STOP only shooting sunrise!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 เม.ย. 2024
- Head to www.squarespace.com/james to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code JAMES.
This week I'm talking about perfect Photography, why you might not want to make your photos loud and perfect, and why that's okay.
The New Print: www.jamespopsys.com/store/fla...
Presets:jamespopsys.com/mypresets
Books: www.jamespopsys.com/store?cat...
Newsletter: www.jamespopsys.com/newsletter
---
My Gear: www.jamespopsys.com/gear
---
MUSIC:
Take your films to the next level with music from Musicbed. Sign up for a free account to listen for yourself: fm.pxf.io/c/3154674/1347628/1...
MB01M7NGVFIH8FN
![[TH]FFWS SEA Spring 2024 Knockout Stage - Day 11](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Qr0L1ab9dLE/mqdefault.jpg)
The added bonus of photography in “normal light” is not having to get up at Stupid O’Clock, or missing Happy Hour at the bar 😅
That is EXACTLY what I was thinking!
Yeah I’m too much of a night owl to get sunrise photos at the very least. Sometimes the only time I have is to get mid day or cloudy poor lighting photos, but I think working with what you’ve got around you makes you a stronger photographer. I’m just an amateur though, took a total of one print photography course in college lol
@@ssgg23 The greatest myth on Earth is the sun ever risen.
Isn't it even a lie due to the sun being older than the earth?
This totally makes sense. Photography should be about capturing moments, not capturing frames according to a rulebook.
THANK YOU JAMES! I'm tired of the photo club mentality of calling everything a defect. I'm glad you have brought up this issue.
What I see in your images is that you keep them high key and low contrast with more subtle colors than we see in most photos, which tends to make them more serene and 'quiet'.
*Quiet
@@althejazzman haha oops!
@@Ryanide09 I don't usually wear my grammar police hat on the internet, but I thought it mattered in this case as we're talking about words!
They're not imperfections, they're life. Removing too many of those imperfect details can make a scene look sterile and unreal. Carry on, you fantastic little rule-breaker.
"But having the debate with myself, I think has been really beneficial" so important, and why we watch these videos.
To be honest James, it’s ever since I started following your channel and your photography that I’ve noticed myself being drawn towards the “quieter” images as you mention. And I’ve really changed my overall style as a result. I’ve also never really been all that bothered by perfecting every minor detail in my images either and I feel like this new approach is a much healthier way to admire my own work. I no longer strive for “bangers only” but rather I try to make something nice out of the ordinary that’s in front of me. So I totally get where you’re coming from and it’s thanks to you that I’ve been able to grow as a photographer
I like the comment about photos being taken during “normal daylight”. That’s how most people see the world. The same argument works against extreme wide angle and telephoto shots. That’s not how people see the world.
Taking photos that mimic how people see the world is usually referred to as snapshots. The more extreme focal lengths can give the same scene more interest. The telephotos are good for isolating more interesting parts of a scene and for genres like wildlife are essential. I think striving for perfection can be overdone but by the same token so can striving for realism over aesthetics. I think a good analogy would be music where a studio album is technically perfect compared to a live performance where there's a different energy and rawness to the music that makes up for any technical imperfections. I generally prefer the live version as long as it meets a certain technical threshold.
Different strokes for different folks, or sometimes same folks, different days. Some days I set aperture to 8, on a 35mm, and try and capture things just as I see them. Some days I slap on a 120mm and go wide open and pick out very small details, that become abstracted by the blur in front and behind. Some days I set SS to 50 and move up just as I shoot. All make me happy, and all are valid.
People see the world (people with two working eyes anyway) in stereoscopic vision. That does not translate 1:1 with a single flat camera sensor. So wide angles and telephoto is useful in capturing artistic intent on a 2d viewing medium.
We are able to see 180 degrees. So if that's not wide, you need to get your eyes checked.
Each individual perceives the world in a different way. But even if we all did see exactly the same, we’re taking about art and expression so why limit ourselves in this way you’re suggesting.
You hit the nail on the head. A good photo meets the photographer's aesthetic, not a text book's. How often are exposure "rules" broken by the masters? How often is composition ignored for some of the most powerful photos of all time?
What's funny is I didn't notice any of those distractions until you pointed them out! The photos were so well composed, I only noticed the subject.
I solved this conundrum many years ago by applying the wabi-sabi ethos/aesthetic: strive for excellence, not perfection. Perfection is impossible to achieve. Never pass up a good shot for a technially "perfect" shot. Shoot for the perfectly imperfect. Everything is transient, incomplete and imperfect - that is reality and realism. Capture it as it is.
I think in the quest to escape the "Mobile phone AI-Generated Stock-photo" look, photography has come the same route as gardens, where initially the objective was to show off man's dominance over nature (square corners, Victorian neat tidy lawns, etc), whereas now the more laid-back, shabby natural style is preferred
i love how you put this! so true
I've been having very similar thoughts recently.
As the creator we're in a unique position; whether we choose to crop, heal brush, or clone something out
of a photo--aside from someone like yourself on youtube showing the before/after... we're the only one that knows.
Often I only feel like something is distracting after I've quite possibly way over-analyzed the image.
For example, the tarmac patch in your NY busses photo. I've seen that photo numerous times since you originally
posted it. I'd never even noticed that patch until you just pointed it out. It was never distracting.
Completely agree with this. I guess, unless something immediately jumps out as a distraction it could probably be left in. If you have to 'hunt' for distractions/imperfections they are most likely not affecting the overall composition. The other point that came to mind about the tarmac patch was that had James cloned it out, we wouldn't have known (like you say) so would the essence of realism have been affected?
This video couldn't be timed better 😂 I was literally having this conversation with my girlfriend when we were walking around a market and we saw a lot of photographers art for sale.
The art wasn't bad, but we felt the art was boring, every single piece was this perfect sunset or sunrise, and every single artist stand had the same pieces or same kind of piece.
Sometimes I feel that the less than perfect or , more real the picture looks the more I enjoy it. I'm glad I saw this video and someone else is out there explaining how I'm feeling in a better way than I could ever explain 😂.
I was at a workshop recently, and the speaker said something that hit home very hard for me. He said ' Perfection destroys creativity. " Very much along with what you are saying.
I've always stood by my thinking that there's perfection in imperfection, and I definitely agree that realism is better than a 'perfect' photo!
Great reflexion. I was wondering why I loved your images from Patagonia so much more than the images from your fellow travelers, and I think you put it in words very well - you didn't try to shout louder than the others and by doing so, you found something unique to show - while the others tried to out-do the colors and vistas that tens of thousands have photographed before, you found a more nuanced and unique perspective. I especially love the picture with the horses through the window with the barely lit stools in front of it; nobody else shows that and yet that tells me more about the feeling of the place you stayed at than blazing-red mountain peaks.
That horses window shot instantly became one of my favourite of James’. It’s not “it’s a signpost in the wild, it’s human nature” thing, it’s just a really cool image
This is one of the more thought-provoking photography videos I’ve watched in a long time. Really appreciate the way you question trends and commonly accepted rules in photography. Thanks James!
Makes sense to me, it’s what makes everyone individually recognised in such a jam packed genre
I think you're ahead of a trend that we'll see as a reaction to Ai's production of "art." We'll be looking for the imperfect and human in our art. 30 years ago when I was making paintings and ink drawings I had a similar attitude, wanting to embrace the sketchiness, imperfections, and thought process in art, because computers could easily clean-up and make "perfect," anything being produced. Thanks for reminding me of this, and creating such wonderful videos. ❤
It does make perfect sense. I’d add that generally loud pictures don’t look nice when hung on walls.
This really hit me! A very good question... This is gonna scramble around in my head for a long time! Reminds me about Wabi Sami philosophy - Nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect.
James, I like your thinking. This is one of the more thoughtful and stimulating videos on photography I have seen in a long time. I know Len Metcalf, another wonderful landscape photographer and thinker, tells his students to embrace imperfection. I love this idea because it means don't believe its wrong just because someone tells you its wrong. Follow your own path. If we don't do this, we don't evolve and all photographs start to look and feel the same. I like your thinking about volume too. It makes sense to me. Great work James.
I really relate to this topic. I really quite like your evolving style. Realism in photography is liberating. Less time processing and more time enjoying the craft and the images.
Absolutely makes sense. I’ve heard other photographers refer to an excess of perfect photos, the bangers, if you will, you get visual fatigue. You can only look at so many nuclear skies, so many unblemished landscapes, so many high volume perfect images that a person will become immune to them.
I’m definitely going to question my reasons next time I crop or clone something out. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Great video James! Thanks 😊
Great points James. Personally working for newspapers, shooting in less than perfect light and conditions is par for the course, the editor doesn't give a rats about the light he want's photos to break up the words end of. It makes you work harder to create a decent image. On my own time I'll shoot in any conditions, some shots work some don't. Netflix not a chance for me, i'm you-tube addicted I watch it for news, current events, opinions, citizen journalism, photography related content everything. I haven't owned a TV for last 7 years don't miss it at all I now watch what I want when I want, no being subjected to crap I have zero interest in.
Nicely said. I've never wanted to take perfect photos, I want to take interesting photos.
Great video. It's given me more confidence to not over analyse. Its always about "that" photo. Nice to meet you on Thursday. We beat the rain!
This was actually a super interesting topic, and it's cool to examine the concept from another art form. I think we went through a period, and are still in it really, where landscape photography has been at a very high volume (or maybe intensity), with golden hour stacks that're highly processed and saturated to create 'perfection'. I think we're coming out the other side though and back to more realistic images, and maybe that has something to do with the growing popularity of film, or of street photography which often leans into the chaos instead of the perfection. I dunno, that probably didn't make sense either haha, but don't worry, your thesis was presented well and made sense!
The word volume is perfect 👌
James , through imperfection you’ve discovered perfection 😳😍When it comes to creativity there can be only one rule : there are no rules !!! Best …Art
The joy I get seeing the notfications for a new James Popsys video 😇
I have been following you for quite sometime now James, and finally I feel I need to comment.
I love this video! It is very inspiring, makes me think about my own photography and gets me excited about the art of photography. Normally I am a ‘traditional’ landscape and wildlife photographer, so I usually EXclude manmade elements, but your pictures most of the time have something special, one of the reasons I started following you.
So, your video absolutely made sense to me, keep on making videos with these kind of reflections on your art of photography, thank you!
I totally agree with you about volume. I might even go further and say it is about volume and frequency combined. The best analogy I can think of is Christmas. I love Christmas, it’s is probably my favourite time of year but if I had to have Christmas every week I would hate it! Love the video and I will think harder about editing my images because of it. ❤
Yes it did make sense! I render images off solidworks, for marketing material, and one tries to set up everything "perfectly" . . . But then it looks like plastic toothpaste squeezed out of a tube. To make it look "real" I set about "scuffing it up" with the lighting - blow out a highlight, send a bit out of focus, cast a classic "old master" shadow to connect bits together. "Scuff it up." It is an intentional act to mimic things you normally can't control in a photo. So a bit of secret sauce. Keep up the good work.
Always thought provoking; thanks James!
Great perspective, and “volume” in the context of loudness is the perfect term to make the point.
Makes a lot of sense to me, James. It's the supple addition to story telling, leaving the dirty marks on the window of the horse image for example.
Great video James and it totally makes sense actually. I am 100% with you on this. My younger self was shooting in a water housing looking for surf photography perfection in pristine light and these days I love the less extreme photos of just every day life. It’s interesting how we change. Loving the photos in this episode 👍☘️
Absolutely on board with this thinking. Some of my favourite street photographs are interesting because of little imperfections that I would previously have seen as distractions.
Those ‘distractions’ actually add context and even add more to the overall story.
Also why I love the 35mm look and more recently the 28mm again.
Great video mate.
I absolutely love listening to your photography philosophy man, keep it up please!
- So how many times do you want to change the title?
- Yes! - James.
Thanks James. Photography is a self journey rather than say what X said is worth doing. The expert words matter but after a point in time, you get into your own space, method, so forth doing what drives you. The fence is your own and what lies within is your own photo world, realism or not.
I really enjoyed this topic. I tend to feel a photo before taking it, meaning it already has evoked an emotion.. Then while editing, I try to match how I felt while taking the image to see if I’ve captured that essence.
Sidenote: @6:30 I think the position of the subject is actually perfect. Not only beacause it shows how he is about to disappear behind the edge making us wonder what waits him there but also because it tell us a story of him having covered some distance through one environment while what awaits him is yet unknown. Maybe this photo is not about anticipation of something but about the journey itself.
It DID make a lot of sense - thanks for sharing
All good points James, loud photos give me a visual headache, love subtlety. Joe Cornish in my option is a master of this. MJ
Your thoughts make a lot of sense ... and i love that photo with the horses in the foreground!
Good stuff as usual James. There's no accounting for taste.
Great commentary. For a number of years I felt I was not improving as I invested way to much time following the rules and technical aspects we all hear about. Finally I came to the realization that I would only improve if the images meant something to me. This realization was a game changer. Even friends and family have noticed that my images have changed and rather like the new me versus the postcard me. Keep up the great work. Cheers.
Hi James, the video made absolute sense to me, in a JP sort of way, and I actually agree that "volume" was definitely the right word. You also, as you have may times in the past, affirmed me in taking and not over editing images of reality - which I like a lot, but don't fall in to the 'perfect' category. I have to try really hard in lots of areas not to aspire to perfection as personally I don't think it's healthy, well not for me anyway. And finally thank you for your usual humour, always a treat. Andrew
Right on!
This is good to hear, and you make a lot of sense. Many thanks!
Great video, great subject. I’m more drawn to everyday situations captured in normal light as this normally matches the environment I have to work in when I’m out for my now very limited photo outings. I find I’m drawn to an interesting image at a mundane location in mundane light, far more than a stunning location shot at golden hour
Thanks a lot, James, for sharing your thoughts on this. It makes a lot of sense to me. And I am trying to develop my ability to see the quieter and smaller things and to create beautiful or interesting photos with them.
Nick Carver has a great discussion about this as well when he covers of you should manipulate your images. It's certainly a great discussion
Brilliant. Perfection is definitely overrated. I often find that purposefully looking for imperfections can add far more honesty and meaning to a photograph than always looking for that idealised view.
The Fish & Chips from the shop up the hill from the Lifeboat (opposite the ice-cream parlour) are amazing - used to be the best in the UK at one point!
Even at an old 63 years... I feel inspired by this video on composition and editing, along with a previous video of yours about exposure. Add to that the recent video by Sean Tucker about white balance, and my shooting will probably look a LOT different this summer.
An excellent perspective on photography. Thanks much for sharing.
James, great video, love the reflective style and willingness to find your rendering…..like you I prefer photography to not be focussed on perfection, rules etc, but to convey the interaction of place, equipment and photographer….its an art form and one you are very good at.
You can remove the "gold" out of golden hour light, but a photo taken in mid-day sun is also not more real, because our eyes see the dynamic range between the harsh light and dark shadows much better/different than the camera can.
I don't use golden hour for the colour of the light (I acutally very often make it colder via WB), I use it for the quality of the light.
Wonderful insight. Thank you!
I wonder if the ability to move into more muted palettes is part of the appeal of the film simulations from Fuji in particular.
I think I have much the same approach, not liking to massively crop images or clone out "imperfections", even to the point of not worrying about high ISO noise when taking pictures of the local rugby team (they get shrunk and shared online as a low quality image anyway). I had always put this down to my view of myself as a simple amateur and suspected I had low standards, but its the act of taking the picture I enjoy as much as looking at the result. I tend not to like a lot of pictures that are highly edited as they often do not come across as 'real', I think that's why I like the fact you include street signs and telegraph poles in your images.
Thank you - Post production editing produces pretty to look at artwork - No cropping and only the minimum amount of dodging (to try to compensate for camera/lens techology shortfalls) shows us what life was right there and then - Henri C-B had it about right.
Thank you, I really appreciate your thoughts. Certainly makes lots of sense. Liberating actually! Again thanks
I think volume or loudness are good analogies for what you're describing here. We all photos that take you somewhere, and if you can create that in your image then the content works, regardless of anything technical behind that. I have a friend who's very good at composition and the art side of photography, but has never owned a manual camera because she's not interested in learning how to use it.
I really like this video. I understand technique and art don’t get as many views as gear, but this content is far more useful. Thank you. I agree completely with you. I have a friend who is an incredible photographer. Her work is world class, exceptional and oddly to me, uninteresting. It “shouts” and is perfect and in being perfect, looks like every other exceptional photographer’s work. I love the imperfections. Unintended flare and glare, out of place objects and more all make more interesting photos and more of what our eye might see.If you can and want to, a deeper dive into this topic would be great.
Cricceth! So many holiday spent here!
So much sense.
I believe this is the reason social media, including photography-centric ones like Instagram, has transitioned to video.
Perfection is boring, people want more, so in video format people can go crazy and get the attention they desperately want.
This is why I hardly use Instagram these days. I only follow photographers, whose work I appreciate, but most of them keep posting videos, not to mention LOTS of ads, so I don't bother to spend time there anymore.
I miss the inspiration of great photography and photographers, discovering those I don't already know about, but discovery is an even worse shit show than the feed, completely unrelated to my Instagram follows and searches, and I haven't even used Facebook in a long time .
And don't get me started with stories and reels, I hope it was never invented.
Instagram was GREAT for apreciating your work and that of others. Now it's basically crap.
If anyone can point out a photography-centric community where most photographers post their work, it would be greatly appreciated.
All I see in their bios and websites are links to Instagram and TH-cam.
As soon as you used the analogy of volume to kinds of music I understood what you meant. Classifying photos as types of music is interesting . I like to drive around at night and shoot signs and buildings with a lot of black around them. I now see them in relationship to cool Jazz from the fifties and sixties.
This video really makes one think about an image. Real life photo or edited photo? I like your concept.
I seldom shoot during Golden Hour these days for the same reason. I feel like it's not "real life" half of the time! I also embrace the "imperfections" I really struggle to look at images that are "Perfect" because they are often obvious.
So well said! I'm afraid too many photographers start to feel that only the dramatic "money shots" are worth taking or sharing. That kind of thinking made me stop my photography for months. Then I made peace with the fact that I take photos for my own happiness and if someone else happens to like them, that's cool too. But some of my favorite photos would probably seem boring to others. That's fine. The photo will always matter more to the photographer because it transports you back to the moment when you took it.
I resonate with this topic re: the brilliant work of“Accidental Wes Anderson” style photos; and if I’m honest the colour and brightness of some of your edits. Personally I much prefer your “quietest” work even more than your “quieter” work! But as you say, it’s all so subjective - and realism is something that different people will want in different volumes at different times. My tastes shift all the time, as all of ours do.
Makes total sense James. Thoroughly enjoyed you addressing the topic. Thanks.
Makes perfect sense and I couldn't agree more!
Makes very much sense! Also, ties in with the whole ai debate. I suspect we will see a lot more ‘imperfect ‘ images as a way of proving reality. Maybe even up to the point of adding perfect imperfections. Definitely food for thought. Thanks!
Yes, this video did make sense. You're extending your message that photos should be about something rather than of something. It seems to me that photos that are about something are photos worth looking at with, perhaps, some "technical" imperfections, or in spite of these imperfections. Keep up the good work!
Good one James. Thanks. Yes I think I understand your point. Until more recently I had a bad habit of punching up the colour intensity in some of my photos and had to pull back because they looked far beyond what I had initially observed. Since this was such a recurring habit, I will from time to time turn to shooting for straight out of camera shots and restrain my editing process. I'm now more reluctant to clone something out of my shots. It seems, as with all things, the pendulum swings back and forth. BTW, did you notice you were quoted by Simon d'Entremont. 👍
FWIW, I found this video to make a great deal of sense. I enjoy these reflections about something more than shutter speeds and ISO's. I also agree with much of what you said here. One brief challenge: you made a passing comment that there is no "right or wrong" early in the video. I disagree. There is a right and a wrong, depending on the purpose of the photograph. Sometimes we are too quick to devalue our aesthetic choices. A poor choice of aperture can ruin an image, and so can poor composition or lighting. Some choices better fulfill the purpose of the image, making them more right. Don't be afraid to stick to your convictions.
I think minor distractions are simply that - if they don't add anything to the photograph then you won't loose anything by removing them. And personally, if I don't, even if nobody else notices it'll still bug the hell out of me until I fix it.
Great topic, great video with nice photo examples. Well done!
A good subject to address. Much food for thought here. Thank you, James.
Sensor spots, tourists, and errant birds/insects. Three things that are pretty much the only things I like to edit out of my photos, otherwise everything is as usual. Don't like to do too much manipulation.
I like the idea! You did a great job explaining
Great Video James. I’ve always loved your work. You are spot on point with what you’ve said. Keep it real and relevant. Love it! Take care!
This is even more true for landscape photography. Images that are too perfect look boring and unrealistic. I've been using a wallpaper of a landscape on my desktop for many years now that's busy, has the wrong shutter speed, blown-out highlights, too much contrast... but the scene remains interesting to me due to its natural complexity.
loved your way of framing this! sometimes capturing what's in the moment is just as impactful
Great subject James. I have switched in a similar way. I still tend to get pretty precise with my night sky images, and my dedicated sunrise/sunset compositions/photography and I am usually spend more time in editing with those. But inbetween I am a great fan of carousel [IG] sets of images that are more 'snapshot' style and much less edited usually with just a quick profile added and maybe the odd HSL tweak or something. Likewise, I've recently picked up an X100f for general beach walks, car drives, dog walks etc which I shoot OVF with no image playback - I edit those with a profile only & often don't even adjust exposure! Literally, as close to digital film shooting as possible!! I just shoot what I like the look of & don't really worry about distractions etc Great fun though.
Always loved the theory of finding something beautiful through different view points. Great video!
James Thought provoking stuff love it thank you
I'm at @6:43 and nodding hard in agreement. I actually find that I'm prejudiced against 'perfect' images these days. I think it's partly that it's pretty easy with modern editing to get a 'perfect' image, and it's lost it's appeal as perfect images are now a dime a dozen. Not mention AI...
Keep doing the imperfect images I say. ;)
What a smart and thought-provoking video! For me, one of your best! Thank you for giving me much to think about and experiment with. No worries, it made PERFECT sense. (Can't understand how this content is free...)
Excellent video!!! Your photos spark an interest - they have a certain way of grabbing you. I love your work and appreciate this video - Keeping these thoughts in mind as work with my photos. Please continue to mke this content - it is truly well done!
Great video as always! One thing...please sell that image of the horses in Patagonia!
Makes perfect sense.... I tend to try and do very little editing of my photos, mostly just a little touch up of contrast and a little cropping to get rid of any distractions at the edges. I'm much more of what I'd describe as a documentary photographer I guess. I find I care more about tiny details that probably, usually, don't matter when I first look at an image very soon after shooting. When I look back at photos at a later date, I find I'm much more drawn into the story and less focused on the perfection of the shot, as I'm further away from the reality I'm comparing it to. Hope that makes sense.
Great video! I have been thinking about this a lot lately... It's difficult to come out of years of learning "how to do good photography" and break those expectations...