I did a shoot with Damon this year and he was very warm. He shook all our hands and repeated our names back to us and gave us time despite the fact that we was about to perform. I'm sure he's just like any human and capable of being annoyed or prickly depending on the day.
I was so glad to hear the part at the end about Fred quitting software development and the corporate life to follow passions and live life. I did the same about 15 years ago, setting up my own business in publishing and also writing my own books but essentially I just work how and when I want. I've definitely made a little less money in total but my life is amazing and I'm so much happier, which is what I'd want for anyone. Create cool stuff, live life, be free, be happy 🙂
Completely agree. I used to think it doesn't matter what you do and its all about the money. But, how wrong i was! As long as you have enough to get by, you are better off doing something you enjoy. Thanks for the comment
Glad I found your channel, keep up the good work. I am not a photographer but love to hear about the craft, tech and gear, almost more than about the artists themselves.
I grew up in the 80s, so I'm probably about the same age as Harry and I've noticed his name many times over the years, but until fairly recently I had no idea what he, or any of his peers, looked like; they were just names, in magazines, or records sleeve credits, so it's good to put a face to the name. The pictures of Damon and Jamie are excellent; I bought that Observer for the music magazine, and I used to buy Select, so I remember the Blur photographs too. Your channel is very entertaining, and provides a great insight into rock photography. Stroppy singers should remember that recording artists aren't pop stars, without photographers.
When I quit my corporate job to pursue a career in audio, I was worried about what my dad would say - turned out he was really supportive as I think he wished he'd done the same. Great to see Harry's so supportive - and proud - of Fred.
You didn’t mention this photoshoot in the Blur episode, so I was hoping it would get its own - glad I guessed right. It’s great to see unpublished shots of Damon and Jamie. The ones with Jamie and the actors are delightful; (only two made it into that Observer Music Monthly issue, including the pic with Fred!).
Haha yeah I thought Gorillaz deserved their own video. I really like this shoot, its fun seeing how playful the two of them are together. And yeah, there are always so many that didn't make it, Harry often looks back and wonders why he chose specific images over others for the final selection. Thanks for the great comment!
Absolutely loved your take on the photography industry now and how anyone who wants to even try to make a living from it must be so aware of the way the entire world of imagery/media operates. Things have changed so much....being nimble/flexible both creatively & on the business side are now very important than ever before. Glued to content as you post....
I did the original MONKEY production photography for MIF (Manchester International Festival) Damien All-Bran,was our term of endearment,like you my prices have pretty much flat-lined for 30 years,although my time ‘on the job’ has more than doubled (post production kills me if I get busy) I think you were undercharging though,my day-rate has always been…£600 average,£800 for a ‘palaver’(Although obviously there’s a lot of half days)..direct for client,mostly in the arts…it’s been a great life,I feel lucky and like I retired 30 years ago (I’m 56) All I can say is it sure beats working for a living,when you love your job…and ALL my work comes from word of mouth…it’s a small city,and I’m a big guy ! Cheers for all your efforts,proper Time Machine stuff.
Thanks for the great comment! I googled the photography for the MIF Monkey productiona and it looks amazing, I assume some of it was yours. Looks like you did a wicked job. And yes I think Harry could relate to a lot of what you have said regarding shooting, nothing beats being your own boss.
@ aye,Joel Chester Fildes (Google images is my ‘website’!),I too have a millennium son that I took on shoots,he’s doing bits of video now too,seems it’s a way of life,keep up the great work,it’s less lonely knowing there are ‘others’ out there ! It can be a struggle,but we ARE the lucky ones…and as the old joke goes,the more pics I take,the luckier I get ! …CHEERS.
Hi Fred and Harry. This was insightful on many level and it was good to hear you talking about money. I expect some people will be shocked at what they perceive are low fees as they probably associate the person in the photo being commensurate to higher fees. Photography evolves, and at the moment, AI is making it akin to the wild west in the eyes of some when in reality it is a market shift. Creators are fearful of what awaits, however, as shown in your videos. The humanity and interactions between people will see us through. Have a good start to the week fellas...laters.
Thanks as always for the great comments. I thought the same about the money, it is surprising. And totally agree regarding the AI.. Can't replace actual human reaction/interaction (atleast not yet 😅)
Fred! Great video. I love Gorillaz so I had to click. I currently shoot on a 1DS mark ii (yeah it’s 20 years old) so that was really neat to hear that it was used for digitals. Cheers from Canada! -Bensen (I stayed at your bnb last month)
Hey Bensen! Good to hear from you and thanks for checking out the channel. It's a great camera, perfectly capable of creating some great images! And, glad you enjoyed the video thanks for the comment :)
Quickly become one of my favourite channels, as someone just getting into photography (just picked up a fujifilm x10) you are an inspiration with some gems of knowledge about photography, people and life. Thank you
I really enjoy your stories about the shoots you do. It's also good to hear who's nice and who's a wanker. I completely agree with how photography has evolved; now you have to offer video as well and run a TH-cam channel. - Stewart from Australia
Poignant discussion on the changes of business conditions for photographers. I find it really sad that people can't make a living on good photography anymore. Being an influencer or sort of marketing assistant isn't the same as making great photographs for posterity.
Thank you! We always look forward to your comments and really appreciate you writing them. We definitely agree but I think (hopefully) new opportunities will arise which will call for great posteric? photographs once again. Thanks again for the great comment.
Just wanted to say my signed copy of Starwhite arrived today, thank you so much, its a great photobook, torn between the Minnie Driver photo or the Anna Friel Photo for my favourite shot. Any chance we can have a video around either of those? Thanks again, Harry your work is an inspiration and a walk down memory lane as I've said before these images are so familiar as they surrounded my early to late 20's. Fred, love these videos, thank you for sharing your Dad with the world, appreciate the skill and effort in getting this content out. Thanks both of you.
So interesting. The backstory, the business aspect, technical details behind the shoot - love it. In my view with the rise of AI, the story behind the creation will be more important than the creation itself. For me, I continued as a software engineer in finance and kept photography as a passion. The few cool opportunities photography has given me was better than the money!
I was an engineer in finance too with an interest in photography/art. But yea, those opportunities are what makes it worth it 100% Thanks for the great comment Kenny.
Another great video. TH-cam is not, as far as I know, banning the use of AI. You just have to select the checkbox to indicate that the video contains AI ("situations that never happened" etc). AI will take over many areas of photography, but one that it won't will be the portraiture you are doing - you need the real people to photograph. I don't see that as going away soon - although on the far distant horizon it might, once celebrities realise they can have their own digital stand-in posing for their portraits while they go off and do other things they find more enjoyable! Some interesting ideas by Harry - one of which I had been thinking about myself, but just for fun, not as a way to make money.
Thanks for the comment. I know about that checkbox but I read they are also cracking down on these fully automated channels just pumping out slop. Obviously very different to a creator using AI as a tool. Infact I have used it for a couple thumbnails which has been useful. As long as it remains a tool I think its great! But yes agree with a lot of what you said, I think it will shakeup a lot of industries!
I wonder if, in the future, Harry would consider doing a short video about his 80 page Getty Images portfolio (assuming it is legit) ? Whether he makes a good living off it, and/or whether it is a viable revenue source for a photographer ? And why he chose Getty as opposed to uploading them to all the major stock image sites ?
I've been watching your channel since the start and absolutely love the stories, genuine life moments told with honesty even when you maybe shouldn't lol. I have my own podcast Lets Create Lets Talk, I would love if there was a chance to talk to you both, to bring a third way look and chat about this wonderful channel and the iconic photography. Thank you. I will drop an email and hopefully we can have a chilled chat.
Hey! Yep i've seen your comments on videos way back. Thanks a lot for the continued support, really appreciated! I have seen a couple of your videos, they are entertaining and you are quite charismatic! We would love to jump on the pod, chuck us an email! :) Cheers!
When Harry shoots in front of the artwork, does he get authorisation from the artist? You normally need some form of release unless it's an editorial. Just interesting to know
Fame really suited Damon clearly. His talent won him the fame jackpot and when he was as a person multiplied. As a twat apparently. The obvious difference would be a guy who goes out of their way to know the names of literally everyone, on a set of a movie for example, and 10 years later after not seeing the person, they'd remember.(b elive it or not i posted this before the Damien/Damon debacle😅
Interesting insigt into photographer's work, thank you. It's sad to hear abou AI taking over though. I absolutely despise anything AI and try to avoid it as much as possible.
Byker Grove ftw 🙌 Forever ready to rumble! I 💜 this channel, it's completely out of my current ballpark but i grew up seeing your photos of my favourite bands in the 90s/00s and i think it'd left a lasting impression and it's super inspiring to learn about the bts stuff all these years later. Thank you so much and gimme more 🤣💜
This channel is miles above the standard of most photo youtube channels.
Thanks a lot! That's really kind :)
I did a shoot with Damon this year and he was very warm. He shook all our hands and repeated our names back to us and gave us time despite the fact that we was about to perform. I'm sure he's just like any human and capable of being annoyed or prickly depending on the day.
Interesting. We all mellow over time. I'm very different to the person I was 20 years ago. 😅
Ah but will he remember your name in 10 years.. Ahhhh.. Sinatra would! What a guy.
I'm SHOCKED at the size of this channel, can't wait to watch you take off!! You're an amazing story teller
Thanks. That much appreciated. So good to get positive feedback. ❤
Wow! Thank you!! Really means a lot coming from such a successful channel :D
I love seeing your interaction with your son. What a father!!
Haha thanks a lot! We really love making the vids
He's a great boy! (like the other 2!) #prouddad 🙂
Best video yet. Thank you for sharing your life and work so transparently. This channel is a treasure.
Wow, thank you!
I was so glad to hear the part at the end about Fred quitting software development and the corporate life to follow passions and live life. I did the same about 15 years ago, setting up my own business in publishing and also writing my own books but essentially I just work how and when I want. I've definitely made a little less money in total but my life is amazing and I'm so much happier, which is what I'd want for anyone. Create cool stuff, live life, be free, be happy 🙂
Completely agree. I used to think it doesn't matter what you do and its all about the money. But, how wrong i was! As long as you have enough to get by, you are better off doing something you enjoy.
Thanks for the comment
Glad I found your channel, keep up the good work. I am not a photographer but love to hear about the craft, tech and gear, almost more than about the artists themselves.
I am glad! Means a lot when non-photographers comment like this. We want to have broad appeal :D
Thanks a lot and appreciate the comment!
Another great video and so nice to see such a lovely father and son relationship
❤
Thank you!
Adore these videos!
Thanks Philip! 🙂
Amazing video you guys love you both
My guy xoxo
I grew up in the 80s, so I'm probably about the same age as Harry and I've noticed his name many times over the years, but until fairly recently I had no idea what he, or any of his peers, looked like; they were just names, in magazines, or records sleeve credits, so it's good to put a face to the name. The pictures of Damon and Jamie are excellent; I bought that Observer for the music magazine, and I used to buy Select, so I remember the Blur photographs too. Your channel is very entertaining, and provides a great insight into rock photography. Stroppy singers should remember that recording artists aren't pop stars, without photographers.
Lovely comment - we are glad to finally put a face to the name :D Thanks a lot for commenting and watching :)
Cracking video again gents! Lovely to hear about the money side of things and advice on what to do now if you’re just getting started!
Thanks guys! 🙏
Cheers guys!
In a world full of posers, this channel is quite a gem. Refreshing. 🙌
Wow! thanks for watching - means a lot coming from a big channel!
When I quit my corporate job to pursue a career in audio, I was worried about what my dad would say - turned out he was really supportive as I think he wished he'd done the same. Great to see Harry's so supportive - and proud - of Fred.
I pretty much had the exact same experience. Thanks for the lovely comment!
Sure am!
You didn’t mention this photoshoot in the Blur episode, so I was hoping it would get its own - glad I guessed right. It’s great to see unpublished shots of Damon and Jamie. The ones with Jamie and the actors are delightful; (only two made it into that Observer Music Monthly issue, including the pic with Fred!).
Haha yeah I thought Gorillaz deserved their own video. I really like this shoot, its fun seeing how playful the two of them are together. And yeah, there are always so many that didn't make it, Harry often looks back and wonders why he chose specific images over others for the final selection. Thanks for the great comment!
another video - another set of amazing photographs, the Gorillaz images are sooo f++king good
Thank you! Always appreciate your comments. Have a good day and thanks for watching!
Thank you! 🙂
Another great insight thanks to you both. Love the format and the style. Keep the vids coming and up your prices Harry..
Haha I definitely think he should! Thanks for the lovely comment and glad you enjoyed.
Absolutely loved your take on the photography industry now and how anyone who wants to even try to make a living from it must be so aware of the way the entire world of imagery/media operates. Things have changed so much....being nimble/flexible both creatively & on the business side are now very important than ever before. Glued to content as you post....
Seen 'em all: they're all good, and all deserve more likes than they (currently) have.
Please keep it up.
Thank you, we love making them and will keep making them. Appreciate the comment!
Loving these "what the photographer" saw (through a lense) stories.
another very interesting video, thank you
Thank you mate! Glad you enjoy, have a good day 😁
Cheers Harry!
thanks for watching!
I did the original MONKEY production photography for MIF (Manchester International Festival) Damien All-Bran,was our term of endearment,like you my prices have pretty much flat-lined for 30 years,although my time ‘on the job’ has more than doubled (post production kills me if I get busy) I think you were undercharging though,my day-rate has always been…£600 average,£800 for a ‘palaver’(Although obviously there’s a lot of half days)..direct for client,mostly in the arts…it’s been a great life,I feel lucky and like I retired 30 years ago (I’m 56) All I can say is it sure beats working for a living,when you love your job…and ALL my work comes from word of mouth…it’s a small city,and I’m a big guy ! Cheers for all your efforts,proper Time Machine stuff.
Thanks for the great comment! I googled the photography for the MIF Monkey productiona and it looks amazing, I assume some of it was yours. Looks like you did a wicked job.
And yes I think Harry could relate to a lot of what you have said regarding shooting, nothing beats being your own boss.
@ aye,Joel Chester Fildes (Google images is my ‘website’!),I too have a millennium son that I took on shoots,he’s doing bits of video now too,seems it’s a way of life,keep up the great work,it’s less lonely knowing there are ‘others’ out there ! It can be a struggle,but we ARE the lucky ones…and as the old joke goes,the more pics I take,the luckier I get ! …CHEERS.
Hi Fred and Harry.
This was insightful on many level and it was good to hear you talking about money. I expect some people will be shocked at what they perceive are low fees as they probably associate the person in the photo being commensurate to higher fees. Photography evolves, and at the moment, AI is making it akin to the wild west in the eyes of some when in reality it is a market shift. Creators are fearful of what awaits, however, as shown in your videos. The humanity and interactions between people will see us through.
Have a good start to the week fellas...laters.
Thanks as always for the great comments. I thought the same about the money, it is surprising. And totally agree regarding the AI.. Can't replace actual human reaction/interaction (atleast not yet 😅)
Fred! Great video. I love Gorillaz so I had to click. I currently shoot on a 1DS mark ii (yeah it’s 20 years old) so that was really neat to hear that it was used for digitals. Cheers from Canada! -Bensen (I stayed at your bnb last month)
Hey Bensen! Good to hear from you and thanks for checking out the channel. It's a great camera, perfectly capable of creating some great images!
And, glad you enjoyed the video thanks for the comment :)
Quickly become one of my favourite channels, as someone just getting into photography (just picked up a fujifilm x10) you are an inspiration with some gems of knowledge about photography, people and life. Thank you
Good stuff chaps,always fascinating.
Thank you!
I really enjoy your stories about the shoots you do. It's also good to hear who's nice and who's a wanker. I completely agree with how photography has evolved; now you have to offer video as well and run a TH-cam channel.
- Stewart from Australia
Cheers Stewart! Thanks for the comment and glad you are enjoying the videos.
Poignant discussion on the changes of business conditions for photographers. I find it really sad that people can't make a living on good photography anymore. Being an influencer or sort of marketing assistant isn't the same as making great photographs for posterity.
Thank you! We always look forward to your comments and really appreciate you writing them.
We definitely agree but I think (hopefully) new opportunities will arise which will call for great posteric? photographs once again.
Thanks again for the great comment.
Just wanted to say my signed copy of Starwhite arrived today, thank you so much, its a great photobook, torn between the Minnie Driver photo or the Anna Friel Photo for my favourite shot. Any chance we can have a video around either of those? Thanks again, Harry your work is an inspiration and a walk down memory lane as I've said before these images are so familiar as they surrounded my early to late 20's. Fred, love these videos, thank you for sharing your Dad with the world, appreciate the skill and effort in getting this content out. Thanks both of you.
Wow so glad you like it! This is really nice to read and will add them both to our video list. We love making the vids so means the world.
So interesting. The backstory, the business aspect, technical details behind the shoot - love it. In my view with the rise of AI, the story behind the creation will be more important than the creation itself.
For me, I continued as a software engineer in finance and kept photography as a passion. The few cool opportunities photography has given me was better than the money!
I was an engineer in finance too with an interest in photography/art. But yea, those opportunities are what makes it worth it 100%
Thanks for the great comment Kenny.
Damon Days is a fantastic pun
Haha thanks
Another great video. TH-cam is not, as far as I know, banning the use of AI. You just have to select the checkbox to indicate that the video contains AI ("situations that never happened" etc). AI will take over many areas of photography, but one that it won't will be the portraiture you are doing - you need the real people to photograph. I don't see that as going away soon - although on the far distant horizon it might, once celebrities realise they can have their own digital stand-in posing for their portraits while they go off and do other things they find more enjoyable! Some interesting ideas by Harry - one of which I had been thinking about myself, but just for fun, not as a way to make money.
Thanks for the comment. I know about that checkbox but I read they are also cracking down on these fully automated channels just pumping out slop. Obviously very different to a creator using AI as a tool. Infact I have used it for a couple thumbnails which has been useful. As long as it remains a tool I think its great! But yes agree with a lot of what you said, I think it will shakeup a lot of industries!
Thank you for lifting the curtain behind these things.
Our pleasure! I love hearing about it all
I wonder if, in the future, Harry would consider doing a short video about his 80 page Getty Images portfolio (assuming it is legit) ?
Whether he makes a good living off it, and/or whether it is a viable revenue source for a photographer ? And why he chose Getty as opposed to uploading them to all the major stock image sites ?
We can definitely talk about Getty. I just checked and he has like 5000 images on it haha. Will definitely do a video on this, added to the list now
Please tell us story of that cat behind Harry... and Pet Shop Boys shoot you'e mentioned :D
Haha we can put them both on the list. The cat is my Mums - She is called Eva and can be quite evil. Thanks for the comment :D
I've been watching your channel since the start and absolutely love the stories, genuine life moments told with honesty even when you maybe shouldn't lol. I have my own podcast Lets Create Lets Talk, I would love if there was a chance to talk to you both, to bring a third way look and chat about this wonderful channel and the iconic photography. Thank you. I will drop an email and hopefully we can have a chilled chat.
Hey! Yep i've seen your comments on videos way back. Thanks a lot for the continued support, really appreciated!
I have seen a couple of your videos, they are entertaining and you are quite charismatic! We would love to jump on the pod, chuck us an email! :)
Cheers!
When Harry shoots in front of the artwork, does he get authorisation from the artist? You normally need some form of release unless it's an editorial. Just interesting to know
Good question! I am not 100% sure. In this case I presumed Jamie made the artwork but I could be wrong. I'll ask Harry!
Fame really suited Damon clearly. His talent won him the fame jackpot and when he was as a person multiplied. As a twat apparently. The obvious difference would be a guy who goes out of their way to know the names of literally everyone, on a set of a movie for example, and 10 years later after not seeing the person, they'd remember.(b elive it or not i posted this before the Damien/Damon debacle😅
Great video. But sad about the £280 fee. Lots of us are trying to get by, get better, get interesting jobs. Thank you for sharing.
Interesting insigt into photographer's work, thank you. It's sad to hear abou AI taking over though. I absolutely despise anything AI and try to avoid it as much as possible.
I agree - if people continue to think that way hopefully we won't have anything to worry about 😅
👌👍👍👌
No doubt a great video but albarn after 2006 is a different beast and I’m not as enthusiastic about him.
I have still enjoyed his stuff afterwards but 2005 was a pretty hard year to follow! Thanks for the comment
Byker Grove ftw 🙌 Forever ready to rumble!
I 💜 this channel, it's completely out of my current ballpark but i grew up seeing your photos of my favourite bands in the 90s/00s and i think it'd left a lasting impression and it's super inspiring to learn about the bts stuff all these years later. Thank you so much and gimme more 🤣💜
then character on brookside was called Damon not Damien! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damon_Grant
😂 He got that one wrong too
Sorry, I'm a complre idiot!
@@harryborden6077 hardly! fantastic listening to your anecdotes H. marvellous stuff