How I set up my Camera?

What is preset?

A camera preset allows you to create a set or value automatically assigned to a software application, computer program, etc. Preset (electronics), a variable component on a device only accessible to manufacturing or maintenance personnel.

To be very very clear, I can see a lot of presets on the market at the moment. But the first thing to consider when you buy a preset pack is would the preset fits the light situation. With time, I know what kind of light will precise I have prepared a set of information for you to understand the way I take images using my digital cameras.

I use Sony a9 for few years and my lens is 35mm Zeiss f/1.4.

Over time, I have realized in spite of myself that I was almost always looking for the same lights. Like a guitar player who practices his scales, I too have worked my gaze to read the light. In my own experience, there are very few really versatile presets on the market. Many of this explains why your images will never look like the images you see on colleagues' websites.

Hence the importance of revealing to you what settings, how I look at the light. Beyond the same, I created my presets to be the most versatile. I cover weddings all over the world, and it is essential to find a preset that is suitable for Scandinavian countries as well as Italy, Morocco, Mexico, or Thailand.

With the SMH presets, you will find presets that can be adapted immediately to your lighting situation.

How to configure your Camera’s settings in Manual mode:

  1. I always shoot Manual (M) mode.

  2. I shoot RAW and JPEG on my Sony a9

  3. I always shoot cloudy the entire day

  4. I Adjust the white balance in the magenta/red to customize my colors on my screen -4,-4

  5. I usually shoot at f/1.4 apart from the group shots and the dancefloor

  6. I never go under 1/250 sec or I will push the ISO

Camera Equipment

Sony a9 and Canon 6d MkII, I also use my Voigtlander Bessa film camera with 25mm and 50mm, my Sony RX100 iii, an Oktomat Gifs film camera, and My Fujifilm SQ10, I also have 2 Instax Miny Printer. Now I dream about the Fuji gfx100S to be able to take images from a Medium Format Camera with my signature editing and style.

Aperture

I shoot 99% of the time with my lens fully open at F/1.4. Of course for the group shots or landscapes, I would close the aperture. Sometimes I do slow shutter speed blurry shots too. Then I would to f/8 or f/11 and decrease my shutter speed and ISO at the minimum.

Shutter Speed

Super easy here, I try to underexpose my image from the camera but making a strong contrast on the camera, kind of 1 stop underexposed. I try not to go under the 1/250 per sec when I feel that I can rather shake my hand or my subject would also be a bit blurry.

ISO

As you know ISO is a great way to recover light but it is also very tricky to push the ISO to extreme limits because it would generate a lot of grain and deterioration. I will always try to limit myself on ISO as maximum as I can. When I push the ISO I will simply multiply the number by 2 until I find the right light. (50) - 100 - 200 - 400 - 800 - 1600 - 3200 - 6400. New technology allows us to push even more ISOs but I try not to push it too much.

One of the most difficult points to understand when you are buying/using Presets is to understand the way the photographer is seeing the light and what camera settings he/she is using.