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Lesson Info
5. Lightweight Gear Setup
Lessons
M0: Orientation
1Series Hello & Introducing Benjamin Hardman
01:43 2Coffee with Alex - Benjamin's Story
22:38 3Benjamin's Workshop Introduction
01:39M1: Gear & Prep
4High-Resolution Setup
07:26 5Lightweight Gear Setup
05:33 6Backpack Breakdown
11:38Aerial Photography
05:51 8Gear & Clothing
07:26 9Research & Preparation
06:18M2: Shooting & Editing
10Seals of Glacier Lagoon
06:56 11Editing: Adobe Lightroom Basics
40:59 12Capturing Glacial Detail
08:23 13Editing: Macro Detail
15:17 14Exploring on Foot
09:47 15Editing: Image Stitching
17:18 16Photographing the Elusive Reindeer
07:21 17Editing: Subjects in Sunset Light
16:58 18Documenting Iceland's Jagged Peaks
06:21 19Editing: Atmospheric Mountains
14:56 20Mountain Drone Photography
10:50 21Editing: Aerial Abstraction
17:20M3: Finding Your Style, Curation, and Social Media
22Benjamin's Style
03:30 23What Inspires Benjamin
02:40 24Creating Your Own Voice
03:01 25Curation: Computer to Phone & UNUM
10:16 26Social Media Q&A with Alex
08:47M4: Running A Creative Business
27Benjamin's Story & Business Tips
05:23 28Presenting Professionally
01:39 29Printing Your Work
12:29 30Staying Inspired
01:02M5: Wrap Up
31Workshop Takeaways
06:03 32Workshop Summary with Alex
32:50Lesson Info
Lightweight Gear Setup
We've cleaned the table off, and now we're gonna focus on what I would take in situations where lightweight is key. I want to be able to still have versatility like I did with the bigger lenses, but I want to try and get that with one lens so then I would use a zoom lens. For the last few years, I've been working with a really really lightweight setup that has incredible stabilization and that is the Olympus E-M1 Mark II. Currently it has the battery grip on. I've been playing with that for a while, but of course if I was going on a 17-hour mountain ascent and descent, then I would want to take this off and just have the lightest possible setup which is obviously without the battery grip. But the stabilization in this camera is really awesome. I can even hold like several seconds handheld and it's sharp, so really cool. Of course, lower resolution, but still being able to stitch photos brings the opportunity to get your images to be bigger. And of course, I would rather take a lightwei...
ght setup and just stitch a few shots together than to lug around and really big, heavy setup, especially with those Sigma lenses. So I'll show you now what lenses I would take if I was on a mountaineering mission or, you know, ice climbing with my friends here, some sort of thing where I'm, you know, hanging off ropes or putting my body through its paces in the mountains. First up, 12 to 100 with IS. Now this is an F4 lens, but because it's stabilized, it's giving really amazing results. When I'm in the mountains, maybe I'm less focused on getting, you know, a really blurry depth of field effect in the foreground or background of my shots and more focused on the structure of what I'm shooting. I can think of one scenario where I was really focused on getting this peak coming up which was just super unexpected. It was right there to the right of me, and I was able to use this lens and because the snow is kind of white anyway, the glare was less important in the foreground. This created a really cool stitched image. So that is my go-to combination. If I had to take one setup on a massive mountain climb it would be these two things, obviously minus the grip. If I wanted to add some sort of dynamic edge to that setup, then I might bring in two other lenses which is the 25-1.2, which is an amazing portrait lens. Obviously gives you, with the micro four-thirds, it gives you a 50 millimeter lens, which is almost what the eye sees. So it is very, very relatable, the images that you can capture at that focal length. It gives sort of still, and that little bit of compression in the background, but it allows you to get still quite close to your subjects. Some of those environments out there are very tight, and being wide, you know, even wider than this, I do have another lens which I can find for you and it's gonna appear out of nowhere. (lens snaps) They're strong too. No. (laughs) So obviously when I'm thinking about this situation the ideal is having the lightweight set up, but maybe I just have a specific shot in mind and I'm gonna tailor my lens selection for that frame alone. And in that case, maybe I'm in a really tight environment and I want a wider shot. Because we do have the micro four-thirds sensor, we have to consider that everything about the focal length is multiplied by two. So here we have a seven to 14 millimeter. Much like the Sigma 20 millimeter, it has a really big element on the front. So filters aren't really a thing. But again, for me, that hasn't really been an issue. Yeah, some situations might require a wider lens, and I have the 17 to 14, seven to 14 for that situation. And back to the last lens. Now, this is a recent addition, and I'm mind blown by how light it is. But this is a 60 millimeter F-2.8 macro lens. And this is really phenomenal; what it can do. It's the first macro lens actually that I've ever owned. And what it can do is give me a new perspective on things like ice, and the finer details that you can get when you're really close up to it. Same with, you know, something like volcanic silt. There's so many patterns in that. And maybe even from the drone, when you're looking at, there's a glacial water coming down that's full of silt, leaves really interesting patterns. But also when you're looking from a close perspective with something like a macro lens, you can apply the same framing techniques and still end up with some sort of really abstract yet interesting photo. So those are my micro four-thirds lenses. And the main takeaway from this is that I really like to have a super lightweight setup. I'm happy to compromise on image resolution because I can stitch the images together and still end up with a great result, and no strained back on a 12 hour hike or something like that. So yeah.
Class Materials
Bonus Materials with Purchase
Ratings and Reviews
Matt Grandbois
Very Informative & Awe Inspiring Both Benjamin and Alex have played huge roles in my photographic style development over the years and it is great to hear first hand exactly what inspires and drives Ben to keep pushing his creative boundaries. Personally, I love his minimalist approach and it was super insightful to watch him explain how he developed that style and how he actively produces photographs in a cohesive manner. 10/10 recommend this workshop to anyone looking for a very unique and profound perspective with the intent of expanding your creative horizons.
Janelle Dransfield
Moving to Iceland now...? Loved this workshop! I really liked the way the modules are split up, and the way you watch Benjamin go out on location for a shot, then immediately sit down and watch his editing process for that specific shot. So much editing to learn too, since he doesn't use presets! The workbook is also super thorough, so printing it out allowed me to pay close attention and just add little notes here and there. The Iceland road guide is also SO helpful and in depth. Can't wait to use it. Also loved that Ben talked about printing your own work. Would be cool to maybe see something from Wildist in the future that goes even more into depth on that (calibrating your own printer, working with a print shop, dropship sites, etc.) Awesome course. Thanks, Hardman.
Alec Brown
First Workshop The first workshop I have ever purchased. I've always been hesitant to invest in a workshop, however this went above and beyond my expectations. Fluid in progression, great insight and a super relaxed learning curve full of information. I feel this has prepared me to take my own personal photographic journey to the next level. Executed to perfection. Nice work guys! 10/10 recommended.
Student Work
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