I can see why you were such a successful wedding photographer. You cared about the photo's you took. You weren't just photographing a wedding you were photographing a memory and an emotion. That resonated in your photos. If you take that attitude and use it in what ever style of photography you are doing you will be successful. I will add my thoughts on why photographers get hung up on gear. Two reasons: first, is that humans like to the path of least resistance. If there is a simple easy path that's the one most people will choose (unless there is something pushing you to go another way). It is much easier to talk tech/gear than to get into the thinking and emotional aspect of photography. Second, is economics. The photo industry is spending a lot of money coming out with new equipment every year. They want us buying new equipment. They advertise and push the idea that this new gear will get us what we want and it will be easier to do than our current gear. Look at TH-cam. 95% of the photo vlogggers talk about gear (some more than others). There are only a few people talking about the ideas, concepts of what makes a good photograph. Keep up the good work.
I believe the problem comes from a lack of appreciation and education. A lot of photographers, especially those on social media and the internet, view what they are doing as a job. They are there to take pictures and get paid. They then project their feelings on photography to the masses via the internet. Studying photography in college has definitely opened my eyes to what photography really is. I agree with you 100%, and have changed how and why I take pictures because of my education. I don't take pictures for likes or attention. I take pictures because I want to. If you are able to seperate yourself from what others think you will find that appreciation and care less about the insignificant aspects of photography.
Justin, Thanks again for an introspective of your art. I remain convinced that of the photographers I watch on social media you remain one that contributes a unique perspective. Your evident emotional connection with subjects and its expression in these videos is good as well as courageous. I am an engineer by training so absorb the technical aspects of the craft but am grateful that someone is conversing about the emotional and human aspect of the work as this is where the hardest improvements come for me at least. I see my development as a photographer as two tracks the technical track and the artistic. Artists need to be courageous as when you show your work you expose yourself. I too connect with the environment and often I can recall more of a scene and the situation because I have photographed it, especially so on film. Slow and contemplative you spend enough time to involve yourself in the situation. As for one comment about adventurism I don’t see much of that. And I think Ansel Adams said there was no good scenery less than 100ft from a road, a comment on the weight of is equipment. (And not actually true of his early days hiking all over the Sierras.) It is a great forcing function to get oneself outdoors, always worthwhile no matter what latent images result.
Hi Justin, I enjoy your videos but aren't you kind of substituting talking about adventure for talking about gear? It is still quite macho conquest stuff. The important things in photography are probably ineffable which is why we can't talk about them and why we have to take photos. BTW: Do you have a cat? I've noticed that a high % of photography youtubers have a cat that walks across in the background. That cushion looks like it used to be a cat!
Finally someone said it thank you. Those words were beautiful, please keep making these videos
Excellent, just what I needed, at the best time I needed it .. thank you for making this ..
I can see why you were such a successful wedding photographer. You cared about the photo's you took. You weren't just photographing a wedding you were photographing a memory and an emotion. That resonated in your photos. If you take that attitude and use it in what ever style of photography you are doing you will be successful. I will add my thoughts on why photographers get hung up on gear. Two reasons: first, is that humans like to the path of least resistance. If there is a simple easy path that's the one most people will choose (unless there is something pushing you to go another way). It is much easier to talk tech/gear than to get into the thinking and emotional aspect of photography. Second, is economics. The photo industry is spending a lot of money coming out with new equipment every year. They want us buying new equipment. They advertise and push the idea that this new gear will get us what we want and it will be easier to do than our current gear. Look at TH-cam. 95% of the photo vlogggers talk about gear (some more than others). There are only a few people talking about the ideas, concepts of what makes a good photograph. Keep up the good work.
I believe the problem comes from a lack of appreciation and education. A lot of photographers, especially those on social media and the internet, view what they are doing as a job. They are there to take pictures and get paid. They then project their feelings on photography to the masses via the internet.
Studying photography in college has definitely opened my eyes to what photography really is. I agree with you 100%, and have changed how and why I take pictures because of my education. I don't take pictures for likes or attention. I take pictures because I want to. If you are able to seperate yourself from what others think you will find that appreciation and care less about the insignificant aspects of photography.
Justin, Thanks again for an introspective of your art. I remain convinced that of the photographers I watch on social media you remain one that contributes a unique perspective. Your evident emotional connection with subjects and its expression in these videos is good as well as courageous. I am an engineer by training so absorb the technical aspects of the craft but am grateful that someone is conversing about the emotional and human aspect of the work as this is where the hardest improvements come for me at least.
I see my development as a photographer as two tracks the technical track and the artistic. Artists need to be courageous as when you show your work you expose yourself. I too connect with the environment and often I can recall more of a scene and the situation because I have photographed it, especially so on film. Slow and contemplative you spend enough time to involve yourself in the situation. As for one comment about adventurism I don’t see much of that. And I think Ansel Adams said there was no good scenery less than 100ft from a road, a comment on the weight of is equipment. (And not actually true of his early days hiking all over the Sierras.) It is a great forcing function to get oneself outdoors, always worthwhile no matter what latent images result.
Hi Justin,
I enjoy your videos but aren't you kind of substituting talking about adventure for talking about gear? It is still quite macho conquest stuff. The important things in photography are probably ineffable which is why we can't talk about them and why we have to take photos.
BTW: Do you have a cat? I've noticed that a high % of photography youtubers have a cat that walks across in the background. That cushion looks like it used to be a cat!