I Made This Mistake - Please Don't Do The Same
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 2. 07. 2024
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00:59 A Secret
02:44 Who Helped Me Reboot My Passion
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13:41 The Desire To Help You
17:17 Heartfelt Ideas
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Thank you for the comments and feedback about the thumbnails recently.
I've been experimenting with ideas and approaches.
Which channel (any genre) do you think does the best thumbnails?
I like the thumbnails of Scobel, a philosophical channel
czcams.com/users/scobel
Also quite nice the different colours for different topics in cinema strikes back
czcams.com/users/CinemaStrikesBack
Sean Tucker
czcams.com/users/SeanTuckerphoto
You see where this is going. I like quite clean thumbnails which have a recognisable theme and which make me curious about the content.
I don't judge a channel on its thumbnails, just the content. And I'm glad CZcams kept recommending yours.
Absolute gold from someone who knows what this business is all about , the good and the bad.
I continue my career alongside your channel , it inspires every day .
Can't thank you enough.
Your are excellent, distinctive. I also like Dust thumbs, it is short scifi movies chanel and also their thumbs nail what is inside, if one is interested in scifi it grabs attention.
Please keep trying to find a balance between the more conversational kind of videoâs like this one and the videoâs dedicaties to one photographer (like the one on Avedon). In both you are doping a great job inspiring and teaching me (and a lot of other viewers I assume). I learn a lot when you explain why in your learned opinion which is a great photo and why it is and why some pictures are not. Please keep going and congratulations with your first year with this inspiring channel.
As a hobbyist I find your channel very inspirational. I do not have a circle of photography friends to share ideas with. You have always come off as a guy that if I had questions, or was looking for inspiration, you would point me in the right direction. CZcams is devoid of this type of content. Learning about photographers and their process is very engaging. Iâm very glad you have found success here!
I 100% agree. I have found myself joining and leaving photography groups/circles because of how they were making me feel. They often make me feel bad about myself rather than inspired. It is rare to find channels like this one that promote exploring your creativity purely for the love of it.
your channel is a real gem among all the rubbish you see out here. You're a big inspiration.
I think you have outgrown the other channels that try to attract viewers with big-lettered clickbaits and funny faces on the thumbnail-pic. I don't think you need to. đ
Hi. I've been experimenting with ideas about thumbs and what not. They are a work in progress :D
Donât over think it too much Alex, youâre doing fine man. I like the easy conversational style, and your humor-youâre an inspiration even to a seasoned photographer like myself (47 years doing photography, even professionally for a few years as a funeral photographer) and youâre right in learning to take breaks and doing other things, but not quitting something that does enrich my life.
I draw and paint and write poetry, go to galleries and museums and hikes-and all this informs my photography so that when Iâm ready to pick up the camera again it feels exciting and I do have fun with it. I do photography on my terms and alone, keep away from groups, gatekeepers and people who would tell me Iâm using the wrong lens or should be doing this or that because those types kill the joy of doing photography.
Your advice is spot on, and your videos fun and informative and I enjoy watching them, thank you. đđș
Why would one want to have a funerals photographed. Genuinely curious
@@miracleyacht__1538 my dad asked my to create a video weeks before he passed.
Hard, but I did just that for him; and the family to watch.
I guess answer would be, someone wanted it.
This is exactly why I avoid videos with titles like: 'the best lens for landscape photography'. It's about you playing around to find out what works for you and once you have found it: start again.
I like seeing your emotion in this. As an exemple: I really enjoyed a recent video where you used Vivian Maier as an exemple to say that actually you don't need an audience. It's a message that is worth repeating in various ways.
Hi Alex, I am disabled and have walking problems, the only ting I enjoy is using my camera. I dont get out much now days due to my problems and when I can go out I do take my camera with me. Ilove going into woods and listening to mother nature, I think I sit and rest more than `I walk but its getting me out of my house. I love my my bungalow with its small garden frony and back. At this time of yeay there is not a lot of insects to take photos of. I do a lot of macro in the garden as its not to far to go. My partner thinks I am mad just sitting and watching the bees-butterflies- hoverflies and watching the magpies coming down to the birdbath and and all the splashing they do when cleaning their feathers, I can sit out there and the birds are so used to me being there. Love the show Alex and hjave read some of the books you have talked about on the video. Take care and be safe.
My passion has been rekindled when I went back to film, B+W and home developing. I can't compete with a 3 year degree course in Lightroom for digital and don't want to. I enjoy embracing the imperfection of grain and film.Cheers and regards.
Agree big time, I miss the darkroom loads.
I used to be a musician years ago, before I got into photography, and it was much the same. I used to play music, write songs, sing, etc., because I enjoyed it. Then I'd go into the studio to record, and everything was quantified, deliberate, monotonous, and it sucked all the joy out of it. It became a "job" in the studio. But the studio was a necessary part of trying to turn it into a profession. You needed a "product" you could hand, and sell, to people. I eventually lost my interest in music. It was ultimately a means for me to convey very personal things to strangers; something I'd never do in conversation. It was a form of catharsis, and I suppose just don't really need it anymore.
Which brings me to another thing I also experienced with music, which seems somewhat applicable to your sentiments here. When I got into music I was into "metal." I listened to it all the time. I used to sit in my room for hours a day learning to play Metallica songs by ear. But when I started composing my own songs, metal isn't what came out. I kept producing ballads. I was somewhat upset about this for quite some time. I wanted to me a metal musician, but kept writing love songs. Thing is, a lot of people really liked those love songs, and were incredibly supportive of my music. I eventually accepted that's what I do. I write ballads. Good ballads. And that's okay.
So, I would say it's okay for you to be cerebral and philosophical. Not every channel needs to be a "how to" technical guide, a spectacle, or filled with levity. There are other channels for that, and if that's what people want, they can go there. Do what you do. Be you. Don't change. Don't chase trends. You seem like an earnest guy. And maybe that won't be as popular, or get as many views or likes, but it will resonate with the people that matter; your followers. And that's enough in my opinion. Cheers.
Check out Pipe Choir, he can't read music. Does amazing work, hardly any views on most of his stuff. All Creative Commons music. Been using lot's of his stuff in my videos lately. Glad I'm not a pro, no interest in working for someone's else needs, wishes and wants.
I've always enjoyed messing around with a point and shoot, but right now my biggest interest is in painting. I've found your channel really inspiring for both pursuits. What you present goes beyond just knowledge of the craft. You teach us how to see, appreciate, understand and experience photography. And not just photography, but all visual art. Thank you!
Thereâs nothing I can add,Iâve read the comments and they say it all. Itâs just a fantastic and refreshing view of photography. Thank you.
I just recently discovered your channel and what a joy. Someone who believes that photography is more than just a technical exercise but rather an art form by the artist (photographer).
I work as a photographer and also a commercial retoucher but I also teach retouching (photoshop). A few weeks ago I got a new student who wanted to improve her photoshop skills and has just started in photography 6 months before; a young lady who is educated but also a painter. When she showed me some of her work, my first question was 'what is it you re trying to say?'. No answer. Having used a camera for nearly 40yrs, I told her to lean her camera, not to worry about the 'gear' she has and not to worry about what the camera club is saying to her. The majority do not understand what photography is. I also recommended your channel! 4 weeks later, after minimal photoshop lessons and more of developing her own style, she was awarded a 20/20 in a competition. That is my joy. Watching someone grow and be excited with it.
Please keep this channel going as maybe more talent will get inspired and we will start to see more creative art and less of the 'instagram' style images.
I love your videos! I honestly feel like you are talking directly to me. It's as if I'm sitting in the room with you and you are helping me. You're answering questions I didn't even know I have. I love how authentic and honest and humble you are. I love this!
Wow thank you watching
Please continue giving us your thoughts because you do speak to us ..You are just genuine person..Thank you
Great to see a channel about photography and not cameras. The blurring of the dichotomy between academic photography and just plain fun photography is really interesting.
I took my first photo in 1985 on a Pentax k1000. Been hooked ever since. I absolutely enjoy what you're doing. It's all about the fun and love of the craft. Cheers.
Alex, it is so refreshing to have someone who doesnât preach and tell you how things should be done. Sean Tucker once said that you donât have to be a genre type photographer, he as you talk of the joy of taking photographs, just for taking them. I always felt that i should be a certain type photographer, but experimentation is key and you learn so much more. Thank you for a great channel and happy first birthday
Exactly why I left my local camera club. As a documentary/photojournalistic b&w photographer for over 40 years, when I relocated and checked out my local club I was doubtful that it would be a good fit for me. In the end, I did not renew my membership. The group seemed all about color, nature, etc. Their photo trips were along the same lines and I wanted something more that fit my interests. I do not miss that club because the rest of the members had totally different interests from mine. I had, late in life, had a 10-year career as a newspaper photographer and loved it.
One of the things that got me to subscribe to your channel was the conversational aspect of your presentation. I hope you do not change a thing. Hearing about particular photographers sometimes interest me, sometimes not. But I truly enjoy your style.
I just want to say I really do like the conversational unscripted direction youâve taken with your channel recently. Your bringing up things that many of us photographers and creatives alike are thinking of and dealing with in our work and our lives. Itâs reassuring to know weâre not alone in all of this. Thank you.
you bring me back to the reasons why I started taking pictures 20 years ago: the fun of it !
Your chanel is like a good photography book and each movie like a chapter. Listening to you is quite soothing, there are very few channels like this on YT. There is no talk of best gear, best technique, best this, best that. It is old school talk, discussion if we count it comments about photography and not yet another advertising or school lecture. It feel like talking or listening to a friend and going over our photos with vodka in hand.
âMarketers who take photosâ - brilliant!
Always enjoy your videos, the scripted and the more random and conversational. If itâs engaging people will come and watch again and again.
I find your channel a breath of fresh air. Totally enjoy the conversation aspect.
Alan. an apprentice geezer from the hills of Tennessee.
I missed people talking about the magic of images and image making and, coming across you enthusing about photography as an expression was life affirming. The photographs that stop me in my tracks are inspiring and your channel is like one of those photographs. I was invited to exhibit in a show last November and encouraged to begin using Instagram. You arrived on the scene just as I began rediscovering my photographic mojo. Thankyou Alex!
I subscribe to your channel because you have the intellectual capacity to talk fluently about photography. Me? Iâm a retired professional back to being an animal who makes pictures and mashes pixels. When I go out with a camera, and if I donât come back half dead, it means I havenât tried hard enough. I equally love photography, and I too love talking about pictures. You have nothing really to worry about. Being a professional is like being in the mob. Once youâre in, itâs very hard to leave âthe lifeâ behind, and youâve done it. You donât owe anybody anything. When I look back on my career as a professional, I realise just how extreme it all was, how it propelled me to the here and now. To being an amateur again.
This is one of the best channels on here for advice and inspiration
I have recently retired from a large public university as a technical photographer and videographer. I am very expert in a very few things. Aside from shooting some weddings on the side, and my kids soccer games, I have never really stretched far beyond the copy stand. I am now rediscovering photography for my own enjoyment. You, Alex, have been a welcome inspiration. I thank you.
Thatâs awesome. Thank you for watching.
I take photos for a living...
I used to watch very many photography channels who nearly convinced me I was using the wrong camera, wrong lenses, wrong sensor size.
They told me 'the TRUTH about' whatever was their gripe that video......how I was taking my photographs wrong. Why HD is wrong, / why HD is great. Why micro 4/3rds is better than a full frame sensor, why film is better than digital images.
All these camera, photo YT channels did was depress me so I stopped watching all of them.
So now I still take photographs for work but have started taking them for me again because no one can tell me how to take a photograph.
I enjoy your channel.
One of the reasons I subscribe to this channel is your love for photography, it shows so clearly. I also love when you introduce new photographers. And thanks to you I now dear much more, I dear to stand up for my way of photographing. Iâve heard so many times that the way I go about my photography is wrong- âI should show my photos â because Iâm not going to grow as a photographer otherwise, âI should not have a totally private Instagram â, âI should take the technical part of photography seriously or I will never learn photography properly ââŠ. Some of these people are saying it to encourage me, but others are just âcutting my legs so they can grow tallerâ (Swedish expression, hope you get it). Growing up I was told a lot, manly by my mother that I wasnât good enough in all kind of ways, so I struggle a lot with that. Iâm also HSP, I donât do well when people in social media start arguing. But I love photography. So listening to you talk about telling us to have fun whilst photographing is just what I need. I do not plan to be a professional photographer, I plan to visit places and take photos of them, to discover new ways, like ICM, of photography. I think people are doing themselves wrong in thinking that as soon as we start a new hobby we have to be professionals, stars and whatever. There is a joy in appreciating otherâs and their skills and it doesnât make you worse in any way. So keep making these great videos, they are helpful in many ways â€ïž
Alex, in my opinion, your channel is not simply one of the best in sharing this wonderful world of photography which we love, but one of the best on CZcams full stop. You offer a great mix of personal experience, insight, encouragement and subject matter that others simply do not cover. Sharing the photographic and, to a degree, the personal lives of many professionals who each have their own voice invites us to explore our own draw to the art. Sharing your experience is an encouragement and educational. Sharing your journey is an inspiration.
Keep up the excellent work of this channel, and thank you for all you've given us so far.
That's awesome to hear! Thank you so very much :D
Well put! Iâve been there and Iâve done that. I was miserable. The joy was sucked out of it. I photograph now out of the pure joy of it :)
It was your first videos that really attracted me to the channel. I really felt like I could relate to your style of presentation. I have no connection to anything photography related in my area. There seems to be a void, here in that regard. It was great to be introduced to so many great photographers that I had never heard of, but should have.
I've been taking photos since the late 80s, but I have only recently begun to call myself a photographer. This channel has really opened my eyes to aspects of photography that I had never considered.
Keep it fun, but at the same time, know that there are those of us who liked your early CZcams work a lot.
Your channel is, by far, my favorite photography based channel on CZcams. Keep up the great work, and congratulations on (nearly) completing your first year!
I like your openess, the way you talk about what your intention is, your feeling , whats in your head, coming strait out of your mind...
please donÂŽt stop making these videos! greetings form Argentina
I love these sorts of videos. While I learn so much from watching this channel, the biggest thing that has helped me and stayed with me is the simple reminders to do photography for myself, and to be guided by what I have fun doing and creating the sort of images that mean something to me. There are always so many âbeard strokersâ (lol) ready to tell you what you should be doing and how etc., this channel is the antidote to that and the reason I keep coming back for more.
I like to hear you talking about photographers, those I am familiar with and those I know little or nothing about.
Alex, you are keeping people in the loop, people need you for your insight, experience. Just the education ( your education ) that you are sharing, take the ball and run with it information that you sharing is invaluable. The take whatever you have and go and create, here is a few examples, "artists you covered", what worked and how it worked for them. You can't do everything for people, they have to go and work at it with insight and further research from their own initiative. A creative mindset is something that evolves from a person's own initiative and effort. You are not just sitting and pointing, but you are sharing the essentials. Thank you, Alex.
Hi, I only discovered your channel a week ago. I spent an hour yesterday making notes from some of your videos. I like the angle you have taken, the idea of getting back to taking photos you like, rather than trying to shoot likeable shots. It's been enough to ground myself again in my style, and not get caught up into trying to get followers and likes, which isn't that natural for me. It's like you are giving out books worth of proper wisdom and it's funny how it's just the right time for me to hear that. Thank you!
I just want you to know, that your videos are pulling me out of me deep depression, which forced me to quit my beloved job as a judge in 2010. And Iâm finding new fun in taking photographs, which was a hobby, that I had forgotten for decades of years. So thank you very much for your help. And Iâm no longer showing my photos to others, to get their praising for my photography. Keep having fun, Karsten
And yes, at the deepest point of my depressions I was quite near to committing suicide. It were not my normal cameras, who did the job. It was my iPhone. And taking photos with the iPhone to edit them as good as Iâm able to. At the moment Iâm playing with black and white square photos and I really begin loving it.
Photography gets me out of the house and moving, which helps my back issues, and gives me joy seeing the world with my photographic eye for a bit.
Alex, thank you. I love your channel. The balance between being academic and conversational is such a fine line. As a Church Pastor for the past three decades, I've also had to try and find that line for myself when it comes to a homily/sermon. For me the balance for time constraints and messaging is found with scripting what I'm saying but then allowing myself to make conversation for just a minute or so between points in the moment, to better express my experience or passion about an idea, then come back to the words that I spent time writing so that there's continuity and not too much drift.
First things first... wow it's already making one full year of the channel! Congratz, Alex! Your channel and Sean's have been an oasis in this youtube endless photography gear desert. If you feel like it you could try a mini podcast format where you could ask other current photographer their why and how.
Ok, itâs 5 a.m. in Ohio (USA) and I almost woke the house up laughing. Re: Keith Moon. âHe beats the drums like they owe him money.â Honestly, I needed the laugh.
You asked about the conversational style, I really like it. Sometimes when you make a point, I pause the video and think about what you say. Even though I prefer photographing nature, I get a lot out of your videos because you emphasize doing what I enjoy, not what others think I should enjoy. I needed to hear that too. Between you and Sean Tucker, I feel more grounded about photography and my place in it and its place in me. Iâm growing tired of the latest and greatest gear and the the newest technique that will revolutionize my photography.
Thanks for what you are doing and how you are doing it!
Man, you are the best teacher I ever had! Thank you so much!
Yes! Throw away all the musts or put them aside and let us go out and take Photo! đ
I subscribed to your channel precisely because it is conversational and not just another gear review, new technique, or how to sell your pics channel. I too suffered the pain of converting a joyous hobby into the drudgery of a profession. After many years I reached the point where I frequently thought about retiring from the chore of producing a consistent marketable product instead of personally rewarding photographs.
Then one day while waiting at the photo lab to pick up some negs and prints, I watched the young mother standing at the counter open a packet of prints, look briefly at the first couple and then hand the packet to her five year old son. The boy looked at each print with no reaction to some and squealing and jumping with delight to others. Turns out that the mum had given a disposable camera to him, showed him how it worked and turned him loose with it.
I asked to see the prints and had my version of squealing and jumping. There were pictures of adult legs taken from under a dining table, the family dog taken at his level while he tried to lick the camera, and so on. I remembered why I loved photography and why I had come to hate the professional version that had become my drudgery. I retired soon after and a few months later picked up my camera again and started exploring. There are times that I wish I had that boy's packet of prints.
Your avuncular style is what I love about this channel. Someone that you can go to for advice without being judged. I have learned so much about master photographers recently which has inspired me even more. Iâm building a playlist for my daughter who will start to study photography this year and you are at the heart of it. Thank you so much.
Thank you for watching, thatâs awesome.
During the depths of the pandemic last year, as a retiree who didn't have to work but also had to cancel some long-planned photography trips, I was seriously bummed. Nowhere to shoot (I thought), no reason to go out. That's when it hit me: to finally act on an idea I'd been rolling around for several years. I started my own CZcams channel about nature photography in July of last year.
Now I had a reason to not only go out and shoot, but to do so mindfully (as Alister would say). I wanted to explain to viewers not just how I was taking a given photo, but why I chose that composition in the first place. I found that as I was explaining my thought process, I was teaching myself. I sincerely think I've grown faster as a photographer by having a channel than I would have otherwise. I realize now that while being in epic locations is great, you can find arresting images of nature wherever you live, even in big cities.
More recently I'm pushing not just my compositions, but my processing. I'm branching from literal representation to increasingly artistic interpretation of the landscape. It takes me back to my roots as a painter.
Best of all, I've found myself part of a supportive community of photographers and content creators, like you and Alister. I'm in love with photography more than ever, now adding video to the creative mix. And I'm building a visual legacy for my family that, hopefully, will long survive me.
I like your references to Keith and Charlie. Both loved playing and both were the life blood of their respective bands. They were the reason their bands sounded the way they did.
Good video, Alex. Thanks for the channel and thanks for opening up.
FWIW, I don't always agree with you, but you're always worth listening to.
Stay well.
Love the way you present your mind ..
Wishing you all the best
Many more happy and fulfilled moments to cherish through our art âŠ
I am by no means a good photographer, I get fed up to the back teeth at work and all I want to do in my spare time TO RELAX AND ENJOY, is take photographs. It keeps me sane. I love it.
The whole thing is a process. I am a teacher and an artist but the most fun I have is when Ifeel relaxed enough just to riff with my students and see where they are. Also, to bring myself into what I am teaching. However , this requires that you know enough about teaching your subject that you can do this. Then teaching becomes joyful. You are good at what you are doing now but you were also good when you started out too.
Thanks.
I watch this channel even though I can't relate to most of the photographers and photos discussed.
Like Sean Tucker and Alister Benn, however, you give me impulses and ideas that push me forward.
Please keep up the good work. Greetings from Germany.
I started following you close to your beginning, you have a disposition that is very pleasant your subject matter sometimes goes over my head. And in most cases I leave channels for that reason however even when you are being serious you seem genuine. This episode was Gutsy be confident in yourself whatever you put out the people that are following you are going to stay not because of your content but because of you.
Thank you for your hard work. It cost me nothing to watch and enjoy your shows, your time and effort is appreciated.
I also feel the same way as you
Well after watching the video (after commenting on your thumbnails) đI want to come back and answer your question at the end of your video. Let me put it this way...you have grown this channel to nearly 50k followers in a year, which is pretty amazing (I know what I am talking about there). You have achieved this by being an inspiration to the people and by creating different content you don't find very often.
But I feel (at least it sounds that way) that you feel the need to change something here and there...changing the content a bit (and we touched on the subject of funny thumbnails before) đ
Well...if you think you need to change something to become even more successful - don't do it! Remember that you do extremely well here. But if you want to change because you feel you want to change for your own reasons, then listen to your own advice: Do whatever you like and whatever is fun for you. Some people will agree on the one and other people will agree on the other.
I like your mix of inspirational talk and showing great work of other photographers. That's why I subbed this channel a long time ago. And I will keep following as long as long as you're roughly going along that route and not switch to discussing ballet or cooking or home decorating (well...at least not too often) đ Thanks for a great channel and...
...greetings from Germany
Jörg
I hope you enjoy talking about photography because I enjoy watching your channel and I get a lot out of your discussions.
Yes there should be a buzz/good feel moment ... This is why we started in the first place. . . But some times you have to take photo's of what you see and forget how you feel or the picture isn't possible and I suppose this can take a lot out of you and help you loose your way .... just remember why you started and never look back ... Be good Be strong and never stop looking for that next shot .
Forget how you feel or the picture isnât possible?
I am a newbie in photography and find myself being a photo nerd, but not because of some fancy words, but because the knowledge gives me the freedom and inspiration to experiment. It's exciting for me. Your channel is great! I love it because you are so humble and real and you focus on the real thing... The joy of taking photos.
Thank you for watching.
Thank you Alex. You have been my 'thinking photography' companion and guide for the last year (though I am surprised that it has only been a year). I like your passion for photography and how you have encouraged me in my: experiencing of photography emanating from your own experience; encouraging the enjoyment of looking at the work of famous and other photographers; and encouraging me to fiddle around with my own ideas through the lens. Cheers
Please just keep doing what you're doing. It is all working quite well as is.
Thank you so, so much. I'm in this space at the moment and have struggled with enjoying my photography. In the recent past I had a partner in crime who always came with me on photographic adventures. She's no longer in my life and it didn't feel the same, the excitement, joy & the sense of discovery was gone. Finally I'm starting to feel the motivation again and your video has gently nudged me further in the right direction.
I am an enthusiastic amateur when it comes to photography. I am fortunate that I get to work with professional performers, dancers, singers etc. and my work gets used by promoters, publishers and companies.
But for me it will s just a bit of fun, a creative outlet and something far removed from my day job. I guess this takes the pressure off to an extent, but there are still times when I just don't feel the love and am not afraid to put my cameras down until the urge returns.
I have, from a very early age, been interested in the work of other photographers, historic and contemporary, and this is a big part of why I enjoy your content. So many 'photographers' these days concentrate on the latest and greatest gear thinking it will improve their work. Buying a camera does not make you a photographer, it just means you own a camera.
If more folk concentrated on the art, the creative vision and used their camera to express themselves rather than for bragging rights the photographic community would be a far better, more creative space to inhabit.
Thank you for your insights.
Spot on and happy 1 yr anniversary. I've enjoyed and learned a lot watching your videos.
Your conversational style is a great improvement over your earlier videos. Not that they were less interesting, but less personal. I live in abroad, have a fair facility with the language, but find that expats are rarely welcomed or assimilated. That being said, it is not likely that a local camera club would provide the conviviality I find on your channel. So, you are my new "club". I enjoy your presentations immensely.
Knocking on one's own noggin in plain view ... it sounded rather hollow and in perfect resonance with my own noggin knocking ... thanks, I needed that!
Thank you Alex, your videos are great, they always give me a wee boost.
love these videos, keep up the good work
I love EVERYTHING you do. It seems like you know EXACTLY what to say and when. Your Passion feeds mine. I ALWAYS look forward to what wisdom you impart next!
As someone new to photography (an enthusiast/amateur) I really dig your channel. This is just the video I needed as it seems photographers take everything super seriously and especially when starting out things seem overwhelming and confusing. Thank you!
Awesome, thank you!
An excellent video. I have had pretty good equipment since I graduated university in 1971, and was lucky enough to have a job where I travelled extensively. Alas, time to myself at a given location was limited, weather was whatever it was. I enjoyed taking photos and putting on slide shows. Well, I wouldnât have qualified for a job at National Geographic, but I had fun. Still in the process of digitizing those slides. Laziness is the problem. Pandemic is the excuse. Today, I scanned some images for my cousin and wife and made some edits and printed some black and white. Felt good. Found some shots of a Poo Bear cake my wife baked in 2002 for our granddaughter. Saw your video. I count this as one of my better recent photography days. Come January, I wonât require so many eyeglass swaps, cataract surgery at top available clinic should make life much more visible, shall we say. Iâll still be watching your videos, which I do enjoy. Thanks for your efforts. Long comment, but you did say you wanted conversations with your viewers.
I'm a bit late.
This is what I see and take away from this channel.
1. I find myself, reinspired every time I watch your videos.
2. I get excited again and again to shoot. I recently moved to New Mexico from Chicago, and realized that streetshooting here is nothing like in Chicago. People are actually hostile. So I refocused to the plentiful surroundings of Old, abandoned and beautiful architecture of New Mexico. While doing so, I started to integrate people again, and I realized that if you're just shooting buildings, people naturally become part of the photography.
3. I love the excitement I see in your face, the excitement I hear in your voice. It's what my significant other tells me she hears when I talk about photographs from Jason Lee, Bill Eggleston, and my photos. I hope that I will never lose that part of photography. I carry it with me even when I'm out shooting without my camera.
4. Your videos are like ASMR to me. I watch them and just forget about the world and think only of Photography. I know I'll never be a paid photographer, I do know that I shoot for me and I like to share what I see.
I wish you all the success in your endeavors and I'm so glad I found your channel.
Awesome, thank you for watching
One of The Best videos, and not just for photography. In fact, in my books it is EXCELLENT. Thank you for the message.
I understand some people opt for photography to earn the money. And that is ok. Photography has been my hobby. At one point of time (end of 70's and beginning of 80's) I used to occasionally to earn some money. And that money I just spent on gear and photo materials.
I enjoy photography. I enjoy technology behind it. I enjoy equipment and the process itself. And also enjoy what it gives me - my time, relax time. Either early in the morning, late at night, taking family photos (until annoy everybody) , landscapes, my dog. I know that I do not have this artistic talent, and that does not stops me enjoying it. I like pixel-piping, and once I see the details with 400%, 600%, 800% I enjoy a particular photo even more. I know nobody else is going to do it, but i do it.
All the best to all of you, be well, have fun, and don't hurt others.
I subscribed to your channel a couple of months ago and I honestly canât say that there was even one video that I didn't enjoy, your channel is all about photography and very well done, I believe that you're overthinking an issue that doesn't exist, just be yourself.
So glad you didn't give up, Alex. This channel is inspirational. I got back into photography a few years ago, having learned with film in the 1970s and now using digital. A few years of the camera club mindset bored me. Too prescriptive; too obsessed with kit; producing images by rules and formulae to please judges. Before leaving a club, I gave a talk on the psychology of photography, how we communicate through images and how we think about the art as photographers. This is the very reason I enjoy your channel...more about the why than the how ... Please keep up the good work.
I appreciate your honest conversational style, thank you.
I do photography for the love of making something that inspires me to do more. I did go through a stage where I lost interest. I reignited my passion when I started combining it with my other passions.
Thanks Alex, great channel. Love that you talk about photography as well as introduce different photographers as inspiration. Also love the absence of gear reviews, thankyou.
I donât think I can express how much this channel means to me. I followed you all year and itâs the only channel unsubscribe to that I watch them all as soon as they come out. I tried the Discord for a while but it didnât stick for me. I enjoyed the alphabet challenge. Thank you for everything. Looking forward to many more.
I like both types of videos, being a new viewer and finding your older stuff has been nice too. I really like when you talk about other photographers and why you like them, present their work and break it down. I also like when you find information and talk about the situations these photographers put themselves in to get those kinds of pictures as I find it hard to go and explore places for the sole purpose of taking pictures so I end up taking pictures of the same things many times and do not really know if I have taken something that I like as my opinion of it seems to change so much. Thank you for the talks they definitely are coming from a place of fun/passion/enthusiasm.
I was really fond of your channel and looked forward to every new episode. But now you have taken this to a new level. Thanks a lot!
Your best quality is that you make me think about photography. I will share a quote That stick with me with you "follow the rules! Make your own rules! Keep doing great video!
It's hard to believe your channel is only 1 year old! This is one of my top CZcams channels. This has been a place that I can get exposure to the art of photography and I've been exposed to many photographers that I wouldn't get exposed to otherwise. Please continue with those vignettes, they are so valuable to us without formal training!
I really enjoy your content Alex. I know no one else I can discuss photography with to this extent. My husband likes it but does not love it, like me. So your channel is a real pleasure. You have just the right way so no need to change. I loved your first video too. Thumbnails with big text and silly faces saying silly things are a turn off. They look cheap IMHO.I like the ones with a snapshot from within the video so I can see what it is about. Thanks always.đ
Hey, I recently found your channel and have really been enjoying your videos. I think you have a nice balance of education and being down to earth. I am a family photographer and have been super burnt out lately and not finding a lot of joy in it all (mostly the business aspect and feeling the pressures of Instagram). But this video and many others of yours have been super inspirational and remind me of why I loved photography in the first place. So thank you for sharing your heart and your knowledge. Please continue doing what you're doing because it is great!
Great vid Alex. I reckon your on the right track with this one. Fun times ahead. A a fairly newby to photography I want to learn to see better and beat the image I see ( in my mind) I love landscape photos as I love the experience of being in the outdoors. I do struggle to âunderstand â why some photographers are deemed great. Any chance of expanding in depth on Why you appreciate a certain photographer? Keep em coming.
MJ
You look like Ben Affleck, you give hope and inspire us young generation and thus, I shall call you the Batman of youtube photography community đ€đ»
Thanks for your company while I sip on my coffee your video reminds me why I got into photography ..âïž
I actually fell out of love with photography for a good while myself. I had spent years studying to be a professional photographer and wasn't making it, then digital and the internet came along changing everything and and sometimes in the 00's I just sort of dropped off. A few years ago, I got back into it as a way to get myself out of the house to get exercise and discovered that the magic was back.
Couldnât agree more !!
Listening to you these days is like the conversations we would have in the studio.
Listening to each other expressing ideas and brainstorming, so keep it going, it fills a great space, for me !!
Oh, and thanks for not ramming lenses and gear down our throats, this is photography.
I needed this so much thank you and I really enjoy your channel. I have been following you since you started and love the content
Awesome, thank you
I really love the way you draw us in, and the connection, your the man Alex, very interesting, compelling,
could listen to you for hours, all the best Alex.
I love watching your channel more than most any way you present them is good. I find with my abstract work if I start getting board or loosing inspiration I try and change either my style or subject matter which keeps me and my images fresh to me anyway.
Wow! I can't thank you enough for this...the wake up I so needed. Thank you!
Hi Alex. I love your channel. I found it about 6 months ago and have been watching everything ever since. I studied photography years ago but it has always been just for me. Watching your channel reintroduced me to many of the photographers I learned about in school. I like listening to your discussions. You have reawakened my love of photography and I am now back out shooting and trying new things. Keep up the good work!
Wow, thatâs awesome. Thank you for watching
Your timing couldn't be more perfect. I really needed this.
Really very much appreciate your conversations about the love of Photography!!
It inspires me a lot and want to thank you deeply!
Please keep up your great work!
Best wishes
Sasha
Thanks for the pep talk... I really needed to hear that I'm not the only one who feels that way. I'm blowing the dust off of my old Hassy after a 8 year hiatus just to get back to the pure enjoyment of it all. I dred the thought of having to do this for a living that sucks the life out of you. I'm not a big chatter but I do enjoy your channel so thank you very much again and cheers.
Both my wife and I really love your channel, and this video has caused us to stop and have a chat about why that is. We're "only" hobbyist photographers having taken the hobby up just in the last couple of years. We have soaked up a huge amount of invaluable CZcams material in that time and that has helped us to reach a certain level of competence. I think, for us, your channel offers two things we don't get from others. Firstly, education about photographers of the past. This is not only fascinating in its own right but it also reminds us that there are other ways to approach photography beyond current fashion. Secondly, we appreciate your constant messaging that we should enjoy this tremendous pastime without worrying. Oh, and please keep up with the conversational style - we often talk back at you!!!
Just keep doing what you do, we like it.
Totally agree Sir.
I have resisted the standard of mastering a niche and sticking with "what your best at". I love it all. Portrait, wedding, product, street, landscape, wildlife, architectural, fashion, etc. All of it. I've had "Master Photographers" say this or that is where the money is, or this is the genre that offers the most travel to exotic places. Rubish! I don't care what they say. I've talked with old friends who burned out and are working 9-5 jobs and stopped shooting all together. I don't want to be that person. Being behind the lens creating my vision of the scene in front of me, no matter the subject, is why I continue to shoot today. Film or digital stills to B-roll, short films or cinematography. Not focusing on a single genre is what keeps me motivated in practicing the art.