This is an excellent topic, Mitchell. I love your story about the Pinkhassov images!! What a clear story about the emotional direction and subjectivity of art! I've been a street photographer for 20 years and this is something that gets brought up frequently. I agree that focusing on just beauty and not looking deeper is an issue but to me, there's a deeper issue. My belief is that the intention of the photographer will always come out in the image. If a photograph seems boring, it's probably because we're picking up on the photographer's overwhelm, lack of specific direction or inspiration. A pretty photo could just be made because someone didn't know how to approach the scene. Thank you again for the thought-provoking video and killer photos!
@@mitchellkphotos that is true. I still am challenged to communicate what I see, so the intention is lost but there's another factor too, which is time. Once the moment passes, you're out of luck!
Just discovered your videos, so informative and motivanional. I love how when you show the photos that you include sounds effects to totally immerse yourself in them
So one of the questions that comes to my mind as I watched your video comes from a question you asked: What kind of photographer do you want to be? I feel as if answering that question can in some way immediately limit your possibility. Do I want to be a photo-jounralist, a nature/wildlife photographer, a landscape photographer, event photographer, a street photographer, etc. I am not a professional, but I have been shooting for many years and am passionate about it. Yet I do struggle with trying to ascertain what is my "style", as I am asked by many people. Several years ago I had the opportunity to have a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer review my work while asking them to help guide me in gaining admission to a rather selective workshop. After viewing my work, he asked me what I wanted to gain from the workshop. I did not have a concrete answer other than "I'd like to improve my eye and skills." His answer surprised me. He said that he felt that attending a workshop would cause me to look at others work and try to mimic it, taking me away from what was my own creative ability. He likened it to the issues Tiger Woods caused when he switched coaches in his career and tried to modify his swing, only to wind up causing himself back and leg issues resulting in changes to his career trajectory. That is not to say that any advice to advance your skills will be a landmine. But it goes back to that fundamental question of what kind of photographer you want to be. My question is; What types are there? Do you see "type" and "category" as being synonymous, or do you see type as being "compelling" or "thought provoking" or "impactful". So how do you see your mentor's guidance as an accelerator to your own skill as opposed to leading you to follow his or her "kind"? Bottom line: This video has me thinking more than I have about my photography than I have in the recent past, and at a time in my life where I would like to make it a deeper part of my everyday life. I thank you for that.
AMAZING question! Thank you for asking it. Feels so good when someone hits me with a deep thought because I feel like I've shared a little piece of me here that's beyond the surface as well. Look, to me TYPE is much more related to whether you are after something more. It's more like do you want to make photos for likes on Instagram? To create what you think people want? To please potential clients? OR do you want to be the photographer who wants to go on a journey, to explore the world, to explore what the medium can offer, to take risks, to be ready to end up creating absolute rubbish BUT also possibly create something deeply moving. I am NEVER interested in the category. Categories overlap. They're limiting. In a way this is why I say I am a travel/documentary photographer because TO ME that basically means photographer of life and, I happen to travel and do this photography in all kinds of places too. :) I hope that makes sense. Now about my mentor, I NEVER cared to follow his work. I was not a fan of his work, but the thoughts he shared were amazing. They made sense. He had a very categorical outlook on some things, but I'm not the type person who just TAKES information and acts out specific advice. I process it, appropriate it and do my own thing. In my case I realized that sometimes I was trying to make pretty pictures of hard-hitting themes. And I thought... OK, maybe I'll still do that a bit, BUT I'll really dial up the hard-hitting part in the future, OR really focus on communicating a sense of story rather than just focus on the aesthetics. That's what this mentor helped me with. I totally agree with the Pulitzer winner, but of course IT IS such a fine balance there. It's good to know what's out there, but it's also good to have a fresh outlook. I try to balance it out. If I'm less active I'll look at a lot of photos. If I'm in the field and very immersed in what I'm doing, I might not look at anything for a long time.
Very good food for thought! At the end of the day, I think the key message really is to go deeper instead of staying on the surface. As you imply: my most "successful" images on IG are not necessarily the ones that I think are photographically good. Maybe this transition from "surface to depth" marks some kind of maturity/interest in actual photography, rather than shooting pictures. Though the latter have their value, too, when e.g. capturing moments with family and friends.
Thanks for this thought provoking video, Mitchell. I have often wondered why photos of beautiful places can seem so bland. Our social media is filled by the photos of those who have been to the same places as so many others, who have stood in their shoes and taken the same shots. As a macro photographer, I feel priveleged to work in a world that most don't see, filled with wierd and wonderful creatures. For each photo I have a title and a reflection on life. That helps me see connect with the creature, and feel the shots as I take them. Thanks again for sharing your great work and your thoughts.
One of the things that has struck me recently is that as technology has progressed and my gear has become better, my photography has suffered. Photos are so realistic and sharp that they remove the sense of other wordly. And as I get more detached from that dream world, the less inspired I feel I become.
I definitely know what you mean. There are plugins/apps for that, but of course that might not feel quite as magical as using film for instance, but... I am not into film. I'm ok with the filters. :)
If your aesthetic relied on a lack of sharpness, it wasn’t much of an aesthetic. And ffs, there are such things as diffusion filters if you really want that look.
for the algorithm! there's a larger discussion about photos and their place/use these days that needs to be talked about with the rise of not just social media but how AI pictures impact everyone. impactful photos mean a lot more now than ever, now that its a language of the masses in a world where "industrial" bot driven content is starting to flood online social spaces. its always good to see new content on this channel. it deserves more subs
Well said. You've ID'd a key next-level characteristic. While photographing rugged seascapes I have repeatedly encountered other photographers working there doing glamour nudes. The running joke here about my own beautiful boring photos is that all they would need to be interesting is a naked model.
That girl in the train photo is one of my all time favorites! I live Pinkhasov's work. One thing I learned over time as a consumer of any kind of content, either photography, music or others, is that very often those easy to like things wear out really quickly. But the ones that make you feel "uhmmm?..." are the ones where the fun is.
As a judge for photography clubs, this subject strikes close to me. For purposes of competition, it helps to communicate the image clearly. Strong story/emotion, obvious/simplified subject, clear use of (or intend to "break") the compositional rules, etc. The image that hit home for you a few years later, it may not fare well in that fast-judging environment. But in the end, one creates photos or views photos for oneself.
I too have been on this journey from beautiful landscapes to now loving street photography. Fred Herzog, saul leiter, william eggleston...and a modern favourite Todd Hido with his work on houses at night. I can see from your images that you have moved somewhat toward photo journalism similar to steve mccurry. To me these images tell a story, photographs by people like todd hido simple convey a feeling....its all wonderful. Thanks for sharing
I had a similar reaction to an Alex Webb photo in Mexico that had a pole or something in it. I couldn't understand why he left it in, it was distracting. But I also had to admire his genius, in that the pole balanced the photo, made it have more depth and gave more context to the photo. He's still one of my favorite photographers, and I try to imitate his style, but it's still hard. I tend to like to simplify and make things look organized and "pretty". That's why I'm watching this video. I will say, I tend to take photos of buildings, and right now I'm really into lines and shadows.
Excellent! This really chimes with me. Often my wife says she doesn't like one of my photos that I really like, and it's usually because it isn't "beautiful"! Oh well.
This video will stick with me and hope my photography will improve, although I do chase beautiful things I'm not wasting my time getting them perfect with bracketing and postcard look alike processing, I hate this for a long time.
Yes BUT, ... I have over 20 years of my best pictures on a continuous display on a monitor in my dining room. Every time I pass by, they still amaze me. I know what the mood was, the atmosphere, etc when the picture was made. and that is all I want since I rarely if ever share my images. I have no control what other people bring to the image and what they take from it. It could be a meh, nice or it could be wow, amazing. Their call. As a movie director was once alleged to have said, "if you have a message, send it by Western Union." (that was a telegram company.) When looking at a picture, the viewer has to guess what happened before and after the shutter was pressed as well as what was going on outside the frame. Perhaps a really good photographer can somehow embed hints in the image to convey some of that information. I'm not that good.
@@mitchellkphotos Because my take-away from the video is that a picture needs more than just being beautiful. To put it bluntly, I don't really care what other people see or feel when they look an my pictures. Well actually I do, (I like praise as much as the next person) when they give an honest opinion about the image but whether it touches them deeply, while it might be interesting is very subjective and not something I strive to create. The same picture might make one person cry, another laugh and cause shudders of fear in a third and yet leave others indifferent. Is it the picture or what the people bring to the picture and their background? I'd rather make beautiful, well composed and exposed pictures for my enjoyment. If others like them too, that's a bonus.
I would say that even if we make images for ourselves, it's much more challenging in an interesting way to strive for something MORE than beautiful. Remember, I am not saying that the photos should NOT be beautiful, they certainly can be, but it can be a fun pursuit that might give you even more pleasure in your photography to go for MORE, to dig deeper. Now, I don't know your photography, but it may be that you're already doing this and you're not conscious of it.
@@mitchellkphotos Fair enough. Better than I think I am? Hmmm, perhaps that is why so many complements. LOL I do know that I usually don't spend an inordinate amount of time finding the perfect composition, etc. I arrive, look around and make my picture. I'm not always consciously aware of the why this and not that, it just seems right at the time. Later when I review the images on a large screen, some of those are keepers. Or perhaps it's because I do it for fun and myself so there is no pressure to produce a winner every time.
The best moment of photography is when the photographer is when he makes himself happy by just making photos, no matter other people, acceptance, opinions, comments, etc.
I feel like I got to this place in my photography at the beginning of December, and it was a result from taking a break to reflect on me and the last year and realising, shockingly, that I’d completely lost the ability to focus on my own interests and needs. Both in life and in photography. The result of becoming a dad. I worked very hard on becoming a selfish asshole (that’s how it felt at the time), and around Boxing Day or so I noticed that my photography had changed dramatically. I’d even taken hundreds of pretty cheeky street photos with people in them. Something I hadn’t dared do before
Had a dear friend who is sadly gone now she lived in Esquel a small dusty town with so much beauty in the surrounding area. Check out Piedra Parada and Los Alerces National Parc if you have not been though looks like you might be there. A place good for the soul to breathe and feel wonder. Shot/wrote an article on a guy who built a lodge for fisherman who came from all over the world to fish the amazing rivers. No gritty pix but a special place. All the best with your work.
I have been to parque de los Alerces, had things stolen from a car while my parents were visiting and we had a picnic. 🤣😭 Not great memories. This was shot closer to San Martin De Los Andes. Much of that area all the qay down to Esquel is just so special.
You just never know how other people will connect. I posted an "architectural style" image of the old post office in Bodmin, Cornwall making it look "beautiful" not expecting many likes or comments. In the comments one man remembered his grandfather who had died outside while posting a birthday card to his son, the man's father. Another man remembered his mother going there to join a pen-pal club. His mother started to write to a girl in Canada which she did until she died & the son continued writing to the lady in Canada until she died. Sometimes I think you can over think it all.
That is VERY true that we do not have complete control over how people react. I am, of course, not talking about the exceptions or specific viewers of photos. I'm talking about the more common situations. You're not making a photo for one man to react emotionally to it because of a personal connection (I assume). So really that is what this video is about. It's about maximizing the impact of your photos in general. You'll always have exceptions. There will always be out of the ordinary individuals who will like something or hate something 'just because". Thank you for the comment though. It does remind us that the nature of photography is that it's ultimately very subjective.
OK, but you're describing editorial and documentary / photojournalistic photography. If I'm taking a landscape photo in Patagonia, it would be out of place to have people in the foreground doing things. So yeah, good advice for a specific genre of photography, not for everything.
You're missing the point. What do people have to do with this? It's like this... If you're making a photo of a landscape in Patagonia - you don't need to only focus on how beautiful it is, you don't need to ONLY shoot it during the golden hour etc. You can shoot it when it's rainy, when the clouds are heavy, you can look for a tree which is being bent by the heavy wind. You can look to frame the whole scene with a thorned bush to highlight the rough environment. Suddenly it's not just a pretty picture, there are layers of depth, a sense of story, yes even in landscapes. So not specific genre. It's photography in general. ;
Interesting, WHO IS your mentor? You never told us! Good food for thought. for me I'm showing creativity not really a story but thank you for making me think.
I liked all of the images shown in the video. The one photograph that stood out for me was the picture of the young Japanese woman on the train. Her closed eyes and expressionless face, the blurred head in the foreground, and the out of focus skyline in the background expressed the numbing anonymity of life that many of us feel living in a large city. For now, because I'm only a hobbyist, I would be satisfied making pretty pictures. If the opportunity presents itself, I will remember what you have suggested here and try to make more impactful images.
My mum always says, your pictures are beautiful, my son, but most are ugly. So it always depends on who's watching. After doing mostly street photography for over 40 years, I still don't get what's the meaning of that girl on the train picture. You asked, what kind of photographer you like to be? Invisible.
The brutal truth is that we no longer need photographers for postcard photos. AI tools are already catching up, and will deliver better results for most landscape shots very soon. Capturing reality in a nice way is not really the job of photographer any more. I am guilty of this mistake myself, I come from an era when taking a pleasing shot of a scenery in nice light and with nice composition was actually something. After this video, I will just review some of my "ruined photos" folders, and check if I find unperfect photos that provoke feelings/memories in me :) Thanks for sharing these interesting thoughts and have a joyful 2025!
I guess I'm still years away from having the understanding to appreciate the photo of that girl on the train. It looks like a snapshot that my sister would take, and honestly, I think all her photos are dog shit. lol But maybe it's my Dunning Krueger effect where I think I know what a nice photo is but actually still don't know anything. lol Anyway, as always, appreciate your insights. Do you think one needs to have a giant portfolio of "beautiful" photos before one gets so tired of taking them?
You know, that's an interesting thought. Sometimes I think one needs to go through all that stuff to understand and THEN move on to the deeper work. Other times I think - WHY even bother? Go right to the deeper work. :)
Idk if it's something I ripped off of somebody or where it came from, but I've been saying for a long time that "not every great view makes for a great photo".
I can relate so much! The interesting thing is that these pictures that I now consider boring get many more likes on social media. I just came back from India and a simple picture of the Taj Mahal gets more likes than any of my street photos.
Just a question from me. If a photographer, or artist, or poet, or musician, has to verbally explain the depth and layers in their work to others so that they can see them, has the artist fallen short in how they have presented those layers in their works?
Maybe, but on the other hand, taking the time to share "hidden" light to encourage, enlighten or enrich others is always preferable to leaving them living in "darkness".
That is a really good question! I don't know if there's a single answer to it. I think that if a photographer HAS to explain then yes, they have fallen short. But of course it depends on what context and to whom. Like, if I am teaching about a photo, I feel it's ok to explain, if I am just showing it and I get no reaction then a few questions come up. Is it that the image has no impact at all? OR that a few people don't like it. OR only a few people like it, but they are the people whose opinions I really respect. Very nuanced. BUT in short. If no one (or almost no one) gets the photo and the photographer has to explain it then I DO think the photographer failed.
I feel like there is a strong correlation here to scriptwriting - am I, as the audience/viewer, moved from passive to active participation with your work? Spoon-feeding all the information doesn't ask anything from me except appreciation (which is fickle), and being too veiled/obtuse only creates confusion (which happens easily). The knack to develop is to show me enough to engage my desire to find out your meaning, but make me work for the rest, if I want to get it. If what you've offered intrigues me enough, I'll feel compelled to get it.
This is a very subjective topic, please dont generalize or make dogmas your views on the work of other photographers. In my opinion, a great photographer never do videos about photography because they understand that photography is an individual journey. Generalizing concepts about photography, visual aesthetics, etc. doesn't contribute to the growth of image artists or photographers. Genuine creators keep busy and usually they never have time to discuss or explain what they do. I have seen many photographers and videographers who find themselves short in topics and now pretend to be the word of wisdom about what they did not achieved yet and become a youtubers hoping to help others instead keep their creative journey for excellence. Like a guy who sell books about how to become rich but they still are selling books... 😙
Actually NOT creating dogmas, watch the video. 😉Photography is an individual journey, all I'm saying is that it can be more than beautiful photos. And about not having time to explain what creators do? I don't know where you got that from. Many people pretend to be far busier than they really at. And also, you do know that we go through phases, right? Sometimes we create, other times we share ideas, thoughts, etc. At the end of the day, these are only MY opinions, nothing more, nothing less. 🙂
Nice rage bait. Would you tell a classical musician: "Your music is beautiful, but boring, try punk rock instead" because instrumental music is not meaningful enough? Once a depressed guy discovered my landscape photos and told me that they saved his life on that day. I asked him if he was serios, he said he was. None of those "meaningful" and "deep" and "storytelling" photos would have had this effect. And yes, the world needs more photos that show true natural beauty in a world that is flooded by AI fake images.
I think you are missing the point of this video. I didn't say you should not photograph beauty, whether nature or whatever. I said if beauty is ALL you focus on, if making pretty picture is all you focus on, then, it's a bit shallow and superficial and photography can be MORE than that. Classical music has a LOT of depth and story-telling. Really NOT a good comparison. A more appropriate comparison would be some shitty, catchy pop song that has nothing behind it apart from a catchy hook or lyrics. Also, what makes you think that the "meaningful" and "deep" and "storytelling" photos would NOT have had this effect on the depressed guy? Sounds to me like the guy just needed to find a purpose. Who's to say that his landscapes weren't all those things that I talk about? Landscapes can be meaningful and deep and convey a sense of story. As far as "rage bait", do you see anyone raging in the comments? You the only one who seems to be upset by something. I stand by my opinion 100%. And it seems like you're arguing against something I didn't actually say.
@@mitchellkphotos No, a shitty, catchy pop song is the equivalent of an AI optimized phone camera snapshot. A good landscape photo can be a symphony of light, a virtuosic concerto of details or a melancholic Debussy prelude (Des pas sur la neige, Brouillards, Feuilles mortes): different types of natural beauty without any deeper meaning or a story behind it. Landscape photos don't have to tell stories, their strength is actually the opposite: showing only what happend in 1/125 of a second at a certain location in a certain direction, and only a certain angle of view. They hide everything that was before and after that moment and everything outside the image angle. So I'm arguing against something you didn't say? You literally said: "If your goal is to rack up quick likes on Instagram, then yeah, those pretty postcard like images might do the trick". I don't even use Instagram. "Are your photos communicating something or are they just pretty pictures?" They aren't meant to communicate something, just to brighten up the day of someone who enjoys a beautiful photo. Your video tells me that my genre of photography is worthless an I should switch to yours because it's meaningful - and buy your course, of course.
@@michaelarndt-fotografie1282 Not saying that at all. And, a symphony of light is far more than a pretty postcard. Maybe you're not understanding that communication doesn't HAVE to be of a story. Can be feelings, atmosphere, the time of year, the geography of a place, so, so many things. You're making up your own interpretations/definitions for the sake of arguing. I'm not interested in that. I've already explained and presented my case. Stand by it 100%. I'm not convinced by your case. But look, as anything on TH-cam, it's just a video from just one person. Don't agree - cool. Not interested in the course - also cool.
Photographs only need to exist to be worth something, there has always been many more vernacular images than artistic images neither one is less valuable than the other. A single black and white snapshot of Jesus would probably be the most important image ever taken. It's not just about beauty it's as much about recording something before it dissapears.
This is an excellent topic, Mitchell. I love your story about the Pinkhassov images!! What a clear story about the emotional direction and subjectivity of art! I've been a street photographer for 20 years and this is something that gets brought up frequently. I agree that focusing on just beauty and not looking deeper is an issue but to me, there's a deeper issue. My belief is that the intention of the photographer will always come out in the image. If a photograph seems boring, it's probably because we're picking up on the photographer's overwhelm, lack of specific direction or inspiration. A pretty photo could just be made because someone didn't know how to approach the scene. Thank you again for the thought-provoking video and killer photos!
I think maybe lack of intention or direction will be obvious, the intention is often lost because it's not that easy to communicate it.
@@mitchellkphotos that is true. I still am challenged to communicate what I see, so the intention is lost but there's another factor too, which is time. Once the moment passes, you're out of luck!
@ oh yes :)
Just discovered your videos, so informative and motivanional. I love how when you show the photos that you include sounds effects to totally immerse yourself in them
So one of the questions that comes to my mind as I watched your video comes from a question you asked: What kind of photographer do you want to be? I feel as if answering that question can in some way immediately limit your possibility. Do I want to be a photo-jounralist, a nature/wildlife photographer, a landscape photographer, event photographer, a street photographer, etc. I am not a professional, but I have been shooting for many years and am passionate about it. Yet I do struggle with trying to ascertain what is my "style", as I am asked by many people. Several years ago I had the opportunity to have a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer review my work while asking them to help guide me in gaining admission to a rather selective workshop. After viewing my work, he asked me what I wanted to gain from the workshop. I did not have a concrete answer other than "I'd like to improve my eye and skills." His answer surprised me. He said that he felt that attending a workshop would cause me to look at others work and try to mimic it, taking me away from what was my own creative ability. He likened it to the issues Tiger Woods caused when he switched coaches in his career and tried to modify his swing, only to wind up causing himself back and leg issues resulting in changes to his career trajectory. That is not to say that any advice to advance your skills will be a landmine. But it goes back to that fundamental question of what kind of photographer you want to be. My question is; What types are there? Do you see "type" and "category" as being synonymous, or do you see type as being "compelling" or "thought provoking" or "impactful". So how do you see your mentor's guidance as an accelerator to your own skill as opposed to leading you to follow his or her "kind"? Bottom line: This video has me thinking more than I have about my photography than I have in the recent past, and at a time in my life where I would like to make it a deeper part of my everyday life. I thank you for that.
AMAZING question! Thank you for asking it. Feels so good when someone hits me with a deep thought because I feel like I've shared a little piece of me here that's beyond the surface as well.
Look, to me TYPE is much more related to whether you are after something more. It's more like do you want to make photos for likes on Instagram? To create what you think people want? To please potential clients? OR do you want to be the photographer who wants to go on a journey, to explore the world, to explore what the medium can offer, to take risks, to be ready to end up creating absolute rubbish BUT also possibly create something deeply moving.
I am NEVER interested in the category. Categories overlap. They're limiting. In a way this is why I say I am a travel/documentary photographer because TO ME that basically means photographer of life and, I happen to travel and do this photography in all kinds of places too. :) I hope that makes sense.
Now about my mentor, I NEVER cared to follow his work. I was not a fan of his work, but the thoughts he shared were amazing. They made sense. He had a very categorical outlook on some things, but I'm not the type person who just TAKES information and acts out specific advice. I process it, appropriate it and do my own thing. In my case I realized that sometimes I was trying to make pretty pictures of hard-hitting themes. And I thought... OK, maybe I'll still do that a bit, BUT I'll really dial up the hard-hitting part in the future, OR really focus on communicating a sense of story rather than just focus on the aesthetics. That's what this mentor helped me with.
I totally agree with the Pulitzer winner, but of course IT IS such a fine balance there. It's good to know what's out there, but it's also good to have a fresh outlook. I try to balance it out. If I'm less active I'll look at a lot of photos. If I'm in the field and very immersed in what I'm doing, I might not look at anything for a long time.
For me, I just choose a category or mix them up. There's no better or worse between one and the others, it's just difference category in my opinion.
Very good food for thought! At the end of the day, I think the key message really is to go deeper instead of staying on the surface. As you imply: my most "successful" images on IG are not necessarily the ones that I think are photographically good. Maybe this transition from "surface to depth" marks some kind of maturity/interest in actual photography, rather than shooting pictures. Though the latter have their value, too, when e.g. capturing moments with family and friends.
Thanks for this thought provoking video, Mitchell. I have often wondered why photos of beautiful places can seem so bland. Our social media is filled by the photos of those who have been to the same places as so many others, who have stood in their shoes and taken the same shots. As a macro photographer, I feel priveleged to work in a world that most don't see, filled with wierd and wonderful creatures. For each photo I have a title and a reflection on life. That helps me see connect with the creature, and feel the shots as I take them. Thanks again for sharing your great work and your thoughts.
One of the things that has struck me recently is that as technology has progressed and my gear has become better, my photography has suffered. Photos are so realistic and sharp that they remove the sense of other wordly. And as I get more detached from that dream world, the less inspired I feel I become.
I definitely know what you mean. There are plugins/apps for that, but of course that might not feel quite as magical as using film for instance, but... I am not into film. I'm ok with the filters. :)
@@mitchellkphotos I'm doing the same. Although like having been told the secret of the trick, things don't feel as magical as before :)
If your aesthetic relied on a lack of sharpness, it wasn’t much of an aesthetic. And ffs, there are such things as diffusion filters if you really want that look.
@@jayfrancis3020 Don't take yourself too seriously lil bro, you're not him :)
This is why many move to film or Leica in general as it has very basic features that pushes you think as a photographer. Thank you
for the algorithm!
there's a larger discussion about photos and their place/use these days that needs to be talked about with the rise of not just social media but how AI pictures impact everyone. impactful photos mean a lot more now than ever, now that its a language of the masses in a world where "industrial" bot driven content is starting to flood online social spaces.
its always good to see new content on this channel. it deserves more subs
Thank you and oh yeeees, that is a whole other discussion to be had "industrial" bot driven... indeed!
Thanks!
Well said. You've ID'd a key next-level characteristic. While photographing rugged seascapes I have repeatedly encountered other photographers working there doing glamour nudes. The running joke here about my own beautiful boring photos is that all they would need to be interesting is a naked model.
🤣
That girl in the train photo is one of my all time favorites! I live Pinkhasov's work.
One thing I learned over time as a consumer of any kind of content, either photography, music or others, is that very often those easy to like things wear out really quickly. But the ones that make you feel "uhmmm?..." are the ones where the fun is.
Great video as always. Great channel too thank you
This video perfectly represents your core niche and why I subscribed to you in the first place. Well done 👏
As a judge for photography clubs, this subject strikes close to me. For purposes of competition, it helps to communicate the image clearly. Strong story/emotion, obvious/simplified subject, clear use of (or intend to "break") the compositional rules, etc. The image that hit home for you a few years later, it may not fare well in that fast-judging environment. But in the end, one creates photos or views photos for oneself.
Brilliant. Spot on. The tips at the end are especially helpful
Great. As mulch as a nobrainer, just as much an eye opener it is. Thanks.
I too have been on this journey from beautiful landscapes to now loving street photography. Fred Herzog, saul leiter, william eggleston...and a modern favourite Todd Hido with his work on houses at night. I can see from your images that you have moved somewhat toward photo journalism similar to steve mccurry. To me these images tell a story, photographs by people like todd hido simple convey a feeling....its all wonderful. Thanks for sharing
I had a similar reaction to an Alex Webb photo in Mexico that had a pole or something in it. I couldn't understand why he left it in, it was distracting. But I also had to admire his genius, in that the pole balanced the photo, made it have more depth and gave more context to the photo. He's still one of my favorite photographers, and I try to imitate his style, but it's still hard. I tend to like to simplify and make things look organized and "pretty". That's why I'm watching this video.
I will say, I tend to take photos of buildings, and right now I'm really into lines and shadows.
Excellent! This really chimes with me. Often my wife says she doesn't like one of my photos that I really like, and it's usually because it isn't "beautiful"! Oh well.
Excellent video, thank you Mitchell.
Thank you very much, Mitchell! Amazing guide and tips for great photos!
Great food for thought - thanks!
This video will stick with me and hope my photography will improve, although I do chase beautiful things I'm not wasting my time getting them perfect with bracketing and postcard look alike processing, I hate this for a long time.
amazing tutorials & stunning photos of yours
Am I the only one going, all of these look great
Haha.
Yes BUT, ...
I have over 20 years of my best pictures on a continuous display on a monitor in my dining room. Every time I pass by, they still amaze me. I know what the mood was, the atmosphere, etc when the picture was made. and that is all I want since I rarely if ever share my images. I have no control what other people bring to the image and what they take from it. It could be a meh, nice or it could be wow, amazing. Their call.
As a movie director was once alleged to have said, "if you have a message, send it by Western Union." (that was a telegram company.)
When looking at a picture, the viewer has to guess what happened before and after the shutter was pressed as well as what was going on outside the frame. Perhaps a really good photographer can somehow embed hints in the image to convey some of that information. I'm not that good.
Why is it a BUT? :) It's very much in line with what I am saying. :)
@@mitchellkphotos Because my take-away from the video is that a picture needs more than just being beautiful.
To put it bluntly, I don't really care what other people see or feel when they look an my pictures. Well actually I do, (I like praise as much as the next person) when they give an honest opinion about the image but whether it touches them deeply, while it might be interesting is very subjective and not something I strive to create.
The same picture might make one person cry, another laugh and cause shudders of fear in a third and yet leave others indifferent. Is it the picture or what the people bring to the picture and their background?
I'd rather make beautiful, well composed and exposed pictures for my enjoyment. If others like them too, that's a bonus.
I would say that even if we make images for ourselves, it's much more challenging in an interesting way to strive for something MORE than beautiful. Remember, I am not saying that the photos should NOT be beautiful, they certainly can be, but it can be a fun pursuit that might give you even more pleasure in your photography to go for MORE, to dig deeper. Now, I don't know your photography, but it may be that you're already doing this and you're not conscious of it.
@@mitchellkphotos Fair enough. Better than I think I am? Hmmm, perhaps that is why so many complements. LOL I do know that I usually don't spend an inordinate amount of time finding the perfect composition, etc. I arrive, look around and make my picture. I'm not always consciously aware of the why this and not that, it just seems right at the time. Later when I review the images on a large screen, some of those are keepers. Or perhaps it's because I do it for fun and myself so there is no pressure to produce a winner every time.
The best moment of photography is when the photographer is when he makes himself happy by just making photos, no matter other people, acceptance, opinions, comments, etc.
This video coinciding with David Lynch's passing is quite cosmic
Boring photos of always the same places.
Go to Iceland and watch 500 people standing in line to take the same photo.
Very insightful. Thank you.
I feel like I got to this place in my photography at the beginning of December, and it was a result from taking a break to reflect on me and the last year and realising, shockingly, that I’d completely lost the ability to focus on my own interests and needs. Both in life and in photography. The result of becoming a dad.
I worked very hard on becoming a selfish asshole (that’s how it felt at the time), and around Boxing Day or so I noticed that my photography had changed dramatically. I’d even taken hundreds of pretty cheeky street photos with people in them. Something I hadn’t dared do before
Had a dear friend who is sadly gone now she lived in Esquel a small dusty town with so much beauty in the surrounding area. Check out Piedra Parada and Los Alerces National Parc if you have not been though looks like you might be there. A place good for the soul to breathe and feel wonder. Shot/wrote an article on a guy who built a lodge for fisherman who came from all over the world to fish the amazing rivers. No gritty pix but a special place. All the best with your work.
I have been to parque de los Alerces, had things stolen from a car while my parents were visiting and we had a picnic. 🤣😭
Not great memories. This was shot closer to San Martin De Los Andes. Much of that area all the qay down to Esquel is just so special.
I think I prefer the cluttered photos as opposed to the clinically sharp and denoised, it is not real!
You just never know how other people will connect. I posted an "architectural style" image of the old post office in Bodmin, Cornwall making it look "beautiful" not expecting many likes or comments. In the comments one man remembered his grandfather who had died outside while posting a birthday card to his son, the man's father. Another man remembered his mother going there to join a pen-pal club. His mother started to write to a girl in Canada which she did until she died & the son continued writing to the lady in Canada until she died. Sometimes I think you can over think it all.
That is VERY true that we do not have complete control over how people react. I am, of course, not talking about the exceptions or specific viewers of photos. I'm talking about the more common situations. You're not making a photo for one man to react emotionally to it because of a personal connection (I assume). So really that is what this video is about. It's about maximizing the impact of your photos in general. You'll always have exceptions. There will always be out of the ordinary individuals who will like something or hate something 'just because". Thank you for the comment though. It does remind us that the nature of photography is that it's ultimately very subjective.
OK, but you're describing editorial and documentary / photojournalistic photography. If I'm taking a landscape photo in Patagonia, it would be out of place to have people in the foreground doing things. So yeah, good advice for a specific genre of photography, not for everything.
You're missing the point. What do people have to do with this? It's like this... If you're making a photo of a landscape in Patagonia - you don't need to only focus on how beautiful it is, you don't need to ONLY shoot it during the golden hour etc.
You can shoot it when it's rainy, when the clouds are heavy, you can look for a tree which is being bent by the heavy wind. You can look to frame the whole scene with a thorned bush to highlight the rough environment. Suddenly it's not just a pretty picture, there are layers of depth, a sense of story, yes even in landscapes.
So not specific genre. It's photography in general. ;
This should be required viewing for new photographers!
That is very nice of you :)
Interesting, WHO IS your mentor? You never told us! Good food for thought.
for me I'm showing creativity not really a story but thank you for making me think.
I did mention him, I think even a few times. Here's one time I can remember - th-cam.com/users/shortsTjWwuWAtqFk
I liked all of the images shown in the video. The one photograph that stood out for me was the picture of the young Japanese woman on the train. Her closed eyes and expressionless face, the blurred head in the foreground, and the out of focus skyline in the background expressed the numbing anonymity of life that many of us feel living in a large city. For now, because I'm only a hobbyist, I would be satisfied making pretty pictures. If the opportunity presents itself, I will remember what you have suggested here and try to make more impactful images.
My mum always says, your pictures are beautiful, my son, but most are ugly. So it always depends on who's watching. After doing mostly street photography for over 40 years, I still don't get what's the meaning of that girl on the train picture. You asked, what kind of photographer you like to be? Invisible.
Haha. Who doesn't want to be invisible? 😁
Well said.
The brutal truth is that we no longer need photographers for postcard photos. AI tools are already catching up, and will deliver better results for most landscape shots very soon. Capturing reality in a nice way is not really the job of photographer any more. I am guilty of this mistake myself, I come from an era when taking a pleasing shot of a scenery in nice light and with nice composition was actually something. After this video, I will just review some of my "ruined photos" folders, and check if I find unperfect photos that provoke feelings/memories in me :) Thanks for sharing these interesting thoughts and have a joyful 2025!
I guess I'm still years away from having the understanding to appreciate the photo of that girl on the train. It looks like a snapshot that my sister would take, and honestly, I think all her photos are dog shit. lol But maybe it's my Dunning Krueger effect where I think I know what a nice photo is but actually still don't know anything. lol Anyway, as always, appreciate your insights. Do you think one needs to have a giant portfolio of "beautiful" photos before one gets so tired of taking them?
You know, that's an interesting thought. Sometimes I think one needs to go through all that stuff to understand and THEN move on to the deeper work. Other times I think - WHY even bother? Go right to the deeper work. :)
Idk if it's something I ripped off of somebody or where it came from, but I've been saying for a long time that "not every great view makes for a great photo".
I can relate so much! The interesting thing is that these pictures that I now consider boring get many more likes on social media.
I just came back from India and a simple picture of the Taj Mahal gets more likes than any of my street photos.
Just a question from me. If a photographer, or artist, or poet, or musician, has to verbally explain the depth and layers in their work to others so that they can see them, has the artist fallen short in how they have presented those layers in their works?
Maybe, but on the other hand, taking the time to share "hidden" light to encourage, enlighten or enrich others is always preferable to leaving them living in "darkness".
That is a really good question! I don't know if there's a single answer to it. I think that if a photographer HAS to explain then yes, they have fallen short. But of course it depends on what context and to whom. Like, if I am teaching about a photo, I feel it's ok to explain, if I am just showing it and I get no reaction then a few questions come up. Is it that the image has no impact at all? OR that a few people don't like it. OR only a few people like it, but they are the people whose opinions I really respect. Very nuanced. BUT in short. If no one (or almost no one) gets the photo and the photographer has to explain it then I DO think the photographer failed.
I feel like there is a strong correlation here to scriptwriting - am I, as the audience/viewer, moved from passive to active participation with your work? Spoon-feeding all the information doesn't ask anything from me except appreciation (which is fickle), and being too veiled/obtuse only creates confusion (which happens easily). The knack to develop is to show me enough to engage my desire to find out your meaning, but make me work for the rest, if I want to get it. If what you've offered intrigues me enough, I'll feel compelled to get it.
Photography, like art, is entirely subjective. The question has no meaning.
1000% I agree!
This is a very subjective topic, please dont generalize or make dogmas your views on the work of other photographers. In my opinion, a great photographer never do videos about photography because they understand that photography is an individual journey. Generalizing concepts about photography, visual aesthetics, etc. doesn't contribute to the growth of image artists or photographers. Genuine creators keep busy and usually they never have time to discuss or explain what they do. I have seen many photographers and videographers who find themselves short in topics and now pretend to be the word of wisdom about what they did not achieved yet and become a youtubers hoping to help others instead keep their creative journey for excellence. Like a guy who sell books about how to become rich but they still are selling books... 😙
Actually NOT creating dogmas, watch the video. 😉Photography is an individual journey, all I'm saying is that it can be more than beautiful photos. And about not having time to explain what creators do? I don't know where you got that from. Many people pretend to be far busier than they really at. And also, you do know that we go through phases, right? Sometimes we create, other times we share ideas, thoughts, etc. At the end of the day, these are only MY opinions, nothing more, nothing less. 🙂
Не понимаю Пинхасова, картинки как картинки, чем они цепляют? Повезло ему запрыгнуть в вагон называемый Магнум во время железного занавеса, и что?
Всё не так, но это долгий разговор :)
@mitchellkphotos может и не так, но я не являюсь наверное эстетом или художником.
Nice rage bait. Would you tell a classical musician: "Your music is beautiful, but boring, try punk rock instead" because instrumental music is not meaningful enough?
Once a depressed guy discovered my landscape photos and told me that they saved his life on that day. I asked him if he was serios, he said he was. None of those "meaningful" and "deep" and "storytelling" photos would have had this effect.
And yes, the world needs more photos that show true natural beauty in a world that is flooded by AI fake images.
I think you are missing the point of this video. I didn't say you should not photograph beauty, whether nature or whatever. I said if beauty is ALL you focus on, if making pretty picture is all you focus on, then, it's a bit shallow and superficial and photography can be MORE than that.
Classical music has a LOT of depth and story-telling. Really NOT a good comparison. A more appropriate comparison would be some shitty, catchy pop song that has nothing behind it apart from a catchy hook or lyrics.
Also, what makes you think that the "meaningful" and "deep" and "storytelling" photos would NOT have had this effect on the depressed guy?
Sounds to me like the guy just needed to find a purpose. Who's to say that his landscapes weren't all those things that I talk about? Landscapes can be meaningful and deep and convey a sense of story.
As far as "rage bait", do you see anyone raging in the comments? You the only one who seems to be upset by something. I stand by my opinion 100%. And it seems like you're arguing against something I didn't actually say.
@@mitchellkphotos No, a shitty, catchy pop song is the equivalent of an AI optimized phone camera snapshot. A good landscape photo can be a symphony of light, a virtuosic concerto of details or a melancholic Debussy prelude (Des pas sur la neige, Brouillards, Feuilles mortes): different types of natural beauty without any deeper meaning or a story behind it. Landscape photos don't have to tell stories, their strength is actually the opposite: showing only what happend in 1/125 of a second at a certain location in a certain direction, and only a certain angle of view. They hide everything that was before and after that moment and everything outside the image angle.
So I'm arguing against something you didn't say? You literally said: "If your goal is to rack up quick likes on Instagram, then yeah, those pretty postcard like images might do the trick". I don't even use Instagram. "Are your photos communicating something or are they just pretty pictures?" They aren't meant to communicate something, just to brighten up the day of someone who enjoys a beautiful photo. Your video tells me that my genre of photography is worthless an I should switch to yours because it's meaningful - and buy your course, of course.
@@michaelarndt-fotografie1282 Not saying that at all. And, a symphony of light is far more than a pretty postcard. Maybe you're not understanding that communication doesn't HAVE to be of a story. Can be feelings, atmosphere, the time of year, the geography of a place, so, so many things. You're making up your own interpretations/definitions for the sake of arguing. I'm not interested in that. I've already explained and presented my case. Stand by it 100%. I'm not convinced by your case. But look, as anything on TH-cam, it's just a video from just one person. Don't agree - cool. Not interested in the course - also cool.
Photographs only need to exist to be worth something, there has always been many more vernacular images than artistic images neither one is less valuable than the other. A single black and white snapshot of Jesus would probably be the most important image ever taken. It's not just about beauty it's as much about recording something before it dissapears.
Also a VERY good point. Though these days, almost everyone documents everything, but in theory you are absolutely right.
They lack a story.
Мгновенный реакция😂😅😊🎉