What a beautiful freaking video. Not just visually. I don't know if you know about the channel FortNine. It's about motorcycling, but the way their content is written and their presenter (and writer) Ryan, remind me a lot of you and your channel. There's this certain warmth, lack of judgement, openness, no-bs approach and looking at the wider picture sorta approach (no pun intended). Plus, their cinematography is incredible as well. And I don't even ride a bike. Please never stop making videos.
I've just discovered your channel and I'm slowly working my way through your videos, and I'm absolutely shocked at just how few views you're getting given the phenomenal production value. It's almost criminal.
This was absolutely amazing, for the love of god pleaasseee keep on making informative video’s like this. Your out here creating actual artists and helped me a LOT to the journey of becoming good at anything artistic more than only photographs! Thanks for everything
I love what you said at the end. Sometimes the raw image feels less sentimental because it just did not quite capture all the beautiful aspects of it that made you decide to lift up your camera in the first place and if editing will make that happen then sign me up. Always a pleasure watching your videos!
Whenever I feel that photography has lost its meaning for me, I watch your videos. They always inspire me to get up and go take pictures. Thank you for your content, I always learn something new. I really appreciate your work with the video and editing. You have a very interesting visual style and always very nice colors. I'm glad that there are still people who take pictures on film. Thanks to your videos, I much prefer to shoot on film than on digital camera. Sincerely, a huge fan from Slovakia (Europe) Wishing all the best :)
I'm so glad to hear that. Getting people (myself included) outside with a camera is the goal. Honored to play a small part in your journey friend. Thanks a million. ✨
Such a masterfully crafted video! And on the subject at hand, I too had this distaste towards manipulation until I learnt that Steve McCurry edits his photos. I remember people turning that into some kind of a scandal but the majority didn't really care. Anyways, thank you Cody for making such amazing videos. You genuinely create art in an ocean of people who create content
The problem is not that he edited, is that he lied about, said all his photos are documentary photography etc and them he got caught. If you are a white American going to India and earn thousands of dollars from the photos you take there, you should be at least honest about it. You can do whatever you want with a photo, just don't sell it as a strait photo.
The issue isn't that Steve edited his photos, it's that he manipulates _situations_ in a way that's detrimental to local cultures for his own selfish gain
100% agree…. I shoot both digital and film. I, also, try to edit with the thought of transporting the viewer back to my artistic vision upon capture. Have I overcooked in editing? Hell yes…and, you know what, on rainy days its sometimes fun to go back an re-edit old images with a more subtle touch. Non-destructive editing suites….i love you! Great video.
I just realized this video was uploaded 2 years ago and that you had a break from TH-cam. Glad to see you've returned to making videos! After this one I'm definitely checking out your other stuff. Your style, calming voice and amazing explanation deserves much more than 56k subs.
Your videos are so incredibly well made. I'm not a photographer, I'm a painter/concept artist just trying to learn more about photography, but these are some of the best all encompassing videos I've seen out there teaching any art or design discipline or medium that aren't just "technician" videos.
Two things. 1) Photographers who use the SOOC flex (straight out of camera) need to watch this. (I will be keeping a link to this video handy to drop when needed) 2) When someone tells me that I must have a good camera I tell them that I do, but only in the way that Tiger Woods had good golf clubs.
Thank you for your raw and honest take on editing. I feel guilty sometimes if I edit my work, but as you have quoted “a thing of beauty is a joy, forever!” That should be my mantra every time I tweak my photographs.
Cody, I am awestruck with your potential. Your abilities as a photographic teller of stories holds the promise of a bright future. You make your knowledge of the history of our craft clear and appear to be proud to stand on it's shoulders. And, you share both as would the best of educators. You do these things with a maturity that is beyond your years and with a sincerity that makes it feel certain that you do this for others, not yourself. If you look at this video 15 years from now, you'll understand why I am so impressed. My best to you....
that photo at second 14:01 is amazing and problably underrated. i had to stare it for a while and notice that my favorite detail was the tree that was centered right behind the door window
Ansel Adam’s books taught me how to push my black and white darkroom skills to perfection and even got me to a prestigious MFA program back in the 90’s. The film is still the most important piece of the process, but dodging and burning when printing, and even mixing contrast filters was fun.
If you're a photo journalist then by all means, don't edit your photos because they're supposed to show the scene exactly as it is. Otherwise it's up to the individual artist to edit their images the way they like them. Exactly as you said, there probably isn't a photo publicly displayed somewhere that hasn't had some type of editing done to it. Even the purists that have to get everything right in camera and don't do any post processing editing display a processed image if they shot it in jpeg. Whether they want to admit it or not, their camera edited the photo to add sharpening, contrast, noise reduction, etc. So even their "right out of the camera" shot has been edited. Anymore I've gotten to the point where I don't care if someone says my image was edited. In fact I tell them yes it was because that's the way I saw the image and how I wanted it to look. I'm not a photo journalist, I'm a digital artist that happens to use a camera as a tool.
Even as a photojournalist you will ultimately edit your photos before them being published. May it be minor colour correction or contrast shifting or just putting it into "auto-correct". Just take a look at the "world press photos" and tell me they're not edited. Sure, you shouldn't edit out or in objects or people - but even by noninvasive measures you can alter the message of the picture: by cropping, either after the picture was taken or even before taking the picture. I would argue that in this sense even the process of taking the picture (and thus changing the frame, aka framing) is a form of editing.
i can only imagine the work that you've put in making this video and your channel, i wish you get more popularity on this platform, you really deserve it
A terrific and thoughtful video with an off-putting and misleading title. I almost skipped over the video because of the title. Glad I took the time to watch to the end. Keep up the great work!
Boy oh boy, i've been going though this for a while now, even though that I came across your channel for the sake of learning film to dismiss editing. but thank god you've uploaded this. Thank you so much for this amazing video!
I've actually went on a vacation to Greece and shot 3 rolls of film. Most of the images were a bit out of my tast, which led me to edit the images. This gave me the feeling it was cheating... but here it is. You actually took away that feeling by making a video about editing an image which is a part of the process!! Well done Cody on making yet another awesome video about a thought which probably went through a lot of peoples mind.
HI Cody. I only found your channel last night. Never knew about you before or about your time away from the channel until I watched some of your more recent stuff. Wanted to pay my compliments to your content. It's very well done and interesting. I like the way you approach your videos. Something calming about this and encouraging at the same time. Keep it up. And Thanks!
This video was the best big picture take on the "dOnT eDiT yOuR pHoToS" trope! Its an art form at the end of the day, we should strive to make beautiful timeless things. Thanks for this wonderful video!
What an amazing video this is! Many things you said felt like fingers snapping and waking me up. Thank you I look forward to watching more of your videos... what a wonderful journey I'm sure it will be!!
You're very knowledgeable and articulate. I enjoy watching your videos. By the way, I'm a resident of Santa Barbara and love seeing the cool spots you photograph!
I have been doing draft of a script about the similar topic. In Czech language. Now I feel like there is no need and I can link your video instead, haha. As a street photograper I was going for the Fan Ho approach, but I will definitely do it anyway, even though I will not convey my message as well as you did. Amazing video as always Cody, thanks!
I love the 'Storyducational' (Storytelling & Educational) style of your videos, Cody. Thank you for that. On a side note, and possibly a topic for your future videos, my next question relates to our (most likely) first impressions of photography being family photos (e.g. family holidays, birthdays, playing sports, etc), has this changed over time and what evidence is there of any related changes with newer generations? or is it still the same... just more modern cameras?
Also lets not forget that a raw file is literally just the recored data and is only an "image" when some software converts it to jpeg editing it in the process by applying sharpening and saturation adjustments and that the raw files will look different depending on the colour space
Wow this video was insanely good, I subbed after not even 5 minutes. Ridiculous quality for a channel of this size. And btw I would love to see a side by side of your favorite pics part with the edited and unedited ones!
Interesting video. I remember when I seriously started taking photos & took courses in college way back in 1973/74. Had a Nikon FTN b & w film camera. Set up darkroom in our home laundry room with all the trays and definitely did a lot of dodging & burning to get image as I liked it. When I hear people make remarks about your edits when as u said even a 100 years ago they did dodge and edited. Oh and living in Florida I’ve been able to meet on several occasions Clyde Butcher. Ever hear of him? You should see his darkroom. It is amazing. I met him once after he just got an Dslr camera.
You are great man! I've discovered yesterday your channel and I can't stop watching it. Great contents! I did not see a channel as beautiful as yours from the Nick Carver's one.
It’s a bit like saying you aren’t editing the photograph by composing it, in which you remove a large part of the world to concentrate on the bit you like. It’s always been an idiots stance when you get ‘I don’t edit’ comments in camera forums.
This was a surprisingly insipring video. I think a good rule of the thumb for editing is: "whenever you crank a slider in Lightroom to a point where the image looks great to you, halve that value and it will be better" (so if you added 50 in the shadows slider, just use 25 instead, and for layer-based software like PS, halve the opacity of the adjustment layer). Not sure where I've heard it first, but I still hold true to it to this day when an adjustment "feels" like it could get out of hand if I just increased (or decreased) the slider a touch more.
Even the choice of film chemistry, exposure, photopaper selection, and framing are acts of editing, interpreting, or altering the final image. And what of painting? Everything a painter does is an interpretive choice for the resulting image.
It's so disappointing that youtube is forcing the creators to make clickbait titles and thumbnails. I was hesitant to click this video for a long time, because I completely disagree with its subject (as of now, "You shouldn't edit your photography"). I was under an impression that this would be another purist and elitist oration with nothing to learn from. Fortunately this wasn't the case. I liked the video and I agree with its contents.
The way i think of it is that photography is like painting you can always add more paint layer on and everyone has there own style because its what pleases them not others
Very good points, and a balanced take. I think the core of this topic is not that photographers have to only share essentially raw images, but rather that excessive editing has become somewhat the norm, and is literally altering people's perception of reality en masse. The amount of the infamous pictures from North American forests in the fall that are edited to be bright orange is astounding. I personally also find it sad how often I see photographers edit life out of their pictures with AI - removing any sign of human habitation from cities to make an image 'cleaner'. All of which seems to be passed on as a reflection of reality, when often it becomes more akin to AI collage
Okeyyy 60 seconds into watching this video and I’m thinking “Wow such amazing narration editing etc.” Then I look at number of subscribers. Can someone explain why someone doing this amazing video has only 22,7 thousand subscribers ?!
I m doing the same in lightroom what i did in the darkroom manu years ago. Dodging, burning, pre lightning the photopaer so to go 1 grade higher and a bit less contrast, bleaching sometimes, selenium toner and so on...
Hi! Thanks for this video. It made me think. I also read the comments, all of them, to learn how people reacted. You must be proud with such comments that you well deserve. And this is my 2 cents: can you find any restaurant that sells food with no salt, no spices, no sauces, no dressings at all?
I love your videos. Just wanted to say that. I'm gonna have to pick up a Mamiya some day to try out. I shoot on a Bronica ETRSi and a Horseman VH-R 6x9.
What a great video. I shall keep it and show it to anyone who makes sniffy remarks about editing, usually people who know nothing at all about photography, sadly some photographers I know but not many.
Another great video Cody! Would love to see your editing process in your future video. I have learnt the basics from your channel and my photos come out quite good. However, I feel like I can do more to those photos to depict my vision or how I can make it to look more like when I was capturing the shot.
Thanks, Chiseng! I've been toying with the idea of doing a video on it, and almost put a segment on it in this video but that would've made it a bit too long. Know that it's definitely on my mind though!
I’ve learned more about photography in this video than any other, and not just the importance of editing, but the essence and beauty of photography in its own art.
Great video. I think developing your photos is just as much a part of photography as actually taking the photo. It’s scary that people think cameras have the capability to capture objective truth. Great video, watched it on a whim.
I totally agree with you here, but there is a new element to take into account. For a while now, I've been experimenting with AI (not just for retouching, I use Stable Diffusion and this AI and others can create photos from thin air) and I've come to the conclusion that in the future what will make a photo authentic is its flaws. What's the point of retouching an image you took with your camera when you can put anyone into an AI with a Lora, inject a composition and a pose with a simple sketch and a controlnet and get a better image without even touching a camera. I think the only answer to that is being minimalistic in your retouching. Soon, many professions revolving around photography and videos will die. For example, for many industries there will be no point paying an ad campaign with photographers, makeup artists, photographers, designers, artistic direction, models when all that can be shrunk to a single guy behind his laptop. Retouching and editing is a question of the past. The new question is reality and authenticity vs. AI generated image. I'm nobody and my AI skills are close to zero bu I already know how to produce images of myself (or anybody) on a beach of Hawaii, and I find this very scary. Photography may go back to its roots just as a means to freeze a moment in time and keep it forever. For anything else, the average person won't be able to know what's been produced by an AI or by a real photographer. Scary and sad, but we have to find ways to resist or art itself could die. I know the objection about this debate having already taken place when photography first appeared, but I don't agree with that, this AI problem is something on a whole new level. Let's not be perfect, flaws are the new perfect. And this is coming from a guy who spent hundreds of hours retouching professional models' skin with photoshop.
Baffling to me how few views these get considering they’re some of the best production quality on the platform and the storytelling & information is sooo well thought out. You’re an inspiration mate!
I think it was Ansel Adams who once said, "The negative is the score. The print... the symphony." Since reading that, I've been going at my editing like a conductor going at an orchestra.
I kind of have to edit my photos on my phone. They at least to my eye on my own phone don't look like the thing I was taking a picture of.. I understand that this video is not exactly about this but in searching situations even to make it look similar to what you see you have to kind of edit it
It's very seldom I ever take a photo and think it looks perfect SOC. Editing is not only an essential part of crafting a look but it's probably my favorite part of the process. Although it's a double edged sword because some photographers take editing to the extreme and it's simply not tasteful.
What a beautiful freaking video. Not just visually.
I don't know if you know about the channel FortNine. It's about motorcycling, but the way their content is written and their presenter (and writer) Ryan, remind me a lot of you and your channel. There's this certain warmth, lack of judgement, openness, no-bs approach and looking at the wider picture sorta approach (no pun intended). Plus, their cinematography is incredible as well. And I don't even ride a bike.
Please never stop making videos.
I was wondering why I kept getting vague senses of deja vu watching Cody, and the FortNine comparison is spot on.
I've just discovered your channel and I'm slowly working my way through your videos, and I'm absolutely shocked at just how few views you're getting given the phenomenal production value. It's almost criminal.
i’m sending this channel to all my arty friends.
This was absolutely amazing, for the love of god pleaasseee keep on making informative video’s like this. Your out here creating actual artists and helped me a LOT to the journey of becoming good at anything artistic more than only photographs! Thanks for everything
Thank you so much for your comment. I'm glad you think so! We're just getting started here. Plenty more to come. Thanks for being herre!
I love what you said at the end. Sometimes the raw image feels less sentimental because it just did not quite capture all the beautiful aspects of it that made you decide to lift up your camera in the first place and if editing will make that happen then sign me up. Always a pleasure watching your videos!
this has to be one of the best video essays on the topic of editing out there. outstanding writing and wonderful photographs.
Thanks so much, Elias!
This channel is criminally underrated !!!
I'm glad you think so!
the production on this is absolutely beautiful, will not be long before the views are coming in the hundreds of thousands
Whenever I feel that photography has lost its meaning for me, I watch your videos. They always inspire me to get up and go take pictures. Thank you for your content, I always learn something new. I really appreciate your work with the video and editing. You have a very interesting visual style and always very nice colors. I'm glad that there are still people who take pictures on film. Thanks to your videos, I much prefer to shoot on film than on digital camera.
Sincerely, a huge fan from Slovakia (Europe)
Wishing all the best :)
I'm so glad to hear that. Getting people (myself included) outside with a camera is the goal. Honored to play a small part in your journey friend. Thanks a million. ✨
You’re such a great speaker. Could listen to you explain photography all day.
Thank you. I really appreciate that!
Such a masterfully crafted video!
And on the subject at hand, I too had this distaste towards manipulation until I learnt that Steve McCurry edits his photos. I remember people turning that into some kind of a scandal but the majority didn't really care.
Anyways, thank you Cody for making such amazing videos. You genuinely create art in an ocean of people who create content
The problem is not that he edited, is that he lied about, said all his photos are documentary photography etc and them he got caught. If you are a white American going to India and earn thousands of dollars from the photos you take there, you should be at least honest about it. You can do whatever you want with a photo, just don't sell it as a strait photo.
The issue isn't that Steve edited his photos, it's that he manipulates _situations_ in a way that's detrimental to local cultures for his own selfish gain
100% agree…. I shoot both digital and film. I, also, try to edit with the thought of transporting the viewer back to my artistic vision upon capture. Have I overcooked in editing? Hell yes…and, you know what, on rainy days its sometimes fun to go back an re-edit old images with a more subtle touch. Non-destructive editing suites….i love you! Great video.
Unreal mate, attention to detail is mind blowing. Thanks for sharing and creating!
You've done it again pal, totally killing it! Thank you for doing your own thing, and keeping things fresh on TH-cam!
Thanks so much! Appreciate you being here!
I just realized this video was uploaded 2 years ago and that you had a break from TH-cam. Glad to see you've returned to making videos! After this one I'm definitely checking out your other stuff. Your style, calming voice and amazing explanation deserves much more than 56k subs.
Your videos are so incredibly well made. I'm not a photographer, I'm a painter/concept artist just trying to learn more about photography, but these are some of the best all encompassing videos I've seen out there teaching any art or design discipline or medium that aren't just "technician" videos.
Your videos always have that photography school kind of feeling with such precise research and creativity. Thank you. So much.
My pleasure! Thanks for watching!!
Two things.
1) Photographers who use the SOOC flex (straight out of camera) need to watch this. (I will be keeping a link to this video handy to drop when needed)
2) When someone tells me that I must have a good camera I tell them that I do, but only in the way that Tiger Woods had good golf clubs.
Didn’t expect such a great history lesson. Thank you!
No,. thank you, Dirk!
Thank you for your raw and honest take on editing. I feel guilty sometimes if I edit my work, but as you have quoted “a thing of beauty is a joy, forever!” That should be my mantra every time I tweak my photographs.
Glad it spoke to you. Thanks, Pearl!
Absolutely incredible. I'm so glad you're still here man
Thank you! Not going anywhere anytime soon!
18:00 Yes! Amen! Thank you for this video, it's good to see that someone's going through similar paths I do.
Cody, I am awestruck with your potential. Your abilities as a photographic teller of stories holds the promise of a bright future. You make your knowledge of the history of our craft clear and appear to be proud to stand on it's shoulders. And, you share both as would the best of educators. You do these things with a maturity that is beyond your years and with a sincerity that makes it feel certain that you do this for others, not yourself. If you look at this video 15 years from now, you'll understand why I am so impressed. My best to you....
that photo at second 14:01 is amazing and problably underrated. i had to stare it for a while and notice that my favorite detail was the tree that was centered right behind the door window
I'm so glad you noticed that!
This is an incredible video. The love that went into this is felt every second. Thank you
Thank you, Brian!
Your genuine love an passion for the medium really show in this video. Thank you so much for making this video, felt like I learned a lot!
So glad to hear that. Thank you!
What a video! Your words here really resonated with how I see editing, dark room work, ect... 😄
Ansel Adam’s books taught me how to push my black and white darkroom skills to perfection and even got me to a prestigious MFA program back in the 90’s. The film is still the most important piece of the process, but dodging and burning when printing, and even mixing contrast filters was fun.
If you're a photo journalist then by all means, don't edit your photos because they're supposed to show the scene exactly as it is. Otherwise it's up to the individual artist to edit their images the way they like them. Exactly as you said, there probably isn't a photo publicly displayed somewhere that hasn't had some type of editing done to it. Even the purists that have to get everything right in camera and don't do any post processing editing display a processed image if they shot it in jpeg. Whether they want to admit it or not, their camera edited the photo to add sharpening, contrast, noise reduction, etc. So even their "right out of the camera" shot has been edited. Anymore I've gotten to the point where I don't care if someone says my image was edited. In fact I tell them yes it was because that's the way I saw the image and how I wanted it to look. I'm not a photo journalist, I'm a digital artist that happens to use a camera as a tool.
dang well said
Yeah , imagine unedited raw photos with no color correction whatsoever
Well said
Even as a photojournalist you will ultimately edit your photos before them being published. May it be minor colour correction or contrast shifting or just putting it into "auto-correct". Just take a look at the "world press photos" and tell me they're not edited.
Sure, you shouldn't edit out or in objects or people - but even by noninvasive measures you can alter the message of the picture: by cropping, either after the picture was taken or even before taking the picture. I would argue that in this sense even the process of taking the picture (and thus changing the frame, aka framing) is a form of editing.
i can only imagine the work that you've put in making this video and your channel, i wish you get more popularity on this platform, you really deserve it
Really appreciate that, Alexandru. Thank you!
One of the best ever tutorials and videos I have come across. Thank you for making such great content.
This deserves sooooo much more attention than it’s getting. Love love love it
Thank you! I'm glad you think so!
A terrific and thoughtful video with an off-putting and misleading title. I almost skipped over the video because of the title. Glad I took the time to watch to the end. Keep up the great work!
you amaze me... please continue to do what you do - you bring some sanity to this art
Boy oh boy, i've been going though this for a while now, even though that I came across your channel for the sake of learning film to dismiss editing. but thank god you've uploaded this. Thank you so much for this amazing video!
Thanks, Majd!
I've actually went on a vacation to Greece and shot 3 rolls of film. Most of the images were a bit out of my tast, which led me to edit the images. This gave me the feeling it was cheating... but here it is. You actually took away that feeling by making a video about editing an image which is a part of the process!! Well done Cody on making yet another awesome video about a thought which probably went through a lot of peoples mind.
Thank you so much!
Your video's are so nice, you are such a good teacher and storyteller. Keep up the good work man!
This video was phenomenal, just discovered your channel and I can’t wait to check out the rest
HOW DOES THIS ONLY HAVE 9K VIEWS? this is the highest quality video I've ever seen on this site
HI Cody. I only found your channel last night. Never knew about you before or about your time away from the channel until I watched some of your more recent stuff. Wanted to pay my compliments to your content. It's very well done and interesting. I like the way you approach your videos. Something calming about this and encouraging at the same time. Keep it up. And Thanks!
This video was the best big picture take on the "dOnT eDiT yOuR pHoToS" trope! Its an art form at the end of the day, we should strive to make beautiful timeless things. Thanks for this wonderful video!
What an amazing video this is! Many things you said felt like fingers snapping and waking me up. Thank you I look forward to watching more of your videos... what a wonderful journey I'm sure it will be!!
I'm so glad to hear that dude! Best of luck on your future creations
You're very knowledgeable and articulate. I enjoy watching your videos. By the way, I'm a resident of Santa Barbara and love seeing the cool spots you photograph!
By far the best video I've seen on this subject, both by content and style. Thank you!
bro your content is just perfect.
love watching every single one of your vids
I'm honored, Gustavo. Thanks so much for watching. It makes it all worth while!
I have been doing draft of a script about the similar topic. In Czech language. Now I feel like there is no need and I can link your video instead, haha.
As a street photograper I was going for the Fan Ho approach, but I will definitely do it anyway, even though I will not convey my message as well as you did.
Amazing video as always Cody, thanks!
I love the 'Storyducational' (Storytelling & Educational) style of your videos, Cody. Thank you for that.
On a side note, and possibly a topic for your future videos, my next question relates to our (most likely) first impressions of photography being family photos (e.g. family holidays, birthdays, playing sports, etc), has this changed over time and what evidence is there of any related changes with newer generations? or is it still the same... just more modern cameras?
Also lets not forget that a raw file is literally just the recored data and is only an "image" when some software converts it to jpeg editing it in the process by applying sharpening and saturation adjustments and that the raw files will look different depending on the colour space
Wow this video was insanely good, I subbed after not even 5 minutes. Ridiculous quality for a channel of this size. And btw I would love to see a side by side of your favorite pics part with the edited and unedited ones!
Thanks so much, Nolan. Welcome! and that's a great idea. I should have put that in the video!
Yesssss. This is so true. Thank you so much for this.
Love your story-telling (in both visual and verbal capacities)! You’re the man Cody 🤙
Thank you so much!! 😊
wow, thanks for the video. this is so awesome! I have been thinking about but you make it really well! always enjoy!
Thanks Ryan!!
Interesting video. I remember when I seriously started taking photos & took courses in college way back in 1973/74. Had a Nikon FTN b & w film camera. Set up darkroom in our home laundry room with all the trays and definitely did a lot of dodging & burning to get image as I liked it. When I hear people make remarks about your edits when as u said even a 100 years ago they did dodge and edited. Oh and living in Florida I’ve been able to meet on several occasions Clyde Butcher. Ever hear of him? You should see his darkroom. It is amazing. I met him once after he just got an Dslr camera.
Thanks so much for this video. I love your style, and the comparison to Ansel Adams brought the whole thing home for me. I’ll keep editing my art.
No, thank you, David! Appreciate you being here!
You are great man! I've discovered yesterday your channel and I can't stop watching it. Great contents! I did not see a channel as beautiful as yours from the Nick Carver's one.
Thanks, Luigi! Glad to have you here!
I discovered you a few days ago and you are changing my life as a photographer. KID-YOU-NOT!
Honored to be or service. Thank you!
really incredible man. i know everyone else has said it already but this deserves way more views
i have just found your channel and i am enjoying it immensely. this was just marvellous. thankyou.
i’d also add that I like your images a lot, and you are a good writer. both have integrity i admire.
Man this was great! Well done. Your videos are always so well put together.
Thanks so much, Philip!
It’s a bit like saying you aren’t editing the photograph by composing it, in which you remove a large part of the world to concentrate on the bit you like. It’s always been an idiots stance when you get ‘I don’t edit’ comments in camera forums.
reeeeealy like this "national geography like" approach to tutorial videos , great delivery !
This was a surprisingly insipring video. I think a good rule of the thumb for editing is: "whenever you crank a slider in Lightroom to a point where the image looks great to you, halve that value and it will be better" (so if you added 50 in the shadows slider, just use 25 instead, and for layer-based software like PS, halve the opacity of the adjustment layer). Not sure where I've heard it first, but I still hold true to it to this day when an adjustment "feels" like it could get out of hand if I just increased (or decreased) the slider a touch more.
Even the choice of film chemistry, exposure, photopaper selection, and framing are acts of editing, interpreting, or altering the final image. And what of painting? Everything a painter does is an interpretive choice for the resulting image.
It's so disappointing that youtube is forcing the creators to make clickbait titles and thumbnails. I was hesitant to click this video for a long time, because I completely disagree with its subject (as of now, "You shouldn't edit your photography"). I was under an impression that this would be another purist and elitist oration with nothing to learn from.
Fortunately this wasn't the case. I liked the video and I agree with its contents.
The way i think of it is that photography is like painting you can always add more paint layer on and everyone has there own style because its what pleases them not others
the cinematography is undeniably amazing
Thanks so much!
Very good points, and a balanced take. I think the core of this topic is not that photographers have to only share essentially raw images, but rather that excessive editing has become somewhat the norm, and is literally altering people's perception of reality en masse. The amount of the infamous pictures from North American forests in the fall that are edited to be bright orange is astounding. I personally also find it sad how often I see photographers edit life out of their pictures with AI - removing any sign of human habitation from cities to make an image 'cleaner'. All of which seems to be passed on as a reflection of reality, when often it becomes more akin to AI collage
I only edit raw files to look like I thought it did ok that back of the camera. But a lot of times no editing. Lighting is more important to me
Just discovered your channel and I love it!! Thank you for this great content et visual experience!
Okeyyy
60 seconds into watching this video and I’m thinking
“Wow such amazing narration editing etc.”
Then I look at number of subscribers.
Can someone explain why someone doing this amazing video has only 22,7 thousand subscribers ?!
The truth? Because I don't post frequently enough.
I m doing the same in lightroom what i did in the darkroom manu years ago. Dodging, burning, pre lightning the photopaer so to go 1 grade higher and a bit less contrast, bleaching sometimes, selenium toner and so on...
Hi! Thanks for this video. It made me think. I also read the comments, all of them, to learn how people reacted. You must be proud with such comments that you well deserve. And this is my 2 cents: can you find any restaurant that sells food with no salt, no spices, no sauces, no dressings at all?
I adore your video, i wish i could express more but i dont know how, im just gonna say that this video give me idea on what i want to do, thank you
Sometimes the best feelings are those we can't describe. Honored to have been a positive influence. Wishing you the best of luck!
I love your videos. Just wanted to say that. I'm gonna have to pick up a Mamiya some day to try out. I shoot on a Bronica ETRSi and a Horseman VH-R 6x9.
I really enjoyed this, beautiful and thoughtful. Thanks!
such an amazing video. so much work was put into this. massively underrated dude!
Thanks so much, Euan!
Incredibly useful and cool video ! Thanks Cody
No, thank you!
What an amazing video. You really know how to set a mood. 🙌🙌
Thank you so much, Diego!
Loved this video! Would love your take on instant film.
I actually never heard criticism or disappointment about my photos being edited... and almost nobody asks what camera I'm using
What a great video. I shall keep it and show it to anyone who makes sniffy remarks about editing, usually people who know nothing at all about photography, sadly some photographers I know but not many.
Another great video Cody! Would love to see your editing process in your future video. I have learnt the basics from your channel and my photos come out quite good. However, I feel like I can do more to those photos to depict my vision or how I can make it to look more like when I was capturing the shot.
Thanks, Chiseng! I've been toying with the idea of doing a video on it, and almost put a segment on it in this video but that would've made it a bit too long. Know that it's definitely on my mind though!
This was beautiful. Thank you for creating this for us all.
I’ve learned more about photography in this video than any other, and not just the importance of editing, but the essence and beauty of photography in its own art.
Another great video! Really enjoyed this style, and hope you keep producing more.
Thank you! So many more to come!
Great video. I think developing your photos is just as much a part of photography as actually taking the photo. It’s scary that people think cameras have the capability to capture objective truth. Great video, watched it on a whim.
Great video with super clear explanations! I just found you and you got yourself a new subscriber :)
God damn this is beautifully shot and cut together, well done sir
Thanks so much, I appreciate it!!
I totally agree with you here, but there is a new element to take into account. For a while now, I've been experimenting with AI (not just for retouching, I use Stable Diffusion and this AI and others can create photos from thin air) and I've come to the conclusion that in the future what will make a photo authentic is its flaws. What's the point of retouching an image you took with your camera when you can put anyone into an AI with a Lora, inject a composition and a pose with a simple sketch and a controlnet and get a better image without even touching a camera. I think the only answer to that is being minimalistic in your retouching. Soon, many professions revolving around photography and videos will die. For example, for many industries there will be no point paying an ad campaign with photographers, makeup artists, photographers, designers, artistic direction, models when all that can be shrunk to a single guy behind his laptop. Retouching and editing is a question of the past. The new question is reality and authenticity vs. AI generated image. I'm nobody and my AI skills are close to zero bu I already know how to produce images of myself (or anybody) on a beach of Hawaii, and I find this very scary. Photography may go back to its roots just as a means to freeze a moment in time and keep it forever. For anything else, the average person won't be able to know what's been produced by an AI or by a real photographer. Scary and sad, but we have to find ways to resist or art itself could die. I know the objection about this debate having already taken place when photography first appeared, but I don't agree with that, this AI problem is something on a whole new level. Let's not be perfect, flaws are the new perfect. And this is coming from a guy who spent hundreds of hours retouching professional models' skin with photoshop.
Killed it again cody!
thank you!
I loved this video man, from start to end ✌🏼 well done :D
Baffling to me how few views these get considering they’re some of the best production quality on the platform and the storytelling & information is sooo well thought out. You’re an inspiration mate!
I think it was Ansel Adams who once said, "The negative is the score. The print... the symphony." Since reading that, I've been going at my editing like a conductor going at an orchestra.
I kind of have to edit my photos on my phone. They at least to my eye on my own phone don't look like the thing I was taking a picture of.. I understand that this video is not exactly about this but in searching situations even to make it look similar to what you see you have to kind of edit it
Maaan I was baited by that title and couldn’t look away. Excellent video!!!
man I love your videos so helpful and also very artistic and enjoyable to watch 🙏🏼❤
Outstanding content and presentation. Thank you 🙏
Love this channel! Cody, you are awesome! Thank you for posting these awesome videos! Got yourself a new subscriber!
Very good takes on an age old topic.
It's very seldom I ever take a photo and think it looks perfect SOC. Editing is not only an essential part of crafting a look but it's probably my favorite part of the process. Although it's a double edged sword because some photographers take editing to the extreme and it's simply not tasteful.
"..Back to what I envisioned... " I have said these very words and that alone ends the discussion!