I have been a photographer for the past 47 years. The one thing that keeps me excited about photography is knowing how little I know and how much I have to learn
Always reading these kinds of comments but I can't seem to understand, can you name something you learned in the last year that you didn't know for the other 46 years photographing?
I think as a photographer one should never feel "done" with learning or experimenting. Each day can be a new perspective, or new technique (if even by chance or accident), which leads to constant new creative evolvement.
There’s an old saying, “Hire a teenager while they still know everything”. But I feel that the older I get the less I know, until I hear or read these young experts online, then I realise I maybe have learnt a thing or two since I first picked up a camera over 50 years ago. Although I still look at some of my old photos and they look pretty good, and some even better than I what I take now. Maybe it was the innocence of youth, or I’m now a bit more jaded and aware that it’s all been done before,and usually better (and worse, thankfully).
A variant I have seen attributed to Mark Twain[1] was along the lines of "as I grew from 14 to 21 I was amazed how much my father learnt." I predate you by around 10-15 years, and still have some of the photos I took in the 1950s with a Box Brownie. Not all the young (or old!) experts know as much as Alex, but I have learnt to listen to what is said and adopt what works for me. After all, if we weren't learning new things, and still making mistakes, where would the fun be? [1] If you don't know who said something just attribute it to Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, or Winston Churchill.
Your feelings to old photos might be padded up by sentiment and that's natural, I'm not going to restrict myself from being nostalgic, sometimes the value is in memories - even memories of "this is my best photo of 1991".
That's because the late teen brain is the last time, we as humans are at our learning/neurological apex. Brain starts decaying around 23ish according to some research. Go figure. You DO actually know less, you've just forgotten or don't remember or have to look it up again. I'm not accusing you of senility or anything, just a literal loss of some memories or such yanno? Then again I never thought I knew everything as a teenager either.
@@nunyabeezwax6758even if your brain starts to decay after 23 it doesn't mean that at 13 years old you know more things about a subject compared to 20 years later passing studying this subject, it only means eventually that the brain of a 13 years old person is more faster in learning new things compared to a brain of a 30 years old person, but it doesn't mean that a the 13 years old know more stuff and have already learned more about a subject compared to the 30 years old one
The more you learn, the more you discover that you don't know everything and that's the motivation you need to stay on the learning path, be modest, and try to be the best of yourself till your last breath.
Great topic - just makes me sad that 20 years ago when I really started into photography I didn't have a true mentor or advisor ;) So basically thank you for being in a some way such a person - even when it's one-way communication only. I have so called 'box of shame' where I keep printed my so called 'best works'. After I watched your this episode, I reviewed them and destroyed four photographs. Actually that are two awesome feelings when one day you think - this is masterpiece, and on the next day you call it a piece of sh*t because it is pure evidence that you have grown :) Printing your works even on cheap home printer is very beneficial. And I feel that first part of Dunning-Kruger effect took lot more time than it was really necessary.
Opposite experience for me. No one wants to give me actual constructive feedback and just say “it looks nice.” I’ve asked in different forms and just nothing. Maybe I’m asking the wrong people.
I have the same experience. I took a course on photography and there is a FB group for people who finished the course. I have asked for feedback and get thumbs. Thumbs aren’t helpful, up or down. Maybe they don’t have the ability to step outside of like and dislike, or are afraid that the commentary will be misconstrued as personal.
I know what you mean. I want critique and I don't often get it. I sometimes love my photos and think "I'm good!" but I'm always open to negative feedback. Sometimes I see other photographers' pictures and think why did they take that? And other times I'm amazed, like how did they see that?
I got back into photography (I'm 62) a bit more than 5yrs ago. If I look back at the earlier photos, there are many I still like as much as I did then. It may be that my keep/toss rate is higher now and while I know that I know more than I did, I don't know what I don't know or how much I don't know. While that may speak to some degree of self-awareness, it doesn't help me know where I fall on the graph and whether or not I'm qualified to help that young man new to the photography club so generally, I just don't say anything.
This was good man…. I was formally trained in photography and in the dark room, 25 years ago. Geez that felt old to say! And I am still open to a good Critique. I went to through a class recently where the images were torn apart after every assignment! It was good for me. We’re always growing. One thing I have learned is that this generation is missing that aspect of the walk. Some don’t even pick up their camera, unless they have a “client”. No passion, no inner desire to develop.
Hi Alex, great video again as always. I'm a relatively new subscriber and you are definitely one of my favourite channels now. I see your channel more as the psychology of photography. The technical stuff can be learned from any number of sources but clearly great images are created more by the eyes and hands holding the camera than the gear they are using.
when I meet with old friends, we are always getting to a point, when we remember the "good old times". We are looking through old photos and we are listening to old recordings of music we made. The more I am embarrassed to share my old "artistic products" to somebody, the more soothed I feel about my development since then. But if you are cheering with your friends "oh, look this old photo... my best shot ever...." oh boy, you should sit down after the party and have a well thought about what happened since then.... When the good old times are not good at all, that is what I call progress. Therefore, I am so happy that I'm just locating myself in the Valley of Despair, since I can become only better from now on 😄
I certainly learned a lot about photography techniques and processing/editing methods and theory from the interweb. What I struggle with is more with the creative side. I find it is easier to get into creative stuff with “easy” photography . But I like birds and nature in general -and often it is just an achievement getting any shot at all , never mind getting creative with it! Or at least , that is my excuse and I’m sticking with it!
I agree with you on this one. For me, my first camera was a 35mm Mamiya with a 50 mm lens. I bought it at 17 years old when I first joined the army. The only thing I knew about the camera was set the camera to what the TTL meter said to do. I didn’t know reciprocity depth of field, etc. the pictures I got were okay. I wasn’t trying to be a pro at it. I got it then to take picture memories and of places I visited. Snap shots. Basically. I lost that camera and finally an Army buddy who was a pro taught me photography. Bought a used Cannon AL1. He really showed me how to use it. I went to the hobby lab on Post and learned how to develop film. I was hooked. That’s when I started to care about my photography looking good. I was also an artist. I have been drawing and painting since I could scribble on my mom’s walls. My fellow soldiers thought I was crazy for being in the army with my drawing ability. I knew composition. So composing a photo was easy for me. I was good enough to get a position as a photographer for the 3rd Armored Division’s Public Affairs Office. I thought I was a good photographer. But I learned quickly I didn’t know as much as I needed to know. The majority of what we did was photojournalism. And I also worked the darkroom. This was the real education into photography I received. Not only did I develop and print my own work, but those of everyone else’s in the office. There were a few other photographers in the office but the rest were journalists who sometimes took their own photos. They were school trained but their pictures were nothing great. They didn’t care about photography, they were writers. I processed thousands of rolls of film in the few years working there. Dozens of film a week. I saw plenty of great pictures from everyone, but the majority were bad. I would circle the ones I thought were good on the contact sheets and send them up to the office. They would circle a few more and I made the prints. As you know half of photography is in the darkroom. I took those pictures chosen and worked them to get the best image out of them with burning and dodging, using friction from my gloved fingers to create heat to bring out the image faster in a spot that needed it while in the developing tray. Every trick I learned there. I was awarded the Army’s version of the Pulitzer Prize, The Keith L. Ware award. But in order to get that I took lots of bad pictures along with the good ones. After making thousands of prints you know bad pictures. Here’s the kicker. I’m still learning photography. There is a lot I don’t know. Especially with digital. Only because my DSLR is so complicated. I don’t opine about digital. I don’t know enough of the technical aspects of it. And I agree there’s a lot of people doing photography who think they know more than they do. I see on Facebook the bad pictures they post. In a couple of groups who do film most limit themselves to 400 iso film. They use it for everything. Bright sunny days. While 400 is fine for a lot of situations. It’s limited in bright light. Very little reciprocity. Their pictures are all high depth of field, unless they shoot in low light. Then they push it. Even when they don’t need to. When they give advice it’s limited to the little knowledge they do have.they would say use this film or this setting, but not explain why. It’s just what they like to do. None seem to know much about flash photography. Only a few that I have seen. I try to explain why to do something or use a specific lens or film, why the picture is exposed wrong, even composition. But only to those that ask for help with their photography.
It’s a journey from concentrating on the latest camera and lenses to be interested in art and the history of photography. To cover all aspects of photography and to reduce the equipment to a minimum, specialize in a small part of photography and work to goals as a book or exhibition. A part many forget are the importance to print large. I have at last decider to get a A2 printer and to learn to print.There are some disadvantages when you have been photographing for a long time and that is that you find it difficult to find motivation and to take time to try new things.
Another outstanding video! I seem to suffer from the opposite problem. I don’t like much of anything I take, but others seem to like them. I actually have to have a few drinks before I will share any of my shots online. I have been trying to get out of this cycle, this being “ pigeon holed” into a specific style and/or subject. I want to change this because I know that I know nothing. Your talks are helping me take the next step. Thank you!
I think an important part of showing an image when some feedback will be given, is to also provide the audience with some information on your intention with the image. What was you trying to achieve, what look was you going for etc. I see too many times people commenting that the white balance is off and too cool, for then the image owner to hit back saying that's how he wanted it to look that way. So it starts out on the wrong foot from the get go. As you say feedback is about trust, honesty and getting it from the right people. Or we get what I call the Xfactor moment, when a singing contestant is asked if they are any good and they reply that their family and friends thinks so..... then they start to sing... oh dear!
This is actually true. I look back at some of my “great” photos from years ago and then think “what the heck was I thinking” and then feel embarrassed.
My background as a painter and art major is a blessing and a curse when it comes to photography. I know a lot about color, light, perspective, and composition. But, sometimes I see images in my head that I struggle to realize with my camera. Unlike painting or drawing, I can't just cover over or erase a mistake. I can't (or more accurately, won't) manipulate the scene to match what I perceived. The more photos I take, the more the perfectionist in me makes me toss. I learn as much from critiquing others' photos as I do from being critiqued, because I make mental notes of why an image didn't work for me and apply them to my own photos. And likewise, for images I like. The trick is to put one's own stamp on a concept and not just copy, so you're speaking your own language. That takes reps. Lots of reps.
I was typing something out along similar lines but then found your comment. I took up painting (a long time ago) because I could never get the image in my mind to be transferred to film. Photography is hard and frustrating, so was learning to paint and draw. It really is painting with light. The more I take photos the subject reduces in importance and the light falling is what I look for. It is a great new journey!
Hi Alex so the question I have is, what does make a good photographer? Knowing how to use one’s camera is one thing but for me composition is the key to good photography and these days, thats is closely followed by editing skills. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts though.
Thank you for all these videos you post. Im not a pro and I dont show my images anywhere or to anyone but your advice does help me grow as a photographer. I find that the one thing that motivates me the most is how little I know. It pushes me to keep learning. I suppose in the end it may seem like it doesnt matter if Im doing nothing with my pictures but for me its the journey not the destination that interests me. I have many images Ive take that Im happy with , not because I think they are great or even any good but because I see a step forward in my ability and thats encouraging to me. Again, thank you so much.
Am an utter beginner and have no sense of being a ‘good photographer’ at all! But I love what you’re saying. I have plans to go on some courses in my city where they take you around the CBD and our main park, showing you how to get what you want out of your camera. Covid is holding that back, but I’m looking forward to taking lots of crappy photos and learning more :)
Dude, I'm a physicist and photographer, since my first class my professors quote the Dunning Kruger effect, but the thing is, it never looked easy, even at the beginning
Heh ....nice pun with the developing yourself as a photographer comment. I find that some of my best shots were before I got my DSLR. A $100 point and shoot Olympus 10mp got me my best macro and super macro shots. Miss it but now am obsessed with my ability to use a 400mm prime.
One of the problems with modern photography is cultural expectations and social hang-ups. In the US, pro photography is dominated by this 'formal' kind of obsession. Things like highly conservative approaches to framing, sharpness, saturation, etc. I mean, visual conservatism is really a thing here. I remember when I was a young art student seeing what some of the (I mean I already knew ground-breakers like Robert Frank really well, of course) then contemporary European photographers were doing and I was pretty blown away with how different it all was. It was like they really got the old Robert Capa thing, "If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough". Yes, the more you know, the less you know. And a wise photographer once said to me: "You will never be as good or as bad as you think you are". Ain't that the truth?
If we are to admit the notion of the 'bad photographer' it seems that we have to have some concept of what the 'good photographer' actually is. Stirling Moss, in an interview, stated that he had, by his own estimation, driven three corners perfectly during his illustrious racing career. For myself, and far less illustriously, on the day i won a world championship i was consumed by the knowledge that the only reason for my success was that my competitors were somehow, on that day, 'more bad' than i was. The advantage over photography in all of this that Moss and i enjoyed was the time-clock - the final arbiter of all things high-performance. But what does photography, or any non-quantifiable endeavour, offer by way of a universal standard of excellence? I have yet to see and image that, with a judicious choice of terms, cannot be subject to a disparaging critique. Not a one in sixty years. What saves me and the experience of those images is that i take them as facts in the universe that either move me somehow, or do not. That is my ground for estimating value. And i always remember that all of that is about me - not the image - and cannot be otherwise. Moss may well have been objectively wrong about those three corners - it's possible that he never attained such perfection - but there's a peculiar satisfaction or sense of ease that comes with an enduring belief that, for a fleeting moment, one lived as a God. For myself, i am a crap photographer and always will be, regardless of what i know or do. That is simply the nature of the journey - to never be beyond criticism, whether by oneself or others - and i am not alone. Good and thought-provoking fireside chat, btw. Many thanks and all the best.
To know to get into photography you have to pick up a 35 mm camera , where it all started .. buy a couple rolls of good ilford Delta film .. 4 HP 5 .. it's so easy to get carried away with new cameras that are digital ... you got to know when you take pictures on a 35mm camra , Therse No taking it back, the images you take are imprinted forever
It was mentioned elsewhere, but I would love more critique than I can find. Forums and such almost never offer any decent commentary. FB groups are mostly timid (even those tied to great photographers who set up groups just for the purpose of "learning." Instagram is useless for feedback (I dropped it awhile back.) I am a hobbyist, and have a ton to learn. I love to experiment....but have no idea if it is working (other than I enjoy the process). If anyone has any good forums for real feedback, I bet many here would flock to them!
One of my pet hates is shitty photos that get undeserved praise: people who post photos online and viewers say how great it is when it's clearly not. When I go to photographic exhibitions and the images on display look like quick, thoughtless, unskilled snaps, I throw my hands in the air. It truly irks me. What makes a good photo? It's so subjective.
I really understood that I didn't matter as a photographer when I watched lost in translation. She sais there that every girl has a photography phase, just like a horse phase. And at first I hated that she said that, because in a way it was true. I didn't see the purpose of my "art" anymore, but over time I understood that I just like learning and knowing about photography. I like photography and that is eniugh
Nice video as usual. A bit like having an old mate chatting to you. I have only been taking photos for a couple of years and most are are a bit meh but occasionally a keeper is produced.
Totally agree with this. I see this a lot with some photography channels on TH-cam. Their content isn’t great and they offer advice as if they are Fan Ho
I don't where I am in DK chart now. Probably deep down in the valley? I stop posting my photos for cetitics because I think the harshest critic to my work is myself. I would go out to take photos. Bunch of them. Leave them in the cards and come back to them weeks later. I'll see a bunch flaws in my photos that I wouldn't have seen during the shooting day. Seeing my own work with fresh eyes removes bias from my judgment to certain degree.
What constitutes a good photographer? It is a subjective judgement so anybody can be called a good photographer, depended on who judges. Being famous or widely known is often a reason to call them a "good photographer", but is not necessarily the correct credit. I think there are way more anonymous good photographers than "famous" ones.
I agree. I have a bookshelf full of photo books recommended to me by people which allegedly contain the master works of claimed master photographers. A lot of these works would get laughed right out of most local photography groups. I mean, some of these photos make absolute beginner mistakes: clumsy compositions, uninspired lighting, unbalanced subjects, poor focus. If you showed it to people unfamiliar with the "artist" but were otherwise familiar with photography, they'd call it crap.
My goal isn't to take subjectively gOoD photographs, rather my goal with photography is take images that mean something to me, whether on a personal level or more generally to illustrate life as I see it. Getting caught up in the minutia of composition, color balance, or even tack-sharp focus has never been of interest to me in 40+ years of shutter clicking.
Today's technology makes everything so easy, compared to how complex things were years ago, that it beguiles us into thinking that we are the origin and creator of images we have simply captured. We substitute technology for craft.
i go over my pic and i think they are all bad😂but i keep doing it because i like it, and all 5 years or so there are one picture i like... but for my excuse im a carpenter with a camera not a "fotographer"😅 i like how philosophical you look at photography :) you get an subscription ;)
When i look at the pictures of my last gig i must say its a roller coaster, There is the good, there is the bad and there is the uggly. But i think for the circumstances i put my self in the results are okay. Real critique is not to be expected coz even though i know nothing, the audience knows even less...
I enjoy the unsureness, the absolute subjective battle between the photographer and every single viewer of the work. Nothing is certain or should be taken for granted especially when one man's garbage is another man's treasure. To me, a "bad photographer" is not someone who doesn't follow exposure, composition or subject "correctness", it's just someone who cannot operate the tool of the trade; or doesn't understand how it works. Can a bad photographer take a jaw-dropping and inspiring photo of the grand canyon? Sure. The same as a very seasoned and skilled photographer can shoot a pile of horse manure and be the only one who sees his/her vision and meaning in the photo. Advise from anyone about your photos can as much hinder as help, as not one other person ever born can and will see what and how you see things. Is an ink line and a few drops on canvas simply better than a photorealistic drawing from some unknown because it has a "Van Gogh" signature on it? I think to be a "good" photographer, it must be completely reliant on whether or not you are skilled enough to be able to capture the feeling/mood/scene that you had desired to. If you can ignore (or take with a grain of salt) input from others of what THEY would or wouldn't "do", combined with brutally honest self reflection of your own work (hard for most men), then your on the right road. Photo's should 100% be for yourself; and if you can get skilled enough to relay that vision/feeling/mood/emotion, without description or any other aids, and others can embrace your intentions purely by seeing it, you are a skilled magician indeed. That connection between 2 individuals sparked/created purely by an image should be the only testament to your skill. Just some thoughts on the subject. Keep up the great videos. I've discussed Dunning-Kruger individuals with the wife for many years, lol. Opinions are like assholes, right? Everyone has one and they all stink. :) Cheers
Because the Dunning-Kruger effect addresses a cognitive bias whereby the person believes themselves to be more skilled than they are, then by definition, that individual would be less likely to seek out an appraisal because they've arrived--or would spend half the time disagreeing, TRUST ME. Ironically, that same individual typically lacks the traits that one would expect of a person who is PASSIONATE about their work (e.g. studying iconic photographers. In fact, they don't understand why the photo is iconic or what makes a photo a classic or studied the elements of design and consciously employed them in their photography. I'm always afraid of releasing a photo because I know that a year and beyond, I'd rethink it--the CURSE of perfectionism--of course on the other side of that is the notion that a mediocre image is perfect.
I honestly think the biggest reason photographers fall victim to this is actually quite another effect (though not being able to know how much you don't know is certainly a close second especially among the over-eager. Dilettantes are another matter). It could be labelled intimacy or the avatar effect, but it has to do with mingling our emotions with our efforts and investment and projecting that visually. The same thing happens with people we love or hate. We actually see them as better or worse looking than they are because we project the time we put into our relationships and the way we feel about that/them onto their visage (being the visual creatures we are). Often this effect is what keeps people going in the arts or design and development for that matter. It serves an ultimately useful purpose even self-destructive as it may be, because it keeps us interested and passionate. I always knew I was crap and that was always a hurdle for me (despite receiving a lot of praise) that kept me from taking it beyond a random occasional hobby (that and the cost of fast long lenses). Trust me, seeing things as they are can bring its own set of problems!
Man, you made excellent points in this video but I felt as though several good points were made and then remade and then gone over again. It felt like a dead horse was beaten. Maybe it was effective for many people but it reminded me of time spent sitting in classroom lectures
I've been trying to answer that question for years. And I have arrived to a conclusion, my own conclusion of course. Only valid for me. What's being a bad or a good photographer? When I married, the photographer (a friend of mine) took a very interesting picture. I was looking to my wife and she was looking to outside the frame. And the head of my wife was cropped. My mother in law didn't like that picture; she said: "why my head's daughter is cropped?" She thought that the photographer was really bad. But we, my wife and me, think the photographer is really good. Who was right? Both. But my mother in law had some expectations and we had another expectations. The good photographer is who achieves the wanted goals. For himself, for others, it doesn't mind. Some of my pictures achieve my expectations and I only take pictures for myself; so, perhaps I'm not a bad photographer when that goals are satisfied. And I am a bad photographer when they aren't. The people that take very weird pictures or none the less the most formal ones are good photographers if they achieve that goals. Who cares? Only the clients, only the followers or only themselves. Set your aims, your rules and expectations and if you achieve those, you are a good photographer. Thanks for reading this boring comment.
I'm a Master at writing boring comments - at least they are surely, in my estimation, boring for others. For me, they permit me to think through and express a thought on a 'page' - worthwhile for me and, i expect, nothing more. However, i appreciated your comment, not least because it suggested to me that my reason(s) for writing comments might just be the same as my reasons for taking photos that nobody will likely ever see. Therefore, my woolly conclusion in all of this is that you and i should, boring or not, just carry on scraping out this modicum of satisfaction regardless. All the best from New Zealand.
I found that I realised my photos were shit when I painted one, and just hated it. The composition, the colour, just a snapshot of a cool subject. And I honestly had my confidence crushed to a point where I just stopped shooting all together a few weeks later. Then half a year later I started watching videos, getting passionate and then picked up my camera and took what was at the time the best photos I had ever made, they were bad sure, but they were better. And I just kept shooting and improving and a few years later and bam I'm taking photos I like, and can look at without regret.
What a wonderful way of gaining perspective! There seems to be a lot of knowledge (and perseverance) through other forms of art that apply universally. An interesting contemplation. Btw: I love the photo on your pfp. Did you take it? The colors are spectacular. The landscape is so charged with emotion for being as constant as a mountain, land and sky. You’ve done an intuitive exposure. Isn’t nature astonishing?
About 50 years ago, after first year Engineering, I travelled from Toronto to Montreal for a work term. With a half-frame Olympus Pen D camera, I took a lot of photos. When a friend visited, I proudly showed my slides. He kindly introduced me to topics like placement of the horizon, not putting someone exactly in the centre, and leading lines. I was astounded at my ignorance. It’s been a long journey. Lots of snapshots. Finally, when in my 60’s, I got a work assignment for a year and a half in South Africa, and at least had enough experience and theory to do some justice to that fine country. Still not where I want to be as a photographer, but still moving forward.
I got my first camera 62 years ago. My parents said I was talking pictures of the middle of the street. I was playing with perspective, the converging lines of the road leading to the mountain in the back ground. That said, after 62 years of shooting, I learn something or gain a deeper understanding everyday.
Dear Alex, having watched hundreds & hundreds of YT videos, I find your own not only enjoyable and constructive, but it feels like sitting down with a good friend who you appreciate deeply and taking his advise and wisdom... well done and thank you!!!
I’ve a TH-cam subscriptions list of photography channels as long as your arm. But none give me as much inspiration, knowledge, pleasure and perhaps most importantly of all, confidence as yours Alex. Absolutely tremendous work!
999 percent of today's photography is technology based instead of art, elevated by online platforms that rise every new participant to stardome for subscribing more than skill.
This video has put in words what I have been feeling about my own photography. I started photography last year, and after a bit of practice I got to a point where photography seemed easy. While I still like certain photos taken last year. I have unlocked a new sense of difficulty with photography. I see now, that there is a never ending amount to learn and improve upon. Although I am at a difficult stage in my development, I’m glad that I can see my shortcomings as it allows me to further develop my skills.
Nice video, important subject. ...But are those photos you shared the bad ones you were referring to?? If they are, then I feel really bad about myself. 😬
Alex, you are just like a coach, while we are the players on the field, offering psychological advice in fine-tunning our pre-concepts and most importantly, preserve our positive thinking and passion. Technical aspects of photographical skill are comparatively easy to be applied. Please keep up your constructive work.
Over the years (70 odd) I have taken thousands of photos and in that time I have taken several good ones! I sometimes think some of the earlier ones are better than the current ones. I wonder where that puts me on the learning curve.
another video that I’ll share the link to on my social media. need more of these kind of content rather than “time killing” videos. Great insight as usual. Thank you so much for sharing.
Nowadays nobody gives real constructive criticism because everybody gets upset so fast and everybody is afraid to upset people, it is a shame. One of the best things that happened in my life was landing in a bad ass forum that had from people that just bought their first camera all the way to photographers that were getting published and make their living with photography. That forum was known in my country for "being full of assholes", nothing further from the truth, they were fantastic people, I learned A LOT there, made friends, and most important I developed tough skin. The mods were very strict banning trolls all the time, but they encourage real, tough, constructive criticism. Try to do that today in any photography site ... People will jump at you with a knife just to tell you you have no right to say that ... Because nowadays everybody is a winner! Everybody gets a trophy! Unfortunately we live in the times where more photos are taken every second than ever, but the level of mediocrity is off the roof. I'm not saying I'm the best photographer in the world, holly shit I'm soooooooo far from that! But I've learn, and keep learning every day I grab my camera and I hope it stays like that forever, otherwise I'd move onto something else.
A classic example of this is this obsession with ‘bokeh’. The internet is full of discussions - and flame wars - about it, from the one-eyelash-in-focus photograph (mostly to show odd someone’s new f/1.2 lens) to the ‘creamy’ quality of one versus the ‘nervous’ quality of another. It’s somehow become the acme or artistic photography. I don’t care about ‘bokeh’. I get really annoyed when people talk about it in my photographs. I hate the subculture of bokeh because for me it’s subconscious and I don’t really even think about it. But people lecture me about how ‘BeCaUsE lIkE yOu NeEd BoKeH tO sEpArATe ThE sUbJeCt FrOm ThE bAcKgRoUnD, dUdE’ and then comment on how nice the bokeh is in my picture or how I could have used more of it. They shouldn’t be looking at it. They should be looking at the subject! Internet experts are the worst thing that has ever happened to photography. They overestimate their worth. I have no problem with constructive criticism but I do have a problem with slavish adherence to a style that I don’t want and which wasn’t a thing on the days of Arnold Newman or Bill Brandt when deep focus ruled. For me it’s either there or it isn’t but it’s never there for it’s own sake or because someone else thinks it should be.
I think I encountered someone at the peak of Mount stupid the other day, he told me my photos were rubbish, and photography was easy as he taught himself in less than 3 days 🤣
Out of the 10's of thousands of photos I've taken, the majority are only 'snaps'. There's only one or two photos that I really like and am proud of....I brag about it🤣 With regards to constructive criticism, the problem is, everybody is a critic, but nobody likes to be criticized.
I think that I honestly have the opposite issue with my work. I underestimate myself too much. I use an s21 ultra for photography because I can't afford my dream cam (fuji xt4) yet but I've still managed to become the highest viewed and interacted with photographer on my cities biggest Facebook page with over 30k people following it. I still don't think I'm great, that's all cool but I look at other photographers work and just get astounded with what they have done. It keeps me humble if not feeling a bit thrashed which is crap but I don't know how to change feeling like that. I've had local store owners contact me saying how my work makes them feel so emotional because they see the passion behind it and I still can't bring myself to say I'm as good as any other photographer. All I know is I always keep my old work and look back at where I was every couple of weeks, I know I'm better now than I ever was in the past but I still don't feel content, I'm just gonna have to keep pushing till I can say I'm on par with the people I look up to
Thanks Alex .... you have become a welcome visitor - no, part of the family. My wife & I look forward to having you over for a glass of excellent South African wine and a 'chat' in the evenings ...
i met a few photographers recently and thy were all the greatest photographers they ever met, they were young and competative "i dont shoot for less that £5000" which I knew to be a total lie, but he still said it - insecurity about your art is sad, bloke was a pretty good photographer too, like a solid hobbyist.
Glad I'm not the only one who gets a little tongue tied on words! hahahah. Thanks Alex - I really do enjoy thinking about these underneath things of photography. I know some of your clips have been shared in a facebook group I'm part of with another you tuber and photographer who does workshops and teaching etc. The community of photographers there values the learning journey and seeks to engage helpfully how we might think about our image making and creating with not only technical stuff, but also the content, the emotions, the use of light etc. Many of us have grown because of that openness and learning not only from Mike who set it up, but also each other.
Have never considered myself great at photography. To the point I say I do some photography but never refer to myself as a photographer cause I have never felt I was good enough. Plenty of times I have shown my improvements when mentioning about upgrading equipment for various reasons that help align me towards the style I want better, I am always met with problems of being told I need to get better before I should even consider buying a new camera. Just get better with the one I have. Also comparing myself to others around me in the same space. Always showing my work to people and meet, they usually say it's alright and then I show them them the actual professionals and how my work is terrible. The pros have much sharper images, with better color grading and better composition. But when I show them when I first started lol its usually really funny for me. I have grown a ton but I wanna go way further. Recently bought a new camer body and I am currently working a but of OT to save up for a lens to match it and my work style. But the video was helpful to never get complacent and keep pushing to get better. I shall keep trying! Thank you!
Alex, I've been a working photographer for 37 years and your comments could not be any more on point. I have been photographing the headwaters of the Mississippi River for 30 years this spring. The challenge is how can I keep making new and exciting images every time? I have tried to address this issue in the following piece I wrote a few years back. Some years back, I was having lunch with a photographer acquaintance. During the meal, he said: “We have lived here for many years, and I do not know what to photograph anymore, because I have shot it all.” This statement floored me because, at the time, I had been photographing the Headwaters of the Mississippi River for over twenty years and had grown custom to shooting the same subject over and over and making it seem new and exciting each time. Any location never stays the same for long. Vegetation grows, landscapes erode and change, parts fade, and man changes things. I believe that a photograph is a representation of how the subject looked at the moment in time that the shutter was released. So how do you keep making images interesting of the same subject time after time? We tend to get familiar with a location the more we see it. I like to look for changes that time has caused. I also spend time figuring out angles and techniques to use long before arriving on the scene. Different seasons and weather conditions can significantly change the view. And as we grow older and experience more, our visual interest changes how we look at things. As human beings, our creative juices are like the ocean tides, in that they are in constant ebb and flow. Sometimes the creative juices are high, and other times can be extremely low. When these lows happen, we need to find ways to work through them. One way I do so is to look at a lot of photography and try to figure out how the photographer made them; this quite often will get me recharged. A great way to break the lack of creativity is through self-assignment, pick a subject, and see how many different angles you can find on it. To do this you do not even have to have your camera in hand, just look at it and walk around, sit down, look down or climb a ladder to explore the subject. I know this works well for me, and I would think it would for anyone stuck in a rut. We can and should try to learn something new each and every day. I'm often asked "What is your favorite photograph you have made? My reply is My next image because I am still learning photography."
I went to a talk by a councillor who talked about barriers to communication. He said that by giving advice when it was not wanted was the biggest barrier.He recommended that you ask “can I suggest something that can help you with that ?In this case photography. Then when the person agrees you offer your advice. I hate being given unsolicited advice myself and apparently the councillor stated that most people did no like it. I am in favour of finding a person who you value as a photographer and asking them to mentor you with your own photography. Also l am constantly interested in learning about photography and applying it to my own practice in creating photographs.
Anyone including me, seriously watching this video , may as well set aside their cameras and meditate at some mountain place to return until a new camera is launched.
It all comes down to trial and error. Even the best settings cant do do all scenarios so its best to just do trial and error until you get the right look. Sure there are “photography rules” you can go by to get close but then again what kind of photo are you going for? Everybody is different and everybody should have their own style. If ppl come to you asking to do their photos for a school dance, family photos, pets, sports, weddings or just random shoots then you know you are doing something right. If ppl want to pay you for your photography then just keep that going. Dont change your style just bc some other photographer says to. Dont lose your identity. I have my own stuyle and its made some waves. Ppl love my photos. Ive sent photos across the country. I took photos in Daytona and actually had a family that lives there buy 3 of my photos to hang up in their home. They could get photos of Daytona IN Daytona anytime they wanted but chose to purchase mine all the way from Illinois. Ive been on the news 12 times and have 3 groups that are using my photos as their background photo. Just be you. 👍📸
If anybody is interested in learning more about the DK effect, can I suggest that you read the work of Daniel Kahneman- as well as his work with Tversky? It deals with the heuristic thinking that we employ in daily life and how it can lead us astray and is much more accessible the Dunning and Kruger's own work- as well as including a lot more about thinking than just one mental pitfall.
I can see why some pros are not much into street photography. There is too much garbage there, too many charlatans who think they are too good for their own taste. Just random junk being photographed: people looking at mobile phones, pigeons, people's back...
I shoot events & portraits for 18 yrs, and my clients are very happy with my product (at least they tell me). I think I’m ok at best, but I enjoy doing it part time. I always am reading & studying techniques & craft from the greats. When shooting on my own time for enjoyment, I know that I suck. But I take pleasure in sucking a little bit less (hopefully) over time. Great video!
I've only been shooting for about 4 years doing mostly events and portraits. I've always said that I don't do much. The cameras do a lot of the work. Very few times have I felt that "No this was an amazing shot and I'm good".
A woman I knew from the past as one of my high school mathematics teacher for a year said this about the photos I share on my Facebook page; "I did not catch who said this, but it is said “photography is what cannot be said in words.” You have captured so much that cannot be said. You have brought me into another place and time!! Thank you!! " I am not at all a professional photographer and have very limited knowledge about what makes a good photographer but I enjoy taking pictures of interesting images I see on my long walks around Barcelona or wherever I am at.
Learning is all about playing and playing is all about not taking yourself too seriously. Having a background in video, not all of my idols are photographers. As a creative genius, there is none greater than Jim Henson (in my opinion) and he made sillyness and playing into an art. He is an extreme example, but one common trait with the great ones is that they can laugh at themselves. That attitude helps with critisism.
you said nothing about what makes photography good or how to improve at it. It didn't take 20 minutes to make the single point of overconfidence that you did.
I honestly think that nobody is a bad photographer. Photography is up to the person who is taking the image not to someone else. I think if you like the pictures your producing you are a solid photographer. Just my opinion though
I am, admittedly, a beginner photographer. However, I have an artistic career that was built on giving and receiving critical feedback. I LOVE honest, even brutal, feedback because I know it leads to growth. So far in my photography journey, I've really struggled to get any critique on my images from a few groups that I joined on FB. I see photos posted that run the gamut from hot garbage to beautiful art asking for feedback and get 100+ comments, but I ask for the same critique and get a couple likes and nothing else. The question I ask myself is: Am I so mediocre that my work doesn't really capture anybody's interest enough to even tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Hi Alex, In my 20’s I was good and then I got worse because I followed the wrong path with photography. This humbled me I think and then I got better then I ever was. But these days I know I will always be striving to be better. I was featured on the cover on black and white photography this month as well as a 9 page article. Something I never would have achieved if I didn’t get onto the right path. I’m 49 now and it’s taken me this long to start to reach a respectable level. Like you say! World of Tanks!! If I’d know it would have taken this long, would I have carried on?
Some of us have the opposite problem in that we doubt our skills right from the start. Our greatest challenge is to build enough photographic confidence in our images to adequately assess their quality. I look at images from 40 years ago when I started using a lot of 35mm film on my two kids and those images are actually a lot better than I would have judged them at the time. I was and still am, my own worst critic. Even today I'm not comfortable with exhibiting my photos and there's always that moment of doubt before I hit 'Publish' on a TH-cam video.
I've been watching TH-cam photographers almost obsessively for the last 18 months. I've learnt a lot, but realise now I've just scratched the surface. I haven't yet taken even a half decent photo. It's a challenge but I'm enjoying it. What I've learned is that the advice given by most photographers on TH-cam will only be based on that photographers bias or in camera gear terms due to their affinity to a particular brand or sponsor. As yet I don't need critiquing, I know my images are rubbish, but might come back to you later. I love your videos, they are always helpful and thought provoking. Thank you.
Great and extremely interesting vid, Thank You! I am somewhere on that Spectrum, though where, exactly, it maters not to me. The awareness that i am on it is enough to compel me forward, in my own way. Nicely done, your vid.
I have been a photographer for the past 47 years. The one thing that keeps me excited about photography is knowing how little I know and how much I have to learn
Best comment I've read...It's really inspiring...I wish you well.
Always reading these kinds of comments but I can't seem to understand, can you name something you learned in the last year that you didn't know for the other 46 years photographing?
Awesome statement ❤️
I think as a photographer one should never feel "done" with learning or experimenting. Each day can be a new perspective, or new technique (if even by chance or accident), which leads to constant new creative evolvement.
There’s an old saying, “Hire a teenager while they still know everything”. But I feel that the older I get the less I know, until I hear or read these young experts online, then I realise I maybe have learnt a thing or two since I first picked up a camera over 50 years ago. Although I still look at some of my old photos and they look pretty good, and some even better than I what I take now. Maybe it was the innocence of youth, or I’m now a bit more jaded and aware that it’s all been done before,and usually better (and worse, thankfully).
A variant I have seen attributed to Mark Twain[1] was along the lines of "as I grew from 14 to 21 I was amazed how much my father learnt."
I predate you by around 10-15 years, and still have some of the photos I took in the 1950s with a Box Brownie. Not all the young (or old!) experts know as much as Alex, but I have learnt to listen to what is said and adopt what works for me. After all, if we weren't learning new things, and still making mistakes, where would the fun be?
[1] If you don't know who said something just attribute it to Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, or Winston Churchill.
Your feelings to old photos might be padded up by sentiment and that's natural, I'm not going to restrict myself from being nostalgic, sometimes the value is in memories - even memories of "this is my best photo of 1991".
That's because the late teen brain is the last time, we as humans are at our learning/neurological apex. Brain starts decaying around 23ish according to some research. Go figure. You DO actually know less, you've just forgotten or don't remember or have to look it up again.
I'm not accusing you of senility or anything, just a literal loss of some memories or such yanno?
Then again I never thought I knew everything as a teenager either.
It’s when you realise that you don’t know all things that you are becoming wise
@@nunyabeezwax6758even if your brain starts to decay after 23 it doesn't mean that at 13 years old you know more things about a subject compared to 20 years later passing studying this subject, it only means eventually that the brain of a 13 years old person is more faster in learning new things compared to a brain of a 30 years old person, but it doesn't mean that a the 13 years old know more stuff and have already learned more about a subject compared to the 30 years old one
The more you learn, the more you discover that you don't know everything and that's the motivation you need to stay on the learning path, be modest, and try to be the best of yourself till your last breath.
Wow. Well said :)
ZZZZ
❤
Great topic - just makes me sad that 20 years ago when I really started into photography I didn't have a true mentor or advisor ;) So basically thank you for being in a some way such a person - even when it's one-way communication only.
I have so called 'box of shame' where I keep printed my so called 'best works'. After I watched your this episode, I reviewed them and destroyed four photographs. Actually that are two awesome feelings when one day you think - this is masterpiece, and on the next day you call it a piece of sh*t because it is pure evidence that you have grown :) Printing your works even on cheap home printer is very beneficial.
And I feel that first part of Dunning-Kruger effect took lot more time than it was really necessary.
Opposite experience for me. No one wants to give me actual constructive feedback and just say “it looks nice.” I’ve asked in different forms and just nothing. Maybe I’m asking the wrong people.
I have the same experience. I took a course on photography and there is a FB group for people who finished the course. I have asked for feedback and get thumbs. Thumbs aren’t helpful, up or down. Maybe they don’t have the ability to step outside of like and dislike, or are afraid that the commentary will be misconstrued as personal.
Had that happen as well
I know what you mean. I want critique and I don't often get it. I sometimes love my photos and think "I'm good!" but I'm always open to negative feedback. Sometimes I see other photographers' pictures and think why did they take that? And other times I'm amazed, like how did they see that?
try ARS BETA
I got back into photography (I'm 62) a bit more than 5yrs ago. If I look back at the earlier photos, there are many I still like as much as I did then. It may be that my keep/toss rate is higher now and while I know that I know more than I did, I don't know what I don't know or how much I don't know. While that may speak to some degree of self-awareness, it doesn't help me know where I fall on the graph and whether or not I'm qualified to help that young man new to the photography club so generally, I just don't say anything.
This was good man…. I was formally trained in photography and in the dark room, 25 years ago. Geez that felt old to say! And I am still open to a good Critique.
I went to through a class recently where the images were torn apart after every assignment! It was good for me.
We’re always growing. One thing I have learned is that this generation is missing that aspect of the walk.
Some don’t even pick up their camera, unless they have a “client”. No passion, no inner desire to develop.
Hi Alex, great video again as always. I'm a relatively new subscriber and you are definitely one of my favourite channels now. I see your channel more as the psychology of photography. The technical stuff can be learned from any number of sources but clearly great images are created more by the eyes and hands holding the camera than the gear they are using.
when I meet with old friends, we are always getting to a point, when we remember the "good old times". We are looking through old photos and we are listening to old recordings of music we made. The more I am embarrassed to share my old "artistic products" to somebody, the more soothed I feel about my development since then.
But if you are cheering with your friends "oh, look this old photo... my best shot ever...." oh boy, you should sit down after the party and have a well thought about what happened since then....
When the good old times are not good at all, that is what I call progress.
Therefore, I am so happy that I'm just locating myself in the Valley of Despair, since I can become only better from now on 😄
I certainly learned a lot about photography techniques and processing/editing methods and theory from the interweb. What I struggle with is more with the creative side. I find it is easier to get into creative stuff with “easy” photography . But I like birds and nature in general -and often it is just an achievement getting any shot at all , never mind getting creative with it! Or at least , that is my excuse and I’m sticking with it!
I agree with you on this one.
For me, my first camera was a 35mm Mamiya with a 50 mm lens. I bought it at 17 years old when I first joined the army. The only thing I knew about the camera was set the camera to what the TTL meter said to do. I didn’t know reciprocity depth of field, etc. the pictures I got were okay. I wasn’t trying to be a pro at it. I got it then to take picture memories and of places I visited. Snap shots. Basically. I lost that camera and finally an Army buddy who was a pro taught me photography. Bought a used Cannon AL1. He really showed me how to use it. I went to the hobby lab on Post and learned how to develop film. I was hooked. That’s when I started to care about my photography looking good. I was also an artist. I have been drawing and painting since I could scribble on my mom’s walls. My fellow soldiers thought I was crazy for being in the army with my drawing ability. I knew composition. So composing a photo was easy for me. I was good enough to get a position as a photographer for the 3rd Armored Division’s Public Affairs Office. I thought I was a good photographer. But I learned quickly I didn’t know as much as I needed to know. The majority of what we did was photojournalism. And I also worked the darkroom. This was the real education into photography I received. Not only did I develop and print my own work, but those of everyone else’s in the office. There were a few other photographers in the office but the rest were journalists who sometimes took their own photos. They were school trained but their pictures were nothing great. They didn’t care about photography, they were writers.
I processed thousands of rolls of film in the few years working there. Dozens of film a week. I saw plenty of great pictures from everyone, but the majority were bad. I would circle the ones I thought were good on the contact sheets and send them up to the office. They would circle a few more and I made the prints. As you know half of photography is in the darkroom. I took those pictures chosen and worked them to get the best image out of them with burning and dodging, using friction from my gloved fingers to create heat to bring out the image faster in a spot that needed it while in the developing tray. Every trick I learned there.
I was awarded the Army’s version of the Pulitzer Prize, The Keith L. Ware award. But in order to get that I took lots of bad pictures along with the good ones. After making thousands of prints you know bad pictures.
Here’s the kicker. I’m still learning photography. There is a lot I don’t know. Especially with digital. Only because my DSLR is so complicated. I don’t opine about digital. I don’t know enough of the technical aspects of it.
And I agree there’s a lot of people doing photography who think they know more than they do. I see on Facebook the bad pictures they post. In a couple of groups who do film most limit themselves to 400 iso film. They use it for everything. Bright sunny days. While 400 is fine for a lot of situations. It’s limited in bright light. Very little reciprocity. Their pictures are all high depth of field, unless they shoot in low light. Then they push it. Even when they don’t need to. When they give advice it’s limited to the little knowledge they do have.they would say use this film or this setting, but not explain why. It’s just what they like to do. None seem to know much about flash photography. Only a few that I have seen.
I try to explain why to do something or use a specific lens or film, why the picture is exposed wrong, even composition. But only to those that ask for help with their photography.
It’s a journey from concentrating on the latest camera and lenses to be interested in art and the history of photography. To cover all aspects of photography and to reduce the equipment to a minimum, specialize in a small part of photography and work to goals as a book or exhibition. A part many forget are the importance to print large. I have at last decider to get a A2 printer and to learn to print.There are some disadvantages when you have been photographing for a long time and that is that you find it difficult to find motivation and to take time to try new things.
This is applicable to so many skills and arts…. Thanks for posting.
Another outstanding video!
I seem to suffer from the opposite problem. I don’t like much of anything I take, but others seem to like them. I actually have to have a few drinks before I will share any of my shots online. I have been trying to get out of this cycle, this being “ pigeon holed” into a specific style and/or subject.
I want to change this because I know that I know nothing.
Your talks are helping me take the next step. Thank you!
That's exactly how I feel, it's very frustrating.
I think an important part of showing an image when some feedback will be given, is to also provide the audience with some information on your intention with the image. What was you trying to achieve, what look was you going for etc. I see too many times people commenting that the white balance is off and too cool, for then the image owner to hit back saying that's how he wanted it to look that way. So it starts out on the wrong foot from the get go. As you say feedback is about trust, honesty and getting it from the right people. Or we get what I call the Xfactor moment, when a singing contestant is asked if they are any good and they reply that their family and friends thinks so..... then they start to sing... oh dear!
That is so true. The more I learn the more I realize how much I don’t know. I have lots of photos I go back to and say, “That’s so bad.”
Holy shit, I've been trying to fight this ego. The graph really gave me relief since it is just natural. Thanks a lot.
Are you my NEW favorite photographer mentor, or what?
THE VIDEOS ARE SO INSPIRING!
THANKS SO MUCH!
This is actually true. I look back at some of my “great” photos from years ago and then think “what the heck was I thinking” and then feel embarrassed.
Should watch Jamie Windsors video on this, he uses the exact same example of the bank robber too.
Thank you for those important words and the inspiration and motivation that follow them.
i usually hate all my work..but I enjoy taking photos, so I keep going.
My background as a painter and art major is a blessing and a curse when it comes to photography. I know a lot about color, light, perspective, and composition. But, sometimes I see images in my head that I struggle to realize with my camera. Unlike painting or drawing, I can't just cover over or erase a mistake. I can't (or more accurately, won't) manipulate the scene to match what I perceived. The more photos I take, the more the perfectionist in me makes me toss.
I learn as much from critiquing others' photos as I do from being critiqued, because I make mental notes of why an image didn't work for me and apply them to my own photos. And likewise, for images I like. The trick is to put one's own stamp on a concept and not just copy, so you're speaking your own language. That takes reps. Lots of reps.
I was typing something out along similar lines but then found your comment.
I took up painting (a long time ago) because I could never get the image in my mind to be transferred to film. Photography is hard and frustrating, so was learning to paint and draw. It really is painting with light. The more I take photos the subject reduces in importance and the light falling is what I look for. It is a great new journey!
Hi Alex so the question I have is, what does make a good photographer? Knowing how to use one’s camera is one thing but for me composition is the key to good photography and these days, thats is closely followed by editing skills. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts though.
I’ve read about this Dunning Kruger curve before, but often wondered if I have passed the ‘peak of mount stupid’, or still on my way there.
Thank you for all these videos you post. Im not a pro and I dont show my images anywhere or to anyone but your advice does help me grow as a photographer. I find that the one thing that motivates me the most is how little I know. It pushes me to keep learning. I suppose in the end it may seem like it doesnt matter if Im doing nothing with my pictures but for me its the journey not the destination that interests me. I have many images Ive take that Im happy with , not because I think they are great or even any good but because I see a step forward in my ability and thats encouraging to me. Again, thank you so much.
Am an utter beginner and have no sense of being a ‘good photographer’ at all! But I love what you’re saying. I have plans to go on some courses in my city where they take you around the CBD and our main park, showing you how to get what you want out of your camera. Covid is holding that back, but I’m looking forward to taking lots of crappy photos and learning more :)
Dude, I'm a physicist and photographer, since my first class my professors quote the Dunning Kruger effect, but the thing is, it never looked easy, even at the beginning
Heh ....nice pun with the developing yourself as a photographer comment. I find that some of my best shots were before I got my DSLR. A $100 point and shoot Olympus 10mp got me my best macro and super macro shots. Miss it but now am obsessed with my ability to use a 400mm prime.
One of the problems with modern photography is cultural expectations and social hang-ups. In the US, pro photography is dominated by this 'formal' kind of obsession. Things like highly conservative approaches to framing, sharpness, saturation, etc. I mean, visual conservatism is really a thing here.
I remember when I was a young art student seeing what some of the (I mean I already knew ground-breakers like Robert Frank really well, of course) then contemporary European photographers were doing and I was pretty blown away with how different it all was. It was like they really got the old Robert Capa thing, "If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough".
Yes, the more you know, the less you know.
And a wise photographer once said to me: "You will never be as good or as bad as you think you are".
Ain't that the truth?
If we are to admit the notion of the 'bad photographer' it seems that we have to have some concept of what the 'good photographer' actually is. Stirling Moss, in an interview, stated that he had, by his own estimation, driven three corners perfectly during his illustrious racing career. For myself, and far less illustriously, on the day i won a world championship i was consumed by the knowledge that the only reason for my success was that my competitors were somehow, on that day, 'more bad' than i was. The advantage over photography in all of this that Moss and i enjoyed was the time-clock - the final arbiter of all things high-performance. But what does photography, or any non-quantifiable endeavour, offer by way of a universal standard of excellence? I have yet to see and image that, with a judicious choice of terms, cannot be subject to a disparaging critique. Not a one in sixty years. What saves me and the experience of those images is that i take them as facts in the universe that either move me somehow, or do not. That is my ground for estimating value. And i always remember that all of that is about me - not the image - and cannot be otherwise. Moss may well have been objectively wrong about those three corners - it's possible that he never attained such perfection - but there's a peculiar satisfaction or sense of ease that comes with an enduring belief that, for a fleeting moment, one lived as a God. For myself, i am a crap photographer and always will be, regardless of what i know or do. That is simply the nature of the journey - to never be beyond criticism, whether by oneself or others - and i am not alone. Good and thought-provoking fireside chat, btw. Many thanks and all the best.
To know to get into photography you have to pick up a 35 mm camera , where it all started .. buy a couple rolls of good ilford Delta film .. 4 HP 5 .. it's so easy to get carried away with new cameras that are digital ... you got to know when you take pictures on a 35mm camra , Therse No taking it back, the images you take are imprinted forever
It was mentioned elsewhere, but I would love more critique than I can find. Forums and such almost never offer any decent commentary. FB groups are mostly timid (even those tied to great photographers who set up groups just for the purpose of "learning." Instagram is useless for feedback (I dropped it awhile back.) I am a hobbyist, and have a ton to learn. I love to experiment....but have no idea if it is working (other than I enjoy the process). If anyone has any good forums for real feedback, I bet many here would flock to them!
One of my pet hates is shitty photos that get undeserved praise: people who post photos online and viewers say how great it is when it's clearly not.
When I go to photographic exhibitions and the images on display look like quick, thoughtless, unskilled snaps, I throw my hands in the air. It truly irks me.
What makes a good photo? It's so subjective.
I really understood that I didn't matter as a photographer when I watched lost in translation. She sais there that every girl has a photography phase, just like a horse phase. And at first I hated that she said that, because in a way it was true. I didn't see the purpose of my "art" anymore, but over time I understood that I just like learning and knowing about photography. I like photography and that is eniugh
I've been in a rut for 35years,lol.Great info and channel.Cheers.
Nice video as usual. A bit like having an old mate chatting to you. I have only been taking photos for a couple of years and most are are a bit meh but occasionally a keeper is produced.
I'm live in Pittsburgh I remember that
Totally agree with this. I see this a lot with some photography channels on TH-cam. Their content isn’t great and they offer advice as if they are Fan Ho
I don't where I am in DK chart now. Probably deep down in the valley? I stop posting my photos for cetitics because I think the harshest critic to my work is myself. I would go out to take photos. Bunch of them. Leave them in the cards and come back to them weeks later. I'll see a bunch flaws in my photos that I wouldn't have seen during the shooting day. Seeing my own work with fresh eyes removes bias from my judgment to certain degree.
What constitutes a good photographer? It is a subjective judgement so anybody can be called a good photographer, depended on who judges. Being famous or widely known is often a reason to call them a "good photographer", but is not necessarily the correct credit.
I think there are way more anonymous good photographers than "famous" ones.
I agree. I have a bookshelf full of photo books recommended to me by people which allegedly contain the master works of claimed master photographers. A lot of these works would get laughed right out of most local photography groups. I mean, some of these photos make absolute beginner mistakes: clumsy compositions, uninspired lighting, unbalanced subjects, poor focus. If you showed it to people unfamiliar with the "artist" but were otherwise familiar with photography, they'd call it crap.
Howzit, Howzit! Love the intro welcome, also love the content!
My goal isn't to take subjectively gOoD photographs, rather my goal with photography is take images that mean something to me, whether on a personal level or more generally to illustrate life as I see it. Getting caught up in the minutia of composition, color balance, or even tack-sharp focus has never been of interest to me in 40+ years of shutter clicking.
Today's technology makes everything so easy, compared to how complex things were years ago, that it beguiles us into thinking that we are the origin and creator of images we have simply captured. We substitute technology for craft.
I love 💕 this video. Thank you 🙏🏻!
i go over my pic and i think they are all bad😂but i keep doing it because i like it, and all 5 years or so there are one picture i like... but for my excuse im a carpenter with a camera not a "fotographer"😅 i like how philosophical you look at photography :) you get an subscription ;)
Thank you
When i look at the pictures of my last gig i must say its a roller coaster, There is the good, there is the bad and there is the uggly. But i think for the circumstances i put my self in the results are okay. Real critique is not to be expected coz even though i know nothing, the audience knows even less...
Even acclaimed great photographers delete images! :-)
That's what the 'P' shoot mode is for... P = Professional!
I enjoy the unsureness, the absolute subjective battle between the photographer and every single viewer of the work. Nothing is certain or should be taken for granted especially when one man's garbage is another man's treasure. To me, a "bad photographer" is not someone who doesn't follow exposure, composition or subject "correctness", it's just someone who cannot operate the tool of the trade; or doesn't understand how it works. Can a bad photographer take a jaw-dropping and inspiring photo of the grand canyon? Sure. The same as a very seasoned and skilled photographer can shoot a pile of horse manure and be the only one who sees his/her vision and meaning in the photo. Advise from anyone about your photos can as much hinder as help, as not one other person ever born can and will see what and how you see things. Is an ink line and a few drops on canvas simply better than a photorealistic drawing from some unknown because it has a "Van Gogh" signature on it? I think to be a "good" photographer, it must be completely reliant on whether or not you are skilled enough to be able to capture the feeling/mood/scene that you had desired to. If you can ignore (or take with a grain of salt) input from others of what THEY would or wouldn't "do", combined with brutally honest self reflection of your own work (hard for most men), then your on the right road. Photo's should 100% be for yourself; and if you can get skilled enough to relay that vision/feeling/mood/emotion, without description or any other aids, and others can embrace your intentions purely by seeing it, you are a skilled magician indeed. That connection between 2 individuals sparked/created purely by an image should be the only testament to your skill.
Just some thoughts on the subject. Keep up the great videos. I've discussed Dunning-Kruger individuals with the wife for many years, lol. Opinions are like assholes, right? Everyone has one and they all stink. :)
Cheers
Great video. Can’t agree more! Meow!
Because the Dunning-Kruger effect addresses a cognitive bias whereby the person believes themselves to be more skilled than they are, then by definition, that individual would be less likely to seek out an appraisal because they've arrived--or would spend half the time disagreeing, TRUST ME. Ironically, that same individual typically lacks the traits that one would expect of a person who is PASSIONATE about their work (e.g. studying iconic photographers. In fact, they don't understand why the photo is iconic or what makes a photo a classic or studied the elements of design and consciously employed them in their photography. I'm always afraid of releasing a photo because I know that a year and beyond, I'd rethink it--the CURSE of perfectionism--of course on the other side of that is the notion that a mediocre image is perfect.
You’re an awesome photographer!
“Those who can’t do, teach. And those who can’t teach, teach gym.”
-Woody Allen
I honestly think the biggest reason photographers fall victim to this is actually quite another effect (though not being able to know how much you don't know is certainly a close second especially among the over-eager. Dilettantes are another matter). It could be labelled intimacy or the avatar effect, but it has to do with mingling our emotions with our efforts and investment and projecting that visually. The same thing happens with people we love or hate. We actually see them as better or worse looking than they are because we project the time we put into our relationships and the way we feel about that/them onto their visage (being the visual creatures we are).
Often this effect is what keeps people going in the arts or design and development for that matter. It serves an ultimately useful purpose even self-destructive as it may be, because it keeps us interested and passionate.
I always knew I was crap and that was always a hurdle for me (despite receiving a lot of praise) that kept me from taking it beyond a random occasional hobby (that and the cost of fast long lenses). Trust me, seeing things as they are can bring its own set of problems!
Awesome Awesome video...
Man, you made excellent points in this video but I felt as though several good points were made and then remade and then gone over again. It felt like a dead horse was beaten. Maybe it was effective for many people but it reminded me of time spent sitting in classroom lectures
I've been trying to answer that question for years. And I have arrived to a conclusion, my own conclusion of course. Only valid for me. What's being a bad or a good photographer?
When I married, the photographer (a friend of mine) took a very interesting picture. I was looking to my wife and she was looking to outside the frame. And the head of my wife was cropped. My mother in law didn't like that picture; she said: "why my head's daughter is cropped?" She thought that the photographer was really bad. But we, my wife and me, think the photographer is really good. Who was right? Both. But my mother in law had some expectations and we had another expectations.
The good photographer is who achieves the wanted goals. For himself, for others, it doesn't mind. Some of my pictures achieve my expectations and I only take pictures for myself; so, perhaps I'm not a bad photographer when that goals are satisfied. And I am a bad photographer when they aren't.
The people that take very weird pictures or none the less the most formal ones are good photographers if they achieve that goals. Who cares? Only the clients, only the followers or only themselves.
Set your aims, your rules and expectations and if you achieve those, you are a good photographer.
Thanks for reading this boring comment.
Great comment. Thanks for writing it
Thank you for this comment 👏
Wow, what a comment. Thank you so much for writing. @thephotographiceye should read it as well. Helped me a lot in my actual process!
I'm a Master at writing boring comments - at least they are surely, in my estimation, boring for others. For me, they permit me to think through and express a thought on a 'page' - worthwhile for me and, i expect, nothing more. However, i appreciated your comment, not least because it suggested to me that my reason(s) for writing comments might just be the same as my reasons for taking photos that nobody will likely ever see. Therefore, my woolly conclusion in all of this is that you and i should, boring or not, just carry on scraping out this modicum of satisfaction regardless. All the best from New Zealand.
Not Boring! As a beginning photographer this helps a lot
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
They do. Though I doubt this will ever get 2m views ;)
Lol I KNEW I heard that story about the bank robbery somewhere already :-D
Jamie also made a video of this same title.
I was looking for this comment. I love Jamie's video and have watched it probably a dozen times
I found that I realised my photos were shit when I painted one, and just hated it. The composition, the colour, just a snapshot of a cool subject. And I honestly had my confidence crushed to a point where I just stopped shooting all together a few weeks later. Then half a year later I started watching videos, getting passionate and then picked up my camera and took what was at the time the best photos I had ever made, they were bad sure, but they were better. And I just kept shooting and improving and a few years later and bam I'm taking photos I like, and can look at without regret.
Your post got me excited to see some of your content. Post a little collage!!
What a wonderful way of gaining perspective! There seems to be a lot of knowledge (and perseverance) through other forms of art that apply universally. An interesting contemplation.
Btw: I love the photo on your pfp. Did you take it? The colors are spectacular. The landscape is so charged with emotion for being as constant as a mountain, land and sky. You’ve done an intuitive exposure. Isn’t nature astonishing?
About 50 years ago, after first year Engineering, I travelled from Toronto to Montreal for a work term. With a half-frame Olympus Pen D camera, I took a lot of photos. When a friend visited, I proudly showed my slides. He kindly introduced me to topics like placement of the horizon, not putting someone exactly in the centre, and leading lines. I was astounded at my ignorance. It’s been a long journey. Lots of snapshots. Finally, when in my 60’s, I got a work assignment for a year and a half in South Africa, and at least had enough experience and theory to do some justice to that fine country. Still not where I want to be as a photographer, but still moving forward.
I got my first camera 62 years ago. My parents said I was talking pictures of the middle of the street. I was playing with perspective, the converging lines of the road leading to the mountain in the back ground. That said, after 62 years of shooting, I learn something or gain a deeper understanding everyday.
Dear Alex, having watched hundreds & hundreds of YT videos, I find your own not only enjoyable and constructive, but it feels like sitting down with a good friend who you appreciate deeply and taking his advise and wisdom... well done and thank you!!!
Wow, thank you!
I’ve a TH-cam subscriptions list of photography channels as long as your arm. But none give me as much inspiration, knowledge, pleasure and perhaps most importantly of all, confidence as yours Alex. Absolutely tremendous work!
999 percent of today's photography is technology based instead of art, elevated by online platforms that rise every new participant to stardome for subscribing more than skill.
This video has put in words what I have been feeling about my own photography. I started photography last year, and after a bit of practice I got to a point where photography seemed easy. While I still like certain photos taken last year. I have unlocked a new sense of difficulty with photography. I see now, that there is a never ending amount to learn and improve upon. Although I am at a difficult stage in my development, I’m glad that I can see my shortcomings as it allows me to further develop my skills.
Nice video, important subject.
...But are those photos you shared the bad ones you were referring to?? If they are, then I feel really bad about myself. 😬
Alex, you are just like a coach, while we are the players on the field, offering psychological advice in fine-tunning our pre-concepts and most importantly, preserve our positive thinking and passion. Technical aspects of photographical skill are comparatively easy to be applied. Please keep up your constructive work.
Over the years (70 odd) I have taken thousands of photos and in that time I have taken several good ones!
I sometimes think some of the earlier ones are better than the current ones. I wonder where that puts me on the learning curve.
Nice to know I am not the only one!
another video that I’ll share the link to on my social media. need more of these kind of content rather than “time killing” videos. Great insight as usual. Thank you so much for sharing.
Nowadays nobody gives real constructive criticism because everybody gets upset so fast and everybody is afraid to upset people, it is a shame. One of the best things that happened in my life was landing in a bad ass forum that had from people that just bought their first camera all the way to photographers that were getting published and make their living with photography. That forum was known in my country for "being full of assholes", nothing further from the truth, they were fantastic people, I learned A LOT there, made friends, and most important I developed tough skin. The mods were very strict banning trolls all the time, but they encourage real, tough, constructive criticism.
Try to do that today in any photography site ... People will jump at you with a knife just to tell you you have no right to say that ... Because nowadays everybody is a winner! Everybody gets a trophy! Unfortunately we live in the times where more photos are taken every second than ever, but the level of mediocrity is off the roof.
I'm not saying I'm the best photographer in the world, holly shit I'm soooooooo far from that! But I've learn, and keep learning every day I grab my camera and I hope it stays like that forever, otherwise I'd move onto something else.
A classic example of this is this obsession with ‘bokeh’. The internet is full of discussions - and flame wars - about it, from the one-eyelash-in-focus photograph (mostly to show odd someone’s new f/1.2 lens) to the ‘creamy’ quality of one versus the ‘nervous’ quality of another. It’s somehow become the acme or artistic photography.
I don’t care about ‘bokeh’. I get really annoyed when people talk about it in my photographs. I hate the subculture of bokeh because for me it’s subconscious and I don’t really even think about it. But people lecture me about how ‘BeCaUsE lIkE yOu NeEd BoKeH tO sEpArATe ThE sUbJeCt FrOm ThE bAcKgRoUnD, dUdE’ and then comment on how nice the bokeh is in my picture or how I could have used more of it. They shouldn’t be looking at it. They should be looking at the subject! Internet experts are the worst thing that has ever happened to photography. They overestimate their worth.
I have no problem with constructive criticism but I do have a problem with slavish adherence to a style that I don’t want and which wasn’t a thing on the days of Arnold Newman or Bill Brandt when deep focus ruled. For me it’s either there or it isn’t but it’s never there for it’s own sake or because someone else thinks it should be.
I think I encountered someone at the peak of Mount stupid the other day, he told me my photos were rubbish, and photography was easy as he taught himself in less than 3 days 🤣
Out of the 10's of thousands of photos I've taken, the majority are only 'snaps'. There's only one or two photos that I really like and am proud of....I brag about it🤣
With regards to constructive criticism, the problem is, everybody is a critic, but nobody likes to be criticized.
I think that I honestly have the opposite issue with my work.
I underestimate myself too much. I use an s21 ultra for photography because I can't afford my dream cam (fuji xt4) yet but I've still managed to become the highest viewed and interacted with photographer on my cities biggest Facebook page with over 30k people following it.
I still don't think I'm great, that's all cool but I look at other photographers work and just get astounded with what they have done.
It keeps me humble if not feeling a bit thrashed which is crap but I don't know how to change feeling like that.
I've had local store owners contact me saying how my work makes them feel so emotional because they see the passion behind it and I still can't bring myself to say I'm as good as any other photographer.
All I know is I always keep my old work and look back at where I was every couple of weeks, I know I'm better now than I ever was in the past but I still don't feel content, I'm just gonna have to keep pushing till I can say I'm on par with the people I look up to
Thanks Alex .... you have become a welcome visitor - no, part of the family. My wife & I look forward to having you over for a glass of excellent South African wine and a 'chat' in the evenings ...
i met a few photographers recently and thy were all the greatest photographers they ever met, they were young and competative "i dont shoot for less that £5000" which I knew to be a total lie, but he still said it - insecurity about your art is sad, bloke was a pretty good photographer too, like a solid hobbyist.
Glad I'm not the only one who gets a little tongue tied on words! hahahah. Thanks Alex - I really do enjoy thinking about these underneath things of photography. I know some of your clips have been shared in a facebook group I'm part of with another you tuber and photographer who does workshops and teaching etc. The community of photographers there values the learning journey and seeks to engage helpfully how we might think about our image making and creating with not only technical stuff, but also the content, the emotions, the use of light etc. Many of us have grown because of that openness and learning not only from Mike who set it up, but also each other.
Have never considered myself great at photography. To the point I say I do some photography but never refer to myself as a photographer cause I have never felt I was good enough. Plenty of times I have shown my improvements when mentioning about upgrading equipment for various reasons that help align me towards the style I want better, I am always met with problems of being told I need to get better before I should even consider buying a new camera. Just get better with the one I have.
Also comparing myself to others around me in the same space. Always showing my work to people and meet, they usually say it's alright and then I show them them the actual professionals and how my work is terrible. The pros have much sharper images, with better color grading and better composition. But when I show them when I first started lol its usually really funny for me. I have grown a ton but I wanna go way further.
Recently bought a new camer body and I am currently working a but of OT to save up for a lens to match it and my work style.
But the video was helpful to never get complacent and keep pushing to get better. I shall keep trying! Thank you!
Alex, I've been a working photographer for 37 years and your comments could not be any more on point. I have been photographing the headwaters of the Mississippi River for 30 years this spring. The challenge is how can I keep making new and exciting images every time? I have tried to address this issue in the following piece I wrote a few years back.
Some years back, I was having lunch with a photographer acquaintance. During the meal, he said: “We have lived here for many years, and I do not know what to photograph anymore, because I have shot it all.” This statement floored me because, at the time, I had been photographing the Headwaters of the Mississippi River for over twenty years and had grown custom to shooting the same subject over and over and making it seem new and exciting each time.
Any location never stays the same for long. Vegetation grows, landscapes erode and change, parts fade, and man changes things. I believe that a photograph is a representation of how the subject looked at the moment in time that the shutter was released.
So how do you keep making images interesting of the same subject time after time? We tend to get familiar with a location the more we see it. I like to look for changes that time has caused. I also spend time figuring out angles and techniques to use long before arriving on the scene. Different seasons and weather conditions can significantly change the view. And as we grow older and experience more, our visual interest changes how we look at things.
As human beings, our creative juices are like the ocean tides, in that they are in constant ebb and flow. Sometimes the creative juices are high, and other times can be extremely low. When these lows happen, we need to find ways to work through them. One way I do so is to look at a lot of photography and try to figure out how the photographer made them; this quite often will get me recharged.
A great way to break the lack of creativity is through self-assignment, pick a subject, and see how many different angles you can find on it. To do this you do not even have to have your camera in hand, just look at it and walk around, sit down, look down or climb a ladder to explore the subject.
I know this works well for me, and I would think it would for anyone stuck in a rut.
We can and should try to learn something new each and every day. I'm often asked "What is your favorite photograph you have made? My reply is My next image because I am still learning photography."
I went to a talk by a councillor who talked about barriers to communication. He said that by giving advice when it was not wanted was the biggest barrier.He recommended that you ask “can I suggest something that can help you with that ?In this case photography. Then when the person agrees you offer your advice. I hate being given unsolicited advice myself and apparently the councillor stated that most people did no like it.
I am in favour of finding a person who you value as a photographer and asking them to mentor you with your own photography. Also l am constantly interested in learning about photography and applying it to my own practice in creating photographs.
Go to your local camera club,
and see what sort of cars are
parked outside
That should tell you
a lot.😊
Anyone including me, seriously watching this video , may as well set aside their cameras and meditate at some mountain place to return until a new camera is launched.
You're a great photographer if the so-called anointed ones say you are, if not, you're not.
It all comes down to trial and error. Even the best settings cant do do all scenarios so its best to just do trial and error until you get the right look. Sure there are “photography rules” you can go by to get close but then again what kind of photo are you going for? Everybody is different and everybody should have their own style. If ppl come to you asking to do their photos for a school dance, family photos, pets, sports, weddings or just random shoots then you know you are doing something right. If ppl want to pay you for your photography then just keep that going. Dont change your style just bc some other photographer says to. Dont lose your identity. I have my own stuyle and its made some waves. Ppl love my photos. Ive sent photos across the country. I took photos in Daytona and actually had a family that lives there buy 3 of my photos to hang up in their home. They could get photos of Daytona IN Daytona anytime they wanted but chose to purchase mine all the way from Illinois. Ive been on the news 12 times and have 3 groups that are using my photos as their background photo. Just be you. 👍📸
If anybody is interested in learning more about the DK effect, can I suggest that you read the work of Daniel Kahneman- as well as his work with Tversky? It deals with the heuristic thinking that we employ in daily life and how it can lead us astray and is much more accessible the Dunning and Kruger's own work- as well as including a lot more about thinking than just one mental pitfall.
I have read some, fascinating stuff.
I can see why some pros are not much into street photography. There is too much garbage there, too many charlatans who think they are too good for their own taste. Just random junk being photographed: people looking at mobile phones, pigeons, people's back...
lol yup.. too much of that on IG, no sense of timing/decisive moment
Hanging out with oil painters is educational, humbling and fun
I shoot events & portraits for 18 yrs, and my clients are very happy with my product (at least they tell me). I think I’m ok at best, but I enjoy doing it part time. I always am reading & studying techniques & craft from the greats. When shooting on my own time for enjoyment, I know that I suck. But I take pleasure in sucking a little bit less (hopefully) over time. Great video!
I've only been shooting for about 4 years doing mostly events and portraits. I've always said that I don't do much. The cameras do a lot of the work. Very few times have I felt that "No this was an amazing shot and I'm good".
I really liked that KROONSTAD road sign image.
A woman I knew from the past as one of my high school mathematics teacher for a year said this about the photos I share on my Facebook page;
"I did not catch who said this, but it is said “photography is what cannot be said in words.” You have captured so much that cannot be said. You have brought me into another place and time!! Thank you!! "
I am not at all a professional photographer and have very limited knowledge about what makes a good photographer but I enjoy taking pictures of interesting images I see on my long walks around Barcelona or wherever I am at.
Learning is all about playing and playing is all about not taking yourself too seriously. Having a background in video, not all of my idols are photographers. As a creative genius, there is none greater than Jim Henson (in my opinion) and he made sillyness and playing into an art. He is an extreme example, but one common trait with the great ones is that they can laugh at themselves. That attitude helps with critisism.
you said nothing about what makes photography good or how to improve at it. It didn't take 20 minutes to make the single point of overconfidence that you did.
I honestly think that nobody is a bad photographer. Photography is up to the person who is taking the image not to someone else. I think if you like the pictures your producing you are a solid photographer. Just my opinion though
No empirical argument against it
I am, admittedly, a beginner photographer. However, I have an artistic career that was built on giving and receiving critical feedback. I LOVE honest, even brutal, feedback because I know it leads to growth.
So far in my photography journey, I've really struggled to get any critique on my images from a few groups that I joined on FB. I see photos posted that run the gamut from hot garbage to beautiful art asking for feedback and get 100+ comments, but I ask for the same critique and get a couple likes and nothing else.
The question I ask myself is: Am I so mediocre that my work doesn't really capture anybody's interest enough to even tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Hi Alex, In my 20’s I was good and then I got worse because I followed the wrong path with photography. This humbled me I think and then I got better then I ever was. But these days I know I will always be striving to be better. I was featured on the cover on black and white photography this month as well as a 9 page article. Something I never would have achieved if I didn’t get onto the right path. I’m 49 now and it’s taken me this long to start to reach a respectable level. Like you say! World of Tanks!! If I’d know it would have taken this long, would I have carried on?
Your lean a 100 times more by shooting in Manual mode!! Fact!!
Love this guys videos....
Some of us have the opposite problem in that we doubt our skills right from the start. Our greatest challenge is to build enough photographic confidence in our images to adequately assess their quality. I look at images from 40 years ago when I started using a lot of 35mm film on my two kids and those images are actually a lot better than I would have judged them at the time. I was and still am, my own worst critic.
Even today I'm not comfortable with exhibiting my photos and there's always that moment of doubt before I hit 'Publish' on a TH-cam video.
I've been watching TH-cam photographers almost obsessively for the last 18 months. I've learnt a lot, but realise now I've just scratched the surface. I haven't yet taken even a half decent photo. It's a challenge but I'm enjoying it. What I've learned is that the advice given by most photographers on TH-cam will only be based on that photographers bias or in camera gear terms due to their affinity to a particular brand or sponsor. As yet I don't need critiquing, I know my images are rubbish, but might come back to you later. I love your videos, they are always helpful and thought provoking. Thank you.
If you haven’t joined already check out the new Photographic Eye Facebook group
facebook.com/groups/thephotographiceyeyt
Great and extremely interesting vid, Thank You!
I am somewhere on that Spectrum, though where, exactly, it maters not to me. The awareness that i am on it is enough to compel me forward, in my own way.
Nicely done, your vid.