Great video as always Mike. I found that keeping my approach simple has set me on track to refining techniques. I don’t consider developing a style as a thing that I must obsess over any more, instead I aim to refine my techniques with simple, logical changes (and incorporate ideas/tips I pick up here and there) and taking the time to review my pictures to get the results I like with the kit I have. Sometimes I question conventional solutions, and later find an article that reinforces an idea, which is great as it reminds me that there isn’t always just one answer.
Ahhh, style. I have gone through several styles over the years. There was the "over-processed" style. I am glad that one is over. Then there was the "poor-composition" style. That one is a work in progress. Now I am taking photos of birds, so I my style is most definitely "Blurry". I am currently searching the world over for a pet bird of prey that dives on command and always, always looks at the camera. Wish me luck on that. I can most definitely see your style in the photographs you post, Mike. Just bought my tickets to the UK, so I hope to see you in early October. Hope you guys are well and moving into spring time. Take care, brother.
Haha!! I think we can all relate to most of those styles!! I went to the Mach Loop to try to photograph some fast jets the other week... and I definitely produced some blurry ones!! 😆 Great to hear you got your tickets!! We're moving again (still in the UK), we will be down on the south coast of England... but I'll make sure to arrange a trip to North Wales or somewhere mountainous so we can meet up and shoot some big landscapes!! Email me the dates when you are here, and where you are planning to visit and then we'll make a plan! As always thanks for watching dude 😁👍
The best tip from the vid is - taking up projects! Moreover, I believe with the overwhelming social media around us - most budding photographers tend to go with what is getting them more attention and more likes (by copying someone else's style) rather than developing their own. Then there is this whole thing of maintaining your insta feed in a certain way - IMO one of the most restrictive things to have. Shoot what you like - rather than shooting what others like and you will eventually develop your style. My two cents
Thank you for this video. A project became a passion for me, so that resonated with me. However, the choice of the project was tinged with "what will other photographers think? When I moved past that, the floodgates opened and now the project/ passion (photographing ships and ports) has opened into so much more.
No worries Anthony, thanks for watching! Projects are such a great way to really get into photography. It's great to hear you have got past that road block as well!! 😀👍
That's great to hear on both counts Troy!! Photography is such a great hobby to have... as well as getting some great images once you under stand the process, it is a great way to take a break from the real world and have some down time in doing something for yourself ... and when you do get a cracking shot, it is so rewarding!! Thanks for watching 😁👍
This is a really well edited video Mike, I enjoyed watching it just because of the interesting cuts and transitions. I appreciate the time and skill you put into this. The subject and information was useful and thought provoking too, cheers.
Thanks so much Murray. I have a lot of fun writing, filming and editing these videos so it is great to hear you are liking them! Thanks for watching 😁👍
Greatly Done!!! It is basically one's "EYE" seeing things that most do not and not just doing tourist capturing of everything you see. Also capturing to document a second in time that never repeats, Photographers go on Photo tours pay big bucks but get what everyone else captures, you see thousands on the net all the same place. The key is to not to copy a place but to see what is around you and anywhere. Example the sun throughout the year comes up and sets from south to north then north to south, this one fact allows for planning sunrise and sunsets with the sun at center of a landscape many different looks with then different weather. An app TPE you can plan on a calendar the location with just the right lighting, Like the sun setting behind some power towers at a set month get a shot of the sun colliding with one. Also the Milky Way goes across the sky from Feb to Jul in the SE but then goes vertical from Aug to Nov in the SW then the Galactic center goes behind the sun Dec and Jan. The key is early hours from Feb to May but right after sunset blue hour Jun and Jul for a all nighter, the other key is it can be captured 5 days before getting a crescent moon below from Feb to Apr and 5 days after all meaning you can plan a night when weather is best and numerous locations using the app Photopills planner selecting night AR where you hold your phone up to the sky at a location saying with off adys you go to many spots and see how it will look at different hours of many different months you put on your wall calendar. Saying while others are doing nothing you are dreaming of many captures throughout the year, Planning is half the skill of being out there before it happens even if it does not pan out you will be there for the other half is being there night or day you make a dream shot come true and imagination is what keeps camera and gear ready every day. Just think about it, the unknown dream by others is all yours never to be copied by anyone of a second in time never to repeat and you were there for it that second in time!!!!!!
Honestly, this might be the best video you have ever made, Mike! Just amazing. Personally, I enjoy textures that aren't actually there even if it looks like it. Think granite countertops, look like they have texture but you run your hand across it and it is smooth. My favorite is light rays through water, you get a texture because it is 2D not 3D. Again incredible video. Stay safe out there.
Thanks so much for your kind words Lance! I really enjoy these kinds of topics, although they don't do so well here on youtube for some reason... 🙈 ... I think it's because they're not gear related... 🤔 It is cool when you see a texture and run your hand over it and it is completely different to what you were expecting... and you're right, lightrays through water can be so mesmerising when done right. Darren Jew is a fantastic photographer from Australia and he has some amazing light rays underwater: instagram.com/p/BKsWHG4hrSI/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== As always thanks for watching dude 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Thank you for introducing me to Darren Jew. That is 100% what I was talking about, it gave me goose-pimples when I saw it. Hoping you and everyone you love are safe and happy.
Style - what an interesting vlog! For me it’s an accumulation of over 20 years of getting out and enjoying the countryside in all seasons and weather. I have never tried to copy others but prefer to sort it out myself. I go out weekly in a group of like minded photographers and it’s great to bounce ideas off each other. Style comes gradually over time, don’t rush it or you may find yourself going backwards or even worse giving up. Only recently a guy asked me if I could teach him my style and the more I thought of his request I began to realise that all my current work is indeed stylised and suggested he worked it out for himself! The only tip I could give is the more you get out, the quicker you style will come Did you get out for the bluebells Mike, hope so, they are absolutely stunning this year 👍😊😊
Thanks very much Barry! Style is a really interesting subject in photography as well as all other art forms. Great to hear of your experiences... going out with like minded photographers is such a great way to learn a lot quicker than normal, and like you said, getting out there is just the best way to develop your own style. I've been hectic with work recently, but I am hoping to get out this weekend. I've really started to see the bluebells on some of the grass verges around where we live so I know they are really abundant this year. As always thanks for watching 😁👍
I think you’re the first photographer I’ve seen that has attempted to define what style is. Thank you for that. I think I now have a better understanding of what style is. All your tips are good ones, but for me, the one that resonates with me is to set up projects. I’ll be retiring in about 6 weeks and I’m going to start with some projects. I picked up a book that suggests different projects and I’m going to dig that out and see if it will be useful. If not I’ll just figure it out as my first project.
It is such a hard concept to put into words and it took a while to be able to articulate this properly. Great to hear I could help with the tip of setting yourself projects. This is a great one to do and will help so much with your photography. I have quite a few different ongoing projects that I have in the background. My wife is now used to me randomly stopping when we are on our way somewhere, where I jump out of the car and photograph a specific object!! 😆 Thanks for watching Gary 😁👍
When I go through all the images that I took since I got my first DLSR in 2017 I can clearly see a pattern emerge. Technically the pictures I take these days are many times better then the ones from the early days. But now I'm also more critical about my subjects, I am more focused on particular things then just take a pictures of about anything that I come across. These days many of my landscapes get a touch of warm yellow, may be I can call that my style.
That is definitely your style coming through Reno, and it will continue to develop, as long as you have a camera in your hands. As always, thanks for watching 😁👍
Thanks very much!! That's a great tactic, it's amazing what you find when you go back through them and look at what you used more than not. I hope you had a great trip! Thanks for watching 😁👍
Thanks for this, Mike. I just started photography a few months ago and have been trying every style my lens is capable of. I find landscape photography the most difficult, but I continue to watch your channel because I feel your advice is generally quite broad and can be applied to most, if not all forms of photography. I find that I like taking pictures of cities and people/anmials the most. I thrive in the busy, unpredictable chaos and I feel like I am slowly developing a style. I am drawn to focusing on solitary figures amongst the hustle and bustle. I often play with lighting to create silhouettes to add an air of mystery to my photos. Thanks for this video and all the others. The fact that I find landscape photography so challenging only makes me respect your talent for it more ☺️
Thanks so much for your kind words Phil! That is great to hear you are already finding something you really like shooting... This will definitely help you define your style. It is great when you spot something that works and then you start hunting for those types of photographs!! 😀 I think one of the biggest things to becoming a good landscape photographer, apart from finding unique compositions is to be a good weather forecaster... I'm still working on that one!! 😆 Thanks for watching 😁👍
Great subject, totally relevant, and very much at the heart of photography, IMHO. Style, in writing, is called having a voice - it's where the story/character/pace and style of writing is consistent and unique to the writer. And consistency, as you touched on, is a big factor. Whether it is the subject you shoot, the location, the post edit theme or the frame ratio (1:1, 4:3, 16:9) of the photo, it all adds to creating a uniqueness. I follow a few photographers on Insta and can now mostly tell their work amongst others without looking at their names. That, for me, is finding your style - that repetitive consistency across the board without it becoming samey and boring. This is even better when different subjects/locations are used but you still know who has produced it (a bit like Ansel Adams' work outside of Yosemite). Similarly, paintings from the old masters or work by Shakespeare - they all have an easily identifiable DNA. Wonderful video, best one for a while 🙌🏼👌🏼😉
Thanks so much! Great to hear you like this one!! I am really fascinated by this topic and you brought up some really interesting points. It is very much about having a voice and being able to create that uniqueness without becoming repetitive. I suppose this is why people develop their style so they don't keep producing the same thing over and over... and this is as much to do with keeping the creative passion alive. Thanks for watching 😁👍
I'm not sure what my style is yet to be honest. I think I'm still developing that. But one aspect I do try and look for is that whole thing of not just copying what everyone else is doing. I absolutely love going on photo walks with groups of people. Yes there's the social aspect, but there's also a wealth of trends on tap for you. I'll always let everyone else set up first. They will always tend to gravitate to the same location, or the same basic lens choice. Then I'll try and find something different: maybe set up in a different location, or grab a different lens and then see what I can do with that. I find it's a great way of changing things up. It doesn't always work out, but sometimes it does, and the biggest pleasure is when I choose a different location to the crowd and then find that the crowd eventually realises that I was in fact in a better place and come and join me. Thanks for the video Mike. Lots of good tips and food for thought as always. Liking the more serious style today (although please don't lose the silly stuff too!)
Haha! The silly stuff will never go away!! 😆 Great to hear what you like to do. It is fun using a different lens to everyone else, or seeing what everyone else does and try the opposite! As always thanks for watching James 😁👍
Great video again Mike, Because I'm stuck in town at the mo. decided to go street photography with a few humans in the pics .I usually grump if humans are around lol. Result--got chucked off as admin --told people identifiable on a pic not allowed...... oh dear!
Thank you Mike. Love you informational vlogs! Indeed, try to find my own style and try to do my own storytelling in the photo's and not wat others say its right. You got that strong vids saying the right topics! Thank you!!!
Thanks very much for your kind words!! It is one of those things that as photographers, we will always be developing that style as long as we have a camera in our hands! Thanks for watching 😁👍
Complex subject borders on philosophical, valid suggestions, Mike. IMO, style develops organically and changes over time, like hay fever (we’re sensitized to the environment and respond accordingly until our work is nothing to sneeze at 😊). We shouldn’t obsess over acquiring a unique style. We all see the world differently - and prefer different subjects rendered differently. Rainy day picnic table and alarm clock in this vid. Nice. BTW, you and Henry Turner seem to post your vids on the same day and time (no kidding). Conspiracy? You guys should do a collaborative post - style comparison a potential subject. Cheers!
It definitely is an organic part to photography, and you're right, it isn't something to obsess over... it is more a case of developing it and moving into a style you can call your own for a time. Haha!! I'm sure Henry has hijacked my time slot!! 😆 Gotta get those easter eggs in there somehow... 😀 You never know ... a collaboration of some sorts might be in order in the future... 🤔 As always thanks for watching Paul 😁👍
This is were I struggle, I try to do things differently from what people shoot, but when I take some images then look at them and go NAH, my favourite season is autumn because I've noticed a shot I had taken previous I took the same shot in the summer and the difference was black and white so to speak, the falling wet leaves made the image a completely different photo, but yet it was the exact same place strange that .thanks Mike gonna try it out great video as per .
It is amazing how the seasons can really change how a place looks! This is the one thing that takes the longest to develop... and I think you never stop developing and changing over time. A bit of rain can be a godsend when it comes to bringing out the colours! As always thanks for watching 😁👍
I'm considering selling my photos and setting up a website, Kristine Richer of Kristine Rose photography says style is important to consider. I'm not really sure of my style, I know I like mw photography and nature photography, particularly macro. My project this year is to a timelapse of all the mw shoots I do, then put them together at the end of the year, not sure how I'll pull the processing side of that off yet. But that's what I'm working on. Thanks for the info mike
Great to hear you have a project on the go! Developing style will definitely help make your photos stand out from the rest. In art, look at Picasso or Van Gogh. They had a very definitive style... not to everyones liking but when you see one of their paintings, you know it is their work. As always thanks for watching 😁👍
Another thought provoking video 👌 Just a heads up that those "weird" noctilucent clouds will be back soon over the summer months. Might make an interesting project for you?
Great video Mike. Really helpful advice as always. Agree that shooting parts of landscapes, particularly in dappled light is fantastic and provides opportunities to get those more unique shots compared to the usual vistas that everyone else has shot
Thanks very much Anthony! It has to be one of my favourite weather conditions to shoot in. I sometimes will sit on a mountain for hours waiting for a certain part of the landscape to be lit in a certain way. Thanks for watching 😁👍
I think it’s funny that I have a boatload of money invested in a camera and lens which create images with high dynamic range and saturated colors, then I go into photoshop and promptly remove contrast and saturation from all my images. So It appears that it’s becoming part of my style. I’m also a morning person so it’s no surprise that most of my favorite images are taken predawn to sunrise. Finally, I am definitely a subject shooter and won’t take my camera out of the bag unless there is a clear subject and bonus points if the subject is old and gnarly. Yep a good day’s work is high clouds, predawn, gnarly building (east facing if possible), softened in photoshop
Haha! That's a good point Dan. It is amazing the detail these cameras can get which we then promptly remove. 😆 Good to hear what you go for and what you prefer to shoot. I am also a morning shooter. There is just something about that time of the day that is just fantastic... Thanks for watching 😁👍
Another great video. I have learned so much from watching your channel. Sometimes I think I have a style and genre, and BOOM, it changes without reason. I am for sure into nature photography, but I find myself leaning to the details and macro versus the big epic landscapes. For sure my editing has a style, which is minimal and realistic. Really enjoy your channel. Thanks for all you do.
Haha! It is amazing how it can change all of a sudden. I think like learning anything, it can come in fits and spurts, and this is very true when it comes to style... and editing definitely has its part to play in creating your style. Great to hear what you are currently into Michael! Thanks for watching 😁👍
Great Video! I would say my main style of photogrpahy, is Ship Photography😅, but i do try to take other kind’s of photo’s too, like urban (in Oslo mostly), Tractor photo’s if i can make it before they have drive by.😂 otherwise i film the tractor’s when they are working. I do take some «lake scape» if that’s a thing, it’s what i call it atleast😅 and some seascape/coastal photo’s and harbour photo’s! I want to take photo’s of anything i think can be a cool photo😊
And that is the best way to be. Be curious, be inquisitive and photograph everything!! This is what I try to do... sometimes I get really bad shots, but other times I get some great ones!! As always thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Yeah 🙂, i also get some bad shots the first time i try to shoot something new. 😅 I also liked the edit of the video! im also gonna send a ship photo im VERY happy about 😁
There was light rain on the day I filmed this and this doesn't worry me at all. I just wipe my camera down before packing it away. It is the Sony A7iv. I have taken my camera into some really harsh conditions in the past and they are still working to this day. Check out this video from last year: th-cam.com/video/VKJYtlFSwhc/w-d-xo.html All the kit I used in that one is perfectly fine. Nowadays cameras are pretty good with being resistant to bad weather. With the sony cameras, as long as you keep the cover on the hot shoe on the top of the camera, it is ok in a bit of rain. This is where sometimes water can cause problems if the contacts in the hot shoe are exposed to a lot of water. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching 😁👍
This question is not necessarily on the specific topic of this video but I wanted to ask you a question. So, I see many landscape photographers use f/5.6, f/8, or even higher to get a bigger depth of field. Makes sense. My question is why are so many also spending a ton of money on faster f/2.8 lenses when they don't actually take advantage of it? Why not just get cheaper f/4 glass?
That is a good point. A lot of the time it comes down to the quality of the glass used in those more expensive lenses. Yes they have a wider maximum aperture, but they also have a tighter tolerance when it comes to manufacturing. Also, they might do other types of photography for their day job. I do a lot of headshots and sporting events (luckily not weddings 😆) and with all of those genres, it is essential to have a wider max aperture to get the shots in adverse conditions. I hope that helps Thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Thx for replying. That was more or less in line with what I expected. The multi-use of a fast lens is a benefit for sure. The f/2.8 line of lenses are however very expensive. I'm a mere beginner. Would you consider doing a video or two about what can be achieved with lower end or even so called 'kit' lenses for landscape and maybe doing a comparison with more expensive glass. 'Low end' or slower glass very often just gets bashed in forums and on TH-cam and described as trash. Thx again.
I may be confusing style with composition, at the start of your episode. If I was to guess, then I’d say “style” would be the execution of the image, the editing process and finally the presentation. Blurry background, or pin-sharp throughout the image. Editing is probably where the creative juices get flowing. Do I go B&W, by dropping saturation or tinker with all the colour channels to enhance the B&W image? With colour, do I shape the image with light and dark? Bump up the contrast and saturation? Go vibrant or subtle with tones? Or get sucked down the rabbit hole of Split Toning? At the moment I get the most pleasure from creating video projects. I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of Colour Grading rather than sticking to the camera’s Colour Profiles, I’m beginning to take baby steps and grading my episodes. Get grading wrong and my work looks like a dog’s dinner. But get it right and I’m a happy bunny. I won’t make a living out of grading, but I sure do enjoy the creative process, trying to develop a style that does not scream the words LUT or Filter applied blindly here. I should really work on my filming skills, as I keep forgetting establishing shots an thinking about creative transitions.
Style is very much the "je ne sais quoi" part of photography that gives your photos that something extra. I'm still working on it and I think it is something we will work on for as long as we have cameras in our hands. Editing is definitely another way to develop your style. I touched on it when mentioning the colour palette but I didn't want to go too deeply down that route. Haha!! When it comes to video, I am still trying to avoid the rabbit hole of colour grading... I am guessing you are shooting in a log profile now? Don't tell anyone but I still shoot in the standard profile for video so I need to do as little colour grading as possible... although this then blows the highlights out a lot earlier than I'd want, especially when it is sunny... so I really should learn ... 😆 The best way I have found to get all the shots you need is to have a shot list. This can be as simple as: Establishing shot, Closeups, Medium shots, Finishing shot But if you do have a shot list, it will make the edit so much easier. I have it drilled into my head now, but when I used to shoot corporate videos for big companies, I'd have a written list that I would go through. Nothing worse than editing a video together and finding you either have to go back and shoot some more, or that one key shot is missing. 🙈 As always thanks for watching Frank 😁👍
I do indeed shoot in log on my Panasonic camera. I don't know want software you use to edit however I use Resolve. One of the great things about Resolve is that it instantly expands my log profile to look perfect on my monitor. With this magic feature and Panasonic's excellent Colour Science my footage looks fantastic straight out of the can. There really is no need to use the included colour profiles because I'm throwing away information. Using a Colour Profile is like taking JPEG photos, I'm letting the camera make decisions and throwing away information that I can never recover again. With Resolve, shooting and editing in log is no more demanding than shooting in a camera profile. I'm sure that you would be very impressed with the Colour Science of your Sony that if you used Resolve then you'd ditch the Colour Profiles with no extra effort on your workflow. Add a bit of contrast, saturation and a subtle s-curve, if you do desired, and you'd be amazed how good your footage was straight out of the can.
@@mikesphotography My FLUX episode is a log profile just with a bit of contrast, saturation and a curve. Nothing else. Notice the noise for a dark location? The paid version of Resolve is worth it's fee alone just for the powerful Noise Reduction feature. 😀
Why not go every style, but not human portraits? 🤔 💪 That's what I do 😊 can't wait for winters aurora season again 😁 now it's baby wildlife and macro times 😊
A style can to be a lens, as the results from my Tamron 28-75 mm are quite different than from my GM lenses. Too Lr and C1 render raw files quite different. In harsh light I found my Tamron gives better results than my GM, it makes it softer with stronger colors. So if I go for a stroll at noon with a clear blue sky, I always bring my Tamron. But is it a Tamron you've at 5 minutes? I think it looks like the Sigma 100-400 mm?
You're right, a lens can really add to a persons style! That lens is the Tamron 50-400mm, I got it recently and am shooting more and more with it! Really sharp too!! Thanks for watching 😁👍
I think trying to get better and relying on youtube to get better at photography is making us all youtube freek watchers. get out there doit yourself. take this as a smal guide but that is it.
Haha!! Good point Andrew!! So cut down on the consumption and pick up on the execution!? As long as it is everyone else's channels, then that's fine with me!! 😆 Thanks for watching 😁👍
Lol. He composites pretty much every shot and then pretends they are taken in one go. 🙈 He is a master at marketing and a true entrepreneur though, and he must be doing something right as he has so many physical galleries around the world. 🤘
@@mikesphotography yeah, I know! The one with the fake moon was a little too obvious and there are many like that! But I would still like to see his retouching process and composition! I know he’s shooting with Hasselblad and he’s printing on acrylic, at least for his galleries but that’s about all I found about his photography style
I don't want to do photography as a career professionally because I love my job in the SEN school I work at, I just want to sell some pictures on the side. What website would you recommend for that sort of set up. Square space is more for professionals isn't it?
Good question. You have things like smugmug but I think that is a lot like squarespace where you have to set up your own website... but the great thing with that is that you can customise the website to make it stand out. Although it does take some time to set up and make it look good. There is also shopify or shootproof, but I don't have any experience with those. Then you have print on demand websites like Society6, RedBubble, Zazzle, Art Web and CafePress. Again, I don't have any experience with those either. The guys over at Iceland photo tours have a good page on this very subject: iceland-photo-tours.com/articles/photography-tutorials/beginner-s-guide-to-selling-photography-prints Might be worth checking out. I hope that helps. 😁👍
@@mikesphotography thanks I'm doing a shoot to sell course with Kristine Rose photography, but I wondered what websites would be good for the UK, as she is Canadian
As if trying to utilize your new camera wasn’t enough pressure. Now you have to have a style. F that. It’s like asking Bruce Springsteen he needs to develop a sound I’ll shoot any scene that moves me and if someone doesn’t like it they have no style
It is hard ... and it will change over time. I love shooting sports, but I don't get many opportunities at the moment, nut I am hoping to change that soon. Thanks for watching and keep at it 😁👍
Sitting around and watching TH-cam has been the best thing for me to improve as a photographer. At least in my own head😅
Haha!!
If that was true then I should be the next Ansel Adams lol
Great video as always Mike. I found that keeping my approach simple has set me on track to refining techniques. I don’t consider developing a style as a thing that I must obsess over any more, instead I aim to refine my techniques with simple, logical changes (and incorporate ideas/tips I pick up here and there) and taking the time to review my pictures to get the results I like with the kit I have. Sometimes I question conventional solutions, and later find an article that reinforces an idea, which is great as it reminds me that there isn’t always just one answer.
Mike your videos are very well done. Short, well shot and to the point.
Thanks so much Charles! I have a lot of fun writing, filming and editing them so it is great to hear you appreciate them!!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Ahhh, style. I have gone through several styles over the years. There was the "over-processed" style. I am glad that one is over. Then there was the "poor-composition" style. That one is a work in progress. Now I am taking photos of birds, so I my style is most definitely "Blurry". I am currently searching the world over for a pet bird of prey that dives on command and always, always looks at the camera. Wish me luck on that. I can most definitely see your style in the photographs you post, Mike. Just bought my tickets to the UK, so I hope to see you in early October. Hope you guys are well and moving into spring time. Take care, brother.
Haha!! I think we can all relate to most of those styles!!
I went to the Mach Loop to try to photograph some fast jets the other week... and I definitely produced some blurry ones!! 😆
Great to hear you got your tickets!! We're moving again (still in the UK), we will be down on the south coast of England... but I'll make sure to arrange a trip to North Wales or somewhere mountainous so we can meet up and shoot some big landscapes!! Email me the dates when you are here, and where you are planning to visit and then we'll make a plan!
As always thanks for watching dude 😁👍
The best tip from the vid is - taking up projects! Moreover, I believe with the overwhelming social media around us - most budding photographers tend to go with what is getting them more attention and more likes (by copying someone else's style) rather than developing their own. Then there is this whole thing of maintaining your insta feed in a certain way - IMO one of the most restrictive things to have. Shoot what you like - rather than shooting what others like and you will eventually develop your style. My two cents
Great advice Kashish!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Love the way you motivate your viewers, thanks!
One of my favourite things to do ...
Thanks for your kind words Luke!! 😁👍
Another great, well-produced and informative video. Thanks Mike!
Thanks so much Jake! 😁👍
Thank you for this video. A project became a passion for me, so that resonated with me. However, the choice of the project was tinged with "what will other photographers think? When I moved past that, the floodgates opened and now the project/ passion (photographing ships and ports) has opened into so much more.
No worries Anthony, thanks for watching!
Projects are such a great way to really get into photography. It's great to hear you have got past that road block as well!! 😀👍
As always, good tips. Thank you, Mike!
Thanks very much... and thanks for watching 😁👍
Thanks Mike. Great advice! I’m rekindling my passion for photo and video creation and your videos have been very helpful. Keep up the great work!
That's great to hear on both counts Troy!! Photography is such a great hobby to have... as well as getting some great images once you under stand the process, it is a great way to take a break from the real world and have some down time in doing something for yourself ... and when you do get a cracking shot, it is so rewarding!!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
This is a really well edited video Mike, I enjoyed watching it just because of the interesting cuts and transitions. I appreciate the time and skill you put into this. The subject and information was useful and thought provoking too, cheers.
Thanks so much Murray. I have a lot of fun writing, filming and editing these videos so it is great to hear you are liking them!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Great video again Mike. Really helpful 🤝
No worries Noel, thanks for watching 😁👍
Thanks so much for sharing another wonderful video like always 👍🤗
No worries Miguel, as always thanks for watching and commenting, much appreciated 😁👍
Greatly Done!!! It is basically one's "EYE" seeing things that most do not and not just doing tourist capturing of everything you see. Also capturing to document a second in time that never repeats, Photographers go on Photo tours pay big bucks but get what everyone else captures, you see thousands on the net all the same place. The key is to not to copy a place but to see what is around you and anywhere. Example the sun throughout the year comes up and sets from south to north then north to south, this one fact allows for planning sunrise and sunsets with the sun at center of a landscape many different looks with then different weather. An app TPE you can plan on a calendar the location with just the right lighting, Like the sun setting behind some power towers at a set month get a shot of the sun colliding with one. Also the Milky Way goes across the sky from Feb to Jul in the SE but then goes vertical from Aug to Nov in the SW then the Galactic center goes behind the sun Dec and Jan. The key is early hours from Feb to May but right after sunset blue hour Jun and Jul for a all nighter, the other key is it can be captured 5 days before getting a crescent moon below from Feb to Apr and 5 days after all meaning you can plan a night when weather is best and numerous locations using the app Photopills planner selecting night AR where you hold your phone up to the sky at a location saying with off adys you go to many spots and see how it will look at different hours of many different months you put on your wall calendar. Saying while others are doing nothing you are dreaming of many captures throughout the year, Planning is half the skill of being out there before it happens even if it does not pan out you will be there for the other half is being there night or day you make a dream shot come true and imagination is what keeps camera and gear ready every day. Just think about it, the unknown dream by others is all yours never to be copied by anyone of a second in time never to repeat and you were there for it that second in time!!!!!!
Thank you Mike, looking forward to the next video.
Honestly, this might be the best video you have ever made, Mike! Just amazing. Personally, I enjoy textures that aren't actually there even if it looks like it. Think granite countertops, look like they have texture but you run your hand across it and it is smooth. My favorite is light rays through water, you get a texture because it is 2D not 3D. Again incredible video. Stay safe out there.
Thanks so much for your kind words Lance!
I really enjoy these kinds of topics, although they don't do so well here on youtube for some reason... 🙈 ... I think it's because they're not gear related... 🤔
It is cool when you see a texture and run your hand over it and it is completely different to what you were expecting... and you're right, lightrays through water can be so mesmerising when done right. Darren Jew is a fantastic photographer from Australia and he has some amazing light rays underwater: instagram.com/p/BKsWHG4hrSI/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
As always thanks for watching dude 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Thank you for introducing me to Darren Jew. That is 100% what I was talking about, it gave me goose-pimples when I saw it. Hoping you and everyone you love are safe and happy.
Much food for thought. Thanks.
Thanks James. 👍
Style - what an interesting vlog! For me it’s an accumulation of over 20 years of getting out and enjoying the countryside in all seasons and weather. I have never tried to copy others but prefer to sort it out myself. I go out weekly in a group of like minded photographers and it’s great to bounce ideas off each other. Style comes gradually over time, don’t rush it or you may find yourself going backwards or even worse giving up.
Only recently a guy asked me if I could teach him my style and the more I thought of his request I began to realise that all my current work is indeed stylised and suggested he worked it out for himself!
The only tip I could give is the more you get out, the quicker you style will come
Did you get out for the bluebells Mike, hope so, they are absolutely stunning this year 👍😊😊
Thanks very much Barry! Style is a really interesting subject in photography as well as all other art forms.
Great to hear of your experiences... going out with like minded photographers is such a great way to learn a lot quicker than normal, and like you said, getting out there is just the best way to develop your own style.
I've been hectic with work recently, but I am hoping to get out this weekend. I've really started to see the bluebells on some of the grass verges around where we live so I know they are really abundant this year.
As always thanks for watching 😁👍
These videos are awesome. Thank you
Great to hear you like them! Thanks for watching 😁👍
I think you’re the first photographer I’ve seen that has attempted to define what style is. Thank you for that. I think I now have a better understanding of what style is. All your tips are good ones, but for me, the one that resonates with me is to set up projects. I’ll be retiring in about 6 weeks and I’m going to start with some projects. I picked up a book that suggests different projects and I’m going to dig that out and see if it will be useful. If not I’ll just figure it out as my first project.
It is such a hard concept to put into words and it took a while to be able to articulate this properly. Great to hear I could help with the tip of setting yourself projects. This is a great one to do and will help so much with your photography. I have quite a few different ongoing projects that I have in the background.
My wife is now used to me randomly stopping when we are on our way somewhere, where I jump out of the car and photograph a specific object!! 😆
Thanks for watching Gary 😁👍
When I go through all the images that I took since I got my first DLSR in 2017 I can clearly see a pattern emerge. Technically the pictures I take these days are many times better then the ones from the early days. But now I'm also more critical about my subjects, I am more focused on particular things then just take a pictures of about anything that I come across. These days many of my landscapes get a touch of warm yellow, may be I can call that my style.
That is definitely your style coming through Reno, and it will continue to develop, as long as you have a camera in your hands.
As always, thanks for watching 😁👍
Excellent video, we recently come back from the Lake District, I was averaging 9000 a day, the shots that worked well I noted the settings.
Thanks very much!!
That's a great tactic, it's amazing what you find when you go back through them and look at what you used more than not.
I hope you had a great trip!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Great advice, many thanks.
Thanks for this, Mike. I just started photography a few months ago and have been trying every style my lens is capable of.
I find landscape photography the most difficult, but I continue to watch your channel because I feel your advice is generally quite broad and can be applied to most, if not all forms of photography.
I find that I like taking pictures of cities and people/anmials the most. I thrive in the busy, unpredictable chaos and I feel like I am slowly developing a style. I am drawn to focusing on solitary figures amongst the hustle and bustle. I often play with lighting to create silhouettes to add an air of mystery to my photos.
Thanks for this video and all the others. The fact that I find landscape photography so challenging only makes me respect your talent for it more ☺️
Thanks so much for your kind words Phil!
That is great to hear you are already finding something you really like shooting... This will definitely help you define your style. It is great when you spot something that works and then you start hunting for those types of photographs!! 😀
I think one of the biggest things to becoming a good landscape photographer, apart from finding unique compositions is to be a good weather forecaster... I'm still working on that one!! 😆
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Good tips again Mike
Thanks very much Lyn!! 😁👍
Great points
Thanks very much Peter! 😁👍
Great subject, totally relevant, and very much at the heart of photography, IMHO. Style, in writing, is called having a voice - it's where the story/character/pace and style of writing is consistent and unique to the writer. And consistency, as you touched on, is a big factor. Whether it is the subject you shoot, the location, the post edit theme or the frame ratio (1:1, 4:3, 16:9) of the photo, it all adds to creating a uniqueness. I follow a few photographers on Insta and can now mostly tell their work amongst others without looking at their names. That, for me, is finding your style - that repetitive consistency across the board without it becoming samey and boring. This is even better when different subjects/locations are used but you still know who has produced it (a bit like Ansel Adams' work outside of Yosemite). Similarly, paintings from the old masters or work by Shakespeare - they all have an easily identifiable DNA. Wonderful video, best one for a while 🙌🏼👌🏼😉
Thanks so much! Great to hear you like this one!!
I am really fascinated by this topic and you brought up some really interesting points. It is very much about having a voice and being able to create that uniqueness without becoming repetitive. I suppose this is why people develop their style so they don't keep producing the same thing over and over... and this is as much to do with keeping the creative passion alive.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
I'm not sure what my style is yet to be honest. I think I'm still developing that. But one aspect I do try and look for is that whole thing of not just copying what everyone else is doing. I absolutely love going on photo walks with groups of people. Yes there's the social aspect, but there's also a wealth of trends on tap for you. I'll always let everyone else set up first. They will always tend to gravitate to the same location, or the same basic lens choice. Then I'll try and find something different: maybe set up in a different location, or grab a different lens and then see what I can do with that. I find it's a great way of changing things up. It doesn't always work out, but sometimes it does, and the biggest pleasure is when I choose a different location to the crowd and then find that the crowd eventually realises that I was in fact in a better place and come and join me.
Thanks for the video Mike. Lots of good tips and food for thought as always. Liking the more serious style today (although please don't lose the silly stuff too!)
Haha! The silly stuff will never go away!! 😆
Great to hear what you like to do. It is fun using a different lens to everyone else, or seeing what everyone else does and try the opposite!
As always thanks for watching James 😁👍
Great video again Mike, Because I'm stuck in town at the mo. decided to go street photography with a few humans in the pics .I usually grump if humans are around lol. Result--got chucked off as admin --told people identifiable on a pic not allowed...... oh dear!
Thanks very much Linda!
Oh no ... people always get in the way!! 😆 maybe long exposures next time, or a bit of photoshop to remove them all!! 🤔
Thank you Mike. Love you informational vlogs! Indeed, try to find my own style and try to do my own storytelling in the photo's and not wat others say its right. You got that strong vids saying the right topics! Thank you!!!
Thanks very much for your kind words!! It is one of those things that as photographers, we will always be developing that style as long as we have a camera in our hands!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Complex subject borders on philosophical, valid suggestions, Mike. IMO, style develops organically and changes over time, like hay fever (we’re sensitized to the environment and respond accordingly until our work is nothing to sneeze at 😊). We shouldn’t obsess over acquiring a unique style. We all see the world differently - and prefer different subjects rendered differently.
Rainy day picnic table and alarm clock in this vid. Nice.
BTW, you and Henry Turner seem to post your vids on the same day and time (no kidding). Conspiracy? You guys should do a collaborative post - style comparison a potential subject. Cheers!
It definitely is an organic part to photography, and you're right, it isn't something to obsess over... it is more a case of developing it and moving into a style you can call your own for a time.
Haha!! I'm sure Henry has hijacked my time slot!! 😆
Gotta get those easter eggs in there somehow... 😀
You never know ... a collaboration of some sorts might be in order in the future... 🤔
As always thanks for watching Paul 😁👍
This is were I struggle, I try to do things differently from what people shoot, but when I take some images then look at them and go NAH, my favourite season is autumn because I've noticed a shot I had taken previous I took the same shot in the summer and the difference was black and white so to speak, the falling wet leaves made the image a completely different photo, but yet it was the exact same place strange that .thanks Mike gonna try it out great video as per .
It is amazing how the seasons can really change how a place looks!
This is the one thing that takes the longest to develop... and I think you never stop developing and changing over time.
A bit of rain can be a godsend when it comes to bringing out the colours!
As always thanks for watching 😁👍
I'm considering selling my photos and setting up a website, Kristine Richer of Kristine Rose photography says style is important to consider. I'm not really sure of my style, I know I like mw photography and nature photography, particularly macro. My project this year is to a timelapse of all the mw shoots I do, then put them together at the end of the year, not sure how I'll pull the processing side of that off yet. But that's what I'm working on. Thanks for the info mike
Great to hear you have a project on the go!
Developing style will definitely help make your photos stand out from the rest. In art, look at Picasso or Van Gogh. They had a very definitive style... not to everyones liking but when you see one of their paintings, you know it is their work.
As always thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography ironically my fave of van gogh is starry night pic, probably cos of the song
0:09 Bless You! Great video!
Haha! Thanks very much!!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Another thought provoking video 👌
Just a heads up that those "weird" noctilucent clouds will be back soon over the summer months.
Might make an interesting project for you?
Haha!! I'll keep an eye out for them this time... and maybe try to hunt them out... 🤔
Thanks for watching Daren 😁👍
Great video Mike. Really helpful advice as always. Agree that shooting parts of landscapes, particularly in dappled light is fantastic and provides opportunities to get those more unique shots compared to the usual vistas that everyone else has shot
Thanks very much Anthony! It has to be one of my favourite weather conditions to shoot in. I sometimes will sit on a mountain for hours waiting for a certain part of the landscape to be lit in a certain way.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
I think it’s funny that I have a boatload of money invested in a camera and lens which create images with high dynamic range and saturated colors, then I go into photoshop and promptly remove contrast and saturation from all my images. So It appears that it’s becoming part of my style. I’m also a morning person so it’s no surprise that most of my favorite images are taken predawn to sunrise. Finally, I am definitely a subject shooter and won’t take my camera out of the bag unless there is a clear subject and bonus points if the subject is old and gnarly. Yep a good day’s work is high clouds, predawn, gnarly building (east facing if possible), softened in photoshop
Haha! That's a good point Dan. It is amazing the detail these cameras can get which we then promptly remove. 😆
Good to hear what you go for and what you prefer to shoot. I am also a morning shooter. There is just something about that time of the day that is just fantastic...
Thanks for watching 😁👍
Another great video. I have learned so much from watching your channel. Sometimes I think I have a style and genre, and BOOM, it changes without reason. I am for sure into nature photography, but I find myself leaning to the details and macro versus the big epic landscapes. For sure my editing has a style, which is minimal and realistic. Really enjoy your channel. Thanks for all you do.
Haha! It is amazing how it can change all of a sudden. I think like learning anything, it can come in fits and spurts, and this is very true when it comes to style... and editing definitely has its part to play in creating your style.
Great to hear what you are currently into Michael!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
👍you should visit Grand Tetons and Yellowstone
I'd love to!! 😁👍
I also believe a photographers style is not static, but it evolves with time.
Exactly!!
Great Video!
I would say my main style of photogrpahy, is Ship Photography😅, but i do try to take other kind’s of photo’s too, like urban (in Oslo mostly), Tractor photo’s if i can make it before they have drive by.😂 otherwise i film the tractor’s when they are working.
I do take some «lake scape» if that’s a thing, it’s what i call it atleast😅 and some seascape/coastal photo’s and harbour photo’s!
I want to take photo’s of anything i think can be a cool photo😊
And that is the best way to be. Be curious, be inquisitive and photograph everything!!
This is what I try to do... sometimes I get really bad shots, but other times I get some great ones!!
As always thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Yeah 🙂, i also get some bad shots the first time i try to shoot something new. 😅 I also liked the edit of the video! im also gonna send a ship photo im VERY happy about 😁
My recommendation would be trying different filters/ colour styles/exposures besides just taking photos of different subjects
I am curious about the CAMERA hanging on your shoulder has water droplets is it safe for the camera's longevity? Which CAEMRA is that?
There was light rain on the day I filmed this and this doesn't worry me at all. I just wipe my camera down before packing it away. It is the Sony A7iv.
I have taken my camera into some really harsh conditions in the past and they are still working to this day.
Check out this video from last year: th-cam.com/video/VKJYtlFSwhc/w-d-xo.html
All the kit I used in that one is perfectly fine.
Nowadays cameras are pretty good with being resistant to bad weather.
With the sony cameras, as long as you keep the cover on the hot shoe on the top of the camera, it is ok in a bit of rain. This is where sometimes water can cause problems if the contacts in the hot shoe are exposed to a lot of water.
I hope that helps.
Thanks for watching 😁👍
This question is not necessarily on the specific topic of this video but I wanted to ask you a question.
So, I see many landscape photographers use f/5.6, f/8, or even higher to get a bigger depth of field. Makes sense. My question is why are so many also spending a ton of money on faster f/2.8 lenses when they don't actually take advantage of it?
Why not just get cheaper f/4 glass?
That is a good point.
A lot of the time it comes down to the quality of the glass used in those more expensive lenses. Yes they have a wider maximum aperture, but they also have a tighter tolerance when it comes to manufacturing.
Also, they might do other types of photography for their day job. I do a lot of headshots and sporting events (luckily not weddings 😆) and with all of those genres, it is essential to have a wider max aperture to get the shots in adverse conditions.
I hope that helps
Thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography
Thx for replying.
That was more or less in line with what I expected. The multi-use of a fast lens is a benefit for sure. The f/2.8 line of lenses are however very expensive. I'm a mere beginner. Would you consider doing a video or two about what can be achieved with lower end or even so called 'kit' lenses for landscape and maybe doing a comparison with more expensive glass.
'Low end' or slower glass very often just gets bashed in forums and on TH-cam and described as trash.
Thx again.
I may be confusing style with composition, at the start of your episode. If I was to guess, then I’d say “style” would be the execution of the image, the editing process and finally the presentation.
Blurry background, or pin-sharp throughout the image.
Editing is probably where the creative juices get flowing. Do I go B&W, by dropping saturation or tinker with all the colour channels to enhance the B&W image?
With colour, do I shape the image with light and dark?
Bump up the contrast and saturation?
Go vibrant or subtle with tones?
Or get sucked down the rabbit hole of Split Toning?
At the moment I get the most pleasure from creating video projects. I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of Colour Grading rather than sticking to the camera’s Colour Profiles, I’m beginning to take baby steps and grading my episodes. Get grading wrong and my work looks like a dog’s dinner. But get it right and I’m a happy bunny.
I won’t make a living out of grading, but I sure do enjoy the creative process, trying to develop a style that does not scream the words LUT or Filter applied blindly here.
I should really work on my filming skills, as I keep forgetting establishing shots an thinking about creative transitions.
Style is very much the "je ne sais quoi" part of photography that gives your photos that something extra. I'm still working on it and I think it is something we will work on for as long as we have cameras in our hands.
Editing is definitely another way to develop your style. I touched on it when mentioning the colour palette but I didn't want to go too deeply down that route.
Haha!! When it comes to video, I am still trying to avoid the rabbit hole of colour grading... I am guessing you are shooting in a log profile now?
Don't tell anyone but I still shoot in the standard profile for video so I need to do as little colour grading as possible... although this then blows the highlights out a lot earlier than I'd want, especially when it is sunny... so I really should learn ... 😆
The best way I have found to get all the shots you need is to have a shot list. This can be as simple as:
Establishing shot, Closeups, Medium shots, Finishing shot
But if you do have a shot list, it will make the edit so much easier. I have it drilled into my head now, but when I used to shoot corporate videos for big companies, I'd have a written list that I would go through.
Nothing worse than editing a video together and finding you either have to go back and shoot some more, or that one key shot is missing. 🙈
As always thanks for watching Frank 😁👍
I do indeed shoot in log on my Panasonic camera. I don't know want software you use to edit however I use Resolve. One of the great things about Resolve is that it instantly expands my log profile to look perfect on my monitor.
With this magic feature and Panasonic's excellent Colour Science my footage looks fantastic straight out of the can. There really is no need to use the included colour profiles because I'm throwing away information. Using a Colour Profile is like taking JPEG photos, I'm letting the camera make decisions and throwing away information that I can never recover again.
With Resolve, shooting and editing in log is no more demanding than shooting in a camera profile.
I'm sure that you would be very impressed with the Colour Science of your Sony that if you used Resolve then you'd ditch the Colour Profiles with no extra effort on your workflow.
Add a bit of contrast, saturation and a subtle s-curve, if you do desired, and you'd be amazed how good your footage was straight out of the can.
@@mikesphotography
My FLUX episode is a log profile just with a bit of contrast, saturation and a curve. Nothing else.
Notice the noise for a dark location?
The paid version of Resolve is worth it's fee alone just for the powerful Noise Reduction feature. 😀
Why not go every style, but not human portraits? 🤔 💪 That's what I do 😊 can't wait for winters aurora season again 😁 now it's baby wildlife and macro times 😊
A style can to be a lens, as the results from my Tamron 28-75 mm are quite different than from my GM lenses. Too Lr and C1 render raw files quite different. In harsh light I found my Tamron gives better results than my GM, it makes it softer with stronger colors. So if I go for a stroll at noon with a clear blue sky, I always bring my Tamron. But is it a Tamron you've at 5 minutes? I think it looks like the Sigma 100-400 mm?
You're right, a lens can really add to a persons style!
That lens is the Tamron 50-400mm, I got it recently and am shooting more and more with it! Really sharp too!!
Thanks for watching 😁👍
@@mikesphotography Wow!
Achoo! Bless you Mike! 😂
Haha!! I just had to keep that in the edit!! 😆😆
p.s. it's not covid 😀
I think editing has a lot to do with photographers style too.
You're completely right... and style is a very fluid concept.
Thanks for watching Jay 😁👍
I did not ignore this video.
Well that makes you part of the top 3%! 😁👍
I think trying to get better and relying on youtube to get better at photography is making us all youtube freek watchers. get out there doit yourself. take this as a smal guide but that is it.
Haha!! Good point Andrew!! So cut down on the consumption and pick up on the execution!? As long as it is everyone else's channels, then that's fine with me!! 😆
Thanks for watching 😁👍
°Impecable° we say in Spanish, Flawless would be in English
¡Muchas gracias por sus amables palabras! 😀
I like Peter Lik photography style but he doesn’t give away his secrets…never seen another photographer creating such beautiful images
Lol.
He composites pretty much every shot and then pretends they are taken in one go. 🙈
He is a master at marketing and a true entrepreneur though, and he must be doing something right as he has so many physical galleries around the world. 🤘
@@mikesphotography yeah, I know! The one with the fake moon was a little too obvious and there are many like that! But I would still like to see his retouching process and composition! I know he’s shooting with Hasselblad and he’s printing on acrylic, at least for his galleries but that’s about all I found about his photography style
I don't want to do photography as a career professionally because I love my job in the SEN school I work at, I just want to sell some pictures on the side. What website would you recommend for that sort of set up. Square space is more for professionals isn't it?
Good question. You have things like smugmug but I think that is a lot like squarespace where you have to set up your own website... but the great thing with that is that you can customise the website to make it stand out. Although it does take some time to set up and make it look good.
There is also shopify or shootproof, but I don't have any experience with those.
Then you have print on demand websites like Society6, RedBubble, Zazzle, Art Web and CafePress. Again, I don't have any experience with those either.
The guys over at Iceland photo tours have a good page on this very subject:
iceland-photo-tours.com/articles/photography-tutorials/beginner-s-guide-to-selling-photography-prints
Might be worth checking out.
I hope that helps. 😁👍
@@mikesphotography thanks I'm doing a shoot to sell course with Kristine Rose photography, but I wondered what websites would be good for the UK, as she is Canadian
As if trying to utilize your new camera wasn’t enough pressure. Now you have to have a style. F that. It’s like asking Bruce Springsteen he needs to develop a sound
I’ll shoot any scene that moves me and if someone doesn’t like it they have no style
Thanks for your feedback BJ
I think my big issue is really finding that one or two areas i want to specialise in.
It is hard ... and it will change over time. I love shooting sports, but I don't get many opportunities at the moment, nut I am hoping to change that soon.
Thanks for watching and keep at it 😁👍