The 8 Phases of being a Photographer
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
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Today we are talking about the phases of being a photographer.
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Hope you enjoyed this one! 🙏 thanks for watching!
Evan Ranft
Hi Evan, I am in doubt with my skills in photography. Have nobody like professional to give me advice. Or to tell me honestly (wife is always honest) what they think about photos. While pro and normal people are not the same.
I don't ask nothing but one thing. To take 1 minute to see on my Instagram profile is it worth it to carry on. You can answer here if you want.
That is all what I ask.
Thanks. Enjoying watching your videos about photography.
rene.rovisan.photography
Greetings from Germany!
@@Rene-cm6go don't give up man you have beautiful photos in your IG
@@muzkaii thank you very much. Every opinion is very important to me. Give me strength to carry on.
u explained in 6 min ... that's special
thanks for the video brother loved it
I skipped the watermark phase and went straight into “I’m absolute sh**” mode.
Yeah same. But I guess when you don't take yourself too seriously and you don't get too negative about it you end up having more fun. Like my photos are too shit to even be worth consideration of a watermark, but they're still MY photos. It's what I like taking pictures of, it's of my taste, etc.
i vibed too hard to this
@@JacksterDude12 it became embarrasing to put a watermark and rather not let people know who took it
I don't even know what to put if I watermarked my pics lol
Watermarked photos make me cringe
This is disgustingly accurate. For me with photography AND videography. Good to know it’s not just me.
Same! If you guys are ever in Georgia hit me up; I’ll send y’all some cool places for photos. For one; Brasstown bald. It’s our highest peak and free to explore with a rad observatory. The night shots my friends and I have gotten blew me A W A Y.
I’m definitely in the “Everyone is so much better than me” phase lol
Phase 9 : Trying to take pictures with a film camera and realizing that without digital cameras you are still in phase 3 (god i have so much to learn phase) 😂
Same here, I've been interested in film but my wallet is saying "no" right now
I am there also. I love using a film camera and developing my own work.
I tend to use my film cameras to apply the techniques I've been practicing on my mirrorless. I really put in the effort to apply them since it's so much more of an investment. It helps to have cameras of varying complexity and age too, sometimes technology and features get in the way.
hE 01 I agree on the features becoming a distraction. When I got my first mirrorless, it took me weeks to get comfortable with the menus and dials. Once I did, I really didn’t want to pick up my dslr for anything other than studio photoshoots
loool that is exactly me right now hahaha😅😂😂👌🏼
“Until the last time you pick up a camera”
Didn’t know we’d be going existential here...
Haha thanks everyone for letting me know about the spelling error in the title! Most comments I’ve ever got in the first two minutes 😂
...ahhh... I missed it... Dang... (Fomo setting in...)
A new way to create engagement? :-)
Must be one of them phases...
I'm definitely in the stage of iterating stages 5 and 6 over and over. "Something is missing"....learn some new things, try it out...getting incrementally better...and then back to thinking "hmmmm....something is missing" and repeat.
Same here 😅
Story of my life.
Yessir same
Me too. Damn stage 5
I’m definitely in the “I’m terrible phase” at the moment lol
Yeah thats the thing about being an artist, you can be 5 years in and you'll still go through that phase. i Just got off that phase right now lol.
I’m in this stage since 2002. 🧐
dont worry about it, just keep shooting ;D
Freaking Ride yeah exactly. The phase sucks but it doesn’t mean you should quit. If you keep going and continue shooting you’re only going to get better.
Omg same!
I think I only watermarked one photo ever. And just thought: "this is ridiculous!"
😂😂😂
same
Watermarks are both ugly and useless. They can be cropped out if near the bottom edge, or removed in Photoshop. I want people to steal, sell and use my photos. It means I am doing something right with my photos!
@@barrycohen311 The problem, of course, is that they are paying someone else for your stuff instead of you. Flattering as it might be, but it is still theft of your property. I wouldn't know what to do. Movie studios spend who knows how many millions trying to prevent their movies being stolen and even that doesn't stop it.
@@barrycohen311 Barry Cohen wrote, “Watermarks are both ugly and useless.”
*Watermarks are useful in reinforcing photographers authorships and copyright ownership claims* . They can provide photographers with money damages via DMCA violations (see 17 USC §§ 1202-1203).
*The people who hate seeing watermarks affixed to images are other photographers - I’ve yet to license or sell any images to a competing photographer* . An affixed watermark logo can be small and transparent and cool-looking; it just needs to be readable.
Watermark logos, copyright attribution, robust metadata, image jpeg titles, licensing information, and other “Copyright Management Information” (CMI) are NOT useless; they can help keep your images from being orphaned, especially if the copyright owner of the photograph is not showing up through an reverse-image search.
*IMPORTANTLY: Infringers who knowingly remove, cover up, or change CMI to hide their copyright infringement or induce others to infringe can be liable from $2,500 to $25,000 plus photographer’s attorney fees and legal costs (at the court’s discretion)* . A timely registered copyright is not required to pursue CMI violators: www.photoattorney.com/?s=watermarks AND www.photolaw.net/did-someone-remove-the-copyright-notice-from-your-photograph.html
CMI is especially important if you choose not to timely register your copyrights with the US Copyright Office. Watch just the first 20-seconds of Joshua Kaufman (Washington, DC copyright attorney litigator) video to understand why freelance photographers really need to timely register their photo copyrights: czcams.com/video/cBOKkrleY3Y/video.html
If you didn’t include your watermark or other CMI, and the infringer didn’t realize your photograph was copyright-protected, your copyright infringement damages may be as low as $200/image (i.e., not worth litigating in federal court). Watermarks/CMI really count -- ask a copyright litigator!
I think there should be one more called “this new gear will make me a better photographer” phase.
never ending phase
That’s the phase I’m going through now lol. Hopefully with this better gear, it will motivate me to take more photos
I’m definitely at the “I’m terrible phase” lol. I just uploaded a shot to my insta and a few hours later I looked back at it and I’m like “oh no baby, what is you doing?”
I can 100% relate to that! :-D
6:17 can I get this in 16x24? That'd look dope on a wall
hahaha
Re damn tweet
Yo Pierre !
I love being a photographer. You look at life through a different lens. Pun intended.
Love it!
Actually quite true... I had a 4 year break and when i got back into it suddenly everything was light and composition xD
I don't comment often on here, however, I just want to express how relatable this video was. Lots of nostalgia.
So relatable 😂😂
I bought my first "proper" camera right before a safari trip.
I knew nothing. It was a Canon DSLR (400D, with a couple of zoom lenses) and I had it on full auto most of the time and just tried to take loads of shots and keep the animals in frame at the end of a long lens... I have maybe a handlful of photos that don't look like complete snapshots from that trip, out of a few thousand files, 3 countries...
So I got to the wow I'm terrible phase within a week... And started to learn techniques, bought a prime lens and a flash... A year later I was at the something is missing phase... That was over 13 years ago and I'm still obsessed...
I still have that old camera among the gear I've accomulated over the years. Took it out a couple of weeks ago just for fun and took some shots of my father and his new grandson. Nailed it. Printed the photo and he has it on his desk.
It really isn't the gear, or the technique, but maybe we have to go through those stages to get to the other side and be able to take a proper photo that means something to someone, even if it's only to ourselves...
I would love the follow up to this video with: "The 8 phases of using Lightroom".
OK Evan, hear this one out,
I once bought a camera for a photographer friend of mine. It was her birthday soon and I was looking for a present. I stumbled upon a thrift store, where I saw the perfect gift. A Fujica ST605N. 35mm film camera, a nifty fifty M42 on it and a working light meter! €10 further and it was mine to give to her. Naturally I had to test it and so I went to the photography store and bought a roll of film. Slide film, it had to be. Velvia 100. The first roll went well. (That is to say, the light meter was spot on, the rest...) The second roll I was all in: I shot it full, let them cross-process the ever living shit out of it, and had the all printed on 30x20 cm's. Hahaha! Man, was I in love with the hard orange picture of a coffee mug on a table. No composition to speak of, no interest whatsoever, but I was in love.
Naturally the camera never reached her, and I still have it. I should whack a roll of film in it for shits and giggles.
Have a great one!
Niels.
Ha Ha - so true.
I thought 20years ago, that my photos are really cool and looks pretty good.
I had read many books to learn photography but it is not the same as today. Meanwhile I know that I really sucks in comparison to today.
I had a phase with watermarks as well. But it was not the thing that I am afraid of stealing it. I was proud of a few of my shots and wanted that there was my name under it. It was small and it worked well.
I love to take photos since 30 years.
As a teen I loved to snapping photos. And I was the best at my family.
Then I had a phase I stuck in my level.
And since two years - I’m really in photography. CZcams is so good. I‘m happy to found you and so many others who help me for free.
A big thank you to you Evan and all of the others
.....Greetz from 🇩🇪
Thank you for watching and commenting some insight!! 🙏🙏
I’m definitely at phase 5. I recently moved over the Fuji system and love the X-T3 but I feel like something is missing. I feel like my work just isn’t good enough and struggle to get into the grove when I’m out shooting but I’m probably just putting too much pressure on myself. Great video and I hope some day you’ll be able to post your merch to the UK so I can buy some ✌🏻
Yo thanks for watching and commenting! You might be right about the pressure thing, it’s weird how stuff usually works better when you care less 🤷♂️🤷♂️
@@RanftEvan It is. 100% Check out Trying not to try by Edward Slingerland. Or Tao te ching for that matter :) Good video!
I'm in the phase of "there's so much to learn, watch yet another CZcams video showing me how it's done" :P
Also, perhaps my attention lapsed but I think you missed the "Gearhead - phase". Thinking your photography will be automatically transformed and so much better when you just get better gear, so you are always obsessing over specs and always chasing for gear with better numbers.
(Right now my obsession is to find something with better performance at high ISO and better dynamic range to improve my sunsets, star photos).
now this...is something i relate with
I have never related to a video on so many levels😂. Especially the one on watermarks brought back so many memories.😂
I appreciate your thoughtful video. You left out the phase where you study photography in college, spend dozens if not hundreds of hours in the darkroom perfecting your craft, and then spending lots of time reflecting on notes from the critiques of your peers and professors.
Unreal how accurate this is.. I mean, every phase is so relatable!
Currently at the "wow I'm terrible. I have a lot to learn." reason why I'm here!
dont worry about it, just keep shooting :D
Being a photography is the best!
😂
I’m guessing this was the typo that was made? Lol
@@bluaurora8635 It looks like it hasn't yet been noticed 🤣
Seeing this video has made me realize that my martial arts background brought me to the stage 7 from the very beginning, and I am really grateful. Knowing that you’re gonna suck BAD at any craft unless you’re humble and try to learn something new every time allows you to be more open minded and grow faster. When it comes to photography you’re absolutely right: it’s a never ending cycle of learning, applying, rinse, repeat.
Oh and I never fell for the Lr preset hype either. That has allowed me to learn a lot more and save lots of money! 😂
It's something I always seem to put down and then pick back up. But every single time I learn something new and I create something that I am actually proud of. But then I am humbled again because I realize there is always going to be someone better than me. The self awareness this video evokes is astounding. It is an incredibly cyclical process. I remember when I was 14 I thought I was so edgy and ground breaking because I over saturated and jacked up the contrast on EVERYTHING. 10 years later and I am terrified to even mess with those things.
Great vid and insight. I just entered the phase where I realized photography is not simply about capturing what is in front of you but rather using the tools of photography to express your vision through the lens - in other words, creating an image.
I too thought my 100% bokeh balls shots, proved my artistic genius for all eternity! Those were the days. :-)
That is so spot on. Like i feel like I went though phase 5, and then now its like shit where to now. I also find its so hard not to beat yourself up too much when theres just so much talent out there. A constant journey
Bro, you got me on all of them. I can look back and think to specific sessions where I was in all these phases. Love the journey, finding my voice, reshaping that voice as I grow and learn.
You nailed it Evan, this is so spot on. Thanks for the video.
With being in the photo game for over 17 years now. I have gone all the way through a few times. Always learning and realizing how much I have yet to learn. So exctited with where i am when I look back and understanding what I have learned, but still a LONG ways off from where I want to be.
I FEEL CALLED OUT! I had to take almost a year long break when I joined the navy but now that im done training I have the security, storage space and time to get back into photography. Im looking forward to getting back into it but i'm not looking forward to sucking again.
Thank you for this video, it genuinely made me happy. It also made me realize how much I LOVE photography 😊🙏🏽🤟🏽
Good content! Thanks for the video, subscribed! 💪🔥
Solid 8 here. Been shooting video over 25 years, stills for longer. 8.5...busy business man stage, the "not enough time to shoot what I want" stage.
Just found your channel ! And this video is completely accurate for me at least. I just went through phase 5 and now I’m in 6 applying everything I have learned and things are finally starting to come together how I want them too.
Wow! You hit it on the spot! I’m definitely in phase 5. Thank you for this video and your knowledge. You’re one of my biggest mentors throughout this journey and I appreciate the honesty and work that you’ve done thus far 🙌🏼
I often find myself varying between 7 & 8. Great video!
BTW I've enjoyed your new background music!
So over confident after a year of shooting that I created a photo book and watermarked everything I posted online. I wish I’d hit the humble phase earlier. But I learned from family members the books made good door stops after gifting them at Christmas. Your video was so on point.
Being a photographer has been great. Kept me going outside more often than I normally do and it’s awesome.
One of my favorite things about making pictures!
So spot on. Love the breakdown!
This is beyond what I needed to hear right now. Been shooting for the last 10 years and making it through my 3rd cycle of phase 8. Thanks Evan!
Absolutely loved this! Subscribed!!! Excited to look through your other videos. And to answer..I put a watermark on a picture of myself on vacation overlooking the sea lol tbh baby me just wanted to see my name stamped on a pic like the “professionals” ahah thanks for sharing!
This is absolute gold! Thank you!
So true! That's why I love photography, it's an endless journey.I keep realizing that it always keeps me interested in creating new content and learning new things from the masters (you, for example!)
Wow thank you for the compliment 🙏
Thanks Evan. I find I keep switching between stages 7 & 8.
My passion is the craft of Photography and I am proud and humbled to be a part of this great community of creative people. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺
Another phase to throw in there: over processing your photos 😂
For realsys. Going to town on the clarity slider and raising the blacks too much
That's where most non photographers still are. Sometimes I send clients their photos and I see them on their page with sooo!! much contrast and I really cringe at them. Like, if you were to put your ugly ass filter over my photos anyways why bother booking me
hypekickerzog I think that’s why my photographer has a rule you can’t filter or edit any of her images 😂 she posts meme on her insta about “bad clients” who do that
Yessss!!!! 😄😄😄😄😄
For some reason, I am smiling the whole time watching this video, can really relate on most of the points made. Great video :)
Thank you bro for this.Really appreciate
Great stuff Evan. I've been taking photographs since my uncle gave me an old Kodak Instamatic 126 back in the seventies and I've been at stage 8 many times since then. I am indeed humbled and realise that there are so many excellent photographers and have had to adjust my own expectations accordingly. The thing to be cautious of however is that it's not a good idea to sell all your gear at stage 8! At some point you'll realise that this was an expensive mistake. That said, a "reboot" isn't always a bad thing either. There's nothing bad about getting some new gear and the fresh inspiration it brings - as long as you're very aware of GAS (to be covered on another video maybe?). But once you have the photographers' eye it makes you look at the world differently with an acute awareness and appreciation for the beauty around us. From the widest mountain view to the world of macro in your own back yard!
Nice job Evan :) This is exactly what we all go though. You forgot to mention the phase where we are obsessed with learning all about camera gear and then buying said camera gear till we find out what genre we resonate with the most. This was me when I started lol. It's a constant struggle haha.
Think you're missing a phase everyone one goes through, the phase when you dont have any creative drive, the passion seems to have run out.
Man this is quality and deff relatable - nice one 👌
GREAT EXPLANATIONS!!! really enjoyed this video
Love this video. Such a creative video idea.
Great video! I started as a live events photographer, but as I progressed, I learned my greatest passion is studio work. I love using lights to add mood and expression to an otherwise bland shot. I also learned the value of story telling in photography. It’s true, it’s a lifelong passion. I’ve never used water marks. I didn’t actually think my work was worthy of it. Thanks for your work.
This video is great! Recently was asked for a photograph I took by a friend of mine that works a famous art gallery - he wants to put it in his office. My immediate response once I got pass bewilderment, shock and awe was, "Nah, my works not good enough yet to be in your office muchness seen by anyone as anything significant!" Fortunately, (after some time) I let him talk me into having it printed and framed. Definitely still consider my photography my own and no where near ready for consumer/gallery/coffee table book ready. But, I like the idea of someday soon not being so critical of my work that I can finally see selling or having seen in galleries and publications.
Thanks so much for your videos and for being real about the phases mentioned (of which I'm at 5, 6 and especially 7...all at once sometimes!) but for what it takes to finally get to the stage of being a professional (earning money, that is) photographer! Keep them coming!!!
Definitely appreciate this video. Looking back at 18 years of photography its quite real to me.
Bro that’s actually insane how spot on these phases are. I’m currently in what is probably my 3rd phase 7 - things are sort of on the back burner for a while as I realize once again my photography is not quite where I want it to me. But like you said, the cycle is bound to repeat!
This is a really cool way of explaining it, i can definitely relate to it in my journey. I feel like stage 6 happened before stage 5 for me and the whole wondering what’s missing, learning it and being humbled is a repeating cycle for me as I tweak my style.
I’m definitely at last stage, I’ve become super opened minded and touching back up on basics and looking for a lot more harder critique and get the best out of my current skill set into the world, but tapping back to basics is definitely refreshing
That was hillarious!! I think I'm somewhere between phases 5-7. :) Love it! Thanks!
These are spot on mate!
very fun video to watch... you can apply this to anything in life that you embark on!
I made so many railroad and cat photos way back in 2007...it was ridiculous. I also recall that every photo was tilted or sideways, back then it was so cool and thought they were a masterpiece.
I remember being a kid and finding my dads film cameras and playing with them, my dad never bought me any film because the cameras were broken, but I remember pretending I was taking pictures. Fast forward about 2 years of running around with a broken camera and my dad bought me a canon point and shoot digital camera. This was the beginning of summer in middle school. I was never home after that. I remember one picture specifically of a flower I thought yep. This is what I want to do. Since then its been the struggle to learn as much as possible and grow my craft. Have since upgraded to a much nicer camera, and looking to upgrade again here pretty soon
Evan! Great video. Great everything. What jacket are you using? haha its dope
I'm dying 😭😭😭😂😅 the watermark phrase. Spot on. Hilarious
Poor guy is gonna get ripped about the typo 😂
Lol I’m so glad I checked!
How thoughtful and how real... Everything you said, i can relate to. Except that watermarking my pictures. Thank God I have never done that and dont intend to that either. Great show. Keep them coming. Cheers.!!
I am at the last phase, coming out of a depression of not feeling my work is good enough to be professional.
However, I decided to pick up my camera and start doing little photoshoots till I can get back into it.
WOW! Guess my feelings are pretty universal, ahah. I've been through all the phases, and now I'm kind of starting over with a more humble approach and respect for the professionals that have invested a ton of time and energy to pursuing this awesome craft.
My grandpa just gave me a Nikon D200 and I'm just trying to watch and absorb as much information as I can, trying to understand the basics. I can't wait until the weather cools off a little bit (y'all, it is way too hot right now, straight cannot stand being outside right now lol) and get out there and just start learning and making some pictures.
My dad bought in 2012 a Nikon D3100 which I never really cared about till around end 2016, I first picked it up and thought of the crazy crisp pictures I would be able to take with this machine that I barely knew how it worked. So from that time till now (2020), I’ve used this camera and learned all about it would from it the most I can and believe me when I say that to get started, you really don’t need a 1K+ camera, all you need is a little creativity with a smaller kind of camera and build your way up from there.
I love this. I have definitely reached the humbled phase. I have accepted this as just a hobby now. But soon, i hope to get into the next phase and pick it up again even more professionally than before.
This is accurate af. What gives me the chills is that you laid them down in the exact order I went through. Great video!
Well said! I always get asked if I am a pro and I am humble and say sort of.... The watermark phase was funny and familiar for sure. Thanks for highlighting the phases
This was awesome!
I watched this video to see where do I place myself since I consider myself as a total noob. Although I've always liked photography and even purchased a DSLR a few years ago and it's now for the past couple of months where I've becomed obsessed on learning about the whole craft and all its aspects.
Currently researching on brands since I want to upgrade my current D3300 to something more practical and compact that I can take anywhere and practice as much as I can.
I think I'll take me a while before I get a nice look, style and editing but I'm enjoying and embracing the process.
Thanks for this upload!
100% hit the nails on the heads... Thanks for being apart of my photography journey, if you ever hit London let me know I'll show you the spots
I didn't have the watermark phase, someone said that I should and I just thought "I'm a beginner, have you seen how many wonderful photos that exist? Why would someone steal my poor photos when they can steal from a professional?"
Ha, yes! I didn't go through a photo WM phase because I got it out of my system a few years ago while sharing Illustrator art.
It's like people worried about Big Brother spying on them. My life isn't interesting enough for anyone to spy on 😂
For me it started with noticing really good photos and who took them. Then the next phase was buying a camera and trying to take some photos. The third phase was realizing that photography was harder than I thought so I better learn how to do photography. The fourth phase was getting better at photography and thinking I'd like to give it a try professionally. The fifth phase was realizing that doing it professionally was taking all the fun out of photography. The sixth phase was going back to working with computers and doing photography as a hobby. Which is why I still love doing photography. But, that's just me.
Amazing, so true thank you im inspired again
Phase 3 for sure! Thanks for the value.
Dude this video made me laugh so hard. It’s nice to know that everyone slaps a watermark on their own piece of fine art 😂😂😂
I laughed so much with this video. Then you start going back into a darkroom and then it starts all over again!!
I started and stayed in the realization phase. I have yet to think, “Dang that’s watermark-worthy.” But my confidence is growing as I learn to just have fun and enjoy my photos regardless.
This was like... spot on accurate, Great vid 👏🏼
So funny and so spot on! been through all those phases and back around again, and now I am back at and inbetween 5 and 8 lol... great video,, subscribed .
Evan I would add an addictional phase in the middle of the journey, called something like “collecting items” . It is something you already talked about, but it is something the we all can realate to :) “another lens, another filter, another supertripodd..”
Started transferring from 5 to 6/7. Definitely can relate to the freedom and overwhelming feeling of putting all this information and experience to work. Still got a ton of work to do before getting even close to the greats. Let the race continue!!
Loved this video
honestly I think this applies to every creative outlet. I had the same feelings when I first started making jewelry!
Never hit the Watermark phase but was definitely the Mistaken Savant for the first couple of years of using just my phone. I have now been shooting for about two years with an old DSLR just for fun and moving back and forth between the realization phase, occasionally sliding into the overuse phase, and finishing with the something is missing phase. Another fun video, thanks for posting!
Its funny when Instagram started I had a dslr but was insistent on using the phone.. not sure why! thanks for watching and commenting!
Oh my god .. everything you said is so accurate !!!!..
Loved it 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻😍
Very insightful. Thanks.
💯
I was laughing the whole way through, painfully accurate 🤣