These images can take a lot of time and preparation to capture, so the last thing you want to do is have something go wrong that you could have easily avoided. Here are some common mistakes made in long exposure photography and how to avoid them.

1. Not Properly locking down tripod legs

Let’s start with the simplest thing that often gets overlooked; your tripod or mounting system. When we shoot on tripods normally, we don’t think about how stable the legs are or how tight we’ve locked everything down. With long exposure photography shooting images over the course of several seconds to minutes long, someone walking by you can be enough to shift the tripod a smidge and ruin your image.

You want to be sure to use a good and sturdy tripod with every single point of adjustment locked down as tight as possible to avoid image shake. Some tripods even come with Hooks or a mounting system on their center column so you can attach a sandbag to help add some weight and stability to your system. Make sure to line up your shot and then lock everything down before you click the shutter.

2. Leaving The Viewfinder Open

When you’re dealing with a photograph that takes 30+ seconds, your viewfinder is one of the easiest things to forget. If you leave the viewfinder open, it can lead to light leaks and will often leave strange colored blobs in your shot. I’ve managed to ruin some very painstaking images because of it. Check out my image taken at Havasu Falls after a dozen mile hike that I pretty much ruined because of light leaking in from my viewfinder.

It’s best to cover your viewfinder to avoid any light leaking in from there. Some cameras have a switch built into them to close it up, but if you don’t you can just place some black gaff tape or other handy materials over the camera back.

3. Not Using Mirror Lock Up

When using a DSLR and looking through the viewfinder, you’re actually looking into a mirror that is looking into another mirror that is right over your camera’s sensor. When you take a photo, this mirror flips up and the shutter activates to take the shot and then the mirror flips back down. While this doesn’t seem like much, when shooting long exposures, even this can create some shake to your image. To help avoid this shake, set your camera, (if it has this feature), to “M-Up” and then get ready for the two-step process for your shot.

Once you’ve lined up your shot, click the shutter release button to lift the mirror, then you’ll need to click the button again to activate the shutter to take your photograph. You can also enable “Live-View” mode if your camera supports this to shoot your images with the mirror already lifted.

If you have a mirrorless camera like the Sony A7/A9 series or Fuji, well, you can simply ignore this mistake avoidance step.

4. Not Using A Remote Shutter

We don’t really think about this, especially after dealing with the Mirror Lock Up mode, but the action of simply clicking your shutter release button on your camera can add a little bit of shake. In most situations, it’s not noticeable, but for long exposures you want your camera to be as steady as possible. Connecting a remote shutter cable/trigger will help you avoid this and give you access to a plethora of additional options.

5. Not Switching To Manual Focus

When you’ve set your ND filters on your camera for a proper long exposure, your camera will typically see nothing but a VERY dark setting. Meaning your camera will start searching for focus points when you click the shutter. You’ll want to be sure to set your focus point before you add your ND filter(s) and then switch your camera into Manual Focus mode. This may be a switch on your lens or the camera itself, either way, you’ll want to have this set before you take your shot to avoid making a completely blurry image.

6. Using The Wrong F-Stop

Most every lens you can find on the market today will go all the way up to f/22. The truth here though is, you’ll want to avoid using those “high” f-stop settings because of something called Diffraction. This is something that causes you to actually lose image sharpness at smaller apertures due to the light blurring just a tiny bit as it hits the image sensor.

Most modern lenses have a “sweet spot” that’s somewhere between f/8 and f/11 and if you do some digging you’ll see that the majority of breathtaking landscape images are shot somewhere in this zone. You’ll want to keep your shots somewhere around there and make use of ND filters in brighter situations.

[REWIND: 6 Creative Ways To Use Long Exposures In Your Photography]

7. Forgetting You’re Not In Your Studio Anymore

While some long exposures are done in the safety and comfort of your studio, most of the time you’ll be shooting out in the elements. Rain, snow, dust, wind, and fog are just a few of the things that can mess up your lens/filters in an outdoor situation.

Even the slightest layer of water on your filter can cause a lot of diffraction and ruin your image. Remember to bring a bunch of cleaning clothes, water protection, and even heating packs to help avoid fogging in cold situations.

8. Leaving The Built-In Image Stabilization On

Most camera systems now have some form of built-in stabilization either in camera or in the lens, (or both). While incredibly useful in most situations, when used when locked down these systems can actually add shake to your images! Kind of ironic isn’t it? Image Stabilization when enabled will pretty much always assume there is going to be some camera shake. So when you’re locked down on a stable tripod, the camera will then add this stabilization and cause the opposite of what it’s intended for. So when shooting long exposures, or even regular images while locked on a tripod, be sure to disable this feature.

9. Placing The ND Filters In The Wrong Order

It was only recently that I realized you should stack your ND filters with the darkest one closest to the lens and move outwards as you get brighter. The reason for this is to avoid banding in your image.

10. Using Cheap Filters

So here’s the deal, every time you add something between your subject and the lens, you’re reducing the quality of your image. Even the most expensive and high-end filters will reduce the quality of your shot a little.

Cheaper filters will add a noticeable color shift or hue to your shots and can even soften them to the point of frustration. If you’re serious about photography and creating stunning long exposures you owe it to yourself to invest in a higher quality filter.

What are your most significant challenges with creating long exposures? Will these tips solve some of your issues? Let us know in the comments!

The article will cover the following aspects of lighting photography:

• Gear
• Safety
• Settings
• Location Scouting
• Lighting Photography at Night
• Daytime Lighting Photography
• Composition Tips

1: Things You Need to Photograph Lightning Successfully

There are a few items that will help you capture the best lightning shots. The good news is that as a photographer, you probably already have them.

• DSLR or mirrorless camera – you’ll need to use manual controls for shutter speed, aperture, etc, and it’s best to shoot in RAW format.
• Tripod – while some folk get lucky with hand-holding their cameras for lightning, using a good tripod will make it so much easier because you’ll likely be using long shutter speeds.
• Lenses – any lens will work for capturing lightning, but if you want to capture lightning as part of a big scene then a wide-angle lens is best. Zoom lenses will also give you more flexibility for shooting lighting at different distances.
• Weather-proofing – As lightning often appears as part of a storm, you should expect to get wet! If your camera and lenses aren’t weather-sealed, then you’ll have to protect them from the rain. You should also think about waterproof clothing for yourself – being wet and cold is no fun. Take several lens cloths with you too, so you can safely clean any raindrops off the front of your lens.
• Remote control or cable release – this isn’t essential but does make it much easier to take sharp photos because you’re not physically pressing the shutter and introducing camera shake.
• MIOPS Trigger (Optional Accessory) – FLEX detects lightning strikes and automatically captures the image. This will allow you to focus more on the creative aspects including exposure, composition, etc.

That’s really all the equipment you need to shoot lightning. However, if you are seriously into lightning photography then you may want to buy some specialized gear, like a lightning camera trigger. This takes a lot of guesswork out of shooting, because this trigger sends a signal to your camera the instant a lightning bolt begins, and it automatically takes photos of it.

2: Think Safety First

Lightning is beautiful, but don’t forget how deadly it can be. If you can, it’s best to be inside a building or car so that you are protected from being struck. It’s really not wise to photograph lightning in an open space, especially if there are trees, water, or tall structures nearby. Don’t be fooled by how far away the lightning looks – if you can see it, it’s close enough to strike you.

3: Understand the Right Camera Settings

When you get to your chosen location, set your camera up on the tripod and set your lens to manual focus. Focus to the distant horizon (infinity), and check it’s sharp by taking a test shot and checking it. Manual focus is best for shooting lightning because if it’s too dark the AF system can have trouble focusing.

The settings below are just a rough guide, but you can use them as a starting point and adjust as necessary..

Use Manual Exposure Mode

Set your camera to manual mode (usually ‘M’) on your mode dial. Auto modes tend to give the wrong exposure when it comes to lighting photography.

ISO for Lightning

Set the ISO to the lowest value your camera has. You should only raise your ISO to capture very faint, distant lightning strikes as part of a much darker, starry nightscape image.

Shutter Speed for Lightning

Setting the shutter speed for a longer time gives a better chance of getting the lightning. Try and set it for between 5 and 30 seconds to start with. This will brighten up the ambient exposure, of course, but as long as you capture lightning during the exposure, your shutter speed will not actually affect the brightness of a single strike, just like how a strobe flash works!

If you’re looking for a dramatic, dark foreground shot, or if lightning is striking so frequently that your exposures are getting blown out, then you might want to try a shorter shutter speed of around 1-3 seconds, and just capture back-to-back exposures!

Aperture for Lightning

A medium aperture of f/4 or /5.6 is a good starting point, if there’s nothing in the foreground of your composition. You may find your images look overexposed at this setting, so try at f/8 instead, or adjust your shutter speed to be faster, if you’re trying to catch faint lightning strikes that might “disappear” as you stop down your aperture.

If there’s a foreground subject in your composition, then you may want to use a small aperture (bigger f/stop) to get more depth-of-field. If you find yourself needing to use f/11 or f/16 to achieve good depth of field in your scene, you might have to raise your ISO a little bit in order to catch those faint lightning strikes.

4: Finding Great Locations

This may be easier for those who live where there are lots of storms! However, it’s not just about capturing lightning bolts in any old scene – the trick is to find an interesting foreground.

This means you may well have to plan ahead. It’s dangerous and pointless to wait until you’re in a storm to find good backdrops for your lightning photographs. Think of some places local to you that you could get to quickly when a storm is brewing, and preferably, shoot safely during the storm. Lightning shots look best when there’s a lot of sky, but also some details in the foreground, such as buildings or hills.

TIP: Here’s how you can tell how far away lightning is from your current location: count the seconds between the flash of light and the boom of the thunder Every five seconds equals one mile. So, if you count ten seconds, you are a lot safer, but if you count just one or two seconds, you could be in extreme danger!

We recommend finding somewhere indoors, for maximum safety if you know a storm is going to pass right over you. If you’re outdoors and a storm is heading towards you, you need to leave the area, of course!

5: How to Photograph Lightning at Night

Shooting lighting at night gives you some really dramatic images,  but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to the settings you should use. There’s a lot of variables to consider that may make a difference to the settings you use. Once you have set up your camera and manually focused to infinity, ask yourself these questions:

• Is the lighting fairly close? If it’s not a long way away and is striking several times, then it’s best to close down your aperture (higher f/stop) and keep your ISO low. This will help to prevent overexposure.
• Is there a lot of ambient light in the scene? If you are shooting lightning over a cityscape, for instance, you will need a faster shutter speed and a low ISO.
• How fast are the storm clouds moving? If the storm is moving fast and there is a lot of flashing lightning, try using a faster shutter speed to avoid ghosting in the clouds. This is where the same shape is caught in your image as it moves while your camera is taking the photo. This means slower shutter speeds will show more ghosting because the shutter is open for longer while the clouds are moving across the sky.
• Too many strikes in quick succession will also just blow out your long exposures, of course!

Take some test shots with lightning in the exposure, and check to see that you’re happy with the focus and settings you’ve chosen. If not, adjust the focus, shutter speed, or ISO accordingly.

6: How to Photograph Lightning During the Day

• While shooting lightning during the day can be a challenge, there are a few tricks you can try to get great shots. Set your camera up and manually focus to infinity. Take a test shot to make sure the foreground has enough detail. You may need to go down to f/16 or even more. Set the ISO to the lowest setting, and choose a slow shutter speed.
• You may find it easier to shoot lightning during the day if you use a lightning trigger. This little device will attach to your camera and set the shutter off when a flash of light is caught by the sensor. There’s a big choice of lightning triggers on the market, from budget to professional ones.
• If you don’t have a lightning trigger then another option for photographing lightning during the day is to set your aperture to f/22 or more. Use the lowest ISO, and set your shutter speed as slow as you can. All you have to do then is shoot continuously. Hopefully, you will capture some good lightning strikes, although, with such a dark aperture and ISO, you may not see faint strikes that just aren’t very bright. (Remember, lightning behaves just like the pop of a strobe flash, in terms of setting your exposure; aperture and ISO will make lightning brighter or darker, but shutter speed will not!)
• Take plenty of spare memory cards if you go the route of “spray and pray”, as your card will fill up quickly with all the images. If your camera has it, use a compressed RAW mode so that your camera’s buffer stays ample, too.

7: Composition Tips for Photographing Lightning

Shooting successful lightning photos requires a slightly different composition than you may be used to. For instance, you need to cover more sky than your foreground or background. This might not look right at first, but once the lightning strikes it will become the main focal point of the image.

Because lightning appears in different places, you never know where it’s going to show up in your photo. This is why it pays to use a wider-angle lens than usual so that you can crop to a good composition later if you need to.

Alternately, if you’re feeling really ambitious, and if you have an old beginner SLR lying around, consider setting up two cameras and finding two different compositions of two different parts of the sky!

Final Thoughts

Patience is a virtue when it comes to photographing lightning!  It’s unpredictable, and you’ll find that you take many, many shots without getting anything good. You may also find that your just have to LEAVE an area, for your own safety, especially if a storm is approaching, and not moving away from your position.

[REMEMBER: For every five seconds between the lightning flash and the thunder’s boom, that is only ONE mile between you and the strike. That’s only ~5,000 feet away! Now might be a good time to also remind you that a lightning strike is around 300 million volts and 30,000 Amps. For reference, just a fraction of one Amp, or just 50-100 Volts, can be lethal, depending on the combination of the two. Feeling a little more cautious now? Good.]

Eventually, everything will come together just right and you’ll feel a huge sense of satisfaction at having safely captured the perfect lightning shot!

Hopefully, our tips have given you a bit more understanding of how to photograph lightning. We also hope they inspire you to get out there and have a go. Have fun, and don’t forget to stay safe while shooting!

Oh, and we travel photographers want it to all fit in our budget, of course! Simply put, it is a never-ending challenge, because better and better cameras keep coming out, and in smaller and smaller packages. That is a very good thing, of course; thankfully technology is advancing very rapidly and providing us with excellent options. Today, more than ever before,  get can expect professional capability out of a camera that is nearly pocket-sized!

As a long time photographer and very frequent flier, I have owned several DSLRs, mirrorless systems, and even medium & large format cameras, as well as “Point & Shoot” cameras. If you’re like me, you WANT to “bring it all” when you travel. Unfortunately, if you bring all of the biggest, most exotic lenses, you might seriously regret having to carry around so much weight!

If you value your travel experience itself, the adventures, and the vacation/holiday memories themselves, the smart thing is to invest in a dedicated travel camera. The balance of portability and performance will allow you to capture beautiful images, and return with equally vivid, fond memories of the experience itself.

What Makes The Best Camera For Travel Photography?

Just like I stated in the Best Landscape Photography Camera article, the best camera for travel photography isn’t necessarily the best choice for all types of photography. Many high-performance features will be less important, depending on the exact subjects you’re photographing. Other features or specifications, however, are more important when traveling.

Big cameras like the Canon EOS R3, Nikon Z9, or Sony A9 II might be “flagship” cameras that are excellent choices for professional photography, but there are many better-suited (and more affordable) cameras for you to bring with you on your travels.

Basically, when traveling, most photographers (and all content creators) will not need a “flagship” camera. What you’ll need is something small and lightweight, that gives you full manual control, has decent image quality and resolution, and has a good variety of zoom lenses with similar qualities. (Portable, good image quality…)

Last but not least, you’ll want a camera that can survive the elements! Who knows where you and your camera will be next; the extremely hot, dry desert, or the humid, cold, rain of the UK or Newfoundland? Either way, you’ll want to have a camera and lenses that offer good weather-sealing.

Of course, this does create a slight catch-22: Beware, because many of the small, compact, and affordable cameras are aimed at beginners, and they may not have weather sealing or durable build quality at all. Furthermore, they may only offer a restrictive level of manual control that will leave serious photographers a bit frustrated.

For this reason, we pay very special attention to exactly which cameras are the best for travel photography!

Today, we’ve compiled multiple lists of cameras that you can trust to deliver the performance, features, and image quality for your travel photography needs. HINT: the list you’ll want to focus on will depend on very basic things such as, will your travel photography mostly involve pictures of people, wildlife, or landscapes/cityscapes?

Remember, these are just lists; for more information about the strengths and weaknesses of a specific camera, read our reviews of those camera!

[Related Reading: 5 Useful Photography Travel Tips From A Pro]

What Features To Look For In A Good Travel Photography Camera

We have agreed that the best travel camera is one that combines portability, performance, reliability, image quality, and obviously, value/price. A more subtle aspect is this: a good travel camera doesn’t get in the way of you enjoying your adventure! Indeed, the best camera for travel photography is one that allows you to capture great images AND create lasting memories.

Here are the key features you should be aware of when picking a travel camera

1. Price – Obviously, value is important. Thankfully, there are a lot of cameras that offer excellent performance and features at an affordable price.
2. Portability – While we may want the control and quality of a giant flagship camera, and the range of a whole bag full of exotic lenses, the optimal cameras and lenses for travel photography are small and lightweight, yet still pack a punch.
3. Image Quality & Resolution (Megapixels) – A high-megapixel camera with a large full-frame sensor will give you a more detail image, allowing you to crop in more without reducing much quality. However, a smaller ASPC or Micro Four Thirds sensor will still offer you excellent image quality, in a significantly more portable package!
4. Weatherproofing – This one is very important for most, but not all, travelers. You may one day find yourself atop a snow-packed mountain, or in the middle of a rainstorm, a dust storm… Just about the only subject you shouldn’t worry about is hot lava. (Stay away from that stuff, no matter how cool the “influencers” make it look!) 

   

5. Underwater Camera? – Some folks may be adventurous enough to try and create content underwater! In this case, you’ll have to  consider a camera that can go underwater, or a watertight case for your existing camera.
6. User-Friendly – This is a difficult one: You want a camera that is intuitive and easy to use, but you also don’t want a camera that is so “beginner friendly” that it restricts your needs for manual control and performance.
7. RAW Image Files – Raw files capture the image data without any editing applied, as opposed to JPG images, and this provides you with a larger file that contains much more information. This gives you more control over your final edits, but it also requires a little more work in post-production. (Beginners can always use RAW+JPG!)

   

8. Stabilization – Some cameras can provide a stabilization feature to compensate for your shaking hands, or slower shutter speeds. This can be incredibly useful when photographing low-light scenes at times when a tripod is not an option. Many cameras have built-in sensor-based stabilization, and some cameras can even combine sensor and lens-based stabilization for maximum stability! Also, video-oriented cameras can use sensor cropping to offer truly stunning, stabilized video footage.
9. Video – Virtually all photography and “hybrid” cameras today have the ability to record excellent 4K video, and some cameras like the Canon R5, Sony A1, and Nikon Z8 can capture 8K video and/or RAW video! This is much more than most folks will ever need, however, if you’re specifically a travel vlogger, or you create high-end travel/outdoor videos and/or time-lapse, you’ll have to closely compare video specs, of course.
10. Interchangeable Lenses vs Fixed Lens– Most of the best cameras for travel photography are mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. This is because they offer the widest variety of lens options, from wide-angle to telephoto. Even if you’re traveling with just one lens that never leaves your camera, this is probably your best option!
    However, There are a few excellent cameras with fixed (zoom) lenses that create a very unique offering: The Sony RX100 series, for example, is a truly pocket-sized camera with the performance of a large pro camera, and an incredible 24-200mm equivalent f/2.8-5.6 zoom lens! Oppositely, for those who may be doing lots of telephoto wildlife photo/video, for example, there is the much larger Nikon P950 and P1000 cameras, which offer super-telephoto zoom lenses with jaw-dropping focal lengths such as 2000mm and 3000mm! (No, those aren’t typos!)

    

11. Wifi / Bluetooth Mobile Device Connections – Most cameras have the ability to connect directly to your mobile device and transfer either JPG or even raw image files! This allows you to transfer and share images immediately while traveling, which is especially important if you are on social media, and/or don’t have easy access to your main computer.
12. Battery Life & USB Charging – When you travel around the world, it’s great to have a camera with long-lasting battery life! Also, inevitably, finding the right power outlet adapter and/or charger can be tricky, and we have a work-around for you. Most all cameras now allow USB charging, so you don’t have to worry about finding the right outlet adapter; all you need is a large (Anker etc) USB battery pack. Just remember to check your camera’s exact charging specifications; some only accept USB-PD with the highest-power voltage, while others may only charge very slowly with regular USB.
13. Image Backups and Recovery –  Making regular backups of photos is a must, yet it’s not always practical to get out your laptop computer and perform a full download & backup workflow. For this reason, we try to only recommend cameras that have two memory card slots, which allow you to record raw images to both cards and create a backup you can keep in your pocket or somewhere safe as your travels continue. As a last resort, it is always good to fully understand proper photo recovery procedure in case you accidentally format a memory card while traveling, or one starts “going corrupt”…

Let’s Look At The Best Cameras For Travel Photography

These recommendations are based on our own experience using and traveling with these cameras.  (We aren’t just pulling a “Top 10” list from popular retailers!) Simply put, these are all systems we’d recommend to our friends and family to take when them on their travels, because we have been traveling with them ourselves and loved the experience.

First, let’s get right to the overall list. Then, we will suggest individual cameras in different categories based on the types of photography you’re doing, and/or your budget:

• Sony a6700
• Fujifilm X-S10 / Fujifilm X-S20
• Olympus (OM Systems) OM-5
• Fujifilm X-T4 / Fujifilm X-T5
• Sony RX100 VII
• Leica Q3
• Panasonic Lumix G100
• Panasonic Lumix DC-ZS80
• Nikon P950 (Ultra-telephoto super-zoom)
• OM Systems Tough TG-7 (Waterproof)
• GoPro Hero Series (Waterproof, “indestructible”)

Best Travel Cameras On A Budget

Okay so we’ve got a great list of travel cameras, but what if your biggest requirement is staying within a budget? Lets figure out which cameras provide some incredible performance, but won’t break your bank…

• Nikon Z50, ($806+) Nikon Zfc ($856+)
• Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV ($699+)
• Fujifilm X-S10 ($899+)
• Panasonic Lumix G100 ($497.99)
• OM Systems Tough TG-7 ($549) (Waterproof)
• GoPro Hero ($349+) (Waterproof, “indestructible”)

Thankfully, quite a few excellent cameras fall into the “around $500” range, or at least the “under $1,000” range. Mirrorless camera bodies will require an additional purchase of a lens, of course, but in every case there is a highly affordable option.

Either way, we chose these cameras specifically because they are a great balance of not just affordability, but also image quality and durability, the two most important things for any travel photographer. For more specialized recommendations, read on!

Best Cameras for Travel Photography (People & Events)

Whether you are a serious professional who already owns a bunch of high-end portrait photography gear, or you are a hobbyist who is looking to only own one camera, there are excellent options for capturing beautiful photos of people, whether posed portraits or candid, journalistic moments…

• Sony A6700 ($1298) – With the most diverse range of portrait lenses on the market, Sony’s premier APSC camera gets our highest recommendation. We are especially fond of portrait lenses such as the Sigma 30mm f/1.4 and , as well as wide-angle photojournalism lenses such as the Sony 15mm f/1.4 G. Also, Sony’s face & eye autofocus is the best in the industry.
• Fujifilm X-S20 ($799.95) – With an incredible value, the Fuji X-S20 (and the X-S10 for a tighter budget) is one of the only cameras under $1,000 with stabilization, a very useful feature for all candid photographers. Pair this camera with a portrait lens such as the
• Sony A7C II ($2,198) – For those with an expansive budget, the ultimate in portability and image quality is a full-frame mirrorless camera, of course. Sony’s compact, decently priced A7C II, plus the even more affordable Sony A7C, ($1,598) both provide access to the incredible array of Sony (and third-party) E-mount lenses, from the ultra-compact Samyang 75mm f/1.8 to the highly exotic Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM.

The above cameras, and just as importantly their lens systems, offer an excellent library of lenses available for all types of portrait and candid photography. We recommend having at least one fast-aperture prime in your camera bag, of course, whether it is a wide-angle, standard, or telephoto/portrait prime, to accompany your standard all-around travel zoom lens.

Best Cameras for Travel Photography (Wildlife & Action)

Once again, we are going to make a couple recommendations that are based more on the lenses available than the cameras themselves. Indeed, aside from a camera’s autofocus capability and shooting speed & buffer, wildlife photography and most action sports are all about the lenses!

• Sony A6700 ($1,398) – Continually at the top of many of our lists, this camera provides the best-in-class autofocus performance with face & eye detection for virtually all imaginable types of animals. Also, the lenses available are truly the best in terms of portability & telephoto range, from the lightweight & compact Tamron 70-300mm, to the super-telephoto Tamron 150-500mm and Sigma 150-600mm.
• Canon EOS R8 ($1,299) – Known for its amazing lenses just as much as (or more than) the camera bodies, Canon’s EOS R8 benefits from an incredible array of lenses that are perfect for travel photographers who are always capturing distant subjects of any type. There are the compact, affordable, excellent telephoto/superzooms such as the Canon RF 24-240mm and 100-400mm. Also, there are some truly exotic, unique lenses such as the Canon RF 600/800mm’s, and the Canon RF 200-800mm.
• Fujifilm X-H2S ($2,299) – Not to be outdone by either Canon or Sony, Fuji’s flagship action camera offers a complete host of features such as dual card slots, blazing fast speed, and a fully professional control layout, in a relatively portable package. There’s good news and bad news: the bad news is that this camera is a “compact flagship”, at about #2.3K. The good news is that Sigma and Tamron are helping you out with budget concerns, making many of their excellent telephoto zooms available on the X-mount.
• Nikon P950 ($796) – Although Nikon’s compact mirrorless system is  impressive, it’s still in its early stages. Plus, we can’t pass up the opportunity to recommend this truly mind-boggling telephoto zoom lens (built-in) camera! The Nikon P-series in general has offered staggering telephoto reach, equivalent to 2,000mm with the Nikon P950 and 3,000mm with the Nikon P1000. There is simply no other camera or lens that offers these focal lengths, let alone in such a portable, affordable package!

Best Cameras for Travel Photography (Landscapes, Cityscapes, & Nightscapes)

If your travels take you to places because of the beautiful landscapes, cityscapes, seascapes, etc, …then you’ll be looking for a polar-opposite set of lenses, of course. Thankfully, some of the same cameras will make an appearance in this list, but for very different reasons…

• Sony A6700 ($1,398) – Once gain at the top of a list, the A6700 is here for very different reasons: The sensor itself offers incredible dynamic range for those epic sunset/sunrise scenes, and the wide-angle lens selection is by far the biggest of any compact camera platform. If you photograph traditional scenes, ultra-wide zooms such as the Sony 10-20mm PZ are fantastic for photo+video content creators, while the the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 is an incredible value at a mere $599. Alternatively, if you photograph nightscapes such as the Milky Way, Sony’s 11mm f/1.8 is amazing, while the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 and Tamron 11-20mm f/2.8 are highly versatile options.
• Fujifilm X-T5 ($1,699) – For the most serious, adventurous photographers who want a truly flagship-style camera in a portable package, the Fuji X-T5 has it all: all the physical controls, dual card slots, excellent IBIS, professional weather sealing, and at 40 megapixels, one of the highest-resolution sensors of any compact camera system! Also, the lens selection is excellent, since it offers some unique options such as the Fujifilm 8mm f/3.5, as well as most of the Tamron and Sigma options.
• Olympus (OM Systems) OM-5 ($999) – Olympus is our champion if you want absolute maximum portability, yet also require maximum durability. Known for their flagship-grade durable construction and full weather-sealing, this relatively compact, flagship-style camera does indeed match the durability of Canon, Nikon, and Sony’s “gigantic” (and expensive) flagship cameras.

Best Cameras for Travel Photography (with a Fixed Lens)

If you’re looking for the most compact, convenient camera possible for your travels, you’ll likely be looking for something that has a fixed lens (prime or zoom), making your only tough decision being “how to frame your shot.” These cameras we’ve found will help make capturing your memories on the road a breeze.

• Leica Q3 ($4,995)
• GoPro Hero ($449)
• Sony RX100 VII ($1,298)
• Sony ZV-1, ($648) Sony ZV-1 II ($799)
• Ricoh GR IIIx ($899.95)

While the Leica Q3 is definitely on the “luxury” side of things, each of these fixed lens cameras are incredible options for you to bring with you on vacation. The Sony is one of the top rated cameras for candid/street photos on the market in its class, while the Sony RX100 and ZV-1 series offer some of the best image quality around, despite their ultra-compact size.

NOTE: The Sony RX100 series and ZV-1 series share similar physical form factors as well as similar sensors. However, the ZV-1 series is exclusively designed for vloggers, with the ZV-1 II offering a unique 18-50mm equivalent lens. Oppositely, for those who do a wider range of photo & video, the RX100 series includes a highly useful electronic viewfinder, and a very impressive 24-200mm equivalent zoom lens.

Best Cameras for Travel Photography that are Waterproof

If you’re anything like me, you’re going to want to go swimming (weather permitting), or still head out to take photos when it’s pouring rain or icy snow… So, it’s important that you have a camera with great weather sealing that’s designed to take on the elements, or in a few cases, go directly underwater!

While most of the cameras on this list have pretty great weather proofing/seals, only 2 are designed to specifically go into the water with you. So if you think you’ll be capturing some images in and around the water, these are the rigs for you!

• GoPro Hero ($349+)
• OM Systems Tough TG-7 ($549) (Waterproof)

We listed both of these cameras earlier, however, under this specific heading we need to offer some caveats: Both of these cameras, and almost all dedicated underwater cameras, come with a few significant drawbacks. In act, across the board, from their image quality to their zoom range and overall ease-of-use, none of them can match the other cameras we’ve listed. So, you should ONLY buy one of these if you are going to be using it almost exclusively underwater. Otherwise, we highly recommend using your normal camera, and purchasing an underwater housing for it.

Best All Round Travel Camera

At the end of the day, there are a ton of factors to consider, and personal choices to make. However, we have to ask ourselves, “what if we just want to do it ALL, and do it well? Few cameras can do virtually everything, yet keep the price affordable and the package compact. Of course, you guessed it, that camera is currently the Sony a6700!

This mirrorless APS-C camera from Sony has an excellent 26-megapixel sensor, in a body that is impressively lightweight at just around 1lb. Whether you are capturing exclusively still photos, or you are creating vlogs, or even cinematic content, the A6700 is just an impressive all-arounder.

The Sony A6700 also offers access to the impressive array of E-mount lenses, further solidifying the camera’s position as one of the best choices if you might be going from capturing portraits one moment, to wildlife the next, and a dramatic sunset later.

While the Sony a6700 costs over $1,000 even without a lens ($1,398 without a lens, $1,798 with a zoom) there are just so many features, manual control, and benefits to this camera that make it a perfect choice that’ll serve you for ages in your travel photography, while saving you a ton of space and weight in your bags! It truly is one of the best APS-C sensor cameras available and definitely deserves a slot on your travel bag.

Conclusion

We’ll update this list if new cameras come out that are optimal for travel photography! Also, remember, even if you don’t see your camera on this list, you can still get out and create beautiful photos with whatever camera you already have, including your phone. Plan (and budget for) your travels first, enjoy the experience, and then think about capturing phototos & videos of your travels…

(This list was up to date as of 2023)

Video: 3 Ways to Level Up Your Creativity Without Buying Additional Gear

It’s really quite simple. You can use simple techniques and the gear you already have (a camera, a lens, and maybe a tripod) to level up your creativity. This article expands on concepts covered in our Photography 101 workshop.

[Related Reading: How to Use the Lightroom Panorama Tool | Quick Reference]

Technique #1: Wide Aperture Panoramic Stitch

This technique was popularized by Ryan Brenizer and is often referred to as the “Brenizer Method.” The benefit of using this technique is that it allows you to create a wide angle image with an impossibly shallow depth of field. I say “impossibly shallow” because capturing this wide of a shot with this shallow depth of field in a single frame would require something like a 24mm lens at f/.2 (that’s f-point-two, not f-two), which—to my knowledge—doesn’t exist.

How to Capture a Wide Aperture Panoramic Stitch

1. Grab a prime lens (preferably a 50mm, but whatever you have should work).
2. Widen out the aperture as wide as it’ll go, preferably anywhere between f/1.4-f/1.8.
3. Shoot your subject at the right distance. In other words, your subject should fit vertically into an entire frame (see the sample above). This makes it easier to stitch your images together, especially if the subjects are moving a bit. If you’re too far away from your subject, you lose the added depth of field that a wide aperture pano-stitch photo offers.
4. Dial in your settings and lock your focus onto your subject. This is critical. Make sure your lens is set to manual focus after locking onto your subject so that you don’t refocus for each new shot in the series.
5. Shoot the Panorama. I prefer to start in the center and then work my way to the left, and then to the right. From there, if I want to include more vertical space, I would start at the center again and then work my way to the far left at a lower level to include more vertical space, and so on (see image collage above). It’s good to overlap each shot so that the stitch is possible in post.

Keep in mind that the final stitched image will be a super large, high-megapixel image, given that it’s comprised of multiple high-resolution photos. For this reason, I recommend shooting in a medium or small RAW format. Otherwise, the amount of resulting data for the stitched photo will slow your computer’s performance and require extra time to process.

Additional Shooting Tips

For the image on the left, I lit the subject using a Profoto light for external flash inside a softbox. The image on the right was captured using natural light. You can play with different lighting effects to achieve a variety of looks.

As you can see in the image above, using different lenses will open up the possible outcomes for your wide aperture panoramic stitch portraits as well. For this image, I used a tilt-shift lens and set my focus right to the subjects’ faces. This allowed everything else to fall out of focus and in an ultra-negative space-type shot.

How to Edit a Wide Angle Panoramic Stitch

1. Open the images in Lightroom and select all of the images that will be used in the panorama.
2. Hover over one of the images, right click, and select Photo Merge > Panorama (see above).

Lightroom will merge the series of photos into a DNG file of the panorama. This will give you the full editing flexibility of a RAW file.

Technique #2: Pan for Motion

One of the easiest techniques you can use to level up your creativity is adding motion. When we pan for motion, we need to do the following:

1. Slow the shutter speed down to a sweet spot (usually between 1/10 and 1/50) that allows you to capture motion. The exact shutter speed will vary, depending on the speed of the movement you’re capturing, lighting conditions, etc. Just remember, faster moving subjects will require a faster shutter speed while slower moving subjects require a slower shutter speed. If the shutter speed is too slow, you’ll have a hard time keeping the focus on your subject sharp.
2. Set your exposure with ISO and Aperture.
3. Choose a focal point. You’ll want to place your focal point somewhere in the frame that complements your composition. Use the focal point to lock focus on your subject as the subject moves past.
4. Position the camera close to your body for stability. It can help to use the viewfinder for this effect because it allows you to keep the camera tucked close to you. Holding the camera away from your body will increase the risk of introducing camera shake into the photo.
5. Set your camera to high speed and shoot through the entire sequence of your subject passing by. This will give you a better chance of capturing a sharp subject.
6. Pan to follow your subject, moving in the same direction and at the same speed.

Expect to practice this technique in order to master it.

[Related Reading: Panning Video Tutorial for Photography – Shooting Moving Subjects]

Technique #3: Shutter Drag for Motion

Instead of moving our cameras with the subject to create motion, we can use shutter drag to capture movement. We just need to hold the camera still and slow the shutter speed enough to show the surrounding environment. Here’s how to do it:

1. Place the camera on a tripod.
2. Dial in your composition and move your subjects into place. Before placing your subjects, make sure that you’ve instructed them to hold completely still while you capture the shot. The slow shutter speed can quickly render your subjects out of focus if they move.
3. Slow the shutter speed enough to show motion. Here’s a quick breakdown for typical shutter drag shutter speeds:
   1. .5″ to 2″ for “wispy” water
   2. 10″ to 20″ for a foggy effect. This may require creating a composite with one frame exposed for the subjects and another for the motion in the water.
   3. The maximum amount of time that subjects can hold still without getting blurry is one to two seconds, so you may need to create a composite and expose for the subjects in one frame while capturing the movement (of passing cars, crashing waves, etc.) in another frame.
4. Dial in your exposure with ISO and aperture.
5. Capture the shot.

In the image above, 1/10″ was enough to capture the entire scene in motion. You can learn more about how we created this shot here.

If you’re doing this technique in broad daylight and you image is still overexposed after lowering your ISO and closing down your aperture, you may need to invest in a Neutral Density filter, preferably one that dims your exposure by 3-5 stops.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed these tips on three ways to level up your creativity without having to buy additional gear. You can revisit these and other concepts in our Photography 101 workshop and dive further into the fundamentals of portrait photography.

Be sure to catch our next episode of Mastering Your Craft on Adorama’s YouTube channel next week! If you want to catch up on all the episodes, make sure you check out our playlist!

Who Is This Lens For?

The 85mm focal length is highly desirable for photographers who prefer not to be too close to their subjects. Its lack of distortion makes it a favorite of portrait photographers, as it produces slimming effects on subjects. Additionally, the 85mm’s compression combined with its fast f1.4 (or f1.2) aperture creates a desirable, creamy bokeh.

In sports photography, the 85mm is an excellent choice because it offers an intermediate length that allows the user to get closer to the action while still having the flexibility to capture shots of the entire field. Compared to other popular telephoto lenses such as the 135mm or 200mm, the 85mm is a more affordable, compact, and portable option.

Why Samyang/Rokinon?

In today’s market, photographers have a wide range of options when it comes to 85mm lenses, and third-party lenses have become increasingly popular due to their ability to deliver high-quality results at more affordable prices. Among these third-party manufacturers, Samyang, a Korean lens manufacturer known for its manual-focus lenses, has recently been expanding its line-up to include high-quality autofocus lenses.

Samyang’s 85mm lens for Canon‘s new RF mount is the first of its kind from a third-party company, and is based on the manufacturer’s extensive experience in producing similar lenses for other brands. Despite offering comparable performance to Canon’s EF version, Samyang’s lens comes at a lower cost, with a price tag below $1,599.00.

By creating lenses for the new EOS R system, Samyang is clearly demonstrating its commitment to staying ahead of the curve and producing quality lenses that will be relevant for years to come. As Canon continues to launch new mirrorless cameras, Samyang is poised to continue developing high-quality lenses for this mount.

As Samyang specifies “Samyang’s RF series is known for its outstanding image quality, since the AF 14mm F2.8 RF was awarded the prestigious TIPA award in 2020 as ‘best mirrorless prime wide-angle lens.’ The new AF 85mm RF also makes no compromise in image quality: A total of 11 elements in 8 groups, with 4 high-refractive (HR) optics and an extra low-dispersion (ED) lens, have been designed to create impressive image quality from corner to corner.”

Samyang 85mm F/1.4 RF Specifications

• Model name AF 85 mm F1.4 RF
• Aperture range F1.4 ~ 16
• Lens optical
  • Construction 11 Elements in 8 Groups
  • Special lens HR 4, ED 1
• Coating UMC
• Minimum focusing distance 0.90m (2.95ft)
• Maximum magnification ratio x 0.11
• Filter size Φ 77.0
• Maximum diameter Φ 88.0
• Number of blades 9
• Mount Canon RF
• Angle of view
  • Full Frame 28.9˚
  • APS-C 19.1˚
• Length 99.5mm
• Weight without lens cap, hood 582g
• Weather Sealing o
• AF/MF mode switch o
• AF Motor LSM

Build and Handling

As is typical with Samyang’s autofocus and manual-focus lenses, the build quality of this lens is of a high standard. The metal mounting plate and high-quality plastic barrel feel sturdy and well-engineered, with weather-seals providing protection against the elements. Inside, the optical path consists of nine elements in seven groups, including a hybrid aspherical element. The lens is also coated with “Ultra Multi-Coating” to minimize ghosting and flare.

Despite its high-quality build, the Samyang lens is easy to manage and much lighter than the latest Canon 85mm lens. As the first third-party option for the RF mount, it is likely to be compared to Canon’s own offerings.

It’s worth noting that the RF version of the lens is larger and heavier than the EF version. This is due to the need to adapt lenses to the 54mm RF mount, which allows wider lens elements to be placed closer to the sensor. This reduces chromatic aberrations and facilitates more effective lens arrangements.

The onboard controls for this lens are minimal, consisting only of a switch to toggle between autofocus and manual focus and a manual focus ring. The autofocus system utilizes a Dual LSM (Linear Supersonic Motor), which operates quickly and quietly. However, the manual focus ring is electronically coupled rather than mechanically coupled, unlike with an ultrasonic ring-type arrangement. As a result, the focus ring only functions when power is supplied from the camera, such as after a light press of the shutter button.

Performance

Like its EF counterpart, the RF version of this lens autofocuses quickly and with high accuracy, even in low-light indoor conditions. The fly-by-wire manual focus ring allows for very precise adjustments, particularly when using a magnified preview in live view mode. While center-sharpness is not exceptional at f/1.4, it improves significantly at f/2 and becomes excellent from f/2.8 onwards. Lateral chromatic aberration is reasonably well-controlled at f/1.4, but may become more noticeable at narrower apertures.

Despite shooting wide-open at f/1.4, the lens produces impressive contrast, and center-sharpness is quite acceptable, although it does drop off somewhat towards the edges. This is not a significant issue for portraiture, and the noticeable vignetting can even be seen as a bonus, as it can be avoided during post-production. When stopping down slightly to increase the depth of field, the bokeh remains excellent, aided by a well-rounded nine-blade diaphragm.

Autofocus

Samyang is a relatively new player in the autofocus aspect of lens design, which has been their Achilles heel so far, particularly when compared to other manufacturers with more extensive lineups of EF/RF AF lenses. However, the company has 40 years of experience in manufacturing high-quality glass, and they frequently release firmware updates to address any issues.

Samyang has begun incorporating dual Linear Sonic Motors into their designs, resulting in much quieter and refined autofocus. The AF-S performance produces a small amount of sound, but it is the fastest mode for stills. There is a brief moment where the momentum builds up before the focus occurs very quickly. The overall focus speed in AF mode is actually quite fast, comparable to many other 85mm lenses on the market.

One area where the Samyang lens truly excels is Eye AF. The release of the AF 85mm coincided with one of the most significant highlights for Canon’s new cameras, which included improved focus algorithms and enhanced tracking in the form of Real-Time Eye AF and Real-Tracking. This makes the Samyang AF 85mm an excellent choice for portraiture.

What We Liked

• Quite compact and lightweight
• Relatively inexpensive
• Good image quality

What Could Be Better

• Centre-sharpness isn’t overly impressive at f/1.4
• No optical stabilizer
• Ring control, such as Canon´s original

Conclusion

The release of the Samyang AF 85mm / 1.4 RF is a pleasant surprise for Canon shooters. Especially for those ones who already moved to the mirrorless system or to those ones who are still considering and waiting for the new cameras or lenses to be introduced.

For many novice photographers, the high price tag of some brand-name lenses is simply not feasible. Additionally, some photographers prefer not to deal with the bulk and weight of these lenses. This is where the new option from Samyang becomes an attractive choice, as it is more affordable and lightweight. The lens measures less than 10cm in length and weighs 582g without the lens cap and hood.

Despite its lower price point, the Samyang 85mm is still able to capture the finer details of portraiture while delivering a smooth and creamy bokeh with a seamless transition between focused and defocused areas. The lens strikes a good balance between price and build quality, offering solid autofocus performance and near-perfect image quality for portrait work.

Special Note

In combination with the Samyang AF 85mm / 1.4 RF, I did this shooting with the Godox AD200 Pro, the new AD300 Pro, Magbox, and other MagMod´s tools, a set-up that I recommend personally without hesitation for portrait photography.

Check Pricing & Availability of the Samyang 85mm F/1.4 RF Here:

Adorama | B&H | Amazon

Note: This article was originally written in 2017 and updated in 2021.

“Stop of Light” Video Explanation

Understanding Exposure

Whether you are shooting film or digital, the principle of exposure remains the same. Exposure is the result of a three-way balancing act between three controllable camera settings: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. I call it a three-way balancing act because when one factor shifts one way, at least one of the other two has to shift the other way to counterbalance the change.

I will go into each component in the next few articles, but for now, here is what you need to know about the three factors:

• Shutter Speed: How long the camera shutter stays open to let light in
• Aperture: How wide is the opening of your lens when the light passes through
• ISO: How sensitive is your sensor to the light

Visualizing the Exposure Relationship

One of the best ways that I have learned in visualizing the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, and ISO is to picture water pouring from a faucet into a cup. The water itself is the light and a full cup of water is considered the “correct” exposure.

Your aperture is going to be how wide you open the faucet. How long you leave the water running is your shutter speed. So let’s take a look at these two things in regards to filling the cup to the brim. If you have the faucet wide open (large aperture), it won’t take long to fill the cup up (short shutter speed). If you close down the faucet to only allow a small stream of water, it will take longer to fill the cup (long shutter speed).

That’s essentially how the aperture to shutter speed relationship works. The larger the aperture opening, the less time it takes for enough light to “fill up” a cup of exposure. The smaller the aperture opening, the longer it takes for the light to fill the same cup.

Now to visualize ISO, imagine adding a pump to the faucet’s plumbing to force the water out faster. Just by increasing the flow rate of the water, you can fill the cup faster without having to adjust the opening of the faucet or extending the time to fill the cup. ISO is similar in that you are artificially “pushing” more light on the sensor by making the sensor more sensitive to the light.

Underexposure and Overexposure

When an image is underexposed, that means that it is darker than a properly exposed image. Going back to our water faucet analogy, that means that you did not allow enough water to fill the cup all the way to the top. To correct this, you either have to open the faucet wider, give more time for the water to fill the cup, or force the water out faster. In camera terms, this means either opening up the aperture, having a longer shutter speed, or increasing the ISO.

If an image is overexposed, that means that it is way too bright. With our water faucet, that means letting too much water flow into the cup and having the excess water spill out into the sink. To adjust for this, simply close the faucet down a bit, shorten the amount of time allotted for the water, or slow the water’s flow rate. The camera equivalence would be closing down the aperture, having a shorter shutter speed, or lowering the ISO.

A Stop of Light DefIned | Summary

• A relative measurement of the amount of light in a particular photograph.

• A Stop of Light is either double or half the amount of light in a particular photo.

• To brighten an image by one stop means you increase its brightness by 100%. Another way to put it is that you double the amount of light your image has.

• To take away one stop of light means, you decrease the brightness of an image by 50%. (Obviously, if you decrease the light by 100%, you have no light and are left with a completely dark image.)

• Increasing the brightness in your image by two stops of light is not an increase of 200%, but 400% because the amount of light has been doubled and then doubled again.

• Decreasing the brightness in your image by two stops means reducing the brightness by 50% and then reducing it another 50%.

Conclusion

So, keeping things simple for now, exposure is simply a three-way balancing act between three controllable camera settings: shutter speed, aperture, and ISO. The right combination of the three leads to a “proper” exposure where the image looks like it has the right amount of brightness. If you change one of the three settings, then you have to change at least one of the other two settings to maintain the balance.

To master foundation lighting techniques, check out our Lighting 101 workshop, or stream it along with a plethora of photography and post-production education as an SLRL Premium member.

If you’ve encountered a Canon cine lens while online shopping you may have noticed the vast difference in price between a comparably fast still lens of the same focal length and wondered what on earth could make the price difference justifiable. They look a bit different and you will notice that the more expensive cine lens is something like the Canon CN-E 50mm T1.3 L F Cine Lens. Delving into what that means will provide a partial explanation for the approximately $3,000 price difference over the stellar Canon EF 50mm f/1.2L USM still lens.

As explained in the video, f stops are theoretical. The analogy used is GPS navigation. If you have someplace to go and you want to know how long it will take you, you type it into your navigation system and it tells you it will take 30 minutes, in theory. That is an f stop. While it’s absolute in the width of the aperture opening, like distance traveled from point A to point B on your GPS, there are other variables at play. When you hit the road for your drive, you may find it takes you 35 minutes in traffic instead of the promised 30. That is a T stop, or transmission stop. The precise, actual measurement of transmitted light, or time in our analogy.

Interestingly, comparing lenses from the same manufacturer doesn’t guarantee the same f stop to T stop difference. For instance, as measured by DXO, two Zeiss lenses of different focal lengths from the same era had different f stop to T stop disparities.

Since we know that T stops are the ultimate in precision, at least in top-of-the-line glass, it makes sense that each and every lens would need to be tested and calibrated. That isn’t cheap, and that cost gets passed on to you – the consumer. Hence one reason for our Canon cine lens vs L still lens difference aforementioned.

[REWIND:] IMPROVE YOUR STORYTELLING WITH CREATIVE CAMERA MOVEMENT TECHNIQUES | CINEMATOGRAPHY

If you’re wondering why cinema gets such special treatment while still photographers get imprecise f stops, it’s because cinema is a different animal. Since DSLRs measure reflected light through the lens, the difference in application is negligible, and is seldom more than a third of a stop. That’s a quick fix in Lightroom, if you even notice it at all. Cinema on the other hand will use different cameras for the same scene, sometimes on different days and it all needs to match precisely. Post production for video is more time consuming and has less leeway in general. Not to mention at a professional level, it’s very expensive. Large productions will even have a T stop listed for a particular scene and that’s that. Everybody shoots at T*1.5 and it all matches and comes together nicely when it’s time to make a movie. On more casual productions, modern technology makes it possible to use f stops on DSLRs, but when accuracy is key T stops are what you want.

For a little more reading on the topic, check out Kish’s article on the same here.

If you’d like to hear more, check out the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYRJVRMlIe8