We’re back with another deep-dive—this time unpacking the painful realities of selling sentimental gear, the latest Canon R6 Mark III hype, and the business side of being a creative. From arguing about ISO placement to mastering hard light, from the tyranny of black-and-white editing to the necessity of good lighting, this one’s full of practical insights (and some controversial hot takes).
We start with the most emotional moment: the grief of selling your beloved workhorse camera, which Luke compares to putting a "kid up in foster care." This leads immediately into the specs of the newly dropped Canon R6 Mark III ($2,800), which we call the "perfect camera" for its return of C-Log 2, 7K open gate, and 4K120.
From there, we jump into technical fundamentals. We break down our biggest hot take: Your camera settings don't matter if your lighting sucks. We debate the proper use of ISO—it's noise control, not brightness—and discuss how you can shoot with "terrible buns cameras" if you light the scene correctly. This segues into a debate about dynamic range and why some photographers overexpose to maximize highlight recovery.
Then it’s time to get technical with gear and mindset. We argue against the beginner urge to buy a gimbal and defend Shure SM58s over the popular, often-misused SM7B. We tackle composition by arguing that the Rule of Thirds is meant to be broken and that you should prioritize balancing the visual weight of your image. We also address the ultimate gear hot take: Any camera made after 2010 is good enough for photography today.
But it’s not just about the tech. We dig into the editing side too—specifically the debate between Lightroom Classic vs. Lightroom Mobile (we defend Classic as flying a "plane" versus riding a "scooter"). We argue that you must know how to shoot manual to be a professional, even if you sometimes use Aperture Priority. We also stress that not enough photographers know how to edit black and white properly; you must manually adjust the luminance of individual colors instead of using the one-click button.
We wrap with some gear hot takes: the true importance of UV Haze Filters (to protect your lens), why shooting in One Shot drive mode at concerts is guaranteed to get closed eyes, and the ultimate worst client feedback: "Change the song."
If you’re a creative trying to avoid gear regret, decide on your next Canon body, or just need the motivation to prioritize lighting and fundamental skills, this episode is packed with advice that’ll keep you sharp, safe, and grounded in what really matters.
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Hosted by: Luke Montgomery and Cort Letcher
