Micael Widell Newsletter #40
Captain’s log
In July I had vacation but I still couldn’t stop myself from producing five videos. I love doing this work so much, and now that my views are on a level where I am close to making a living from it, I get even more pumped and inspired to keep going. I am also seeing an increase in people joining my Patreon, which I am so thankful for.
During the month I passed 70 000 subscribers which was celebrated with a Q&A video as tradition holds. In another video I showed that a shutter speed of 1/20 s can create very nice macro photos. I also made a video about the four reasons I fell in love with macro photography.
During the month I also discovered the website mpb.com where you can easily sell your old cameras and lenses – just send them in and get paid fairly. I have held off from selling so many lenses and cameras just because the work involved doesn’t make it worth it (inspect items condition, test item, take photos of item, write a classified ad, submit ad, deal with messages from potential buyers, setup a time to meet with buyer, buyer doesn’t show up, try to find another buyer, etc. – just a headache to sell an item worth like $100). When I discovered MPB I quickly saw that if I sell a bunch of old lenses and cameras I never use, I can afford to upgrade to a Sony A7iv. And this in just a single, simple transaction. So I bought the A7iv, and made a video about why I upgraded.
Finally, this months bonus video that I added to the library only available to my Patreon supporters, is a 20 minute tutorial with my best tips for wildflower photography. Join my Patreon for $5 a month to get access right now.
/Micael
Gray Market Bargains
Do you buy things from gray market import websites? I sometimes buy gear on the website e-infin.com which I must assume is gray market imports. For some lenses and cameras, I can get them A LOT cheaper than if I would buy them in a store in Sweden. Like 30% cheaper. Of course there are some downsides with this, for example if there are problems with the product – I am not sure if the support will be as great from the manufacturer? There might be other risks as well – I recently found this very nice article about gray markets – definitely worth a read.
Either way, if I can get 30% off a lens or a camera, I often think it is worth the risks – and I never had any issues so far. What do you think? Do you shop from gray market websites?
Short Documentary
Yesterday I stumbled upon this beautiful 13 minute documentary about the very talented street photographer Jeremy Paige. Beautifully filmed, and very inspiring. I am not very into street photography, but Jeremy Paige’s work impresses me! This documentary was made by Bryan Birks and I am definitely going to watch more of his previous videos now that I discovered his channel!
Inspiring photos from Instagram
Here are some photographs I have found on Instagram recently that I really love and find inspiring. Click the username to visit the photographer’s instagram profile and follow them.
@sandyphimester
@hozzography
@bens_small_world
@moller_joakim
Some portraits
One of my favorite lenses is my Sony 135mm f/1.8 GM. Here are a couple of portraits I took with it during July. I love the look and sharpness of 135mm lenses!
My Published Videos since the last newsletter
- Your Macro Photography and Youtube Questions Answered!
- Freehand Macro Photography at 1/20 s Shutter Speed
- 4 Reasons You Should Try Macro Photography
- Why I Bought the SONY A7 IV for Macro Photography
- My Best Wildflower Photography Tips (only for Patreon supporters)
Goodbye for now
Thank you for reading this far, and see you in a month! Feel free to follow me on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter in the meantime. If you like my work, please consider supporting me on Patreon. And lastly, feel free to tell your friends about this newsletter, and to reply to it if you have feedback or comments :)
/Micael