tripod has made me miss way too many in the past. Of course, for long exposures, night photography and at certain times, I have been known to get the tripod out!

How long have I been doing photography?

All my life. I remember my father gave me his Zenit SLR when I was 12, and I never stopped enjoying cameras from that moment onwards. More seriously, its been the last decade, when I was selling images and doing various things for a few years. Recently, I have decided to start working for myself with photography again, so that is an ongoing thing that I will be pursuing in the coming weeks.

Thank you, I hope that you enjoyed that. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me a question in the comments below….