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Home → Essays and Inspiration

A Day in the Life of a Landscape Photographer

By Spencer Cox 18 Comments
Published On March 20, 2024

I’ve just published a new video on YouTube called “A Day in the Life of a Landscape Photographer.” This video has been a long time coming; it’s our first in over two years! And it’s paired with the announcement of a major giveaway that I’ll be doing later this year. You can watch the video below.

As I mentioned at the end of the video, I’ll be doing a big giveaway once we reach 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. (We’re currently just over 97,000.) I will print, sign, and ship silver gelatin darkroom prints completely for free to the first 100 people who sign up for the giveaway. All photos will be taken on my 8×10 camera and hand-printed in my home darkroom.

The giveaway will be first-come, first-served. I’ll publish a notice for it both on YouTube and on Patreon when the time comes and we hit 100,000. It pays to subscribe to us on those channels if you want to get one of these prints! The giveaway will be open to anyone worldwide, although I can only guarantee free delivery to our US-based audience.

Anyway, apart from the giveaway, I hope you found the video to be enjoyable. My two main priorities this year are still lens reviews and Patreon content, but I’ll sneak a few more videos on the YouTube channel periodically. I’m looking forward to it!

Patterns in Sand Abstract Wide Angle
Sony a7R V + FE 24mm F1.4 GM @ 24mm, ISO 100, 1/15, f/16.0
Emphasized foreground sand dune black and white
Sony a7R V + FE 24mm F1.4 GM @ 24mm, ISO 100, 1/40, f/16.0
Telephoto sand dunes and plant in Death Valley
NIKON Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR @ 200mm, ISO 64, 1/50, f/11.0
Death Valley Lake in the Distance Black and White 8x10
Chamonix 8×10 @ 800mm, f/90, 1 second, Ilford HP5+ 400; polarizer, red filter; no movements
Vivid sunset Death Valley landscape 8x10 Velvia
Chamonix 8×10 @ 305mm, f/64, 30 seconds, Fuji Velvia 50; 3-stop soft GND; fall and front tilt
Death Valley Sunset Rock Formation 8x10 Film Landscape
Chamonix 8×10 @ 210mm, f/64, 2 min. 40 sec.; Fuji Velvia 50; polarizer; fall, front tilt, and slight shift right
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Filed Under: Essays and Inspiration Tagged With: 4x5 Film, Film, Film Photography, Landscape, Landscape Photography, Travel, Travel Photography, Video, YouTube

About Spencer Cox

I'm Spencer Cox, a landscape photographer based in Colorado. I started writing for Photography Life a decade ago, and now I run the website in collaboration with Nasim. I've used nearly every digital camera system under the sun, but for my personal work, I love the slow-paced nature of large format film. You can see more at my personal website and my not-exactly-active Instagram page.

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Florian
Florian
October 11, 2024 2:42 am

Hi Spencer! Is the give away thing still on? Would love one if so. Best, Florian

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Steve Knight
Steve Knight
April 15, 2024 9:37 am

Inspiring as always Spencer! Really helps to see your Landscape process. Have supported PL with a recent B&H purchase and will continue to do so.

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  Steve Knight
April 15, 2024 6:32 pm

Thank you, Steve! That helps out a lot, especially since we got rid of ads at the start of the year. Glad you enjoyed the video :)

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Darin Marcus
Darin Marcus
March 22, 2024 5:14 pm

I really enjoyed your video Spencer – thank you for posting it!

I am looking forward to more such videos from you and the PL team.

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  Darin Marcus
March 24, 2024 7:33 pm

Thanks, Darin! I’ll do what I can to post more videos this year.

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sanddro
sanddro
March 22, 2024 1:49 pm

If there is a photographer that motivates me to go out and look for new opportunities, that is Spencer. Thank you Spencer!

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  sanddro
March 24, 2024 7:33 pm

I really appreciate it, thank you!

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Rene Theberge
Rene Theberge
March 21, 2024 7:02 pm

Hi Spenser,
I enjoyed your video as it reminded me when I was wandering around taking photos. So much was familiar! However, now I’m going to sound like the curmudgeonly old guy that I am: Please, please start wearing a wide brimmed hat when you are out in the sun. My lack of a hat for many years led to Basil cell carcinoma on one of my ears that required major surgery. At least use lots of sun screen on your ears as well as the rest of your exposed skin.

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  Rene Theberge
March 22, 2024 12:33 am

Thank you for the reminder, Rene! I burn very easily, so I always use plenty of sunscreen. I usually don’t wear a hat when filming due to shadows on my face, but I typically wear one otherwise (also due to shadows on my face, but this time in a good way :)

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Glenn
Glenn
March 20, 2024 3:29 pm

Spencer: Where do you get your E6 film processed, or do you do your own processing? I pretty much abandoned using my 4×5 as it became harder and harder to find good labs.

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  Glenn
March 20, 2024 3:32 pm

There’s actually a lab in downtown Denver called Denver Digital Imaging that processes 8×10, both slides and negatives. Their prices are getting a little high, but I like it more than shipping it off to another city. One day I may do my own processing, though. I have a JOBO and most of the necessary equipment, but not really the space to use it.

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Patrick
Patrick
March 20, 2024 1:46 pm

Great Video Spencer

To have a wandering spirit when you do Landscape Photography is part of the journey.

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  Patrick
March 20, 2024 1:52 pm

I completely agree! And Death Valley is great for wandering…

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David
David
Reply to  Spencer Cox
March 20, 2024 3:46 pm

I try to make a point of not wandering in places that have “death” as part of their name…😝

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Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  David
March 20, 2024 3:51 pm

Lol — I can’t blame you! It was fine when I went, but you wouldn’t want to stray away from your car in the summer. It got its name for a reason.

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Patrick Kelley
Patrick Kelley
Reply to  Spencer Cox
March 21, 2024 6:52 am

Yes there are a few marked and unmarked graves throughout Death Valley that what makes it so charming.

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Rogério Peccioli
Rogério Peccioli
March 20, 2024 12:21 pm

Fantastic Spencer. I’m going to watch.

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Reply
Spencer Cox
Spencer Cox
Author
Reply to  Rogério Peccioli
March 20, 2024 12:26 pm

Thank you, Rogério! I hope you enjoy it.

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Reply

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