‘The right moment? It is all about timing,’ says Slovenian photographer and filmmaker Bit Sever. Bit has been taking photographs and making films for 16 years. He created music, wedding, and event videos before moving to Canada, where he caught the travel bug and started his own YouTube channel. Since then, Bit and his brother have created a new travel series that is being broadcast on national television in his home country.

His recent travels have seen him take the Sony FE 24-50mm f/2.8 G lens to Jordan, in the Wadi Rum desert, and closer to home, photographing some breathtaking Slovenian landscapes with the FE 16-25mm f/2.8 G lens. ‘I enjoy creating travel content in all forms and shapes, from photos to videos. For most of my shots, I will use my Sony Alpha 7R V. I like the detail from the incredible 60-million-pixel resolution and how fast I can shoot with it. It is a very reliable camera in all types of conditions. It worked brilliantly with both lenses.’

Although the two lenses may seem very close to each other in terms of focal length, for Bit, they serve very different purposes. ‘Most of the time, I keep the 24-50mm f/2.8 lens on my camera because it is so convenient, and I can easily take a variety of shots, from wide-angle to portraits. I like the 50mm focal length for portraits because it is a good working distance, and I get good background bokeh with the f/2.8 lens.’ The wide-angle 16-25mm f/2.8 lens is one that Bit uses more deliberately when he wants to shoot landscapes or certain video shots. ‘If I need more establishing shots, or maybe some architecture or landscapes, then I opt for the 16-25mm as it allows me to capture a whole landscape or environment.’

One shot where the 16-25mm allowed Bit to capture an incredible vista was from a beautiful part of his home country.

‘It is one of the highest altitude farms in Slovenia, over 1000m above sea level. We had bad weather and rain for an entire month, and I was waiting for the opportunity to travel there. When I did, I was blessed by this beautiful sunset. It was around 7 pm, Golden Hour, with the beautiful golden soft light illuminating the forest. It is a great view with some clouds below the mountain peaks. It’s my favourite shot with the 16-25mm lens.’

Having the patience and tenacity to wait for the right moment is what allows Bit to capture those perfect moments where everything falls into place to create spectacular photos and videos. ‘It’s the weather, the sunlight, the composition. Everything has to combine to create the perfect picture moment that leaves you in awe.’

One of the key features about the lenses that have become useful additions to Bit’s kit is its silent autofocus, which allows Bit to film without worrying about noise from the AF motors. This gives Bit the freedom to capture ambient sound in very quiet environments. The autofocus itself performs incredibly well when paired with his Alpha 7R V.

‘The focus was always on point’, said Bit. ‘Either taking photos or videos, the subject tracking worked perfectly. One thing that surprised me was the close focus. I’d never considered a wide-angle lens for doing close-up shots and was pleasantly surprised with some of the shots I took with the 16-25mm lens in Slovenia. I got some great close-up shots of bugs, spider webs, and other details whilst still showing the wider surroundings, which I liked.’

Along with his Alpha 7R V, Bit also travelled with the Alpha 7C II, which he used to capture video content. ‘One of the things I was hoping that I would be able to do with both of these lenses was to use them on my gimbal, and I’ve been able to do just that. I mostly left the Alpha 7C II on the gimbal because it’s so lightweight and it pairs nicely with the lenses, especially the 16-25mm.’

The demands of travelling mean that weight is a vital part of Bit’s decision-making when it comes to what equipment to bring. ‘I have a hard time bringing heavy equipment with me – the weight of tripods, drones, and other accessories all add up, so every gram matters.’