The decision to upgrade camera gear, especially within high-end brands like Leica, is significant. The shift from the Leica M10 to the M11, for instance, represents not just a financial investment but also a commitment to a specific photographic approach and style. Here’s why one photographer thought the upgrade was worth it. 

Coming to you from Benj Haisch, this video essay discusses five reasons he loves his Leica M11. The M11’s improved dynamic range stands out as a primary factor for the upgrade. This enhancement is crucial for photographers who often work in challenging lighting It’s comparable to other high-performing cameras, like the Sony a7R V, making it particularly beneficial for outdoor and street photography, where control over lighting is limited. Another noteworthy feature is the M11’s internal storage, providing a much-appreciated redundancy for wedding photographers. It’s a feature I’m surprised every modern camera doesn’t have.

The M11’s ISO 64 setting and 61-megapixel sensor are also significant upgrades. In partricular, the higher megapixel count brings a new level of detail and flexibility in post-processing, while Leica’s clever resolution options allow one to save storage space and improve noise performance should they not need all that extra resolution. Altogether, the M11 is an impressively clever camera that can satisfy the needs of many demanding creatives. Check out the video above for Haisch’s full thoughts. 

Russian photographer and filmmaker Vadim Sherbakov has published a new personal project highlighting the beautiful architecture of Moscow’s metro stations.

Moscow’s Illustrious Metro System

The history of Moscow’s metro system is a lengthy one, dating back more than a century to the years of the Russian Empire. After wars and revolutions delayed the start of the Moscow Metro system, progress was finally made in 1923 when the Moscow City Council formed the Underground Railway Design Office as part of the Moscow Board of Urban Railways, and preliminary studies and planning began in earnest. By 1928, the first route had been decided, going from Sokolniki to Moscow’s city center.

In June 1931, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union decided to begin constructing the metro system. By January of the following year, the first lines were approved, and the next year, a revised plan with 10 routes was approved, with the tracks totaling about 80 kilometers (50 miles). The metro system officially opened in May of 1935.

Sherbakov Showcases His Home’s Beauty

These days, after decades of improvements and new construction, the Moscow Metro system has more than 330 stations and nearly 800 km of track. In his latest project, Sherbakov turned his lens toward the newest stations with the most interesting architecture, and the results are glorious.

The project is far from the first time Sherbakov captured Moscow’s beauty. In 2018, he delivered an amazing time-blended composite photo series of the city. For those photos, the long exposures helped deal with a major issue of photographing cities and busy metro stations — the people.

AI Helps in Surprising Ways

In the new series, the photographer instead relied on improved software technology, especially the AI-powered Generative Fill feature in Adobe Photoshop. “The Photoshop AI (generative fill) is amazing for removing stuff. The metro stations, even new ones, still have a few people who pop into the frame, here and there,” Sherbakov explains.

“In previous years, I would hesitate to shoot architecture with people standing close to the camera that had to be removed, but because of [the new] AI tool, I am more relaxed and focused on the architecture than some random people getting in the frame, because I knew that [they] wouldn’t be a problem to delete.”

Getting the shot right in camera is still important, of course, but now Sherbakov can worry more about his exposure, composition, and focus than the occasional stranger walking through the frame.

Late Nights and Challenging Handheld Photography

Speaking of exposure, the photographer occasionally brackets for highlights and creates composites to capture the scene’s dynamic range. “They are basically bracketing shots with occasional bracketing for highlight. Mostly single exposure from five bracketed shots. The process of shooting involved traveling to all those stations late at night on weekends. Although they are relatively new stations, weekdays are busy… I had to avoid crowds. Because of that, it had to be late at night on weekends, around 11 PM to 12 AM,” Sherbakov explains. The Moscow Metro has an average daily ridership of about 7.5 million passengers.

Alongside helping remove people from the photos, Photoshop also helps Sherbakov make the metro stations look super clean and pristine, although not even AI can fix all the mess.

“It’s winter in Moscow, so dirty snow can crawl in… I had to reduce the luminosity manually to darken the floor to avoid cleaning [it all] up, which would take hours, even with AI tools.”

The photographer must also work to straighten lines and perform perspective correction during post-processing. The photographer explains that tripods are prohibited in the Moscow Metro system, so tilt-shift lenses are “out of the question.”

“I had a specific lens in mind that would help me with that situation, the Irix 21mm f/1.4 EF lens for my Canon EOS R5,” Sherbakov tells PetaPixel. “It’s not as wide as the 17mm f/4 TS-E lens, but not as [long as a] 24mm either. It’s something in between.”

“It’s super fast. One of the fastest lenses I own (the fast [aperture] is not a necessity in architectural and interior photography as you shoot on a tripod most of the time). So, I use this Irix lens [and] shoot everything handheld and do post-production work later,” he explains.

Compared to some of Sherbakov’s other work, which includes gorgeous building exteriors, brilliant aerial work, and spectacular landscape photos, the new Moscow Metro series has a much different aesthetic and overall feel.

“I think it’s all due to the fact that there are no natural elements such as clouds in [the new series]. Therefore, the images are quite different,” the photographer explains. “I really like the symmetrical architecture of the stations and want to emphasize [that]. I went with quite a wide lens to capture the station’s surroundings. I think the architecture dictated a lot [of the look of the series].”

Symmetry and Modern Architecture

The symmetry and futuristic vibe of the newly constructed stations initially drew Sherbakov into the new project. “I do use the metro, so it is not a foreign concept to me. However, the underground or trains are not my primary interest. Architecture first. I think the architects did a great job on those stations, and I want to bring it to the light.”

As for the cooler tones in the newer stations, Sherbakov says that is just what they look like, which lends itself to the futuristic vibes. “I didn’t manipulate the white balance a lot. In fact, I think it was almost no shifting. The new stations are such a contrast to the old ones that indeed had more yellowish and warmer tones, and the new stations are brighter and more blue in real life.”

More from Photographer Vadim Sherbakov

To see more of Vadim Sherbakov’s photography, including his New Moscow Metro series, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.

Sherbakov’s commercial work is available on a separate website. The photographer’s long list of clients includes huge names like HBO, Showtime, Netflix, DJI, Canon, Xiaomi, Hisense, Toyota, and many more.

Image credits: All images © Vadim Sherbakov

Landscape photography comes in various forms, however, in this list of 10 landscape photographers I have included those who photograph the natural landscape – I’ll leave urban landscape for another story! 

The photographers below represent a combination of mediums, styles, and approaches, so there is something for everyone. The great thing about social media is you can often gain a better insight into how the photographer has created an image, often showcasing you don’t need the best camera for landscape photography to make an epic image.

These are 10 photographers who influence and inspire me and I hope that they can do the same for you, after all, that’s what social media is best used for! 

Adrian Vila

Adrian Vila, a.k.a AOWS, is a Portuguese photographer who travels the world photographing unique landscapes in his signature square black and white style. Vila has documented many of his photographic excursions on his YouTube channel, showing his approach, as well as his editing techniques. He has provided many helpful tutorials and following his social media has provided consistent inspiration.  

Daniel Kordan

Daniel Kordan has built a huge following on social media, capturing beautiful saturated land and seascapes. A beautifully curated social feed showcases a combination of draw-dropping traditional and drone shots.

Awoiska van der Molen

Awoiska van der Molen is a Dutch artist photographer who captures stunning and surreal black-and-white analog landscapes. Her work has been exhibited all around the world, and has three published books, the latest being The Living Mountain which was released in 2020.

Daniel Casson

Daniel Casson creates painterly landscape photographs of rural scenes. The use of golden hour shooting illuminates the British landscape with a warm glow and transports the viewer into the scenery. 

Sam Laughlin

Not your conventional landscape photographer, Sam Laughlin photographs intimate details of nature with an old 4×5 camera. His recent body of work titled ‘Spinning Away‘, has been created by using extremely long exposures in moonlight, capturing the ebbs and flows of the River Severn in the UK. 

Mads Peter Iversen

I first discovered Mads Peter Iverson’s work via his YouTube channel, where he has several tutorials on capturing landscapes. His social media is chock filled with masterfully composed images, captured during his many travels. 

Chris Burkard

More than likely the most famous name on this list. Chris Burkard is one of the world’s leading landscape photographers, featured countless times in National Geographic and holding exhibitions of his work around the globe. Burkard’s new book, The Oceans is filled with awe-inspiring seascapes as well as an insight into Burkard’s inspirations and early beginnings. 

Paul Hart

Primarily using a black-and-white analog process, shooting with large and medium format film cameras, Paul Hart captures the ever-changing British landscapes with a focus on the many different waterways. He has several published books with the newest one, Fragile, scheduled for release in Spring 2024 and published by Dewi Lewis – one to keep a look out for!

Zay Yar Lin

It is not often social media algorithms provide noteworthy recommendations but the work of Zay Yar Lin, a photographer from Myanmar, was just that. His landscapes and use of colors are incredible, and the incorporation of people provides scale to the grand vistas.  

Isabella Tabacchi

Isabella Tabacchi is recognized worldwide for her dream-like landscapes. Her social feed is an incredible resource of inspiration, featuring drone, Astro, landscape, and wildlife photography, all of the highest caliber. She is also a Hasselblad heroine, using the Hasselblad X1D II for many of her captures. 

Having only recently started shooting landscape-type images, I have a new sense of admiration for these photographers. A genre that may sound easy to create images for is extremely difficult to get right. By studying the work posted on social media and the tutorials on YouTube, these photographers have provided great insight into how they get the epic shots you see on their feeds – well worth a follow!

See our guides for more information on the best lenses for landscapes, the best camera for astrophotography, and the best tripod for photography.