Are you giving an interpretation of the results, Nigel? Do you think there would be a further difference in the result if you were to show the photo's to the general public versus a photography community? These experiments are useful to isolate variables regarding how we communicate with different audiences - sorry, research head is on again, lol
“The desire to be there” is exactly how I feel about a good landscape photo. Growing up in the early 90s, I recall waiting for each year’s calendar to see some stunning landscape photo for each month. Spring photos in particular evoked strong emotions of the desire to be there. I was so inspired by such photos that I still have a few scans of and still searching today where in the world they were taken. Good landscape photos are powerful. Interesting topic my friend, thanks for shining light on it.
Wonderful. Intuitively, I've thought to myself, "Don't worry so much about learning the techniques that you loose the wonder of the moment." I'm a beginner (watching lots of how-tos) and am truly thankful to you for this confirmation of the point of it all.
I loved watching this video. It encompassed how I've long felt about photography, but seldom achieve. To me, a great photo is like a sunset you just can't drag your eyes away from and when you do, you just have to look back again. My ambition has, for a long time, been to capture an image that moves someone to tears in the way music sometimes does. Very good video. One of your best.
Firstly Nigel best studio ever ever 👍🏼. Secondly what a great topic, a few videos back there was the moment you pointed out when we all travel, see the scene, jump out of the car and capture that scene. That’s our emotional reaction we photographers have isn’t it. The eye sees it and an emotional reaction says I need to capture it. And we then have this wonderful Moment captured in pixels or paper which provides us with a memory and an ever lasting emotion to that memory. Great vid as ever, thankyou. BTW 2000 more subscribers in two weeks, this channel getting the credit it deserves .
Beautifully done, Nigel. You offer so much more than I find in the hundreds of plain vanilla videos on landscape photography. Please crack on with your marvelously creative work.
Meaningful communication takes time and interest in the subject before you start communicating. This video is the best contribuition ever to go out and create the best possible “meaningful” image! Many thanks for sharing Nigel!
Evoking an emotion of being there. Stumbled upon your channel which led me to Mads which in turn immediately prompted booking a trip to Iceland for this August. Thank you so much for your contribution. The knowledge compression is so easily understood by this noob.
Sometimes you are seeing just such a scene while driving on a road where it was impossible to stop. Or the one driving didn't want to stop. And for years after it would be bothering you. The perfect scene that got away. Everything would've been perfect, if only you could stopped and captured it. Thanks ever so much Nigel!
A lovely, relaxing, enjoyable and emotion invoking video. Looking at beautifully stunning photography in such a peaceful garden on a summers day in England - What could be better? Nothing at all. And 'All is is well in the world' is the evoked emotion.
Hello, Nigel I really adored your passionate and your patient to create so stunning photos. If I look at you it's given me tranquillity and hope for a better life. I worked for 42 Years as a nurse and landscape photography give me the opinion to forgot the bad expression all-day. Forgot death, suffer and all thing what I lived in this part of my life. So often I`m not satisfied with the photo what I took, it`s really difficult to show my feelings. So that other people feel the same. You are a master to create such amazing emotional photos.
Absolutely wonderful video, Nigel. Perfectly presented and bang on point. The points that hit home for me: capturing something mysterious, waiting for the right combination of light, scene elements, investing time. No run and gun. Visiting a location multiple times. Also the differences between reactions on Instagram vs. reviewing a photo in print, in gallery or even on a website. I was surprised at the range of emotions for the survey photographs - probably a sign of how personal life experiences factor into perception. Absolutely agree that distance (and by inference, depth) is a key factor in landscape photography. You handle it beautifully. Lastly, I'm not at the point of being able to visualize the final edit as I shoot, but working on it. Thanks a bunch.
Great topic Nigel! I got the survey without titles. I really enjoyed taking the survey...such great work!!! A quote from my Art/Photography classes: "The best photos/images are the ones that catch the eye and make us stop to study it. It evokes an emotion...good or bad". I've been telling students this for years to get them to understand telling a story and trying to convey the emotions we felt when we made the exposures to grab people's attention. Of course, this can apply to so many genres of photography. Sadly, there is a lot of photography that is made for nothing more than "Wall/tabletop filler" in office/home space that just matches the colors of the interior design but that is part of the business.
I find, the best way to gauge the emotional factor of my images on the viewer, is how it effects my emotional response making it. I strive to find a way to reach the viewers emotionally with my images. I look for those scenes of things/people/animals/places that will stir a feeling of some kind in the viewer. That's the idea any way. Usually it does, but not always.
This is interesting. I generally don't feel emotion when I look at landscapes. I get impressions and mood (for example calmness) but not emotion in the sense that novels, film, photos with people, or music invoke in me. I also took your survey and found several of the images that didn't provide the impression indicator that hit me when looking at the image. So, I sometimes tried to select things that could be impressions. I see warm, cold, mysterious, etc to be just impression phrases and not emotion indicators. A good photo like a good red wine gives one impression when one first drinks it and then many different ones after the wine has "matured". Of course, that is just my view. I know these things are different for everyone and that is one of the strengths of art.
Nigel, you’re a awesome photographer, and able to capture some outstanding photos! I like your hammock in the background, I have several myself, to me being out in nature, makes me feel closer to God.
The psychology of photography is an often neglected aspect of the art--especially regarding landscape photography. You did a really good job of delving into the communicative/emotional aspect of the art. Bravo.
Hi Nigel! Great video again! I think you adressed the core element in photography: transmitting emotion to the audience. Whatever the gear and location, I completely agree it's a matter of feelings first and foremost. Which can be sometimes interesting or strange when we thing having a super great picture we love but the emotion does not transfer as such to the others, or the other way around. I have to say, some of your pictures did reach to me as I always loved what you're doing. Cheers!
Very beautiful perspective. The way you have explained photography in this video has really given me a new understanding and perspective on how much photography really is an art. Thank you. This is probably my favorite video in your channel, if not on TH-cam about photography!!
I think the fact that different people can respond to the same photo is diverse ways is a point against giving photos an 'evocative' title - my feeling is that such titles are, in a way, telling people what to think and feel. I lean much more towards the 'descriptive', or literal, title - a plain statement of where the photo was taken, or maybe the time of year, or something else relevant to the conditions in which it was taken.
Such a great video! Many points well made and easily understood. Guess I never tried to put my finger on some of these ideas, but they were there. I've always said a great piece of art speaks to you. That is my criteria for every piece of art I own...I never tire of how they make me feel....where the take me💜
Thanks for taking on this subject. I think if we are honest as photographer's we all desire this response when we show our work. Even though it is very subjective, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, we all want people to think and feel the way we do when we see and react to what we treasure in a photograph. Keep up your good work Nigel. Thanks again.
Fantastic video. Really got me thinking about the photos I take. Very helpful and definitely something that will help me and others develop as photographers. Thank you.
Nigel, this video was amazing and a joy to watch. I was pleased at the way that you mentioned the difference between Instagram and means of viewing photos. This is what keeps me looking forward to your content as you challenge my thinking and inspire me to continue working on this wonderful art. Many Thanks as always.
I 'stumbled' across this video today ... and am so glad I did. I've been giving thought to how one might discover/portray one's 'voice' (as separate from style) in one's photography. This discussion, Nigel, has fed into my thinking really well. Many many thanks!!! Andrew
Really good topic, which I hope you will develop further in future videos. This one made me breathless, so I'll have to watch it a couple more times to take it all in due to the concentrated passion!
Nice video Nigel. I do relate to the idea of emotion to what the photographer felt when he took the photo and also, wants us to feel with the latter part being the hardest.
What a great video Nigel - I thoroughly enjoyed it! You've put things so well regarding emotions felt by both the photographer and the viewer. Having listened to your theories and seen your stunning images, I'll definitely invest more time in future in considering the composition and light, and what might invoke deep emotions in the viewer's mind, before I press the shutter button. Thank you !
Many landscape photos came out as 'merely' documentary. It's surely a challenge to bring more than just a 'still' image, which tells a story and evokes emotion. For me great landscape images always have those atmospheric feelings.
Catching up on your video's, after a 3 week trip to Indonesia. And what a great video to start with, there is so much useful information here that I might have to watch it again!!!
Just brilliant Nigel! Your passion for your art might only be surpassed by your passion for sharing it with us. You are a master teacher and people are noticing. Cheers - John
Another thought provoking Vlog, I particularly like you explanation of how the medium you view the image on changes your perspective of that image, brilliantly informative vid, great work as always,
Love the snow field photo, such simplicity, oops that ones just the back of another landscape😂. Sorry your right emotion is at the heart of all appreciation.
Excellent. I'm sure you are right to focus on connection with the viewer, via the image that comes from intimate knowledge of a location, rather than the 'contagion' model of emotionally expressive art. Viewers don't necessarily 'catch' exactly what the photographer felt. But they can connect to a thoughtful image. Btw, I think some of your images are very beautiful, but others succeed because they evoke the sublime ( which as you say, leaves something to the imagination).
How interesting! As a parallel, I lent a book (the autography of a world gliding champion pilot) to someone, who complained that the book said little about glider flying techniques. "No, I said; it's better than that, it tells us how he thinks". Same here - there aren't many videos on TH-cam worth spending 25 minutes watching.
I hope you'll continue to investigate emotion in photography. My favorite photographers stress it's importance, but I know little about it. Of course we're all emotional animals, but there is a great variation in emotional intelligence.
At minute 9:45, you show the image of Sky. My very first thought, on seeing this image, was of a book I read many years ago "Clan of the Cave Bear" by Jean M. Auel. I can picture the characters in the book slowly blazing a trail into the distant landscape. So, it was interesting when you mentioned "cavemen" in your video. This is a very thought provoking video. Thank you for your great insight!
Wonderful stuff Nigel. Really interesting subject for anyone who's output is an art form as yours is and as I reckon most landscape photographers aspire to.
YES! loved the video, really important to discuss the emotional impact of photography. very useful to understand the differences between an average and amazing photograph
V-logs like this Nigel, take your channel to another level. Developing photography in this way is a worthwhile challenge. Art and what people see provokes an individual response. Imo, people rarely invest time to penetrate past the wow factor. How to create a space where people can relax and bring themselves and their history or personal environment into developing a response to art or a photograpgh is key. Time seems to spin at greater speed as society and technology develops. Asking people to slow down and think deeper is therefore problematic, especially around social media, electronic screens and a world that desires immediacy. Transportation is a wonderful element, but it is down to the persoanl prism of the viewer as we can only deliver to a certain level - the rest is down to them. From the artists perspective, I love the connections you make between the point of light, time, space and composition and how the photographer perceives the edited image and arrives at that critical point of perception that drives a strong emotive response - absolutely brilliant - learning how to convey this message to the viewer as best we can is a lifetimes work I suspect. Sunday morning's are inspriing, Nigel - thank-you! :)
Maybe you titled the photos so neutrally it didn't influence people? :D Anyway, excellent video! It earned a spot on my "Photography education" playlist ;)
Indeed one of your best video so far. I am an amateur photographer so I do not have your experience or your expertise but regardless our title photos should provoke emotions in order to last. Once again bravo for the video and I look forward for your next 😉
Enjoyed this video. A lot of '"food for thought." Thank you for all of the organization and time it took to produce. I too, would have thought that a title wold have skewed one's emotional response. Looking forward to more of the survey details.
Dear Nigel, Thanks for taking on the subject of "Emotion" in photographic prints, it's an area I feel thats the most important criteria in the art, and the one that's most (left alone). To start "contrast creates dramatics and even tones calmness". Also, your subject will project an emotion such as an erupting volcano or a roaring rushing river. On the other hand a forest in spring, a lake or a sunset another. It's just when one portrays a forest in spring with extreme contrast etc, that the viewer becomes disoriented. Don't get me wrong, I know that the "eye" is where the "art lies", but the decisions we make and the "technical" aspects of photography, the processing or post processing of a subject, can lead to the abstract area of the media, an area that deserves attention; it's much easier to "depart from reality" in black and white than color. And last, color, an area I'm not too savvy on, can create emotion itself. They say some colors are complimentary such as "green and red" and some non-complimentary like "yellow and red". I find "yellow and red", or non-complimentary colors, to be pleasing or calming, and the complimentary "red and green" contrasty and somewhat dramatic. RF.
Nigel, this was a wonderful video. In response to your question about the titling of the photos, I believe that "art speaks for itself", and the titling, unless it was intended to create a disconnect with the work, would not make a difference with such evocative images.
Great video, but that image that did well on Instagram (6:57) does evoke emotion to me. It makes me feel of skiing and adventure. It's just not some ordinary lines to me, as it is to you. Perhaps it is because I'm Norwegian and we ski basically every winter, and often in the mountains too.
Hey Nigel. I enjoyed this one and watched it several times because this is an area that interests me. I've been working on this as well in my own photography. I hope you don't think I am being over-critical but I wanted to offer a constructive comment rather than another smiley face. In my opinion, you are on to an important issue for photographers and this video was a good opening statement. I think more is needed though and I hope you will consider creating a short series and use this as a theme to further develop now that you have opened the door. I do believe evoking emotion is very important and this video really brings that to light. What is needed now, in my opinion, is a little more work on the "how" behind the "why." I agree with spending time understanding the area as a step but what really is needed is a process, a sort of template for understanding the emotion for the photographer. Once he or she understands it, creating the response in a photo becomes more possible. By the way, I don't have the answers! I'm struggling with the same thing myself. For me, I need to get a sense of the emotion in the field rather than when back at home looking at the photo. I occasionally stumble into the ability to create emotion but it is not repeatable and usually luck more than skill. Anyway, as I mention, hope this does not seen critical but I think you are digging fertile ground here.
The media also helps in evoking emotion.. looking at prints vs online slows us down to really look into the details.. when photos are online, people just swipe it away..
I think your last point about conveying something that makes people think about what it would be like to be there at the point when the image was made is the thing to focus on for landscape photography. You cannot expect to read what emotions will play when a complete stranger looks at your photos. Adams made a photograph of an icy pool by cliffs and snow which was met with fear, if not terror, in the eyes of one art critic; a response that frankly baffles me. Some will look at "Lilac Winter" as just a pretty picture, others will think of how perishing cold and will shudder, still others recognise the time of day and think joyfully how beautiful the light is then. The other four images are also about the light - but that's what photography means: writing about light! I look at my own images and seldom see what would catch a response from others, but when I do see it it's always about the light and what it was to be there at the moment.
In reference to visiting a site repeatedly to hopefully capture a special image, I have a location with a phenomenal view of a gorgeous mountain range. I'd bet I've taken over 100 images of this scene. Morning, noon and evening in spring, summer and fall. Not winter as the road is closed and it's a long way from nowhere. I've never been satisfied with any of them. One day, however, I know it will happen.
Great video, thought-provoking. I think your titles don't seem to change the evoked emotions much, because your images convey those emotions so well that the words are less important. For example, the image of the pond, mist, sheep, worked for me. Before you said the word "wonderment", I said the word to myself. Clearly, your image worked. Great work!
👍 great work once again 👍 very interesting insight into the deeper side of landscape photography. I took a seascapes shot st sunrise and apart from the sunrise it self it was a bit bland but a man came along and was playing fetch wiith his dog and then i use the dog running into the water just infront of the sunlight. . Suddenly i had a much more moody emotional photo! Just what your on about ! Great video ...
I cant give you kudos until you tell me who sang that song! My wife is a nurse. Music in my world is just as important! I just discovered your work, and im learning tons from your videos, but only half a thumb until I know who did the song you spoke of.😁
human psychology is an wide ranging topic and interesting to consider it from the aspect of photography Nigel. In terms of when you look at images from other photographers, do you find as a professional photographer you migrate to looking at their image from a technical perspective first and them let the emotional feeling kick in or is it dependent on the type of image you are viewing as to whether emotion or technical thoughts come first?
I have to say I hardly ever look from a technical perspective. I don't care how it was taken but the impact it has. I sometimes wish we all had one button on a camera... oh I know the iPhone...
I agree that leaving a bit of mystery to the photo makes it more interesting and better. Landscapes where you can see clearly into the distance appeals to our caveman instincts also makes sense. Please make another video that goes into the results of the survey that you took including the other photos in the survey.
I've been struggling with progressing in my photography and your videos have helped a quite a bit. Been looking for people to critique my photos. Any suggestions on places to go for this?
I was one of the 5k who had the survey with "No Title" and seem to be in the majority on all the prints except the last one. Not sure of the name as you seem to have missed it off, but that was the only photo that I could not get any emotion with, no idea why, nice shot however.
Nigel, you said you were completely surprised that the titled photos and untitled returned almost identical metrics. Well here's a thought … the data may have been more predictably influenced by the emotional suggestion invoked by a title if your survey was filled by a random cross-section of the populous. However it was not. It was returned by a bunch of photographers, in fact more specifically a bunch of landscape photographers. This group, myself included and whether we are conscious of it or not, are at some level being influenced by our own emotions when looking at a scene. I'm kind of pleased we feel similar things, regardless of title. Fascinating stuff this isn't it ?
Nigel, I enjoy your shows and watch all of them. I'd like, however, if you would talk more about the details re the photos you show: e.g. what lens did you use; did you use any filters; aperture settings, shutter speed, ISO. And what, if any, post-processing did you do. Thanks.
I will share more details of the survey in my newsletter - sign up here www.nigeldanson.com/newsletter-sign-up
Are you giving an interpretation of the results, Nigel? Do you think there would be a further difference in the result if you were to show the photo's to the general public versus a photography community? These experiments are useful to isolate variables regarding how we communicate with different audiences - sorry, research head is on again, lol
I just went back and looked, and I had the survey with titles. To be honest, I don't remember them being there.
“The desire to be there” is exactly how I feel about a good landscape photo. Growing up in the early 90s, I recall waiting for each year’s calendar to see some stunning landscape photo for each month. Spring photos in particular evoked strong emotions of the desire to be there. I was so inspired by such photos that I still have a few scans of and still searching today where in the world they were taken. Good landscape photos are powerful. Interesting topic my friend, thanks for shining light on it.
Wonderful. Intuitively, I've thought to myself, "Don't worry so much about learning the techniques that you loose the wonder of the moment." I'm a beginner (watching lots of how-tos) and am truly thankful to you for this confirmation of the point of it all.
I loved watching this video. It encompassed how I've long felt about photography, but seldom achieve. To me, a great photo is like a sunset you just can't drag your eyes away from and when you do, you just have to look back again. My ambition has, for a long time, been to capture an image that moves someone to tears in the way music sometimes does. Very good video. One of your best.
Firstly Nigel best studio ever ever 👍🏼. Secondly what a great topic, a few videos back there was the moment you pointed out when we all travel, see the scene, jump out of the car and capture that scene. That’s our emotional reaction we photographers have isn’t it. The eye sees it and an emotional reaction says I need to capture it. And we then have this wonderful Moment captured in pixels or paper which provides us with a memory and an ever lasting emotion to that memory. Great vid as ever, thankyou. BTW 2000 more subscribers in two weeks, this channel getting the credit it deserves .
Beautifully done, Nigel. You offer so much more than I find in the hundreds of plain vanilla videos on landscape photography. Please crack on with your marvelously creative work.
Meaningful communication takes time and interest in the subject before you start communicating.
This video is the best contribuition ever to go out and create the best possible “meaningful” image!
Many thanks for sharing Nigel!
Evoking an emotion of being there.
Stumbled upon your channel which led me to Mads which in turn immediately prompted booking a trip to Iceland for this August.
Thank you so much for your contribution. The knowledge compression is so easily understood by this noob.
Pratik Patel two very very talented photographers!
These prints on the table... Now I want to print some of my photos! Great video dude! Emotions are so important in photography.
Digital Absorption gotta print them bro! 🙌🏽
Sometimes you are seeing just such a scene while driving on a road where it was impossible to stop. Or the one driving didn't want to stop. And for years after it would be bothering you. The perfect scene that got away. Everything would've been perfect, if only you could stopped and captured it. Thanks ever so much Nigel!
This one popped up for me and is now one of my favorites of your videos. Mood … such a large element of a great photo.
A lovely, relaxing, enjoyable and emotion invoking video. Looking at beautifully stunning photography in such a peaceful garden on a summers day in England - What could be better? Nothing at all. And 'All is is well in the world' is the evoked emotion.
thanks so much Andy
Thanks Nigel,
Interesting from the first to last word. Real art is art with emotion.
A perfect picture with the right mood, that must be the goal !
Hello, Nigel I really adored your passionate and your patient to create so stunning photos. If I look at you it's given me tranquillity and hope for a better life. I worked for 42 Years as a nurse and landscape photography give me the opinion to forgot the bad expression all-day. Forgot death, suffer and all thing what I lived in this part of my life. So often I`m not satisfied with the photo what I took, it`s really difficult to show my feelings. So that other people feel the same. You are a master to create such amazing emotional photos.
There are superheroes who walk amongst us. And they are nurses.
Absolutely wonderful video, Nigel. Perfectly presented and bang on point. The points that hit home for me: capturing something mysterious, waiting for the right combination of light, scene elements, investing time. No run and gun. Visiting a location multiple times. Also the differences between reactions on Instagram vs. reviewing a photo in print, in gallery or even on a website. I was surprised at the range of emotions for the survey photographs - probably a sign of how personal life experiences factor into perception. Absolutely agree that distance (and by inference, depth) is a key factor in landscape photography. You handle it beautifully. Lastly, I'm not at the point of being able to visualize the final edit as I shoot, but working on it. Thanks a bunch.
thanks Nina
Great topic Nigel! I got the survey without titles. I really enjoyed taking the survey...such great work!!! A quote from my Art/Photography classes: "The best photos/images are the ones that catch the eye and make us stop to study it. It evokes an emotion...good or bad". I've been telling students this for years to get them to understand telling a story and trying to convey the emotions we felt when we made the exposures to grab people's attention. Of course, this can apply to so many genres of photography. Sadly, there is a lot of photography that is made for nothing more than "Wall/tabletop filler" in office/home space that just matches the colors of the interior design but that is part of the business.
I loved your honest approach to invoking emotional responses. Very well done!
I find, the best way to gauge the emotional factor of my images on the viewer, is how it effects my emotional response making it. I strive to find a way to reach the viewers emotionally with my images. I look for those scenes of things/people/animals/places that will stir a feeling of some kind in the viewer. That's the idea any way. Usually it does, but not always.
This is interesting. I generally don't feel emotion when I look at landscapes. I get impressions and mood (for example calmness) but not emotion in the sense that novels, film, photos with people, or music invoke in me. I also took your survey and found several of the images that didn't provide the impression indicator that hit me when looking at the image. So, I sometimes tried to select things that could be impressions. I see warm, cold, mysterious, etc to be just impression phrases and not emotion indicators. A good photo like a good red wine gives one impression when one first drinks it and then many different ones after the wine has "matured". Of course, that is just my view. I know these things are different for everyone and that is one of the strengths of art.
Erich Stocker your approach was definitely unique and it makes sense!
Nigel, you’re a awesome photographer, and able to capture some outstanding photos! I like your hammock in the background, I have several myself, to me being out in nature, makes me feel closer to God.
The psychology of photography is an often neglected aspect of the art--especially regarding landscape photography. You did a really good job of delving into the communicative/emotional aspect of the art. Bravo.
Many thanks Ron 👍
Hi Nigel! Great video again! I think you adressed the core element in photography: transmitting emotion to the audience. Whatever the gear and location, I completely agree it's a matter of feelings first and foremost. Which can be sometimes interesting or strange when we thing having a super great picture we love but the emotion does not transfer as such to the others, or the other way around. I have to say, some of your pictures did reach to me as I always loved what you're doing. Cheers!
Such a wonderful instructive presentation. Your words went so well with the photos - you made it easy to follow & absorb, Thank you.
Great video Nigel, one of the most important and hard topic in photography... transmit emotions. Never stop learning from you!
Revisiting a location is like planting a seed and growing it into a beautiful tree over time.
Very beautiful perspective. The way you have explained photography in this video has really given me a new understanding and perspective on how much photography really is an art. Thank you. This is probably my favorite video in your channel, if not on TH-cam about photography!!
Also about art in genera, and why humans feel the way they do about art. And how you connected it to photography
I think the fact that different people can respond to the same photo is diverse ways is a point against giving photos an 'evocative' title - my feeling is that such titles are, in a way, telling people what to think and feel. I lean much more towards the 'descriptive', or literal, title - a plain statement of where the photo was taken, or maybe the time of year, or something else relevant to the conditions in which it was taken.
Great video as usual. I always feel that the colours in an image have a great deal to do with evoking different emotions, not just the content.
Definitely do!
Such a great video! Many points well made and easily understood. Guess I never tried to put my finger on some of these ideas, but they were there. I've always said a great piece of art speaks to you. That is my criteria for every piece of art I own...I never tire of how they make me feel....where the take me💜
Thanks for taking on this subject. I think if we are honest as photographer's
we all desire this response
when we show our work. Even though it is very subjective, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, we all want people to think and feel the way we do when we see and react to what we treasure in a photograph. Keep up your good work Nigel.
Thanks again.
Definitely Tom.
Fantastic video. Really got me thinking about the photos I take. Very helpful and definitely something that will help me and others develop as photographers. Thank you.
Nigel, this video was amazing and a joy to watch. I was pleased at the way that you mentioned the difference between Instagram and means of viewing photos. This is what keeps me looking forward to your content as you challenge my thinking and inspire me to continue working on this wonderful art. Many Thanks as always.
Thanks a lot Steve
I 'stumbled' across this video today ... and am so glad I did. I've been giving thought to how one might discover/portray one's 'voice' (as separate from style) in one's photography. This discussion, Nigel, has fed into my thinking really well. Many many thanks!!! Andrew
Really good topic, which I hope you will develop further in future videos. This one made me breathless, so I'll have to watch it a couple more times to take it all in due to the concentrated passion!
Excellent explanation and discussion topics Nigel. Wonderful video!
Nice video Nigel. I do relate to the idea of emotion to what the photographer felt when he took the photo and also, wants us to feel with the latter part being the hardest.
What a great video Nigel - I thoroughly enjoyed it! You've put things so well regarding emotions felt by both the photographer and the viewer. Having listened to your theories and seen your stunning images, I'll definitely invest more time in future in considering the composition and light, and what might invoke deep emotions in the viewer's mind, before I press the shutter button. Thank you !
Thanks a lot Geoff and good luck!
Many landscape photos came out as 'merely' documentary. It's surely a challenge to bring more than just a 'still' image, which tells a story and evokes emotion.
For me great landscape images always have those atmospheric feelings.
Somebody being at the right place at the right time really evokes emotion
Catching up on your video's, after a 3 week trip to Indonesia. And what a great video to start with, there is so much useful information here that I might have to watch it again!!!
Just brilliant Nigel! Your passion for your art might only be surpassed by your passion for sharing it with us. You are a master teacher and people are noticing. Cheers - John
Thanks so much John 👍👍👍
A very interesting talk on an aspect of photography that we don’t really consider enough
Another thought provoking Vlog, I particularly like you explanation of how the medium you view the image on changes your perspective of that image, brilliantly informative vid, great work as always,
Dave Brown the medium definitely compliments the mood and impressions it can evoke.
Such an interesting video! Great insight
Love the snow field photo, such simplicity, oops that ones just the back of another landscape😂. Sorry your right emotion is at the heart of all appreciation.
Excellent. I'm sure you are right to focus on connection with the viewer, via the image that comes from intimate knowledge of a location, rather than the 'contagion' model of emotionally expressive art. Viewers don't necessarily 'catch' exactly what the photographer felt. But they can connect to a thoughtful image. Btw, I think some of your images are very beautiful, but others succeed because they evoke the sublime ( which as you say, leaves something to the imagination).
How interesting! As a parallel, I lent a book (the autography of a world gliding champion pilot) to someone, who complained that the book said little about glider flying techniques. "No, I said; it's better than that, it tells us how he thinks". Same here - there aren't many videos on TH-cam worth spending 25 minutes watching.
Thanks - really appreciate that
Fabulous images Nigel and thought provoking
How can i say that Nigel. You speak my mind! Thank you for sharing this to other creatives/ photographers!
Excellent discussion. Lots of concepts to think about. Thanks so much for sharing!
I hope you'll continue to investigate emotion in photography. My favorite photographers stress it's importance, but I know little about it. Of course we're all emotional animals, but there is a great variation in emotional intelligence.
At minute 9:45, you show the image of Sky. My very first thought, on seeing this image, was of a book I read many years ago "Clan of the Cave Bear" by Jean M. Auel. I can picture the characters in the book slowly blazing a trail into the distant landscape. So, it was interesting when you mentioned "cavemen" in your video. This is a very thought provoking video. Thank you for your great insight!
Nice thought provoking video Nigel. I like how you did you survey and research
Ian Hull I’m going to take the survey after the video! You’re right. This video was VERY thought provoking.
Love the hammock! Perfect for summer...
Wonderful stuff Nigel. Really interesting subject for anyone who's output is an art form as yours is and as I reckon most landscape photographers aspire to.
Your work is absolutely stunning.... wow!
YES! loved the video, really important to discuss the emotional impact of photography. very useful to understand the differences between an average and amazing photograph
Another best topic. You are always different than others on your content. Always made me amazed !!!
Really good video Nigel, I can see why you enjoyed making it. Well done.
Wayne Robertson Photography it was well structured for sure!
Nice chat filled with more tasty morsels of food for thought. Rock on!
V-logs like this Nigel, take your channel to another level. Developing photography in this way is a worthwhile challenge. Art and what people see provokes an individual response. Imo, people rarely invest time to penetrate past the wow factor. How to create a space where people can relax and bring themselves and their history or personal environment into developing a response to art or a photograpgh is key. Time seems to spin at greater speed as society and technology develops. Asking people to slow down and think deeper is therefore problematic, especially around social media, electronic screens and a world that desires immediacy. Transportation is a wonderful element, but it is down to the persoanl prism of the viewer as we can only deliver to a certain level - the rest is down to them. From the artists perspective, I love the connections you make between the point of light, time, space and composition and how the photographer perceives the edited image and arrives at that critical point of perception that drives a strong emotive response - absolutely brilliant - learning how to convey this message to the viewer as best we can is a lifetimes work I suspect. Sunday morning's are inspriing, Nigel - thank-you! :)
Thanks a lot Ian
Maybe you titled the photos so neutrally it didn't influence people? :D
Anyway, excellent video! It earned a spot on my "Photography education" playlist ;)
Thanks Mads!
You're Iceland series needs to be there as well ;-)
Very good vlog Nigel, thoughtful as always.
Thoroughly enjoyed this video, Nigel. Appreciate the content covered here. In a way I try to pour my emotions into my images.
Indeed one of your best video so far. I am an amateur photographer so I do not have your experience or your expertise but regardless our title photos should provoke emotions in order to last. Once again bravo for the video and I look forward for your next 😉
Enjoyed this video. A lot of '"food for thought." Thank you for all of the organization and time it took to produce. I too, would have thought that a title wold have skewed one's emotional response. Looking forward to more of the survey details.
A really interesting topic that was amplified by your use of prints...thanks Nigel.
Thanks Terry
Dear Nigel, Thanks for taking on the subject of "Emotion" in photographic prints, it's an area I feel thats the most important criteria in the art, and the one that's most (left alone).
To start "contrast creates dramatics and even tones calmness".
Also, your subject will project an emotion such as an erupting volcano or a roaring rushing river. On the other hand a forest in spring, a lake or a sunset another. It's just when one portrays a forest in spring with extreme contrast etc, that the viewer becomes disoriented. Don't get me wrong, I know that the "eye" is where the "art lies", but the decisions we make and the "technical" aspects of photography, the processing or post processing of a subject, can lead to the abstract area of the media, an area that deserves attention; it's much easier to "depart from reality" in black and white than color.
And last, color, an area I'm not too savvy on, can create emotion itself. They say some colors are complimentary such as "green and red" and some non-complimentary like "yellow and red". I find "yellow and red", or non-complimentary colors, to be pleasing or calming, and the complimentary "red and green" contrasty and somewhat dramatic. RF.
Nigel, this was a wonderful video. In response to your question about the titling of the photos, I believe that "art speaks for itself", and the titling, unless it was intended to create a disconnect with the work, would not make a difference with such evocative images.
Great video, but that image that did well on Instagram (6:57) does evoke emotion to me. It makes me feel of skiing and adventure. It's just not some ordinary lines to me, as it is to you. Perhaps it is because I'm Norwegian and we ski basically every winter, and often in the mountains too.
EiricNJ I thought those lines were so unique and beautiful! The simplicity of it really sookento me.
@@molopez619 Not really unique, haha, but beautiful yes.
Nice work, Nigel. Thanks for your efforts.
Very nice video and very refreshing thank you, Nigel, love your work Nigel
It was a really special video to watch. This one made my day.
Thanks so much Paula - really enjoyed making it
Hi Nigel, Another great video with lots for me to think about, many thanks Ian
Hey Nigel. I enjoyed this one and watched it several times because this is an area that interests me. I've been working on this as well in my own photography. I hope you don't think I am being over-critical but I wanted to offer a constructive comment rather than another smiley face. In my opinion, you are on to an important issue for photographers and this video was a good opening statement. I think more is needed though and I hope you will consider creating a short series and use this as a theme to further develop now that you have opened the door. I do believe evoking emotion is very important and this video really brings that to light. What is needed now, in my opinion, is a little more work on the "how" behind the "why." I agree with spending time understanding the area as a step but what really is needed is a process, a sort of template for understanding the emotion for the photographer. Once he or she understands it, creating the response in a photo becomes more possible. By the way, I don't have the answers! I'm struggling with the same thing myself. For me, I need to get a sense of the emotion in the field rather than when back at home looking at the photo. I occasionally stumble into the ability to create emotion but it is not repeatable and usually luck more than skill. Anyway, as I mention, hope this does not seen critical but I think you are digging fertile ground here.
Glad to have helped to do the survey.
A very meaningful presentation. Thanks.
Really enjoyed this, lots of good ideas to take into my photography 👍
Thanks a lot Simon
The media also helps in evoking emotion.. looking at prints vs online slows us down to really look into the details.. when photos are online, people just swipe it away..
I really enjoyed and benefitted from this video. One of your best. Thank you.
Thanks a lot Tom
I think your last point about conveying something that makes people think about what it would be like to be there at the point when the image was made is the thing to focus on for landscape photography. You cannot expect to read what emotions will play when a complete stranger looks at your photos. Adams made a photograph of an icy pool by cliffs and snow which was met with fear, if not terror, in the eyes of one art critic; a response that frankly baffles me. Some will look at "Lilac Winter" as just a pretty picture, others will think of how perishing cold and will shudder, still others recognise the time of day and think joyfully how beautiful the light is then. The other four images are also about the light - but that's what photography means: writing about light! I look at my own images and seldom see what would catch a response from others, but when I do see it it's always about the light and what it was to be there at the moment.
In reference to visiting a site repeatedly to hopefully capture a special image, I have a location with a phenomenal view of a gorgeous mountain range. I'd bet I've taken over 100 images of this scene. Morning, noon and evening in spring, summer and fall. Not winter as the road is closed and it's a long way from nowhere. I've never been satisfied with any of them. One day, however, I know it will happen.
Yes - I have lots of locations like that and eventually I get something
Great video, thought-provoking. I think your titles don't seem to change the evoked emotions much, because your images convey those emotions so well that the words are less important. For example, the image of the pond, mist, sheep, worked for me. Before you said the word "wonderment", I said the word to myself. Clearly, your image worked. Great work!
👍 great work once again 👍 very interesting insight into the deeper side of landscape photography.
I took a seascapes shot st sunrise and apart from the sunrise it self it was a bit bland but a man came along and was playing fetch wiith his dog and then i use the dog running into the water just infront of the sunlight. .
Suddenly i had a much more moody emotional photo!
Just what your on about ! Great video ...
great photos and very interesting topic, you are generous to share your way of working ....
Thanks Nigel, really enjoyed that topic!
Wonderful.. thanks for sharing ❤️🙏🏽
Awesome video that’s the kind of tutorial I really like thanks for putting it out there 👍
Interesting and thought provoking video, thank you!
Very interesting topic ! Main reason why we take and share our photos 👍
I cant give you kudos until you tell me who sang that song! My wife is a nurse. Music in my world is just as important! I just discovered your work, and im learning tons from your videos, but only half a thumb until I know who did the song you spoke of.😁
human psychology is an wide ranging topic and interesting to consider it from the aspect of photography Nigel. In terms of when you look at images from other photographers, do you find as a professional photographer you migrate to looking at their image from a technical perspective first and them let the emotional feeling kick in or is it dependent on the type of image you are viewing as to whether emotion or technical thoughts come first?
scotty4418 that’s a VERY good question.
I have to say I hardly ever look from a technical perspective. I don't care how it was taken but the impact it has. I sometimes wish we all had one button on a camera... oh I know the iPhone...
I agree that leaving a bit of mystery to the photo makes it more interesting and better. Landscapes where you can see clearly into the distance appeals to our caveman instincts also makes sense. Please make another video that goes into the results of the survey that you took including the other photos in the survey.
So interesting !!!! Thank you very much !!!!
Your videos are very informative and inspiring.
Great video. Thanks. Educational as always. The church you talk about is not on Iceland, but on the Faroe Island.
Good spot! My mistake
I would love to see an indepth review of the responses you received on all the images you emailed out.
I've been struggling with progressing in my photography and your videos have helped a quite a bit. Been looking for people to critique my photos. Any suggestions on places to go for this?
I was one of the 5k who had the survey with "No Title" and seem to be in the majority on all the prints except the last one. Not sure of the name as you seem to have missed it off, but that was the only photo that I could not get any emotion with, no idea why, nice shot however.
love the DOF on this video!
Nigel, you said you were completely surprised that the titled photos and untitled returned almost identical metrics. Well here's a thought … the data may have been more predictably influenced by the emotional suggestion invoked by a title if your survey was filled by a random cross-section of the populous. However it was not. It was returned by a bunch of photographers, in fact more specifically a bunch of landscape photographers. This group, myself included and whether we are conscious of it or not, are at some level being influenced by our own emotions when looking at a scene. I'm kind of pleased we feel similar things, regardless of title. Fascinating stuff this isn't it ?
Nigel, I enjoy your shows and watch all of them. I'd like, however, if you would talk more about the details re the photos you show: e.g. what lens did you use; did you use any filters; aperture settings, shutter speed, ISO. And what, if any, post-processing did you do.
Thanks.
I almost always put on the exif data... post processing is too difficult to show in the time I have so tend to dedicate full videos to it.