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My first Peregrine Falcon. I caught this one (my first) at 6:24 a.m. - twenty minutes before sunrise. ILCE1 FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS 600 mm f/6.3 1/500 sec ISO 250 EXP 0 A few moments later ILCE1 FE 200–600 mm F5.6–6.3 G OSS 277 mm f/7.1 1/2000 sec ISO 2000 EXP 0

Taken in Alaska August 18, 2023

One of my most beloved places on earth are the netherlands with their huge lakes and hundreds of canals where you can just relax and take in the beautiful landscapes while sailing along with the wind.

For this month's Forum Feature we are thrilled to highlight Hamad Alhendi, also known as @LensBrew. Hamad is a great member of our Forum community and a fantastic photographer. Here is how Hamad describes himself and his passion for photography: I’m a PhD student in the field of Mechanical Engineering, researching AI imaging and image processing. I’m also the Photography Editor for Virginia Tech’s Collegiate Times. From a young age, my passions have ranged from sports to technology to photography. My journey in photography started by tinkering with my dad’s old camera and experimenting with many rolls of film. Whenever we traveled, I took the opportunity to grab a disposable camera and enjoy pressing the shutter. Photography has always been a source of excitement and fascination for me. As my skills grew, I found joy in capturing different subjects like sports, fitness, and cultural scenes during my travels. I got inspired by a multitude of photographers and how their image stirred my emotions. I felt connected to the subjects and in the scene. I aspire to capture life’s most beautiful moments and immortalize those precious memories that define us. From the thrill of a game day to the rich diversity of new locations. And, as a tech enthusiast, I am continuously exploring new avenues to enhance my skills and showcase my work. A visual journey through life. And here is some of his fantastic imagery: Shot on Sony A9 II and Sony 135 GM Shot on the Sony A7RIV and Sony 35 GM Shot on the Sony a9 II and Sony 135 GM And check out the gear he relies on to make his imagery HERE. Thank you @LensBrew for being such an active and supportive member of the Sony community! If you’d like to be featured in a forum spotlight, we’d love to see you share some of your work here in the forums! You can get involved in our August Photo Dump thread, show us a grandscape image you’ve taken, or create a new topic to showcase your own niche. We look forward to seeing what you share!

I shot this last Wednesday night at sunset in the Valley of Fire out in Nevada. I shot this with the new Sony a7CR with the FE16-35mm f/4G PZ lens, which I found to be the perfect pair for landscapes. I can't wait to go back there in February of 2024 to host a workshop under a full moon!!!

Hi everyone, I will be glad for your feedback! Honestly, I can't find a filter that does not make "x" any tips?

Sony Pro Service is available for annual purchase if you have I think a body and three GM lenses. It's a cheap price to pay for the added service and repair discounts you receive as a member. The gear loaner portion of the deal is worth the money by itself. Go here to check out all the services they offer: https://alphauniverse.com/prosupport/

Adding the 2X to any lens will have little effect in bright light conditions like surfing. Once the light gets lower though and the exposure climbs, it becomes more difficult for the AF system to respond in the same way it does when light is plentiful. Adding the 2X to an f/2.8 lens will have little effect but adding it to the 200-600G will drastically effect it's ability to AF. On the a1, it will continue to AF while on other cameras it will cease AF altogether. The sensor needs light for the AF to work. Adding a 2X taxes the system. If you are considering buying a 2X for your system, it may also mean that you need to invest in a new, faster lens in the future. This is why the new FE300mm f/2.8GM is so important... Hope this helps you 🙂

19... yikes!!!

I have been spending some solitary time out West in Nevada at a state park called, "The Valley of Fire" this week. I chose to travel really small and lightweight, so no tripod, no primes, and nothing heavy that will slow me down. The Valley of Fire is one of the best secrets of the West, and is overshadowed by the many national parks that surround it. It's off the beaten path, in the middle of nowhere, but is just an hour's drive from The Strip in Las Vegas. It is a magical place with few people around to get in the way. I'm out here for a week of getting up before dawn, shooting every sunrise and sunset when the light is best. I'm living the life of a National Geographic photographer, at least in my head. Shooting landscapes here is easy. Everywhere you look there is something beautiful to capture, but the very best light of the day is fleeting, and if you are not ready for sudden and fast changes, you can easily miss the shot. I chose the Sony a7CR for my camera as it is the lightest weight camera that packs a powerful 60mp punch, though I have been shooting all 16:9 this week so it's been a fantastic 51mp camera for me. It weighs nothing and the EVF is great to see the subtle changes I need to see before committing a file to the card. My lens choice was pretty easy as I got the try out the new FE70-200mm f/4G II Macro lens before it was announced on a big motorcycle trip this summer. I knew right away I would have to buy one for sure after using it. It covers everything I need from 70mm to 300mm (APS-C crop in camera). In the wide department, I bought a lens just for this trip: FE16-35mm f/4G PZ. This thing is itty-bitty and weighs nothing. It even fits in my pocket if I need to. It's also really sharp wide open at f/4. I'm a photojournalist at heart and so tripods are only used if they have to be, so I'm traveling lite this trip. I like putting focus in a particular place in the frame so shooting wide open allows me to direct the eye to more where I want. I've never been a fan of images where everything from 6" to infinity is sharp. I'm more interested in the light and the drama it creates across the landscape. Each morning I wake up at 4:00am and get moving. I drive about an hour from my hotel to the entrance to the VOF and then enter. I try to figure out where is a good place to start when the sun rises and I get to that spot and wait. Once I get the image I want, it's off to the races! The comes on fast and I need to move as much as possible and capture everything I can in about 1.5 hours. The lower the sun is, the more drama is there, the higher it gets in the sky, the less drama. I try to pick from one of the many target rich environments the park offers and them move around, even running sometimes to get someplace faster. I shoot, move, shoot, and move. I'm using both lenses and changing them out as needed. It's a gas and time goes fast. Sunrise out here this week has been at 6:22am each day and by the time it's 9am, the light is gone. Then I drive the hour back to civilization and grab something to eat and then siesta. I try to sleep from 11a till 3pm, and then I drive back down for sunset and repeat the process. If you know me, it's probably because you know I shoot sports, and I do love that work. Landscapes are a new passion of mine, and one I hope to share with others next year when I offer a workshop in the Valley of Fire from February 22-26th, 2024. I have been checking out hotels, eating at different restaurants trying to figure out the best experience for next year. I love the Valley of Fire and it's one of the best kept secrets in the State of Nevada, if not the West. If you are a fan of old Westerns, check out the film, "The Professionals," shot here in the Valley of Fire in 1966. I watched it last night and recognized many of the landscapes I've been shooting in this week. This is truly a magical place and I know I'll be coming back here every chance I get from now on. Every sunset and sunrise offers a new opportunity to make amazing photographs here. It's a tremendous target rich environment that always offers a rich pay-off even if you come up empty 50 miles away in the casinos. Before I head back out today to shoot some more this evening, I'm hoping to get the workshop hotel all lined up and block book some rooms. Look for details about the 2024 Valley of Fire Workshop on the Calendar of events right here on alphauniverse. Thanks for reading all this and looking at a few frames from my solitary retreat this week. Peace! pm-r 🙂

Love the story behind these shots and the behind the scenes snaps, too! Thank you so much for sharing!

Tagaytay

A7iv is not a bad option for wildlife I guess?

@Bbeck If you're looking to be able to shoot a little bit of everything I would suggest getting a set of zooms that can cover a big range. Maybe the 16-35, 24-70, and 70-200. Then for the fourth lens if you lean more towards wildlife and/or sports then I would go for a longer lens, like the 100-400 or 200-600. If you prefer night skies or something you could go for the 20mm or 14mm!

@kevinmcox awesome!! The A1 is a dream camera of mine... but that might have to wait for a big gig or just save up 🙂 Can't wait to see more of your work!

I've been working, editing and trying out new things for the last two years since we arrived in Italy with my wife, my daughter and our cats. I had a little group of friends from my local observatory in Argentina, and I miss them A LOT. Even without them, my addiction for the stars is still the same, and here I am, walking down some hills in the border of France. I am a bit existential sometimes... and I have a result. In a video, about the perseids meteor shower (with english subtitles) Please, take a look and let me know what you think of it, feedback is much appreciated. Pablo.

The biggest for me is the weight issue. I shoot one handed so often, my carpal tunnel appreciates a lighter set up. I think the a7rc would be great for a traveler who popped that and one or two primes in their purse.

Gorgeous! I have a UK friend that lived in UAE for a while and yes, the heat was something else!

Epic, PM-R!

That definitely makes life better, haha! My still life images are usually very close to sooc. Light is everything!

@TrekRover of course! My experience as a grantee has been wonderful - I'm wrapping up my field work next month and I can't wait to share more images from my project with this community!

removing the menu display is easy. Find the HDMI settings in the menus and then where it says, "HDMI Info", turn it off, and you will have a clean output into your stream 🙂

I love how tiny it is as compared to the FX9. It's low-light characteristics are unmatched, and the batteries last a long time. For the money, it's about the best deal in a real long-form camera that can be used every day in production without compromise. My FE20-70mm f/4G lens is pretty much the body cap for it at this point. What a great lens for the FX6!!!