Honest to God Brian I think you are the best film photographer on TH-cam. You take pictures for you, and that makes them more genuine. You're more concerned about the journey than the gear or the social media likes. Thanks for being so authentic!
I let social media likes and numbers influence me for far too long. It was only until I didn't care that I was free to do what I wanted. Still a challenge but gets easier over time. Thank you for the kind words!
@@BryanBirks very inspiring! So many folks fall into the trap of loving film because it disconnects you from the fast-paced advancing technology of today, but then worrying like crazy about whether reddit or instagram loves their photo. It's ironic, but it's an easy trap to fall into
As pretentious as it sounds, I’ve recently spent a lot of time thinking about which photographs actually stick with me. I would practice street photography, but I came to realise that photographs I take of my friends and the actual life that surrounds me are the ones I end up looking back on. This realisation made me look for those moments more often, and when I do street photography now (or any photography for that matter) I aim to capture more of such emotion, rather than shooting someone because they dress weird or look interesting. And even though I shoot almost every day, I try to space out my rolls, and only develop one 2-3 weeks after I finish it. It disconnects me from shooting something for Instagram, and I genuinely started shooting what really catches my eye in the moment. It’s made me love photography so much more, and it’s definitely improved the work I do.
I started selling all my cameras, focusing on just one of them and that's it. A long time ago I took a trip and had so much camera using at the same time (films in 4 or 5 cameras) that I just couldn't focus on what I was going to do. As you said, people end it up being moved by this type of content (gears) and do not realize how harmful it is to the analog photography movement in general. The last trip was just one gear and it was liberating. Thank you.
This was so beautiful man, don't think I've ever watched a video where someone is saying profound things on YT that I actually found profound before, but this whole visual experience rocked my socks. Shows so much depth and strength that you were able to reflect on the characters you photograph and the interest possibly stemming from the loss of your father. Also the portrait interaction weaved throughout shows massive growth in your interactions with photographic subjects. So so so rad. I've just been trying to make as many photographs as I can on the improvement front, I've found that if I can keep the energy going things tend to fall in place more often. If I spend extended time not making work I kind of have to get back in the swing of it which feels like a setback, whereas if I can make an image at least every second day or so the energy keeps flowing and stuff tends to line up haha! Thanks so much for making this man, again, so stunning.
Basically the way I am learning is: I started talking to all different kind of artists. I wanted to take portraits of them. With every artist i meet, they give me the information of others. So with every projects, i get more projects. So basically i learn on the go, youtube and of course my great photography professor at Uni, who sees whats wrong with your negative or print in matter of seconds. But tbh almost all of the technical and motivational aspects i learned form either you, Brae Hunziker or T. Hopper. I cant stress enough how much i apreciate the love, work and passion you guys put into this. Keep on doing what you! :)
avoiding instagram has helped me take better photos, you helped me with realizing instagram is not the healthiest form of inspiration for photography. finding inspiration from books has helped me elevate as a photographer. Not just looking through the books but taking notes on each picture that speaks to me. but most importantly having confidence in my vision. If im with a friend and I see an interesting subject or scene I wont ask for his or her opinion i will just take the shot.
Lately I've been picking out random little towns around the city I live in and driving out to them to explore. Usually the drive isn't more than an hour or two and I make sure to avoid highways. I have found that being on the road and getting "lost" really helps me open up to my surroundings and I usually end up discovering things that I never would have seen if I had stayed at home. I've been watching your videos for awhile and really appreciate the time and effort you put into making them; the messaging is encouraging and has helped me find satisfaction in the process rather than just the output. Thank you
Stopped sending everything off for people to develop and scan my work and started doing it from home and started connecting with people in my community. For a LONG time, I would be taking pictures of buildings and that sort if thing because I didn’t really know what or who to take pictures of. Used to not appreciate where I was and the different people around me and so lately, I’ve just been using my job (work at a newspaper) to meet loads of interesting people and shooting them on film which they’ve allowed me to run in the paper here. Just got a 4x5 and super excited to meet this guy who is 75 years old and still umpires for high school games. Gonna get some good shots and have them run in the paper for people here to see.
I've recently started to believe in (my) photography again - I've totally rejected it, as if I had said everything I could in a few years. And then I've silenced my creative side these 5 last years. Now I'm starting to see things again, to resume what I started to experiment. I shoot again, yet differently. I don't know if it's the results of the third lockdown in France but 2021, for the first time in almost ten years of photography - including 9,5 with film - calls for a new chapter. I really find your honesty inspiring and that, on your last portrait, how your "model" seems happy to be here.
One of the best film photography channels on TH-cam for sure, really like the focus on the human connection combined with advice on how to take good photos, rather than the gear.
I found myself taking a step back from photography a bit when I started asking myself why I was doing it, or for what goal in the future. I took pandemic time to connect with some people again, focus on other hobbies and read. In the end I still had this overwhelming desire to shoot photos. Taking a step away though and focusing my attention elsewhere proved my original intent. It was for me, Is for me. I’m making photos that stay true to what I want and not the taillights. Reading was a big push. Novels. Exploring worlds that weren’t mine really sparked the creative ideas to make something.
Things I’ve been doing to improve my photography: picking up a photo book each day to study it while I eat breakfast, watching your videos and other videos on photography, shoot whenever I can find time.
I’m currently trying to take more photos of the random people I get paired with when I go play golf. Each person I meet is unique and I am trying to get better at taking the portraits.
I've been allowing myself to be more vulnerable and to fail more. Within my photographic practice, I am an angry perfectionist and I feel like it is very limiting for me in a lot of ways because unless I feel like I will get the shot that I want I sometimes don't even try. So recently, I've been a little bit more lenient with the idea of "getting the shot," and instead I've tried to put myself in positions I am not fully comfortable in, in an attempt to spark something new. Love your videos and your work this latest portrait with the '78 is phenomenal.
For inspiration I really like to get out of my comfort zone. Most of the time I am shooting man-made stuff like houses, cars etc on color film. Now I am doing kind of a tree study, where I concentrate on the organic shapes and textures of trees. And I am shooting it in black and white.
I've really been trying to experiment and make the most out of the situation I am in, whether I am forced to shot in bad conditions, or gear that is malfunctioning, just pushing through and trying to work things out as I shoot.
I went back to school, doing a bachelor in fine arts focusing on photography (continued education). But I think, like you said, there’s no replacement for trial and error. Being in school is forcing me to practice and be active. It’s also allowing me to be surrounded by like minded people (virtually for now)
@John ok I’m the type of person who does better on a deadline, so having someone else forcing me to create and practice is my driver. True, you can be great without formal education, but it gives me what I need.
I took a portrait of a stranger last week, for a project i'm working on. I was really shy at first but i forced myself to do it. It's such an amazing feeling when you force yourself to do something outside of your comfort zone. I always look forward to seeing your work, as it always motivates me. 💪🏾
Hey, I’m 50 years old and been photographing for 30 years.Your photography and the content here is brilliant. You definitely have something to say, you definitely make outstanding portraits and your observations definitely make me smile. You have masses of talent. I hope I said enough? In the words of McCarthy… keep the fire.
For the first time I started organizing my film. I purchased binders, negative holders, labels etc. I feel this was an overlooked process in my approach to film photography and should help me to be more efficient and therefore more productive.
In the Age of Covid-19, when many jobs have dried up, personal projects that mean something take on added impotence. I started a long-term project using a 4x5 - and am making tons of errors. But I’m learning and making course corrections in process in the field and thinking through the outcome. Oh, and not worrying about gear.
I’ve been working with family. I recently became interested in portraits as a form of story telling so capturing the “everyday” of a few of my family members or family friends has been wonderful “experience” lol
What helped me the most is shooting more. Instead of buying more gear I ordered more film, developer, photo books and I sent my camera off to have it CLA'd. I used to go to a public darkroom to print my photos, but sadly it's closed now so I ordered the Intrepid enlarger. I strongly believe that taking pictures that you'd like to have hanging on your wall improves your photography. Lastly I really enjoy this project you have going on to document people with their cars. It's great to see your progress and I'm looking forward to what you'll create when you leave your comfort zone a little bit and branch out into other areas of portraiture.
I still get anxious. I drove by Bob’s house twice before I could get out and ask. You just gotta do it. There’s no other way around it. If you fail, you fail. It’s going to happen but you’re going to be better off the next time around and won’t fear the rejection as hard.
I usually listen to a couple of artist (Bon Iver, Gem Club) more mellow stuff, and then I’ll find a poem or quote that I like and then I draw or sketch something and then go out and shoot.
Before shooting, I put on headphones, close my eyes and listen to music from my playlist, it inspires me and tunes me to the vibe, images and stories appear in my head.
100% agree with the gear. It took a lot of buying and selling cameras to find that honestly through all the buying and selling, I stuck with the same few cameras: a cheap seagull TLR (you don't need a Rolleiflex at all), a cheap Soviet 35mm rangefinder, a Ricoh, and a canon DSLR (and even then I only use the DSLR rarely). Especially true with film photography, your gear doesn't really matter. The film is your sensor, so as long as you have a half decent lens, your pictures will be virtually the same regardless of the camera.
I've been exploring photo collages. Doing them I realize it makes me think differently about the elements with photographs... And be a bit more purposeful about elements. Find myself paying way more attention to more details in every frame now. Have been working on a huge collage for a couple weeks.
This is such a great video and great reminder that gear is not everything. I’ve recently been trying to connect more with the reason I started photography and that is connecting with people. I normally do street photography but recently I’ve been stopping and asking for street portraits. So through the act of connecting more deeply with my subject I notice I’ve been getting better and feeling more satisfied about my work.
I have just been getting out with a camera taking as many photos as I can, taking a variety of shots to work out what I like and want to take more photos of.
It really is hard not to get hooked on gears, some people enjoy collecting and/or using their cameras for snap shots. Then there are people who choose their gear for the purpose of the stuff their going to do. I have been shooting with one camera and one lens for 2 years before adding a fixed lens film rangefinder for a different purpose. Both use a 40mm lens as my eyes are so accustomed to that focal length. My advice, choose one camera and one lens then shoot it for a year, know its strengths and limitations.
I love how chill your videos are. With museums closed I started to invest a lot in books to find inspiration and I really feel like it makes my pictures much better. My bank account is screaming ofc coz I started shooting slide film - really enjoyable and a great challenge but sooooo expensive
Dude, I'll run out of videos of yours to watch. I feel like they put me in a place of inspiration without the anxiety I usually have about creating images.
After entering medium format with my Mamiya645 I've been shooting the toll road near where I live as a way of practicing composition with it's line and movement.
Hey Bryan, thanks for all these insides of your creative process - I really appreciate how much you share, not only the good shots but also small failures, mistakes, accidents... what you often show is much closer to reality than what most of other youtubers share. Your work taking portraits of old cars' owners sort of pushed me a bit to try something similar, documenting suburban neighbourhoods outside Berlin and trying at the same time to make portraits of people living there. Too soon to see where this project is going, but I have a good feeling. So, I guess your late videos inspired me quite a lot. Thanks again!
These images are ridiculously awesome dude! I love the one of the guy sitting on the purple tailgate!! I'm glad you decided to take on large format photography because I don't think that something that I have the balls to tackle on my channel haha
I've been really busy with work so unfortunately I haven't been able to take photos much which has me really disappointed. I carry my camera with me on the way to and from work and snap photos while cycling. Sometimes I'm happy with shots but not always. Instead I've started talking to strangers more and not avoiding situations even if conflict is a potential outcome of someone coming up to me. I feel a lot more comfortable speaking to people and strangers and even taking photos of people in "street photography" style. I do miss doing landscape photography but I've been having fun in the meantime and hopefully can take some more soon. Summer is coming up so want to do more nightscapes.
Such an open and heartfelt video. Love your pictures and compositions. There are people looking back at me. That is not easy to catch. Very inspirational. I just started to do film photography again. Found a bellow medium camera on a yard sale a few years ago. When I was in Antwerp a few weeks back and I wanted to shoot but had no gear with me I remembered that bellow camera lying in a drawer somewhere. And I just started. It is like learning to lace your shoe laces all over again. It is quite humbling. But I also found my old Olympus mju and that little guy is always in my bag nowadays. I am shooting street portraits with it, asking people to take their picture. Scary as hell, but to my surprise I rarely get a no. Especially if they see my tiny camera. Really curious how the pictures will turn out. Thank you again for this video. Looking forward to seeing more of you. And you are right, I should spend more time shooting and ( in my case) painting then looking around on social media. Thanks for the reminder. You need that sometimes.
G'day Byran! So it's taken me a while to figure out the reason why I'm not improving or enjoying my images any more: I've stopped learning. My own portraits just feel so MEH to me in recent months which helped me to make the decision to sacrifice an extra day off of work each week and sign up for an internship at a photo studio to learn how to light and compose for editorial, fashion and portraits. I already work in lighting for film & TV so the rules and concepts are the same but I want to learn how to apply them better to a still image rather than moving images. I missed out on BOYS when it came out but I'm keen to take a closer look at how Rosie composes for portraits and see if I can learn something from her the same way I learn from your work. Already geed for the next portrait and accompanying video, cheers!
I've noticed that the most helpful thing to do is to sit down and write. I own a journal in which I write pretty much every day. It can be anything, something I saw, a story I just heard, a feeling. Then I look back at my entries and some ideas and photographic intentions emerge. Hope it helps. And I just wanna say thanks for your honesty man, it is much needed
Man do I love your documentaries. This is what photography, for me, is about. I am improving my photography by taking myself out from Instagram. Yes, it's a good way to share and get clients. Instagram is also a good way to see what my peers are doing. That said, I compare myself and I find myself not in focus. Without instagram, I am documenting myself more on my ongoing projects and I am loving it so much.
Honestly, I've been trying to consume a lot of content and trying and trying and trying. A week ago I receive my photos from the lab and I was just in tears because I really liked some of MY photos. I shot something that looks good! I'm still working on builiding the courage to photograph strangers on the street however I'm really getting more comfortable picking my camera in the middle of the street to photograph something.
Recently I've been struggling a lot mentally and one of the best ways if found to cope, was to just go out and create images. Being able to escape from the stress and just let my mind just create has been really good and I've been very happy with some of the things I've made!
I've set my self the task of creating a photo book of photos I've taken throughout the various lockdowns. By create I mean not just organise the photos into a certain order and send it off to be printed, but I'm also making pieces of paper by blending up old sheets I've been holding on to, and will be binding the book myself. I'm doing this because I think that, even though film photography is analogue, it's more important than ever to have a physical connection to the work you create, and I fear that otherwise my photos will just be lost to time in the digital world, stored away online without anyone stumbling across them. The process also gives me something to do with my spare time, and learn the skills of papermaking and bookbinding. I won't even be producing any for others, partly because it takes about 25 hours to make each book but mainly because it's such an intimate project that I'd feel uncomfortable with others flicking through that I don't know personally. Hopefully it will be something to look back on in the future and cherish, and make me think more intentionally about the purpose behind my photos when taking them in the future. Lovely video Bryan, I'm glad that I found your channel, and I wish you all the best in your photography.
One of the best YT channels out there. I'm not gonna say anything new, but seeing your work and how are you tackling anxiety makes me wanna do the same. Recently I've been able to shoot more portraits of friends which is extremely stressful yet so satisfying. It's interesting that I'm able to use that moment to create a deeper connection with someone. I'm trying to focus more on that while taking portraits - to cherish that moment of unexpected closeness and awkwardness. There's a long way ahead of me leading both inwards and outwards - I don't know which one is harder and more exciting. Thanks for the great work - your channel is super inspiring and your photos are really something.
You nailed it. The majority of videos are on TH-cam are gear related to gear because that is something easy to talk about and easy for as viewers to purchase new gear thinking that is going to make us better photographers. I stumbled across your video but I love your honesty and how you get to the core of what is important. These are some beautiful images. For me, I am trying to shoot more with a focus on images that I find interesting. It might be the subject or the light or the pattern. It has to be something piques my interest and that I am emotionally connected to. Looking forward to your book of these images.
For me it is just carrying my camera with me whenever I can and mostly shooting street photography from my city. I so often feel the urge to photograph people I see when walking through the city, but haven't had the courage to do so in whatever way.
Hey Bryan, nice words that you shared wirh us. Since I realized that gear is not relevant a few years ago, I've been feeling much better. I sold all the cameras I had accumulated and focused on the essentials, content of my work. I've had that book on my wishlist for a while and I would be very happy about it. Greetings from Germany -J
I’ve been getting so much inspiration from your videos. They helped me not long ago to get back out and shoot when I was dealing with depression. Photo books also help me a lot. The words and techniques stay with me from those books when I am out and trying to create.
I recently got a Yashica Mat 6x6 by one of my dads old friends. Before trying it out I just thought that square format was the peak of boring formats. but when I shot with it I felt some kind of nostalgia, and I have no damn clue how that camera gave me such a feeling. The camera draws me into shooting things that remind me of my childhood, only in black and white. And it has probably been the most refreshing and fun way of making photographs in a long time. Thank you for the inspiration Bryan.
I've just found all your videos and I really enjoy them. Reminds me of when I used to go out and meet strangers and try to get their story and their portrait. I gave up on photography years ago because of back problems, but seeing the human element of your videos and what photography can do to connect people in a meaningful way is really moving me. Thank you for sharing and for making me want to connect with others again through my camera.
Been forcing myself to direct the people I shoot more clearly. It’s all about confidence. Thanks for making your content. It’s so refreshing to see this slow paced, process oriented videos.
I love you interactions with your subjects... I think its awesome that you film and get sound bites of your conversation. Goes so far beyond just shooting. Reminds me what I miss most about shooting portraits...the people. I'm super late to the party, but glad I watched this one... it was great!
Enjoyed another of your videos Bryan. Ya, that's what I'm doing, enjoying the work of other photographers. Also I suppose I have been repairing a few old 4x5 cameras and sending them off for someone to enjoy for another 60 to 83 years. Very enjoyable to bring a camera back to life. Like mending the broken wing of a bird and watching them fly off into the world. Tomorrow I'm going to attempt to repair Balsam separation on the front element group of an old Linhof lens I purchased for $30. That should be interesting. I separated the two elements today and will attempt to glue them back tomorrow after a good cleaning. Lots of fun...
Been paying closer attention to other people's photos, their sequencing and just giving an image more time to breathe. Feel like its very easy to scroll past and just glance at photos , especially on a platform like instagram.
You’re not stupid man, you’re very insightful + you’re touching upon some real deep truths here. Your interactions with your subjects feel sincere, and your photographs are excellent. Thanks for the great vid 🤟🏻
Hi Bryan, I’m sensing some negativity and self doubt in this video. Keep going with your project. Your images look amazing. It takes a lot of guts to approach a stranger and ask to take their portrait. As far as people commenting on your portraits, don’t assume what their conversations would be about! These images have a certain look that any observer would be intrigued about what camera was used etc, but also who had taken it! As far as the quote goes, even though you might not comprehend it, you are practicing it without knowing it. Keep it up! Cheers Alex.
Actually just started shooting some 4x5 large format and im starting to develop my own film to go along with that. Never have done it before. It's been a more intimate experience that I've been really enjoying ( I've done 3 photos so far so very new to it). Also putting my face out there more. Making brief videos that talk about my photographs and why I took this and why I like it rather than just posting and being done with it. Helps me understand my own work as well as give others a more vulnerable experience when interacting with with my art.
I’ve been studying fields outside photography and trying to connect it back to my work. I found it helps a lot to develop my style and workflow. It really does help me stop worrying about social media feedback, and focus on why I want to make my work.
Great video Bryan, the look on the guy's face in the last shot is priceless, he looks so proud. To try to improve my photography I decided to go back to basics, I got a 4x5 pinhole camera, now I fully concentrate on the subject and composition. Thanks for sharing.
hey brian. been stuck at home for quite some time now. so ive basically just been immersing myself in movies with heart and drama, and the music that accompanies those movies. notable recent ones are Into The Wild (2007) and Control (2007). i think these taught me so much about the human condition and the actual purpose of life on an individual level. and god i hope to capture these as i move forward with my photography. thanks man
I’ve been relearning film (it’s been a few years). I am actually planning on shooting my biggest project to date on medium format with my Pentax 6x7. I’m nervous but really excited to create this series of portraits on film. I truly believe that film has this intimate quality about it that you can’t get from anything else. Your video inspired me to want to do this project as best I can. Thank you for that.
Bryan, I just last year built a 4x5 from scratch. I hand built the box with some old teak I had around, purchaded all the vatious things I needed, bellows, back and front standards. It was pretty much fing all the pieces you need and go shoot. I really enjoyes your video and want you to know I truly appreciate your logic on whats important. Sonny P.
I’ve been trying to take a 2-3 photos of the same image and changing a one of the setting to see how it changes the image. I only do this with 35mm film, that way is not that expensive but I learn what each setting does for when I shoot 120mm film.
This year I made a choice to be more willing to NOT make an exposure if I felt I the image wasn’t working. I believe strongly in making a lot of mistakes and “wasting” film, but sometimes that approach leads to rushing through a shot. I shoot mostly large format where an image might take from 20 minutes to an hour and a half to shoot so sometimes I feel that I did so much work setting up the shot, I really should expose some film. Well, there are times when all that set up came to nothing. By not allowing myself to shoot something that I really don’t think works, I force myself to work a little harder to make the shot work. Instead of rushing to create more content, I am working at producing better content. But it’s also important to remember that this approach has its own flaws and limits. There will be a point where I will want to get back to shooting more film with less careful control.
Only recently found your channel and have watched a lot of your videos it’s so refreshing to find some one that admits to making mistakes, someone that actually tells it like it is for them and the processes you go through to make a picture I love the fact is not “gear “ related and the off topic pieces are refreshing and through you I’ve discovered other photographers I’ve not heard Plus your photos are true to you long may you continue to do the things you do in your own way and your own style
Glad you found it. I’ve made mistakes and I’ll continue to make mistakes. It’s just part of the process. Gear lost its luster a LONG time ago. I pity anyone that is years into their practice and still thinks about it. Thank you for the kind words! 🖤
I’ve been trying to find new scenes in my neighborhood. I’ve documented most of the obvious things, and now i’m trying to find new perspectives and angles.
Recently I started to develop all of my own color film at home. Having control of the entire process from when the film goes into the camera up until it's scan has really helped me realize the value of each frame. I'm starting to feel more critical of each frame I take because it not only costs me money for developing but it also costs me the time that it takes to develop the roll and to scan it myself.
I think about those same things as well when taking the photo. “Do I want to put in the work for this shot of a shadow on a building?” Probably not. Haha
The biggest thing I'm doing to improve is to focus on subjects that really matter to me. And not restricting myself if one subject is vastly different than the other. Thanks for the videos!
Those scans look amazing. You really can't beat the beauty of a large format negative. I definitely notice that you are getting really quick at the large format process. That proficiency has freed you up to really be present during the process and enjoy the conversations with your subjects vs. worrying about the technical aspects. One thing that I've forced myself to do to get away from gear and work the creativity muscle is give myself one prime lens to work with. That honestly is the most freeing experience to pick up the camera and one lens and not have to think about which lens will be right for the situation and which ones do I need to pack. It has freed me up to focus on enjoying the experience and situation at hand. A really creative photographer friend of mine Adonye Jaja uses music for inspiration. Take a track and listen to it ahead of time and see what emotions it brings out in you and try and convey those in the image.
I'm really enjoying this series Bryan - keep up the good work! I am in a photography club where I can get critiqued each month by experienced photographers. This is how I improve.
Honestly what makes me improve the most is just getting out there as much as I can. A bit of pre-planning or visualising in my head also helps me get the pictures I want. Apart from that, going to second hand bookstores and browsing photobooks keeps the inspiration going. Loved this vid, hope you do more!
thank you for not shouting at us to like and subscribe. i love your videos, i've watched lots of them today, one of them whilst I was making pizza dough for 6 meals! what can I say? firstly, as a European, the way you film your encounters with people is beautiful, how it's filmed from a certain distance but you preserve the sound, and how there's a feeling of American romanticism, that Paris Texas thing that pulls us into its ambience. I also love that you photograph older people because I am sick to my eyeballs of trendy millennials photographing trending millennials in a tedious echo chamber of trendy cameras. lastly, am i too late for the book? keep up the good work but please don't ever fall for the trap of perching on a high moral ground, it's (for me) what kills the good ones the end.
Very nice video Brian. I recognize myself in a lot of the thought process and you’re 100% smashing it with your photography. As for what I do to keep myself shooting, as a newbie to film photography, I take every roll as a small project. It has to have some sort of challenge, constraint. Bring it by not allowing myself to change aperture or focus distance, or by having time constraints to finish the roll, or to play myself a character, like an events photographer, documenting some personal event as if it would be public. Each roll is then numbered and uploaded to Instagram to share the results. I’m on roll 013 now, and I’m enjoying the hell out of it. ✌🏻
Love your honesty. I've been trying to improve by getting out more and asking strangers in my local area for portraits as well as spending more than I can afford on photo books. Additionally I'm learning a lot from Alec Soth's photo book discussions on his TH-cam channel. Cheers, Pete
That comment of your father passing away really hit home. My father passed away 5 years ago and I'm always seeking that connection with an older person, strange, but that really resonated with me.
ive always done street photography or took pictures of flowers, but this year ive decided to start focusing on portraits, its a lot different and ive been learning a lot about lighting and posing. anyways great video, they always make me think about how to improve more.
dear bryan ... i improve my photography, for example by watching your videos. and that is also the reason why I am writing to you here: I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. your thoughts .... your perspective ... i find your honesty and sincerity impressive. please go on. your personality ... your photography ... all of that inspires me. With best regards from far away Berlin ... Germany. gerrit
Bryan, your channel is by far the one that I enjoy most. Your approach is very honest and inspiring, always make me think on my own voice and go after something out of my comfort zone.
My focus on improvement over the last few months has predominantly been color adjustments within Lightroom to address skin tone. I swear there is nothing quite like manually converting color negatives in Photoshop to force a photographer to up their skills in color adjustments and addressing a color cast they don’t want. I’ve also been studying up on making a physical print in a darkroom because I found out there is a club darkroom resource near my home that I may be able to use.
I constantly just walk around looking at the way the light hits to find new and interesting things in the ordinary. I've been shooting on my phone a lot through an app called filca which can kind of get you a film look. I have just been trying to make better compositions because I got so used to wanting to get sharp photos and document what was in front of me that I forgot what a good picture looked like. I think shooting on my phone has also limited me and made me push the limitations of what the phone can do, and what kind of editing I can do to images.
Honest to God Brian I think you are the best film photographer on TH-cam. You take pictures for you, and that makes them more genuine. You're more concerned about the journey than the gear or the social media likes. Thanks for being so authentic!
I let social media likes and numbers influence me for far too long. It was only until I didn't care that I was free to do what I wanted. Still a challenge but gets easier over time. Thank you for the kind words!
@@BryanBirks very inspiring! So many folks fall into the trap of loving film because it disconnects you from the fast-paced advancing technology of today, but then worrying like crazy about whether reddit or instagram loves their photo. It's ironic, but it's an easy trap to fall into
I agree.
@@BryanBirks my secret is to not get many likes at all. I've been doing a good job so far.
As pretentious as it sounds, I’ve recently spent a lot of time thinking about which photographs actually stick with me. I would practice street photography, but I came to realise that photographs I take of my friends and the actual life that surrounds me are the ones I end up looking back on. This realisation made me look for those moments more often, and when I do street photography now (or any photography for that matter) I aim to capture more of such emotion, rather than shooting someone because they dress weird or look interesting. And even though I shoot almost every day, I try to space out my rolls, and only develop one 2-3 weeks after I finish it. It disconnects me from shooting something for Instagram, and I genuinely started shooting what really catches my eye in the moment. It’s made me love photography so much more, and it’s definitely improved the work I do.
Man, one of the best photography videos I've seen in the last few months. 🙌👏👏
I started selling all my cameras, focusing on just one of them and that's it. A long time ago I took a trip and had so much camera using at the same time (films in 4 or 5 cameras) that I just couldn't focus on what I was going to do. As you said, people end it up being moved by this type of content (gears) and do not realize how harmful it is to the analog photography movement in general. The last trip was just one gear and it was liberating. Thank you.
One of the finest channels about photography on TH-cam.
This was so beautiful man, don't think I've ever watched a video where someone is saying profound things on YT that I actually found profound before, but this whole visual experience rocked my socks. Shows so much depth and strength that you were able to reflect on the characters you photograph and the interest possibly stemming from the loss of your father. Also the portrait interaction weaved throughout shows massive growth in your interactions with photographic subjects. So so so rad.
I've just been trying to make as many photographs as I can on the improvement front, I've found that if I can keep the energy going things tend to fall in place more often. If I spend extended time not making work I kind of have to get back in the swing of it which feels like a setback, whereas if I can make an image at least every second day or so the energy keeps flowing and stuff tends to line up haha! Thanks so much for making this man, again, so stunning.
Very kind words William. Hope to find myself in South Africa at some point to photograph together 🤘🏻
I’ve never been so motivated to make mistakes!
Basically the way I am learning is: I started talking to all different kind of artists. I wanted to take portraits of them. With every artist i meet, they give me the information of others. So with every projects, i get more projects. So basically i learn on the go, youtube and of course my great photography professor at Uni, who sees whats wrong with your negative or print in matter of seconds.
But tbh almost all of the technical and motivational aspects i learned form either you, Brae Hunziker or T. Hopper. I cant stress enough how much i apreciate the love, work and passion you guys put into this.
Keep on doing what you! :)
avoiding instagram has helped me take better photos, you helped me with realizing instagram is not the healthiest form of inspiration for photography. finding inspiration from books has helped me elevate as a photographer. Not just looking through the books but taking notes on each picture that speaks to me. but most importantly having confidence in my vision. If im with a friend and I see an interesting subject or scene I wont ask for his or her opinion i will just take the shot.
Lately I've been picking out random little towns around the city I live in and driving out to them to explore. Usually the drive isn't more than an hour or two and I make sure to avoid highways. I have found that being on the road and getting "lost" really helps me open up to my surroundings and I usually end up discovering things that I never would have seen if I had stayed at home. I've been watching your videos for awhile and really appreciate the time and effort you put into making them; the messaging is encouraging and has helped me find satisfaction in the process rather than just the output. Thank you
Stopped sending everything off for people to develop and scan my work and started doing it from home and started connecting with people in my community. For a LONG time, I would be taking pictures of buildings and that sort if thing because I didn’t really know what or who to take pictures of. Used to not appreciate where I was and the different people around me and so lately, I’ve just been using my job (work at a newspaper) to meet loads of interesting people and shooting them on film which they’ve allowed me to run in the paper here. Just got a 4x5 and super excited to meet this guy who is 75 years old and still umpires for high school games. Gonna get some good shots and have them run in the paper for people here to see.
That’s awesome about the paper. Definitely an amazing place to meet characters.
I've recently started to believe in (my) photography again - I've totally rejected it, as if I had said everything I could in a few years. And then I've silenced my creative side these 5 last years. Now I'm starting to see things again, to resume what I started to experiment. I shoot again, yet differently. I don't know if it's the results of the third lockdown in France but 2021, for the first time in almost ten years of photography - including 9,5 with film - calls for a new chapter. I really find your honesty inspiring and that, on your last portrait, how your "model" seems happy to be here.
One of the best film photography channels on TH-cam for sure, really like the focus on the human connection combined with advice on how to take good photos, rather than the gear.
I found myself taking a step back from photography a bit when I started asking myself why I was doing it, or for what goal in the future. I took pandemic time to connect with some people again, focus on other hobbies and read. In the end I still had this overwhelming desire to shoot photos. Taking a step away though and focusing my attention elsewhere proved my original intent. It was for me, Is for me. I’m making photos that stay true to what I want and not the taillights. Reading was a big push. Novels. Exploring worlds that weren’t mine really sparked the creative ideas to make something.
I read 50 books in 2019 and then almost none in 2020. Absolutely horrendous. Need to get back to that.
Things I’ve been doing to improve my photography: picking up a photo book each day to study it while I eat breakfast, watching your videos and other videos on photography, shoot whenever I can find time.
I’m currently trying to take more photos of the random people I get paired with when I go play golf. Each person I meet is unique and I am trying to get better at taking the portraits.
your videos are the best thing youtube has to offer
I've been allowing myself to be more vulnerable and to fail more. Within my photographic practice, I am an angry perfectionist and I feel like it is very limiting for me in a lot of ways because unless I feel like I will get the shot that I want I sometimes don't even try. So recently, I've been a little bit more lenient with the idea of "getting the shot," and instead I've tried to put myself in positions I am not fully comfortable in, in an attempt to spark something new. Love your videos and your work this latest portrait with the '78 is phenomenal.
For inspiration I really like to get out of my comfort zone. Most of the time I am shooting man-made stuff like houses, cars etc on color film. Now I am doing kind of a tree study, where I concentrate on the organic shapes and textures of trees. And I am shooting it in black and white.
I've really been trying to experiment and make the most out of the situation I am in, whether I am forced to shot in bad conditions, or gear that is malfunctioning, just pushing through and trying to work things out as I shoot.
I went back to school, doing a bachelor in fine arts focusing on photography (continued education).
But I think, like you said, there’s no replacement for trial and error. Being in school is forcing me to practice and be active. It’s also allowing me to be surrounded by like minded people (virtually for now)
@John ok I’m the type of person who does better on a deadline, so having someone else forcing me to create and practice is my driver. True, you can be great without formal education, but it gives me what I need.
I took a portrait of a stranger last week, for a project i'm working on. I was really shy at first but i forced myself to do it. It's such an amazing feeling when you force yourself to do something outside of your comfort zone. I always look forward to seeing your work, as it always motivates me. 💪🏾
Really enjoy seeing your interactions with people and the stunning images you get as a result!
Hey, I’m 50 years old and been photographing for 30 years.Your photography and the content here is brilliant. You definitely have something to say, you definitely make outstanding portraits and your observations definitely make me smile. You have masses of talent. I hope I said enough? In the words of McCarthy… keep the fire.
Thank you, Alfred. Truly. 🖤
gear doesn't matter and go out of your comfort-zone: the best advice there is for social photographers. great post!
For the first time I started organizing my film. I purchased binders, negative holders, labels etc. I feel this was an overlooked process in my approach to film photography and should help me to be more efficient and therefore more productive.
In the Age of Covid-19, when many jobs have dried up, personal projects that mean something take on added impotence. I started a long-term project using a 4x5 - and am making tons of errors. But I’m learning and making course corrections in process in the field and thinking through the outcome. Oh, and not worrying about gear.
I’ve been working with family. I recently became interested in portraits as a form of story telling so capturing the “everyday” of a few of my family members or family friends has been wonderful “experience” lol
What helped me the most is shooting more. Instead of buying more gear I ordered more film, developer, photo books and I sent my camera off to have it CLA'd. I used to go to a public darkroom to print my photos, but sadly it's closed now so I ordered the Intrepid enlarger.
I strongly believe that taking pictures that you'd like to have hanging on your wall improves your photography.
Lastly I really enjoy this project you have going on to document people with their cars. It's great to see your progress and I'm looking forward to what you'll create when you leave your comfort zone a little bit and branch out into other areas of portraiture.
portraits are everything. still working building the courage to ask. it's hard to overcome the introversion.
I still get anxious. I drove by Bob’s house twice before I could get out and ask. You just gotta do it. There’s no other way around it. If you fail, you fail. It’s going to happen but you’re going to be better off the next time around and won’t fear the rejection as hard.
it gets easier the more you do it! coming from an introvert who was able to get into a groove where it became a natural thing to do
I usually listen to a couple of artist (Bon Iver, Gem Club) more mellow stuff, and then I’ll find a poem or quote that I like and then I draw or sketch something and then go out and shoot.
Before shooting, I put on headphones, close my eyes and listen to music from my playlist, it inspires me and tunes me to the vibe, images and stories appear in my head.
what I've been doing to improve, is taking more portraits which is something I don't do enough.
100% agree with the gear. It took a lot of buying and selling cameras to find that honestly through all the buying and selling, I stuck with the same few cameras: a cheap seagull TLR (you don't need a Rolleiflex at all), a cheap Soviet 35mm rangefinder, a Ricoh, and a canon DSLR (and even then I only use the DSLR rarely).
Especially true with film photography, your gear doesn't really matter. The film is your sensor, so as long as you have a half decent lens, your pictures will be virtually the same regardless of the camera.
I've been exploring photo collages. Doing them I realize it makes me think differently about the elements with photographs... And be a bit more purposeful about elements. Find myself paying way more attention to more details in every frame now. Have been working on a huge collage for a couple weeks.
My improvement lately has come from shooting and really getting to know one film stock, one developer, one camera,, and one lens.
This is such a great video and great reminder that gear is not everything. I’ve recently been trying to connect more with the reason I started photography and that is connecting with people. I normally do street photography but recently I’ve been stopping and asking for street portraits. So through the act of connecting more deeply with my subject I notice I’ve been getting better and feeling more satisfied about my work.
I have just been getting out with a camera taking as many photos as I can, taking a variety of shots to work out what I like and want to take more photos of.
It really is hard not to get hooked on gears, some people enjoy collecting and/or using their cameras for snap shots. Then there are people who choose their gear for the purpose of the stuff their going to do. I have been shooting with one camera and one lens for 2 years before adding a fixed lens film rangefinder for a different purpose. Both use a 40mm lens as my eyes are so accustomed to that focal length. My advice, choose one camera and one lens then shoot it for a year, know its strengths and limitations.
I love how chill your videos are. With museums closed I started to invest a lot in books to find inspiration and I really feel like it makes my pictures much better. My bank account is screaming ofc coz I started shooting slide film - really enjoyable and a great challenge but sooooo expensive
Discovery and realization that we all go through especially as photographers... wonderful to watch through your eyes your journey.
Dude, I'll run out of videos of yours to watch. I feel like they put me in a place of inspiration without the anxiety I usually have about creating images.
That’s nice to hear. If you run out I apologize! 😂
what i did to improve recently was actually taking a break from Instagram because I felt like it was hindering my productivity and creativity
After entering medium format with my Mamiya645 I've been shooting the toll road near where I live as a way of practicing composition with it's line and movement.
Ive just been forcing my self to bring like an EDC camera at all times to train my eye and bring some spontaneity into my work!
Hey Bryan, thanks for all these insides of your creative process - I really appreciate how much you share, not only the good shots but also small failures, mistakes, accidents... what you often show is much closer to reality than what most of other youtubers share. Your work taking portraits of old cars' owners sort of pushed me a bit to try something similar, documenting suburban neighbourhoods outside Berlin and trying at the same time to make portraits of people living there. Too soon to see where this project is going, but I have a good feeling. So, I guess your late videos inspired me quite a lot. Thanks again!
These images are ridiculously awesome dude! I love the one of the guy sitting on the purple tailgate!! I'm glad you decided to take on large format photography because I don't think that something that I have the balls to tackle on my channel haha
I've been really busy with work so unfortunately I haven't been able to take photos much which has me really disappointed. I carry my camera with me on the way to and from work and snap photos while cycling. Sometimes I'm happy with shots but not always. Instead I've started talking to strangers more and not avoiding situations even if conflict is a potential outcome of someone coming up to me. I feel a lot more comfortable speaking to people and strangers and even taking photos of people in "street photography" style. I do miss doing landscape photography but I've been having fun in the meantime and hopefully can take some more soon. Summer is coming up so want to do more nightscapes.
Such an open and heartfelt video. Love your pictures and compositions. There are people looking back at me. That is not easy to catch. Very inspirational. I just started to do film photography again. Found a bellow medium camera on a yard sale a few years ago. When I was in Antwerp a few weeks back and I wanted to shoot but had no gear with me I remembered that bellow camera lying in a drawer somewhere. And I just started. It is like learning to lace your shoe laces all over again. It is quite humbling. But I also found my old Olympus mju and that little guy is always in my bag nowadays. I am shooting street portraits with it, asking people to take their picture. Scary as hell, but to my surprise I rarely get a no. Especially if they see my tiny camera. Really curious how the pictures will turn out. Thank you again for this video. Looking forward to seeing more of you. And you are right, I should spend more time shooting and ( in my case) painting then looking around on social media. Thanks for the reminder. You need that sometimes.
G'day Byran! So it's taken me a while to figure out the reason why I'm not improving or enjoying my images any more: I've stopped learning. My own portraits just feel so MEH to me in recent months which helped me to make the decision to sacrifice an extra day off of work each week and sign up for an internship at a photo studio to learn how to light and compose for editorial, fashion and portraits. I already work in lighting for film & TV so the rules and concepts are the same but I want to learn how to apply them better to a still image rather than moving images. I missed out on BOYS when it came out but I'm keen to take a closer look at how Rosie composes for portraits and see if I can learn something from her the same way I learn from your work. Already geed for the next portrait and accompanying video, cheers!
I've noticed that the most helpful thing to do is to sit down and write. I own a journal in which I write pretty much every day. It can be anything, something I saw, a story I just heard, a feeling. Then I look back at my entries and some ideas and photographic intentions emerge. Hope it helps.
And I just wanna say thanks for your honesty man, it is much needed
Appreciate it. I guess my "writing" is making TH-cam videos and talking about my problems. haha
Man do I love your documentaries. This is what photography, for me, is about. I am improving my photography by taking myself out from Instagram. Yes, it's a good way to share and get clients. Instagram is also a good way to see what my peers are doing. That said, I compare myself and I find myself not in focus. Without instagram, I am documenting myself more on my ongoing projects and I am loving it so much.
Honestly, I've been trying to consume a lot of content and trying and trying and trying. A week ago I receive my photos from the lab and I was just in tears because I really liked some of MY photos. I shot something that looks good! I'm still working on builiding the courage to photograph strangers on the street however I'm really getting more comfortable picking my camera in the middle of the street to photograph something.
Easily my favourite photog 'vlog' these days. Inspiring!
Recently I've been struggling a lot mentally and one of the best ways if found to cope, was to just go out and create images. Being able to escape from the stress and just let my mind just create has been really good and I've been very happy with some of the things I've made!
I've set my self the task of creating a photo book of photos I've taken throughout the various lockdowns. By create I mean not just organise the photos into a certain order and send it off to be printed, but I'm also making pieces of paper by blending up old sheets I've been holding on to, and will be binding the book myself. I'm doing this because I think that, even though film photography is analogue, it's more important than ever to have a physical connection to the work you create, and I fear that otherwise my photos will just be lost to time in the digital world, stored away online without anyone stumbling across them. The process also gives me something to do with my spare time, and learn the skills of papermaking and bookbinding. I won't even be producing any for others, partly because it takes about 25 hours to make each book but mainly because it's such an intimate project that I'd feel uncomfortable with others flicking through that I don't know personally.
Hopefully it will be something to look back on in the future and cherish, and make me think more intentionally about the purpose behind my photos when taking them in the future.
Lovely video Bryan, I'm glad that I found your channel, and I wish you all the best in your photography.
One of the best YT channels out there. I'm not gonna say anything new, but seeing your work and how are you tackling anxiety makes me wanna do the same. Recently I've been able to shoot more portraits of friends which is extremely stressful yet so satisfying. It's interesting that I'm able to use that moment to create a deeper connection with someone. I'm trying to focus more on that while taking portraits - to cherish that moment of unexpected closeness and awkwardness. There's a long way ahead of me leading both inwards and outwards - I don't know which one is harder and more exciting. Thanks for the great work - your channel is super inspiring and your photos are really something.
been trying to shoot every day, or nearly every day. working on improving the technical side of things.. metering, etc.
You nailed it. The majority of videos are on TH-cam are gear related to gear because that is something easy to talk about and easy for as viewers to purchase new gear thinking that is going to make us better photographers. I stumbled across your video but I love your honesty and how you get to the core of what is important. These are some beautiful images. For me, I am trying to shoot more with a focus on images that I find interesting. It might be the subject or the light or the pattern. It has to be something piques my interest and that I am emotionally connected to. Looking forward to your book of these images.
For me it is just carrying my camera with me whenever I can and mostly shooting street photography from my city. I so often feel the urge to photograph people I see when walking through the city, but haven't had the courage to do so in whatever way.
Hey Bryan, nice words that you shared wirh us. Since I realized that gear is not relevant a few years ago, I've been feeling much better. I sold all the cameras I had accumulated and focused on the essentials, content of my work. I've had that book on my wishlist for a while and I would be very happy about it. Greetings from Germany -J
I’ve been getting so much inspiration from your videos. They helped me not long ago to get back out and shoot when I was dealing with depression.
Photo books also help me a lot. The words and techniques stay with me from those books when I am out and trying to create.
I recently got a Yashica Mat 6x6 by one of my dads old friends. Before trying it out I just thought that square format was the peak of boring formats. but when I shot with it I felt some kind of nostalgia, and I have no damn clue how that camera gave me such a feeling. The camera draws me into shooting things that remind me of my childhood, only in black and white. And it has probably been the most refreshing and fun way of making photographs in a long time. Thank you for the inspiration Bryan.
I've just found all your videos and I really enjoy them. Reminds me of when I used to go out and meet strangers and try to get their story and their portrait. I gave up on photography years ago because of back problems, but seeing the human element of your videos and what photography can do to connect people in a meaningful way is really moving me. Thank you for sharing and for making me want to connect with others again through my camera.
Glad the work could do that for you! Hope your back cooperates in the future so you can do it.
Been forcing myself to direct the people I shoot more clearly. It’s all about confidence. Thanks for making your content. It’s so refreshing to see this slow paced, process oriented videos.
I love you interactions with your subjects... I think its awesome that you film and get sound bites of your conversation. Goes so far beyond just shooting. Reminds me what I miss most about shooting portraits...the people. I'm super late to the party, but glad I watched this one... it was great!
Enjoyed another of your videos Bryan. Ya, that's what I'm doing, enjoying the work of other photographers. Also I suppose I have been repairing a few old 4x5 cameras and sending them off for someone to enjoy for another 60 to 83 years. Very enjoyable to bring a camera back to life. Like mending the broken wing of a bird and watching them fly off into the world. Tomorrow I'm going to attempt to repair Balsam separation on the front element group of an old Linhof lens I purchased for $30. That should be interesting. I separated the two elements today and will attempt to glue them back tomorrow after a good cleaning. Lots of fun...
Been paying closer attention to other people's photos, their sequencing and just giving an image more time to breathe. Feel like its very easy to scroll past and just glance at photos , especially on a platform like instagram.
You’re not stupid man, you’re very insightful + you’re touching upon some real deep truths here. Your interactions with your subjects feel sincere, and your photographs are excellent. Thanks for the great vid 🤟🏻
Hi Bryan, I’m sensing some negativity and self doubt in this video. Keep going with your project. Your images look amazing. It takes a lot of guts to approach a stranger and ask to take their portrait. As far as people commenting on your portraits, don’t assume what their conversations would be about! These images have a certain look that any observer would be intrigued about what camera was used etc, but also who had taken it! As far as the quote goes, even though you might not comprehend it, you are practicing it without knowing it. Keep it up! Cheers Alex.
Actually just started shooting some 4x5 large format and im starting to develop my own film to go along with that. Never have done it before. It's been a more intimate experience that I've been really enjoying ( I've done 3 photos so far so very new to it). Also putting my face out there more. Making brief videos that talk about my photographs and why I took this and why I like it rather than just posting and being done with it. Helps me understand my own work as well as give others a more vulnerable experience when interacting with with my art.
Lovely. 🖤
I’ve been studying fields outside photography and trying to connect it back to my work. I found it helps a lot to develop my style and workflow. It really does help me stop worrying about social media feedback, and focus on why I want to make my work.
I'm in the period of waiting for my large format to arrive so I've been watching a ton of videos about them. Thanks for the quality videos!
Great video Bryan, the look on the guy's face in the last shot is priceless, he looks so proud.
To try to improve my photography I decided to go back to basics, I got a 4x5 pinhole camera, now I fully concentrate on the subject and composition.
Thanks for sharing.
hey brian. been stuck at home for quite some time now. so ive basically just been immersing myself in movies with heart and drama, and the music that accompanies those movies. notable recent ones are Into The Wild (2007) and Control (2007). i think these taught me so much about the human condition and the actual purpose of life on an individual level. and god i hope to capture these as i move forward with my photography. thanks man
I’ve been relearning film (it’s been a few years). I am actually planning on shooting my biggest project to date on medium format with my Pentax 6x7. I’m nervous but really excited to create this series of portraits on film. I truly believe that film has this intimate quality about it that you can’t get from anything else. Your video inspired me to want to do this project as best I can. Thank you for that.
Bryan, I just last year built a 4x5 from scratch. I hand built the box with some old teak I had around, purchaded all the vatious things I needed, bellows, back and front standards. It was pretty much fing all the pieces you need and go shoot. I really enjoyes your video and want you to know I truly appreciate your logic on whats important.
Sonny P.
I’ve been trying to take a 2-3 photos of the same image and changing a one of the setting to see how it changes the image. I only do this with 35mm film, that way is not that expensive but I learn what each setting does for when I shoot 120mm film.
This year I made a choice to be more willing to NOT make an exposure if I felt I the image wasn’t working. I believe strongly in making a lot of mistakes and “wasting” film, but sometimes that approach leads to rushing through a shot. I shoot mostly large format where an image might take from 20 minutes to an hour and a half to shoot so sometimes I feel that I did so much work setting up the shot, I really should expose some film. Well, there are times when all that set up came to nothing. By not allowing myself to shoot something that I really don’t think works, I force myself to work a little harder to make the shot work. Instead of rushing to create more content, I am working at producing better content. But it’s also important to remember that this approach has its own flaws and limits. There will be a point where I will want to get back to shooting more film with less careful control.
Your films are great and very instructive. I also like the fact that you share so many of your own images and how you critique them.
Only recently found your channel and have watched a lot of your videos it’s so refreshing to find some one that admits to making mistakes, someone that actually tells it like it is for them and the processes you go through to make a picture
I love the fact is not “gear “ related and the off topic pieces are refreshing and through you I’ve discovered other photographers I’ve not heard
Plus your photos are true to you long may you continue to do the things you do in your own way and your own style
Glad you found it. I’ve made mistakes and I’ll continue to make mistakes. It’s just part of the process. Gear lost its luster a LONG time ago. I pity anyone that is years into their practice and still thinks about it.
Thank you for the kind words! 🖤
I’ve been trying to find new scenes in my neighborhood. I’ve documented most of the obvious things, and now i’m trying to find new perspectives and angles.
Recently I started to develop all of my own color film at home. Having control of the entire process from when the film goes into the camera up until it's scan has really helped me realize the value of each frame. I'm starting to feel more critical of each frame I take because it not only costs me money for developing but it also costs me the time that it takes to develop the roll and to scan it myself.
I think about those same things as well when taking the photo. “Do I want to put in the work for this shot of a shadow on a building?” Probably not. Haha
The biggest thing I'm doing to improve is to focus on subjects that really matter to me. And not restricting myself if one subject is vastly different than the other.
Thanks for the videos!
Those scans look amazing. You really can't beat the beauty of a large format negative. I definitely notice that you are getting really quick at the large format process. That proficiency has freed you up to really be present during the process and enjoy the conversations with your subjects vs. worrying about the technical aspects. One thing that I've forced myself to do to get away from gear and work the creativity muscle is give myself one prime lens to work with. That honestly is the most freeing experience to pick up the camera and one lens and not have to think about which lens will be right for the situation and which ones do I need to pack. It has freed me up to focus on enjoying the experience and situation at hand. A really creative photographer friend of mine Adonye Jaja uses music for inspiration. Take a track and listen to it ahead of time and see what emotions it brings out in you and try and convey those in the image.
Thanks Christian. Definitely has gotten easier the more I do it. And can focus on the subject and the scene and not worry about the process as much.
Love the slow pace in your Videos! So chill to watch. Limiting myself to a 35mm lense and color negative film really helped my photography.
Oh my gosh, that was an amazing video! Well done.the pacing, soundtrack, and story leading up to the final image was very well done.
I'm really enjoying this series Bryan - keep up the good work! I am in a photography club where I can get critiqued each month by experienced photographers. This is how I improve.
Honestly what makes me improve the most is just getting out there as much as I can. A bit of pre-planning or visualising in my head also helps me get the pictures I want. Apart from that, going to second hand bookstores and browsing photobooks keeps the inspiration going. Loved this vid, hope you do more!
thank you for not shouting at us to like and subscribe. i love your videos, i've watched lots of them today, one of them whilst I was making pizza dough for 6 meals! what can I say? firstly, as a European, the way you film your encounters with people is beautiful, how it's filmed from a certain distance but you preserve the sound, and how there's a feeling of American romanticism, that Paris Texas thing that pulls us into its ambience. I also love that you photograph older people because I am sick to my eyeballs of trendy millennials photographing trending millennials in a tedious echo chamber of trendy cameras. lastly, am i too late for the book? keep up the good work but please don't ever fall for the trap of perching on a high moral ground, it's (for me) what kills the good ones the end.
Very nice video Brian. I recognize myself in a lot of the thought process and you’re 100% smashing it with your photography. As for what I do to keep myself shooting, as a newbie to film photography, I take every roll as a small project. It has to have some sort of challenge, constraint. Bring it by not allowing myself to change aperture or focus distance, or by having time constraints to finish the roll, or to play myself a character, like an events photographer, documenting some personal event as if it would be public. Each roll is then numbered and uploaded to Instagram to share the results. I’m on roll 013 now, and I’m enjoying the hell out of it. ✌🏻
Love your honesty. I've been trying to improve by getting out more and asking strangers in my local area for portraits as well as spending more than I can afford on photo books. Additionally I'm learning a lot from Alec Soth's photo book discussions on his TH-cam channel. Cheers, Pete
That comment of your father passing away really hit home. My father passed away 5 years ago and I'm always seeking that connection with an older person, strange, but that really resonated with me.
Yeah I'm not even sure if its an actual thing but I'm not going to fight it if it is. Its lead to some of my best images. Just follow your gut.
ive always done street photography or took pictures of flowers, but this year ive decided to start focusing on portraits, its a lot different and ive been learning a lot about lighting and posing. anyways great video, they always make me think about how to improve more.
I am trying to read as much as I can about photography history and shoot medium format !
Shooting more on film point and shoots with basic films to appreciate the process v. gear & camera specs.
dear bryan ... i improve my photography, for example by watching your videos. and that is also the reason why I am writing to you here: I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart. your thoughts .... your perspective ... i find your honesty and sincerity impressive. please go on. your personality ... your photography ... all of that inspires me. With best regards from far away Berlin ... Germany. gerrit
Bryan, your channel is by far the one that I enjoy most. Your approach is very honest and inspiring, always make me think on my own voice and go after something out of my comfort zone.
Thanks dude 🙌🏻
My focus on improvement over the last few months has predominantly been color adjustments within Lightroom to address skin tone. I swear there is nothing quite like manually converting color negatives in Photoshop to force a photographer to up their skills in color adjustments and addressing a color cast they don’t want. I’ve also been studying up on making a physical print in a darkroom because I found out there is a club darkroom resource near my home that I may be able to use.
I constantly just walk around looking at the way the light hits to find new and interesting things in the ordinary. I've been shooting on my phone a lot through an app called filca which can kind of get you a film look. I have just been trying to make better compositions because I got so used to wanting to get sharp photos and document what was in front of me that I forgot what a good picture looked like. I think shooting on my phone has also limited me and made me push the limitations of what the phone can do, and what kind of editing I can do to images.