Hi Adam, I've been following your channel for a while now and your probably one of the most sincere photographers around. Keep it up. Greetings from the Netherlands.
I’ve been a photographer for 5 years now and I’m still learning , we will never stop learning , point being , never let anyone make you doubt your worth and always be true to yourself.
I applaud you for your frank and honest opinion, which I whole heartedly agree. No body becomes an expert by focussing on one specific avenue from the get go. Life is simply a long journey of discovery. I also hated all those TH-camrs who say that mobile phone or micro four-thirds cameras are not landscape cameras. What a lot of ... Everyone should use whatever tool they like to enjoy their hobby or explore their creative talents.
Hi Adam, Simon from Australia here. Two things: Re the mediocre photography comment, why is this guy spending his valuable time watching "mediocre" photographers on TH-cam rather than getting out there and being an amazing photographer in his own right? Second - I agree totally with not pigeon-holeing yourself. I describe myself.f as a photographer with particular interests in landscape, nightscape and light painting and keen to learn more about other genres. Your channel brings value and your photos are really lovely. Thank you.
“Learn the rules first and then you can break them”. I hate that one. Though the end of the phrase gives you freedom so many people lock into the “rule of thirds” or “golden ratio” both for themselves and when viewing the work of others and I think that’s so limiting.
Yeah I’m not a fan of that one either. learn all the rules, artistic elements and artistic principles and they become the tools with which to make all your images.
I’ve heard that a lot too and I really don’t like it. I hear it a lot from people who religiously always shoot rules of third and with a foreground element religiously and they think anything else is somehow not worthy.
Many let’s-not-worry-about-calling-them-“rules”, especially about composition, are post-hoc projections anyway. Not that you can’t go out the door thinking “let’s use a logarithmic spiral in the composition” if you want, but a crop in post can change everything…
Well I feel the secret is to know as much as possible, the rule of thirds can be useful, often is but not always. But it works, if you deviate it has to work.
I did listen to the advice of "specializing" when I started taking photography more seriously. I wanted to specialize in wildlife photography but in the back of my head I knew I wanted to do landscape as well. I knew I had a knack for landscape photography back when photography was more of a hobby for me. I don't specialize anymore. I'm interested in all forms of photography and enjoy taking on the challenges that they have to offer. I recently did my first real estate shoot and was pretty satisfied with the images I created.
I find IG audiences _very_ genre-specific. I’m into nature including landscape, drone work and astrophotography, so on any given day I might have 3-4 landscapes at the top of my stream but go around liking other folks’ astro shots, so they come looking, see nothing applicable at the top… it’s hard to appreciate other folks are real people into multiple things.
@@spodzone That's because social services actually support that behaviour, enclosing people into specialized "bubbles" - they often won't show you anything outside of what you've recently looked at / searched, to drive engagement up. And sadly, it works for them, but it's very much against people who do various things, forcing them to have multiple accounts.
I'm an old guy that's been shooting since the 70s... I always thought landscape photography led to wildlife photography and vice versa. Always take a telephoto lens with you on landscape adventures. (That's good advice). Sometimes it works for the landscape at the moment... many times you discover wildlife when you're out there.
I can relate with you a lot. I started doing (and I still do) lifestyle portrait photography and due to the borders being close (in Japan) I adventure in doing more of street photography and comparing the photos now from when I started I can notice how much of portrait photography I apply to street photography and vice versa.
Agree with all of the points you make Adam, but "work smarter" especially. I am retired now, but all we used to hear from our line manager was "work smarter". We spent twice as much time on projects and reviews of our work than actually doing the work.
When you mention the sharpness police, I always remember Ansel Adams quote “There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept”. Many of these gatekeepers are so obsessed with technical aspects, or gear, they have forgotten about creating a compelling image.
I absolutely love your content, and your honest approach to what make a great “photographer”. What I find interesting, is that people, often your so called mentors, tend to guide you and help your growth as an artist, right up until, the see you may be a threat to them by getting good at your art form. I had this happen to me at a younger age, and it impacted me greatly. I got ghosted by my mentor and it took a long time to find out, that he did this because he was threatened by my work and somehow would surpass his skills and make him less than. He often put down my work and pointed out technical flaws and never showed me a way to make my art better other then getting exposure right or composition etc. It was total rubbish, I was just doing my thing and not trying to compete with anyone. This was when I was striking out as a “professional” and it impacted me in a way, that kept me from making a go of striking out on my own. The good part of all that, was I was able to just concentrate on making image that I loved and to get better at the things that made me happy with my photography. I now approach things differently, and follow my heart in making photos. I love what I produce, and that’s the best way to be happy with your work… make any sense to you at all?
I took a coaching course for youth rugby. A major thing they emphasized was 3 positives for one negative. So the kids don't just hear "NO" all day long. I've only ever given one bit of photography advice online, but I followed the "I like what you did here" and "I thought this was great" and "keep at it", before I offered what I hoped to be constructive criticism (basically: be careful as to what is in the background so it doesn't take away from your subject - which was cars- pretty benign stuff).
Exactly! Also made me feel redeemed, been saying this for years with much resistance, however the sooner we learn reality the happier we can be individually. As a community our children benefit from all of so many unknown mentors.
Hi Adam, I started following you on Twitter and it led me to your YT channel and wanted to express that after watching just 2 of your videos I find your content so honest and fresh. These are tremendous tips to apply in any stage of our photography career. Thank you 😌
Hey Adam, I think you got it to the point in this one. This dos and don'ts from more experienced photographers (no matter whether professional or not) can put a heavy load on someone's shoulder, preventing to improve your skills or even showing your work. "It's good but..." "you could try this ...." yeah sure... sometimes you just want to show smth and sometimes you want an advice - but not every single time! Ignoring this might help, but (in my case at least) there is this voice saying "this critic is correct" and that's annoying 😒 I guess what I want to say is: it's nice to see that others (even really good ones imho) struggle with this too and that it's not only my fault... thanks for sharing, love your videos and their open hearted character!! ❤️
Just stumbled onto this video and absolutely love your approach to business and life. The section on work smarter not harder is absolutely brilliant and a much needed message for young people in all aspects of life. Opportunity is everywhere and the attitude of working smart but being willing to outwork the other guy is a key concept. I’m just a hobby photographer and have been since I was 12 (a long time ago) and this video has inspired me to get out there and shoot more. Bravo.
Adam, when you mentioned the "gate keepers" the first thing I thought off is how when I retired from the US military young Soldiers would ask what advice I had to give and I now do the same for new photographers. You are your own gate keeper and you alone have the drive and power to accomplish whatever you set your mind too. I honestly feel that I as a photographer take the shots I like and what makes me happy. Which is what I mentioned the other month to a young lady who said that she couldn't take great photos because her gear was just a cheap point and shoot camera. So after and several hours I proved that she could she just had to work and master the basics first but never stop learning, when you do then you only failed yourself and don't compare yourself and work to others. In the past I have seen professionals make mistakes and put out some horrible work, and so have I, but when you learn and grow along side your photos then you no longer need that gate as you are standing outside of it. Just my thoughts, wonderful video yet again.
Another great encouragement...... as a person who loves nature and takes tourists (and locals) into the "middle of nowhere" on this Caribbean island.... I take a LOT of photos ........ I critic my own photos heavily and only display a fraction of the images I shoot online HOWEVER I find the Flickr to be particularly good indicator of the "better" photos....... and all beginner photographers need their yardstick..... and to understand that photography itself PREDATES the "rules" we all learn when studying the subject ....... rules are only useful in so far as they enable people without "creative eye" to potentially take photos that are popular with the public ....... I have taken some photos that resonate with my spirit (and would never have mass appeal) ..... and yet again, I have taken other photos that are widely popular for reasons that have little to do with photography alone ("nude in paradise" .... just as an example) ...... once we have achieved technical mastery of manual mode and the camera has become an extension of ourselves ...... it is ALL about ART ...... and we are free to stamp "our" view of the world into our work ...... this causes the passion to flow and the best work to surface
About the first advice, I found that it's better to learn as many different genres of photography that you can. The techniques you learn from one type can help you in other types. I like landscape photography probably the most. I have done some portraits though and I find that my environmental portraits are better than a lot of other photographers in my area because I first learned landscape. I have even taken handheld 2 shot brackets and blended the exposures together. I know when to include more depth of field when there's a nice background and when to blur it out. I'm just getting into macro. When photographing small insects, it's sort of like portrait and landscape photography. The insect is the main subject but you can include other elements into the shot to show their surroundings but you also have to have the right kind of light. This may include using flash or reflectors. Knowing how to focus stack landscape images comes in handy for macro. One thing I'm not good at is street photography where you're taking pictures of strangers walking around. But learning how to do that builds confidence and helps you when dealing with clients or guests at a wedding. Everything you learn about one type of photography helps you in other types.
I love the “gatekeepers” haha. I actually saw on a FB group for beginners, a person said that “in order to be taken seriously as a photographer you MUST use Photoshop and Lightroom”. He actually refused to answer me when I asked how a client would know what software was used.
I studied Photography at College, & one of the first bits of advice we were given was to avoid Camera Clubs. For the very reasons you are stating. Being a mature student I popped along to my local club to see if it was true. I genuinely couldn't believe the advice they were giving out, just about everything you've stated in your video & much more! I lasted two weeks, After the 3000th photo I couldn't stand seeing yet another photo of a Blue Tit on a feeder ha ha ha. At my college we were taught all aspects of photography, except landscape & macro funnily enough. It was more of a Commercial Photography syllabus, & landscape & macro weren't on the national syllabus. The Tutors however did give advice on ALL aspects of photography when asked. If you just specialise in one field you miss out on so much more. The more you push yourself the more you learn, & you never stop learning in photography
I have lots of photos that have noise, are out of focus, and motion blur. Some of them are my favorites. Why? Because as imperfect as they are, they’re a moment in time. Imperfect as they are, they happened once, and I captured them.
When I started my photography and design business up in 2011, my brother had this to say about it: "Why would YOU start up a photography business? You're not even a REAL photographer!" When I asked him what he meant by "REAL photographer", in an extremely snotty tone he responded with, "I have a friend who is a real pro photographer with multiple college degrees and she owns a $20,000 camera. She is a real photographer, not you!" I responded with, "in order to be a so-called "real photographer" neither a college degree nor a $20,000 camera is required. What is required is a creative eye, as well as an understanding of composition, lighting, and camera settings. Do college degrees and expensive gear make you better at it? No." By the way, in 2011 when I started up my business, I had been doing photography for 10 years and did in fact study it in college. I had a $2400 camera, not a $20,000 though lol.
If you ever give up being a “mediocre” photographer Adam, you would do really well as a motivational speaker. In the meantime, I will continue to follow your best advice and enjoy the time I get to spend taking photos. Thanks for sharing again Adam. Stay safe 🇦🇺
There is a risk for an amateur photographer to get fixated on the latest camera and change system often. I think the lenses are the important bit. If you change system often it will take time to learn a new camera and you get stuck in your development. My mistakes are that I often collect equipment that I seldom use but have a theoretical idea that I need in a future project. I have since then stop getting new hardware but instead learn Art and photographic history but that have limit my joy of using my equipment and I have taking less photographs until that have become a problem. When My D300 broke down after 13 year use I got a 2nd hand D700 until I can afford a D850 but this has turn on my need for more lenses. As two Zooms 24-70mm E VR, 70-200mm E VR . 19mm TS and 500mmE VR lens and a future need for Z8 with a FTZ adapter, I think teaching Art a regular use the equipment in small project is the way forward.
Thanks for all the valuable tips from your "mediocre" photos! Your negative experience sums up what a sewer Twitter is. I gave up on it years ago. Keep going!
Love your advice, there are way to many naysayers, normally those people do not have the ability to produce inspiring images themselves, but the best thing we can do is ignore them, and shoot the way we want, baseing our learning from people like you, positive, constructive, encougaging, individuals, keep up the good work !
I love your channel. You are not only sincere but you get emotional at times. If you aren't emotional and passionate about what you are doing, you probably are in the wrong field of work. Please keep on doing these videos.
I could not agree more. I personally have never given much importance to free advice from people I don't know and who don't know me. As far as photography is concerned, I do what gives me the most pleasure at that moment. I don't even wait for the sunset or the clouds in the sky. Any time, place or weather conditions are good for practicing photography. And as for technicalities, I also learned that I will never achieve perfection, neither I nor anyone else. In terms of artistic expression, each person is unique, in what they create and also in the way they see other people's art. It's all very subjective. As for the "gatekeepers", they should learn a little about life in general and develop their common sense. Nobody knows and will never know everything about anything. Keep up the good work, even if "mediocre", I'll be on this side waiting for a few more minutes of knowledge and wisdom, and also good entertainment. See you soon.
Great advice to ignore some bad advice indeed! :-) To me, any advice smelling like pigeonholing is probably the worst of all. Making people think in preconceived, "pure" categories of photography kills creativity and, tragically, it is the sort of advice that beginners are bombarded with. Escaping the rut that this way of thinking leads to is a challenge that many struggle with, including myself.
Great video, and thanks. I agree fully that specializing is not necessary and possibly detrimental. Another photographer I follow on TH-cam once challenged himself to ensure he took shots regardless of weather, lighting, etcetera. He discovered that there is a world of small things that he was missing by focusing only on the large landscapes. I have tried many types of photography, and enjoy every one of them. For me it is more important to see the world around us and document the story we see and experience. Please keep up the great work you are sharing with us. Cheers.
I started out shooting sports as I knew it was what I was most passionate about. But I love testing myself so I seek out opportunities to shoot out of my comfort zone. That's how I added concert photography to my work flow. The pandemic took away my work so it allowed me to go out and shoot nature and street photography even more than I would have. I love when photographers tell others never work for free. I can't imagine any photographer that got paid 100% from the start. I'm always looking for ways to use my love of photography to bring joy to others. Yes, that includes giving my work as a gift. Gate keepers only stifle passion. I welcome others into the world I shoot. I believe in passing it forward.
I'm doing some large format film photography now and all these things apply multiplied by a factor of 100. The snobbery is unreal and unbearable at times. The finger of doom is pointed at you if any of your camera/scanning/processing gear has the dreaded label 'consumer' attached to it. Unless you are drum scanning, coating your own glass plates, making alternative process prints from toxic chemicals (I have some for sale if you want?) or using 100 year old lenses, you are looked down upon. That said, there are also some good types out there amongst the Gatekeepers.
Interesting comments Adam. As a newbie to photography, I’ve already learned that everyone has an opinion on what you should do, and few share the same opinion. This has led me to ignore most of it and try lots of different things, my favourite being woodland, closely followed by macro and landscape. I have however been “scared” to share some images, such as splash photography or macro images using a flash or light painting with some other photographers because it isn’t their area of speciality. Regardless of peoples thoughts or opinions, I love getting lost in finding and taking images, and that has remained my main focus.
Agreed, Adam. I've seen photographers very successfully combine genres. The most obvious example is portrait and landscape (e.g., a couple getting married in a stunning outdoors setting or a dramatic landscape with a person showing the scale and depth of the geography in some way)
I'm a student photographer and it's hard to know what's acceptable and good photography. Very helpful video. I thought it was neat how you lit the tree from above with the drone.
“Sh*t at math” hilarious!…Ah yes many of us have been told to “specialize” in something (and occasionally still do), and it’s quite rubbish I think. There are tons of people who just enjoy it for numerous reasons (travel, hobby, etc.)…Nice vid as always. You’re one of the few ones that I genuinely watch & follow. Cheers man 👍🏽
Great positive film Adam. One piece of advice I hear which is terribly misleading is “the gear doesn’t matter” . I remember a while back when many photographers who have TH-cam presence were all claiming that gear doesn’t matter, then before too long they were all releasing films with them featuring their medium format cameras, many of them had upgraded to the best possible gear, thankfully it’s rare now for any of them to proclaim “ the gear doesn’t matter” well I can say after nearly forty years of experience, the gear does absolutely matter if one is trying for a certain look in their photographs. Learning and realising what gear is needed for different types of photography and certain images is all part of the art, much of which comes from experience! Keep positive buddy, your films are always uplifting 👏😀👍
Thanks mate. I find it’s like rich people saying money doesn’t matter. Photo gear is like most tech where its the law of diminishing returns as price gets higher.
The ‘gear doesn’t matter debate’ is very contentious for all the reasons people have stated. I think many understand that a full frame versus a crop sensor, or a medium-format versus a full-frame camera, will give you more options if you want to print big. Gear that makes me want to keep picking up my camera and shooting is going to make me a better photographer through practice. I still have a crop sensor and I’m on a budget, but I still want to shoot with it. I am saving up for a full frame and good glass. My aim is to eventually have the ability to sell some prints. But I don’t believe for a moment the camera on its own is going to make me a better photographer without the practice.
Ha yeah. they really seem to be resonating at the moment with the current state of the world. if people feel even a tiny bit more hopeful or positive after they’ve watched, then to me, that’s a win.
Adam - great advice and some very cool images. I'd be happy to hang either your Lone Tree or Lighthouse image on one of my walls. Love the positivity mate. Keep on keeping on and taking great photos.
Ive learned in the last past few months to shoot what ever catches my eye, im no longer caught up on getting the sharpest image ect. Really good advice on this video
Great video!! The section about creativity reminded me of a quote from Scott Adams. “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, art is knowing which ones to keep.”
I would tell a beginner to learn the triangle of aperture, shutter speed and ISO and how they work as a team. Learning the triangle will help you graduate from being a mere button presser to taking control of your camera and how your shots look.
A very helpful and encouraging video Adam. So sensible, no bull and down to earth. If anything could make someone want to get out there with their cameras, it would be your videos. Thanks!
it's nice to see the enthusiasm you display while talking about photography, this is what any beginner should hear when starting out. I do photography as my job, and enjoy everyday at my job. keep up the good work.
Love your content, Adam. You've become my favourite photography channel because of your realistic approach, calling out BS and not selling people pipe dreams. One thing I've learned in 20+ years of being in business though is something along those lines of "work smarter not harder" except I've changed it. My motto is now "do less work for more money" and you can apply this to everything, for example putting your prices up as much as possible, be that guy who is the most expensive. People will assume you're the best and want to hire you. Another example could be putting less effort into capturing an amazing image. I bet some of your best selling and most creative 'art' pieces are the ones that just happened easily. Happy accidents. More of this instead of busting a nut trying get the perfect image, under then perfect conditions and then spending 30 hours on editing it. True art always has that magic about it where it feels like it's creating itself and you're only there to watch it happen. At least that's been my experience.
Man !!! I love your videos and your perspective on photography and Life in general. You do a wonderful job in teaching, explaining and mentoring us new and "mediocre" photographers to work at it and getting better along the way. I watch a lot of Photography videos BUT very few I follow all the time, you are one of those few I watch every time a new one comes on. Thanks so much for your wisdom in photography but mostly for your wisdom in LIFE !!! Thanks Adam
After two videos of yours, I'm such a fan (okay, I'll tone it down a bit). So much great stuff to unpack here, and so REFRESHING! As you hit on just moments into this video, while the opinion is yours (and for what it's worth, mine), shooting different subjects/environments/concepts allows you to translate knowledge from one area to another. In my personal experience, learning street dances translated to Swing, Hustle, Country Western, Argentine Tango, and Ballroom. Skills and techniques learned one place could translate somewhere else. Then you could find what you love, and if desired, focus on only that. Focusing from the beginning can lead to burn out early (I've seen it many times). I understand where the "adviser" was coming from, but it's just one opinion, so I hope the youth is smart enough to incorporate it all and make his/her own decision. I now completed the video and it brought up so many emotions. I suppose I'm either too old or experienced because I hear your words resonate with my development. It's far to easy for someone to project their value system on others work, whether it be dance, photography, music etc. This can stifle growth (and we all start out miserable, well most of us anyway). Instead of "work smarter, not harder" (I agree with you, working hard is not a bad thing), I would suggest that as one grows, to have a plan and something to work on, but be flexible if the opportunity presents itself to change. It's so important to understand and feed someone's growth, but all too uncommon. Before I leave, "perfection" is a goal, not a reality. We can't all be stars, but we can all shine. Well done. Subscribed. Keep up the great work, and wonderful shots.
As always, Adam, great advice. I shot motorsport on film for several years for various publishers. I was always rushing from one location to the next, trying to capture that one elusive image that no-one else had. Eventually, it wore me out. I've taken lately to landscapes, where I feel I can slow down and take my time to create an image that suits me (and not necessarily anybody else) without the pressure associated with sport photography. As for advice for beginners, I think they should just experiment and try anything and everything. With the advantages of digital imaging these days, a budding photographer can quickly see what they are producing and elect to keep or delete.
This is the best advice I have ever heard from someone that is down to earth about photography .you are free to try any style of photography and if you like one style over the other that's fine but it should never cramp you desire for all photography the choice should always be yours and not others tell you what to do . It was a pleasure to watch and listen to your video. Thanks Adam
I left the Police in December 2019 before the March lockdown to do real estate photography full time. When lockdown struck I panicked because I had come from a job where I was guaranteed an income to not knowing where next weeks work would come from. Thankfully it's worked out well and 3 years ish later I'm busy as ever!!!! Love your videos keep them coming!
Hello Adam, I’ve been a subscriber to your channel for a long time (years), I don’t usually make comments, but this time I have to, this is one of your best videos. Be well and stay safe.
One of your best videos Adam. I love your technical photo example the most. A photo that is technical bad can be simultaneously artistically brilliant. Thank you for visually demonstrating that with your mediocre skills. A fan of your positivity. Luke
Free advice is rarely worth the price. This video is an exception. I do free work for worthy causes. In the last week I have done street photography in NYC, seascapes in Maine, Portraits of a 91/90 yo couple, landscapes, mountain-scapes, horses on a farm, birds in flight, flora, and butterflies. I have shot in Manual, Aperture, Shutter, Program, and Live Composite modes. I have perfected the art of mediocrity in all. At least it is fun!
Thanks Adam! The way you show us how we can make something positive in defying all the bad advice is really inspiring. I always feel a sense of hope after taking in what you say on your videos. One piece of advice I have heard quite a lot, and didn’t believe at first, was to not be disappointed if I don’t come back with a masterpiece every time I go out. How could I not be, having made the effort? I’ve learned over time that on days when the photography just isn’t ‘happening’ for whatever reason, slowing down and enjoying being out in nature, getting some exercise and disengaging from all the BS there is around the world and in our daily lives, is truly uplifting and more so than a photograph. On days when the photography is happening, it’s the icing on the cake.
Exactly! I’ve been told much the same and have ignored most of it! Thank you for taking the time to share some of these silly myths from a few maybe, jealous ?, people. Keep on my friend!
Hei man ! I am opening my photography business this August. This video was helpful for me. If you are getting haters then you should know you are doing things right ahahaha. Anyway we are all here on this planet to learn, and to do what we love.
Hi Adam, it's been a while since I've commented on one of your videos, mainly because you've become a bit of a desk jockey and not out and about as much. Nothing wrong with that, just not my preference, however this video hits the nail on the head as I also get really annoyed as an amateur photographer with the so-called gatekeepers.
I don't even ask for advice any more, I just do what I want and see what the reaction is. If it's good then I know I did something right that pleases someone which in turn helps my self esteem. If it crashes then I do something else. I've no plans to become a professional so this long winded approach suits me, but it really annoys me when I hear so called professionals handing out their single, so called correct approach to a topic. I look forward to seeing you out more, take care.
Thanks for sharing this. I have dabbled in a lot of different hobbies and gatekeepers are everywhere. But I most say that the photography trolls are the worst I've encountered. To the point where I almost never comment on videos about it anymore cause all I get is "you can't do landscape with an aps-c sensor" Or how are you expecting to get the right colour with that camera brand. I enjoy my stuff. I have a picture of a bird hanging on my wall. Taken with a, god forbid, telezoom with variable f/stop on an aps-c camera. I mean it's nothing for the galleries. But I like the bird. And that's what it should be all about.
Well said. Unfortunately the internet citizen’s are becoming more irrational due to the amount of ideologies and perception of perfection. Dear Adam i started following since I don’t remember when but for long time and it wasn’t the main reason your style of photography rather than because you are genuine and passionate about making videos related to photography. I remember now why I started following mate, it’s because I usually print my images on a regular bases and wanted to learn how to print and sync my monitor colors with the printer. Wish others be like you and all what you said in this post is true. As you said it’s all in the tone of the speaker/writer to know if he is genuine or not. 🙏
Adam- I love your channel and the passion you have. It comes out as honest and genuine. Loads of great life and photography advice. Keep up the great work.
I think specialising has served me well to develope photography But i have to say that after a one or two years i started to do all sorts of other types of photography and i was able to benefit from the pool of knowledge i had for portrait photography in other types of photography and learn new things i can integrate in portrait photography For me its like learning a language a bit, you should learn one language good before you start learning more I would advice to specialise early but just for a rather limited time
Good on you Adam for another intelligent video. Twitter, Facebook etc can be so toxic, but you see through the guff and continue to inspire those who appreciate and recognise knowledgeable, fun films.
This video couldn't have come at a better time Adam. I love the positivity that you include in your video. I have learned so much from you from the time of watching your channel. I really appreciate your approach to photography and your approach to encouraging your followers. Keep up the great work.
The WORST photography advice is give an advice 😁 I started to take photos 50 years ago, but never give an advice. Every person is so different, his life will be totally different from mine. Photography like music, as you have rightly argued, are arts and first of all they must satisfy you, then they can become a work. Creativity is the main rule to which the study must follow. Another great video. Thanks Adam.
I totally agree with what you have to say! Especially with specializing part... the fun of photography is the adventure part! I think it is fun to explore new techniques and skills! Ive been better with portraits and now i am exploring landscapes and street from what ive learned from portraits and they are similar but still different and hard! You dont have to be specialized in one thing, just keep exploring! I also agree with what you said with dont work for free! Ive been walking around downtown and taking photos for people for free... really great way to market yourself and self promote and get some new followers :)
I love your channel I find a few others are look at me look at my camera look what I'm doing etc ...you give off a very friendly impression that what your doing we could all do too 🙂
Thank you so much for your great advices and your channel is just great. Im about to start my own photography business and i will take your advices with me. Keep up the good work
Great video Adam, these sort of things meed to be discussed, there are so many people new to photography being given terrible advice and even spending money unnecessarily based on poor guidance, it makes me angry too. BTW, that tree shot lit by drone light is fab!
Adam, keep up the good work. The digital camera has allowed the masses to gain entry to what was once a rich man's hobby / profession and the old guard had to up their game and be more competitively priced. Now we have a new problem of people watching a few TH-cam videos after buying a £500 camera and believe they can do wedding shoots ! There are some very talented new people coming through, however they can be lost in masses !
Your first point was recently somewhat proven in some western society capitalist society studies. Those who spent their 20s trying out different things and working out what they enjoyed, often ended up making more money by their 30s or 40s. This assumes that they focus and are productive rather than spending their parents money travelling or sitting on the couch smoking weed - rather trying different jobs or doing shorter, cheaper technical college courses rather than expensive uni degrees. The hypothesis behind it is that those who experiment broadly are more likely to find something that they are both naturally talented at and which they enjoy. This combination leads to long term focus which leads to success. They found that those who specialized in their career early and stuck to it often burned out and either grew stagnant and unhappy by 30, or changed professions. Unfortunately this can be really hard to manage if you want to get into a career like law or medicine as it takes the first 10 to 20 or so years to really reach the start of your proper professional career. For a photographer though trying to chose a style, experimenting and being broad as early as possible is definitely the better advice!
I'm only an incidental photographer, as I prefer to paint and draw, but I really enjoyed this video Adam. I think your photography is very fine and I love the way you make your videos too, so I respect all the advice you give here. Thanks very much. Most entertaining!
I've always been a fan of 'mediocre' photography. 😊 I think you've hit the nail on the head when you talk about the art of photography. Many of the great artists aren't technically perfect yet their work is loved and revered. If I've learnt nothing else since taking my own photography journey I've learnt that you just have to keep practicing and let the people viewing your work feel how they want to about it.
When people ask me what is the most important thing they need as a professional photographer, I always say "A husband or wife with a salaried job so you can pay the bills and eat!"
Hi Adam! I remember when I'd only been doing photography for about 6 months, I was told by someone exactly the same thing.. maybe I should specialise in photographing one specific thing. And worst of all it wasn't even a photographer who 'advised' me to do it! Needless to say, that piece of 'advice' was duly ignored! I don't even like specialising these days if I'm honest. With it being just a hobby, I just photograph what takes my fancy on that particular day! You rock too mate!😁
That is exactly what I do! Mostly landscape but when I get a tickle, I like doing still life, wild life, macro and I even was into photographing models but I got over that quickly(people are a pain!).
@@gregs2466 D'ya know something, photographing people is the one thing I don't seem to be able to do! The few portraits I've tried to do have turned out rubbish! So I gave it up as a bad job!😆
I'm so glad you made this video! I know I've been very guilty of needing all my photos to be technically perfect, but not too long ago I realized that knowing the "rules" are important if only to then break them! I believe that the art and intension is so much more of the story your photo can tell. And I don't think I realised this in myself until helping others become better at taking photos and critiquing their work (at their request) and after awhile realize the harm I was doing to their art! and how important it is to break the rules and just create.
To help overcome technical perfection you can buy a book about photography, preferably by one of the masters that are dead and shot film. There will be no talk about ETTR, highlight-weighted metering, ISO etc. In a sense Ansel Adams is a perfectionist because of his zone system where every part of the image must fall into the correct zone, thereby creating a "silver exposure", but did he venture beyond that, like blown highlights? I say this not having seen most of his work so I make assumptions on the internet.
Someone else has probably mentioned this, but regarding technical perfection: Many, perhaps MOST, of the classic, iconic photographs of the 20th century are NOT technically perfect. They resonate with people, across years, decades, and generations, because they show interesting or moving stories.
Absolute Gold advice. Loved this video. I agree with everything you said. Take it as read you are an excellent pro photographer. Some images you taken have been mind blowing. I get very envious at your skill and how simple you make things look.
Enjoyed the discussion Adam, totally agree about making mistakes it’s one of the best way to learn. Loved seeing your image from Flamborough and as it happens will be there tomorrow morning for sunrise
![[กูเพิ่งซื้อมึงปิดหนี] 20 นาที ผมรีวิวเกมที่แย่ที่สุดในโลก CONCORD](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XhC-3q3Ii7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Hi Adam, I've been following your channel for a while now and your probably one of the most sincere photographers around. Keep it up. Greetings from the Netherlands.
Thanks Theo. very kind and much appreciated.
I’ve been a photographer for 5 years now and I’m still learning , we will never stop learning , point being , never let anyone make you doubt your worth and always be true to yourself.
I’m in the same boat as you. Sometimes overthinking and the imposter syndrome crawls in but is helpful to find this kind of content. 🙂
“Most of you will be shit at maths and nearly all of you will suck at football..” the absolute truth, perfectly put.
lol thanks
I applaud you for your frank and honest opinion, which I whole heartedly agree. No body becomes an expert by focussing on one specific avenue from the get go. Life is simply a long journey of discovery.
I also hated all those TH-camrs who say that mobile phone or micro four-thirds cameras are not landscape cameras. What a lot of ... Everyone should use whatever tool they like to enjoy their hobby or explore their creative talents.
Hi Adam, Simon from Australia here.
Two things:
Re the mediocre photography comment, why is this guy spending his valuable time watching "mediocre" photographers on TH-cam rather than getting out there and being an amazing photographer in his own right?
Second - I agree totally with not pigeon-holeing yourself. I describe myself.f as a photographer with particular interests in landscape, nightscape and light painting and keen to learn more about other genres.
Your channel brings value and your photos are really lovely. Thank you.
“Learn the rules first and then you can break them”. I hate that one. Though the end of the phrase gives you freedom so many people lock into the “rule of thirds” or “golden ratio” both for themselves and when viewing the work of others and I think that’s so limiting.
Yeah I’m not a fan of that one either. learn all the rules, artistic elements and artistic principles and they become the tools with which to make all your images.
Never stuck to any of the rules they are just a guide and that's all they will ever be nothing set in stone.
I’ve heard that a lot too and I really don’t like it. I hear it a lot from people who religiously always shoot rules of third and with a foreground element religiously and they think anything else is somehow not worthy.
Many let’s-not-worry-about-calling-them-“rules”, especially about composition, are post-hoc projections anyway. Not that you can’t go out the door thinking “let’s use a logarithmic spiral in the composition” if you want, but a crop in post can change everything…
Well I feel the secret is to know as much as possible, the rule of thirds can be useful, often is but not always. But it works, if you deviate it has to work.
I did listen to the advice of "specializing" when I started taking photography more seriously. I wanted to specialize in wildlife photography but in the back of my head I knew I wanted to do landscape as well. I knew I had a knack for landscape photography back when photography was more of a hobby for me. I don't specialize anymore. I'm interested in all forms of photography and enjoy taking on the challenges that they have to offer. I recently did my first real estate shoot and was pretty satisfied with the images I created.
I find IG audiences _very_ genre-specific. I’m into nature including landscape, drone work and astrophotography, so on any given day I might have 3-4 landscapes at the top of my stream but go around liking other folks’ astro shots, so they come looking, see nothing applicable at the top… it’s hard to appreciate other folks are real people into multiple things.
@@spodzone That's because social services actually support that behaviour, enclosing people into specialized "bubbles" - they often won't show you anything outside of what you've recently looked at / searched, to drive engagement up. And sadly, it works for them, but it's very much against people who do various things, forcing them to have multiple accounts.
I'm an old guy that's been shooting since the 70s... I always thought landscape photography led to wildlife photography and vice versa. Always take a telephoto lens with you on landscape adventures. (That's good advice). Sometimes it works for the landscape at the moment... many times you discover wildlife when you're out there.
I can relate with you a lot. I started doing (and I still do) lifestyle portrait photography and due to the borders being close (in Japan) I adventure in doing more of street photography and comparing the photos now from when I started I can notice how much of portrait photography I apply to street photography and vice versa.
Every video you make, Adam, is a treat of knowledge and entertainment.
Thanks, very kind
Thank god there's someone out there talking some sense that's relatable to everyone
Agree with all of the points you make Adam, but "work smarter" especially. I am retired now, but all we used to hear from our line manager was "work smarter". We spent twice as much time on projects and reviews of our work than actually doing the work.
When you mention the sharpness police, I always remember Ansel Adams quote “There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept”. Many of these gatekeepers are so obsessed with technical aspects, or gear, they have forgotten about creating a compelling image.
I absolutely love your content, and your honest approach to what make a great “photographer”. What I find interesting, is that people, often your so called mentors, tend to guide you and help your growth as an artist, right up until, the see you may be a threat to them by getting good at your art form. I had this happen to me at a younger age, and it impacted me greatly. I got ghosted by my mentor and it took a long time to find out, that he did this because he was threatened by my work and somehow would surpass his skills and make him less than. He often put down my work and pointed out technical flaws and never showed me a way to make my art better other then getting exposure right or composition etc. It was total rubbish, I was just doing my thing and not trying to compete with anyone. This was when I was striking out as a “professional” and it impacted me in a way, that kept me from making a go of striking out on my own. The good part of all that, was I was able to just concentrate on making image that I loved and to get better at the things that made me happy with my photography. I now approach things differently, and follow my heart in making photos. I love what I produce, and that’s the best way to be happy with your work… make any sense to you at all?
I took a coaching course for youth rugby. A major thing they emphasized was 3 positives for one negative. So the kids don't just hear "NO" all day long. I've only ever given one bit of photography advice online, but I followed the "I like what you did here" and "I thought this was great" and "keep at it", before I offered what I hoped to be constructive criticism (basically: be careful as to what is in the background so it doesn't take away from your subject - which was cars- pretty benign stuff).
Telling kids they can be whatever they want... That made me laugh. Very accurate ! Great video man !
Exactly!
Also made me feel redeemed, been saying this for years with much resistance, however the sooner we learn reality the happier we can be individually. As a community our children benefit from all of so many unknown mentors.
@@alanvandenbroek1089 excellent point!
Hi Adam, I started following you on Twitter and it led me to your YT channel and wanted to express that after watching just 2 of your videos I find your content so honest and fresh.
These are tremendous tips to apply in any stage of our photography career. Thank you 😌
Hey Adam,
I think you got it to the point in this one. This dos and don'ts from more experienced photographers (no matter whether professional or not) can put a heavy load on someone's shoulder, preventing to improve your skills or even showing your work. "It's good but..." "you could try this ...." yeah sure... sometimes you just want to show smth and sometimes you want an advice - but not every single time! Ignoring this might help, but (in my case at least) there is this voice saying "this critic is correct" and that's annoying 😒 I guess what I want to say is: it's nice to see that others (even really good ones imho) struggle with this too and that it's not only my fault... thanks for sharing, love your videos and their open hearted character!! ❤️
Just stumbled onto this video and absolutely love your approach to business and life. The section on work smarter not harder is absolutely brilliant and a much needed message for young people in all aspects of life. Opportunity is everywhere and the attitude of working smart but being willing to outwork the other guy is a key concept. I’m just a hobby photographer and have been since I was 12 (a long time ago) and this video has inspired me to get out there and shoot more. Bravo.
Adam, when you mentioned the "gate keepers" the first thing I thought off is how when I retired from the US military young Soldiers would ask what advice I had to give and I now do the same for new photographers. You are your own gate keeper and you alone have the drive and power to accomplish whatever you set your mind too. I honestly feel that I as a photographer take the shots I like and what makes me happy. Which is what I mentioned the other month to a young lady who said that she couldn't take great photos because her gear was just a cheap point and shoot camera. So after and several hours I proved that she could she just had to work and master the basics first but never stop learning, when you do then you only failed yourself and don't compare yourself and work to others. In the past I have seen professionals make mistakes and put out some horrible work, and so have I, but when you learn and grow along side your photos then you no longer need that gate as you are standing outside of it. Just my thoughts, wonderful video yet again.
Another great encouragement...... as a person who loves nature and takes tourists (and locals) into the "middle of nowhere" on this Caribbean island.... I take a LOT of photos ........ I critic my own photos heavily and only display a fraction of the images I shoot online HOWEVER I find the Flickr to be particularly good indicator of the "better" photos....... and all beginner photographers need their yardstick..... and to understand that photography itself PREDATES the "rules" we all learn when studying the subject ....... rules are only useful in so far as they enable people without "creative eye" to potentially take photos that are popular with the public ....... I have taken some photos that resonate with my spirit (and would never have mass appeal) ..... and yet again, I have taken other photos that are widely popular for reasons that have little to do with photography alone ("nude in paradise" .... just as an example) ...... once we have achieved technical mastery of manual mode and the camera has become an extension of ourselves ...... it is ALL about ART ...... and we are free to stamp "our" view of the world into our work ...... this causes the passion to flow and the best work to surface
About the first advice, I found that it's better to learn as many different genres of photography that you can. The techniques you learn from one type can help you in other types. I like landscape photography probably the most. I have done some portraits though and I find that my environmental portraits are better than a lot of other photographers in my area because I first learned landscape. I have even taken handheld 2 shot brackets and blended the exposures together. I know when to include more depth of field when there's a nice background and when to blur it out. I'm just getting into macro. When photographing small insects, it's sort of like portrait and landscape photography. The insect is the main subject but you can include other elements into the shot to show their surroundings but you also have to have the right kind of light. This may include using flash or reflectors. Knowing how to focus stack landscape images comes in handy for macro. One thing I'm not good at is street photography where you're taking pictures of strangers walking around. But learning how to do that builds confidence and helps you when dealing with clients or guests at a wedding. Everything you learn about one type of photography helps you in other types.
I love the “gatekeepers” haha. I actually saw on a FB group for beginners, a person said that “in order to be taken seriously as a photographer you MUST use Photoshop and Lightroom”. He actually refused to answer me when I asked how a client would know what software was used.
Ha. and some Capture One users say that about PS & LR users.
@@Firstmanphotography I use ON1, so I can only imagine what they think about me. Haha
Joe Christina would have a comment about that with his 'Life After Adobe Series'. I primarily use Luminar myself and your point is well taken.
I studied Photography at College, & one of the first bits of advice we were given was to avoid Camera Clubs. For the very reasons you are stating. Being a mature student I popped along to my local club to see if it was true. I genuinely couldn't believe the advice they were giving out, just about everything you've stated in your video & much more! I lasted two weeks, After the 3000th photo I couldn't stand seeing yet another photo of a Blue Tit on a feeder ha ha ha.
At my college we were taught all aspects of photography, except landscape & macro funnily enough. It was more of a Commercial Photography syllabus, & landscape & macro weren't on the national syllabus. The Tutors however did give advice on ALL aspects of photography when asked.
If you just specialise in one field you miss out on so much more. The more you push yourself the more you learn, & you never stop learning in photography
I have lots of photos that have noise, are out of focus, and motion blur. Some of them are my favorites. Why? Because as imperfect as they are, they’re a moment in time. Imperfect as they are, they happened once, and I captured them.
When I started my photography and design business up in 2011, my brother had this to say about it: "Why would YOU start up a photography business? You're not even a REAL photographer!" When I asked him what he meant by "REAL photographer", in an extremely snotty tone he responded with, "I have a friend who is a real pro photographer with multiple college degrees and she owns a $20,000 camera. She is a real photographer, not you!" I responded with, "in order to be a so-called "real photographer" neither a college degree nor a $20,000 camera is required. What is required is a creative eye, as well as an understanding of composition, lighting, and camera settings. Do college degrees and expensive gear make you better at it? No."
By the way, in 2011 when I started up my business, I had been doing photography for 10 years and did in fact study it in college. I had a $2400 camera, not a $20,000 though lol.
If you ever give up being a “mediocre” photographer Adam, you would do really well as a motivational speaker.
In the meantime, I will continue to follow your best advice and enjoy the time I get to spend taking photos.
Thanks for sharing again Adam.
Stay safe 🇦🇺
There is a risk for an amateur photographer to get fixated on the latest camera and change system often. I think the lenses are the important bit. If you change system often it will take time to learn a new camera and you get stuck in your development. My mistakes are that I often collect equipment that I seldom use but have a theoretical idea that I need in a future project. I have since then stop getting new hardware but instead learn Art and photographic history but that have limit my joy of using my equipment and I have taking less photographs until that have become a problem. When My D300 broke down after 13 year use I got a 2nd hand D700 until I can afford a D850 but this has turn on my need for more lenses. As two Zooms 24-70mm E VR, 70-200mm E VR . 19mm TS and 500mmE VR lens and a future need for Z8 with a FTZ adapter, I think teaching Art a regular use the equipment in small project is the way forward.
Thanks for all the valuable tips from your "mediocre" photos! Your negative experience sums up what a sewer Twitter is. I gave up on it years ago. Keep going!
Great advice Adam....Just enjoy the creative ride!
Love your advice, there are way to many naysayers, normally those people do not have the ability to produce inspiring images themselves, but the best thing we can do is ignore them, and shoot the way we want, baseing our learning from people like you, positive, constructive, encougaging, individuals, keep up the good work !
I love your channel. You are not only sincere but you get emotional at times. If you aren't emotional and passionate about what you are doing, you probably are in the wrong field of work. Please keep on doing these videos.
Good advice. I like to shoot landscapes but am always alert to the unusual. Thanks for the video.
Thank. appreciate your comment.
You are extremely wise, thank you for sharing and motivating!
I could not agree more.
I personally have never given much importance to free advice from people I don't know and who don't know me. As far as photography is concerned, I do what gives me the most pleasure at that moment. I don't even wait for the sunset or the clouds in the sky. Any time, place or weather conditions are good for practicing photography. And as for technicalities, I also learned that I will never achieve perfection, neither I nor anyone else. In terms of artistic expression, each person is unique, in what they create and also in the way they see other people's art. It's all very subjective. As for the "gatekeepers", they should learn a little about life in general and develop their common sense. Nobody knows and will never know everything about anything.
Keep up the good work, even if "mediocre", I'll be on this side waiting for a few more minutes of knowledge and wisdom, and also good entertainment. See you soon.
Great advice to ignore some bad advice indeed! :-) To me, any advice smelling like pigeonholing is probably the worst of all. Making people think in preconceived, "pure" categories of photography kills creativity and, tragically, it is the sort of advice that beginners are bombarded with. Escaping the rut that this way of thinking leads to is a challenge that many struggle with, including myself.
exactly.
Great video, and thanks. I agree fully that specializing is not necessary and possibly detrimental. Another photographer I follow on TH-cam once challenged himself to ensure he took shots regardless of weather, lighting, etcetera. He discovered that there is a world of small things that he was missing by focusing only on the large landscapes. I have tried many types of photography, and enjoy every one of them. For me it is more important to see the world around us and document the story we see and experience. Please keep up the great work you are sharing with us. Cheers.
Great advice Adam. Just watched Mali's video where he thanked you for that spectacular print he purchased from you. Loved Mail's video and yours too.
I started out shooting sports as I knew it was what I was most passionate about. But I love testing myself so I seek out opportunities to shoot out of my comfort zone. That's how I added concert photography to my work flow. The pandemic took away my work so it allowed me to go out and shoot nature and street photography even more than I would have. I love when photographers tell others never work for free. I can't imagine any photographer that got paid 100% from the start. I'm always looking for ways to use my love of photography to bring joy to others. Yes, that includes giving my work as a gift. Gate keepers only stifle passion. I welcome others into the world I shoot. I believe in passing it forward.
I'm doing some large format film photography now and all these things apply multiplied by a factor of 100. The snobbery is unreal and unbearable at times. The finger of doom is pointed at you if any of your camera/scanning/processing gear has the dreaded label 'consumer' attached to it. Unless you are drum scanning, coating your own glass plates, making alternative process prints from toxic chemicals (I have some for sale if you want?) or using 100 year old lenses, you are looked down upon. That said, there are also some good types out there amongst the Gatekeepers.
Interesting comments Adam. As a newbie to photography, I’ve already learned that everyone has an opinion on what you should do, and few share the same opinion. This has led me to ignore most of it and try lots of different things, my favourite being woodland, closely followed by macro and landscape. I have however been “scared” to share some images, such as splash photography or macro images using a flash or light painting with some other photographers because it isn’t their area of speciality. Regardless of peoples thoughts or opinions, I love getting lost in finding and taking images, and that has remained my main focus.
Agreed, Adam. I've seen photographers very successfully combine genres. The most obvious example is portrait and landscape (e.g., a couple getting married in a stunning outdoors setting or a dramatic landscape with a person showing the scale and depth of the geography in some way)
I'm a student photographer and it's hard to know what's acceptable and good photography. Very helpful video.
I thought it was neat how you lit the tree from above with the drone.
“Sh*t at math” hilarious!…Ah yes many of us have been told to “specialize” in something (and occasionally still do), and it’s quite rubbish I think. There are tons of people who just enjoy it for numerous reasons (travel, hobby, etc.)…Nice vid as always. You’re one of the few ones that I genuinely watch & follow. Cheers man 👍🏽
Great positive film Adam. One piece of advice I hear which is terribly misleading is “the gear doesn’t matter” . I remember a while back when many photographers who have TH-cam presence were all claiming that gear doesn’t matter, then before too long they were all releasing films with them featuring their medium format cameras, many of them had upgraded to the best possible gear, thankfully it’s rare now for any of them to proclaim “ the gear doesn’t matter” well I can say after nearly forty years of experience, the gear does absolutely matter if one is trying for a certain look in their photographs. Learning and realising what gear is needed for different types of photography and certain images is all part of the art, much of which comes from experience! Keep positive buddy, your films are always uplifting 👏😀👍
Thanks mate. I find it’s like rich people saying money doesn’t matter. Photo gear is like most tech where its the law of diminishing returns as price gets higher.
The ‘gear doesn’t matter debate’ is very contentious for all the reasons people have stated. I think many understand that a full frame versus a crop sensor, or a medium-format versus a full-frame camera, will give you more options if you want to print big. Gear that makes me want to keep picking up my camera and shooting is going to make me a better photographer through practice. I still have a crop sensor and I’m on a budget, but I still want to shoot with it. I am saving up for a full frame and good glass. My aim is to eventually have the ability to sell some prints. But I don’t believe for a moment the camera on its own is going to make me a better photographer without the practice.
I notice you have discovered the sheer power of negative TH-cam titles 😂 Great video though, I agree on the advice!
Ha yeah. they really seem to be resonating at the moment with the current state of the world. if people feel even a tiny bit more hopeful or positive after they’ve watched, then to me, that’s a win.
Adam - great advice and some very cool images. I'd be happy to hang either your Lone Tree or Lighthouse image on one of my walls. Love the positivity mate. Keep on keeping on and taking great photos.
Ive learned in the last past few months to shoot what ever catches my eye, im no longer caught up on getting the sharpest image ect. Really good advice on this video
Great advice & another thoughtful video. Keep up the good work Adam.
Thanks, will do!
Love your authenticity.
Great video!! The section about creativity reminded me of a quote from Scott Adams. “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, art is knowing which ones to keep.”
I would tell a beginner to learn the triangle of aperture, shutter speed and ISO and how they work as a team. Learning the triangle will help you graduate from being a mere button presser to taking control of your camera and how your shots look.
A very helpful and encouraging video Adam. So sensible, no bull and down to earth. If anything could make someone want to get out there with their cameras, it would be your videos. Thanks!
it's nice to see the enthusiasm you display while talking about photography, this is what any beginner should hear when starting out. I do photography as my job, and enjoy everyday at my job. keep up the good work.
Love your content, Adam. You've become my favourite photography channel because of your realistic approach, calling out BS and not selling people pipe dreams. One thing I've learned in 20+ years of being in business though is something along those lines of "work smarter not harder" except I've changed it. My motto is now "do less work for more money" and you can apply this to everything, for example putting your prices up as much as possible, be that guy who is the most expensive. People will assume you're the best and want to hire you. Another example could be putting less effort into capturing an amazing image. I bet some of your best selling and most creative 'art' pieces are the ones that just happened easily. Happy accidents. More of this instead of busting a nut trying get the perfect image, under then perfect conditions and then spending 30 hours on editing it. True art always has that magic about it where it feels like it's creating itself and you're only there to watch it happen. At least that's been my experience.
Man !!! I love your videos and your perspective on photography and Life in general. You do a wonderful job in teaching, explaining and mentoring us new and "mediocre" photographers to work at it and getting better along the way. I watch a lot of Photography videos BUT very few I follow all the time, you are one of those few I watch every time a new one comes on. Thanks so much for your wisdom in photography but mostly for your wisdom in LIFE !!! Thanks Adam
I appreciate that!
After two videos of yours, I'm such a fan (okay, I'll tone it down a bit). So much great stuff to unpack here, and so REFRESHING! As you hit on just moments into this video, while the opinion is yours (and for what it's worth, mine), shooting different subjects/environments/concepts allows you to translate knowledge from one area to another. In my personal experience, learning street dances translated to Swing, Hustle, Country Western, Argentine Tango, and Ballroom. Skills and techniques learned one place could translate somewhere else. Then you could find what you love, and if desired, focus on only that. Focusing from the beginning can lead to burn out early (I've seen it many times). I understand where the "adviser" was coming from, but it's just one opinion, so I hope the youth is smart enough to incorporate it all and make his/her own decision. I now completed the video and it brought up so many emotions. I suppose I'm either too old or experienced because I hear your words resonate with my development. It's far to easy for someone to project their value system on others work, whether it be dance, photography, music etc. This can stifle growth (and we all start out miserable, well most of us anyway). Instead of "work smarter, not harder" (I agree with you, working hard is not a bad thing), I would suggest that as one grows, to have a plan and something to work on, but be flexible if the opportunity presents itself to change. It's so important to understand and feed someone's growth, but all too uncommon. Before I leave, "perfection" is a goal, not a reality. We can't all be stars, but we can all shine. Well done. Subscribed. Keep up the great work, and wonderful shots.
I always enjoy your insight on all things photography. Thank you for sharing.
As always, Adam, great advice. I shot motorsport on film for several years for various publishers. I was always rushing from one location to the next, trying to capture that one elusive image that no-one else had. Eventually, it wore me out. I've taken lately to landscapes, where I feel I can slow down and take my time to create an image that suits me (and not necessarily anybody else) without the pressure associated with sport photography. As for advice for beginners, I think they should just experiment and try anything and everything. With the advantages of digital imaging these days, a budding photographer can quickly see what they are producing and elect to keep or delete.
This is the best advice I have ever heard from someone that is down to earth about photography .you are free to try any style of photography and if you like one style over the other that's fine but it should never cramp you desire for all photography the choice should always be yours and not others tell you what to do . It was a pleasure to watch and listen to your video. Thanks Adam
I left the Police in December 2019 before the March lockdown to do real estate photography full time. When lockdown struck I panicked because I had come from a job where I was guaranteed an income to not knowing where next weeks work would come from. Thankfully it's worked out well and 3 years ish later I'm busy as ever!!!! Love your videos keep them coming!
That’s awesome to hear.
So many good points here, Adam. We definitely think alike. And as for your ‘imperfect’ shots of your favourite tree and the lighthouse… Spectacular.
You are too kind as ever Peter. Thank you so much.
@@Firstmanphotography Such a shame you don’t live here, but a pleasure to know you this way, nonetheless.
Love love love your videos Adam! Thanks for being encouraging for the sake of art!
Hello Adam, I’ve been a subscriber to your channel for a long time (years), I don’t usually make comments, but this time I have to, this is one of your best videos. Be well and stay safe.
Wow, thank you. means a lot.
thanks. lot of this things are on my "personal playlist" of living, but is good to refefresh my ideas.
One of your best videos Adam. I love your technical photo example the most. A photo that is technical bad can be simultaneously artistically brilliant. Thank you for visually demonstrating that with your mediocre skills.
A fan of your positivity. Luke
Thanks Luke. really appreciate your support here and on twitter.
This is an excellent video presentation and some very useful advice. Thank you for posting it.
Adam, thanks for being encouraging and supportive. We are here to have fun with photography, right?
Free advice is rarely worth the price. This video is an exception.
I do free work for worthy causes.
In the last week I have done street photography in NYC, seascapes in Maine, Portraits of a 91/90 yo couple, landscapes, mountain-scapes, horses on a farm, birds in flight, flora, and butterflies. I have shot in Manual, Aperture, Shutter, Program, and Live Composite modes. I have perfected the art of mediocrity in all. At least it is fun!
Thanks Adam! The way you show us how we can make something positive in defying all the bad advice is really inspiring. I always feel a sense of hope after taking in what you say on your videos. One piece of advice I have heard quite a lot, and didn’t believe at first, was to not be disappointed if I don’t come back with a masterpiece every time I go out. How could I not be, having made the effort? I’ve learned over time that on days when the photography just isn’t ‘happening’ for whatever reason, slowing down and enjoying being out in nature, getting some exercise and disengaging from all the BS there is around the world and in our daily lives, is truly uplifting and more so than a photograph. On days when the photography is happening, it’s the icing on the cake.
Exactly! I’ve been told much the same and have ignored most of it! Thank you for taking the time to share some of these silly myths from a few maybe, jealous ?, people. Keep on my friend!
Thanks Shannon. appreciate it
Thanks Adam. Inspiring and authentic. Much appreciated. Cheers! Dave
Hei man ! I am opening my photography business this August. This video was helpful for me. If you are getting haters then you should know you are doing things right ahahaha. Anyway we are all here on this planet to learn, and to do what we love.
Hi Adam, it's been a while since I've commented on one of your videos, mainly because you've become a bit of a desk jockey and not out and about as much. Nothing wrong with that, just not my preference, however this video hits the nail on the head as I also get really annoyed as an amateur photographer with the so-called gatekeepers.
I don't even ask for advice any more, I just do what I want and see what the reaction is. If it's good then I know I did something right that pleases someone which in turn helps my self esteem. If it crashes then I do something else. I've no plans to become a professional so this long winded approach suits me, but it really annoys me when I hear so called professionals handing out their single, so called correct approach to a topic.
I look forward to seeing you out more, take care.
Thanks for sharing this.
I have dabbled in a lot of different hobbies and gatekeepers are everywhere. But I most say that the photography trolls are the worst I've encountered. To the point where I almost never comment on videos about it anymore cause all I get is "you can't do landscape with an aps-c sensor" Or how are you expecting to get the right colour with that camera brand.
I enjoy my stuff. I have a picture of a bird hanging on my wall. Taken with a, god forbid, telezoom with variable f/stop on an aps-c camera. I mean it's nothing for the galleries. But I like the bird. And that's what it should be all about.
Well said. Unfortunately the internet citizen’s are becoming more irrational due to the amount of ideologies and perception of perfection.
Dear Adam i started following since I don’t remember when but for long time and it wasn’t the main reason your style of photography rather than because you are genuine and passionate about making videos related to photography. I remember now why I started following mate, it’s because I usually print my images on a regular bases and wanted to learn how to print and sync my monitor colors with the printer.
Wish others be like you and all what you said in this post is true. As you said it’s all in the tone of the speaker/writer to know if he is genuine or not. 🙏
Adam- I love your channel and the passion you have. It comes out as honest and genuine. Loads of great life and photography advice. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Jake. Photography is life.
I know I get a lot from your videos and learn from them. Don’t let people get you down there will always be mean people
I think specialising has served me well to develope photography
But i have to say that after a one or two years i started to do all sorts of other types of photography and i was able to benefit from the pool of knowledge i had for portrait photography in other types of photography and learn new things i can integrate in portrait photography
For me its like learning a language a bit, you should learn one language good before you start learning more
I would advice to specialise early but just for a rather limited time
Good on you Adam for another intelligent video. Twitter, Facebook etc can be so toxic, but you see through the guff and continue to inspire those who appreciate and recognise knowledgeable, fun films.
Thanks for that, much appreciated.
This video couldn't have come at a better time Adam. I love the positivity that you include in your video. I have learned so much from you from the time of watching your channel. I really appreciate your approach to photography and your approach to encouraging your followers. Keep up the great work.
what great video Adam, top stuff and some really excellent advice. Keep up the good work 👍
The WORST photography advice is give an advice 😁 I started to take photos 50 years ago, but never give an advice. Every person is so different, his life will be totally different from mine. Photography like music, as you have rightly argued, are arts and first of all they must satisfy you, then they can become a work. Creativity is the main rule to which the study must follow. Another great video. Thanks Adam.
Thanks buddy
New to your channel some really great points..especially "sh*t at math ..." lol. going to binge on a few more.TY again
Awesome! Thank you!
I totally agree with what you have to say! Especially with specializing part... the fun of photography is the adventure part! I think it is fun to explore new techniques and skills! Ive been better with portraits and now i am exploring landscapes and street from what ive learned from portraits and they are similar but still different and hard! You dont have to be specialized in one thing, just keep exploring!
I also agree with what you said with dont work for free! Ive been walking around downtown and taking photos for people for free... really great way to market yourself and self promote and get some new followers :)
Adam as always great video you really are a true gentleman.
I love your channel I find a few others are look at me look at my camera look what I'm doing etc ...you give off a very friendly impression that what your doing we could all do too 🙂
Thanks Liam. Means a lot.
Thank you so much for your great advices and your channel is just great. Im about to start my own photography business and i will take your advices with me. Keep up the good work
Great video Adam, these sort of things meed to be discussed, there are so many people new to photography being given terrible advice and even spending money unnecessarily based on poor guidance, it makes me angry too. BTW, that tree shot lit by drone light is fab!
Thanks Simon. Appreciate it very much.
That personwho said your photography is mediocre has no idea... let's see some of theirs...
Adam, keep up the good work.
The digital camera has allowed the masses to gain entry to what was once a rich man's hobby / profession and the old guard had to up their game and be more competitively priced.
Now we have a new problem of people watching a few TH-cam videos after buying a £500 camera and believe they can do wedding shoots !
There are some very talented new people coming through, however they can be lost in masses !
Your first point was recently somewhat proven in some western society capitalist society studies. Those who spent their 20s trying out different things and working out what they enjoyed, often ended up making more money by their 30s or 40s. This assumes that they focus and are productive rather than spending their parents money travelling or sitting on the couch smoking weed - rather trying different jobs or doing shorter, cheaper technical college courses rather than expensive uni degrees. The hypothesis behind it is that those who experiment broadly are more likely to find something that they are both naturally talented at and which they enjoy. This combination leads to long term focus which leads to success. They found that those who specialized in their career early and stuck to it often burned out and either grew stagnant and unhappy by 30, or changed professions. Unfortunately this can be really hard to manage if you want to get into a career like law or medicine as it takes the first 10 to 20 or so years to really reach the start of your proper professional career. For a photographer though trying to chose a style, experimenting and being broad as early as possible is definitely the better advice!
I'm only an incidental photographer, as I prefer to paint and draw, but I really enjoyed this video Adam. I think your photography is very fine and I love the way you make your videos too, so I respect all the advice you give here. Thanks very much. Most entertaining!
I've always been a fan of 'mediocre' photography. 😊 I think you've hit the nail on the head when you talk about the art of photography. Many of the great artists aren't technically perfect yet their work is loved and revered.
If I've learnt nothing else since taking my own photography journey I've learnt that you just have to keep practicing and let the people viewing your work feel how they want to about it.
When people ask me what is the most important thing they need as a professional photographer, I always say "A husband or wife with a salaried job so you can pay the bills and eat!"
Hi Adam! I remember when I'd only been doing photography for about 6 months, I was told by someone exactly the same thing.. maybe I should specialise in photographing one specific thing. And worst of all it wasn't even a photographer who 'advised' me to do it! Needless to say, that piece of 'advice' was duly ignored! I don't even like specialising these days if I'm honest. With it being just a hobby, I just photograph what takes my fancy on that particular day! You rock too mate!😁
Exactly. variety is the spice of life. Thanks mate.
That is exactly what I do! Mostly landscape but when I get a tickle, I like doing still life, wild life, macro and I even was into photographing models but I got over that quickly(people are a pain!).
@@gregs2466 D'ya know something, photographing people is the one thing I don't seem to be able to do! The few portraits I've tried to do have turned out rubbish! So I gave it up as a bad job!😆
I'm so glad you made this video! I know I've been very guilty of needing all my photos to be technically perfect, but not too long ago I realized that knowing the "rules" are important if only to then break them! I believe that the art and intension is so much more of the story your photo can tell. And I don't think I realised this in myself until helping others become better at taking photos and critiquing their work (at their request) and after awhile realize the harm I was doing to their art! and how important it is to break the rules and just create.
To help overcome technical perfection you can buy a book about photography, preferably by one of the masters that are dead and shot film. There will be no talk about ETTR, highlight-weighted metering, ISO etc.
In a sense Ansel Adams is a perfectionist because of his zone system where every part of the image must fall into the correct zone, thereby creating a "silver exposure", but did he venture beyond that, like blown highlights?
I say this not having seen most of his work so I make assumptions on the internet.
Helpful advice Adam thanks, starting out I got stuck in the TFP cycle, very difficult not to be taken advantage of.
Someone else has probably mentioned this, but regarding technical perfection: Many, perhaps MOST, of the classic, iconic photographs of the 20th century are NOT technically perfect. They resonate with people, across years, decades, and generations, because they show interesting or moving stories.
Absolute Gold advice. Loved this video. I agree with everything you said. Take it as read you are an excellent pro photographer. Some images you taken have been mind blowing. I get very envious at your skill and how simple you make things look.
Hi Adam. I had no idea about prizes…… I meant every word I said. Lovely surprise thank you.
Enjoyed the discussion Adam, totally agree about making mistakes it’s one of the best way to learn. Loved seeing your image from Flamborough and as it happens will be there tomorrow morning for sunrise
nice. respect for getting up that early.