Do you think it's possible to be a great Landscape Photographer and a Youtuber?

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Joel
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In other words, do you think it is possible to take the very best Landscape Photographs you can at a given location, in given conditions, whilst also capturing it all on video and talking to another Camera at the same time ?

I think back to one of my Landscape Photographs taken in North Wales where, as is usual with Landscape Photography, you are reacting to the light and the lay of the land in front of you. It's all very well knowing where the light will fall on the land but seeing how the light falls on the land is an altogether different matrix.

I hadn't been here before, I had no idea, and I was looking for a unique composition - something which hadn't been shot before but from which I could take satisfaction.

This particular composition I had spent around 30-45 minutes tweaking... I wanted everything to be absolutely on point. This involved meticulous alterations in placement, Tripod height, angles, the effect of a CPL on the given composition from one millimetre to the next and then the utmost concentration in terms of focusing, composition, visual flow and so on and so forth.

Had I been chatting away to a Camera behind or adjacent to me I am convinced I'd have never got that image.

So do you think that being a Youtuber is detrimental to being a Landscape Photographer? They're both different mediums and I struggle to see how you can master both at the same time.
 
What is a "great landscape photographer"?

Yes I think it is possible to take a good landscape photo whilst a second camera on a tripod records what you are doing and you speak out loud your thought processes. Equally well it is possible to take a good landscape photo and then shoot some video recording how you shot the original.

"utmost concentration in terms of focusing" surely it's pretty hard to not get a landscape shot in focus? and can you really see the difference of mm changes in CPL effects? Does a great landscape photo even need a CPL?

Ultimately though is all that technique really what a "great" landscape photo is about? We haven't had a link to Justin on here for a while so here we go, do give it a few minutes, he does get his teeth into landscape ...
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdaxV2ieZgY
 
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I talk to myself a lot about composition and light when out with the camera on hills and moors and the like. If what I was saying was worth capturing and putting on YouTube then I would do it.

So to answer your question: yes.
 
sirch said:
What is a "great landscape photographer"?

Yes I think it is possible to take a good landscape photo whilst a second camera on a tripod records what you are doing and you speak out loud your thought processes. Equally well it possible to take a good landscape photo and then shoot some video recording how you shot the original.

"utmost concentration in terms of focusing" surely it's pretty hard to not get a landscape shot in focus? and can you really see the difference of mm changes in CPL effects? Does a great landscape photo even need a CPL?

Ultimately though is all that technique really what a "great" landscape photo is about? We haven't had a link to Justin on here for a while so here we go, do give it a few minutes, he does get his teeth into landscape ...
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdaxV2ieZgY
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In other words, if you are doing both you are not spending 100 percent of your time mastering the actual photograph, it's impossible.... so how can you come away knowing that you put everything into that photograph?
 
moggi1964 said:
I talk to myself a lot about composition and light when out with the camera on hills and moors and the like. If what I was saying was worth capturing and putting on YouTube then I would do it.

So to answer your question: yes.
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Have you tried it though? It's a lot different doing it (which I have tried) than thinking about how it might go.
 
smr said:
In other words, if you are doing both you are not spending 100 percent of your time mastering the actual photograph, it's impossible.... so how can you come away knowing that you put everything into that photograph?
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For me what matters is what comes out, not what went in. Your viewers don't care how much you agonised and suffered to get the shot only whether they find the resulting print pleasing.
 
Fordsabroad said:
I think if you need to put "everything " into it you are probably overthinking it. It should be a pleasurable thing to do not a MENSA challenge.
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Can't you put everything into something and find it pleasurable ?

What if I were to say that pleasure was derived from the satisfaction of knowing that you indeed did put everything you possessed into it ? The culmination of years of experience and practice.

Isn't it a bit strange to rock up and think, I'll just put 60-80 percent effort into this composition today.
 
It's an interesting debate I think- I for one certainly seem to have a different attitude to Landscape Photography. I endeavour to try my utmost for each photograph.

That said, there is no right or wrong way to go about Landscape Photography - whatever works for you personally and what you take from it matters most.
 
It sounds like a lot of hard work, a slog even.

Instead, just enjoy photography and life :D
 
I think you have to question why you are youtubing? If you want to put 100% into taking the shot then you are probably not very committed to your YouTube audience. Whereas if you are totally focussed on getting your shot but saying aloud your thought processes and describing your actions, you are still able to produce a good vlog, just need to put more editing into it.
I think it compares a bit to being a pilot, in the sense that whatever you do in the cockpit, training has taught you to say your checklist out loud even if you're on your own. To be the best pilot you need to know why you are doing things, same as being a photographer, so capturing the thought process out loud shouldn't take away from your attention to getting the best photograph or flying safely and accurately.
 
No you should never suffer! There is a line between putting everything into something and having a rewarding experience as opposed to suffering for something. But what defines that, it probably varies from one individual to the next.
 
smr said:
Can't you put everything into something and find it pleasurable ?

What if I were to say that pleasure was derived from the satisfaction of knowing that you indeed did put everything you possessed into it ? The culmination of years of experience and practice.

Isn't it a bit strange to rock up and think, I'll just put 60-80 percent effort into this composition today.
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I don't - but I wonder if composition should come so hard for you.

For me, I don't like video as a medium. I prefer to read text, and to see stills. I don't watch these photography videos. I want to see pictures and read words. That's just me.

In my work, I revisit composition time and time again. I can instinctively put a tripod down and repeat a picture to the extent they overlap with each other and I can tell which grasses fall where (In certain shots). For me, this means I can solely focus on when to expose depending on light/shadows/clouds and how they make the scene look and feel. I wouldn't want to film a video doing it, but I could as there wouldn't be too much to think about as I know the compositions I want in advance.

I bet a lot of these dudes know the locations, compositions like the back of their hands and just wing it on the day working the presumption that "good enough" is all that matters to make money off the shot and video.
 
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smr said:
Have you tried it though? It's a lot different doing it (which I have tried) than thinking about how it might go.
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You make a good point, I haven't tried it. I have a voice for TV and a face for radio ;)

I think Lindsay's post above captures my view better than I expressed it.

Interesting topic and of course, who you believe to be a great landscape photographer may very well differ from my choices.
 
SFTPhotography said:
I don't - but I wonder if composition should come so hard for you.

For me, I don't like video as a medium. I prefer to read text, and to see stills. I don't watch these photography videos. I want to see pictures and read words. That's just me.

In my work, I revisit composition time and time again. I can instinctively put a tripod down and repeat a picture to the extent they overlap with each other and I can tell which grasses fall where (In certain shots). For me, this means I can solely focus on when to expose depending on light/shadows/clouds and how they make the scene look and feel. I wouldn't want to film a video doing it, but I could as there wouldn't be too much to think about as I know the compositions I want in advance.

I bet a lot of these dudes know the locations, compositions like the back of their hands and just wing it on the day working the presumption that "good enough" is all that matters to make money off the shot and video.
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I always have an idea of a composition in my head when arriving at or, before arriving at a location - it's 90 percent there, but there are, in my opinion, quite large differences in getting the most out of a composition, this is obviously more to do with a location you might not have been to before. Finessing that composition and tweaking it with all of your focus on said matter is really the crux of it and even the subtlest differences can make a big difference.

A Formula 1 driver will often visualise in his head a low fuel qualifying lap as he sits in his car before being ushered out into the pit lane to start his warm up and flying laps.

When he gets onto that flying lap, we are talking about precision and 100 percent focus on the job at hand, maximising every single opportunity, apex, gear shift, braking, throttle control etc. etc.

If he's talking to a camera at the same time he isn't able to 100 percent focus on delivering his utmost potential because he's sacrificing that time spent and concentration on delivering his maximum potential.
 
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smr said:
I always have an idea of a composition in my head when arriving at or, before arriving at a location - it's 90 percent there, but there are, in my opinion, quite large differences in getting the most out of a composition, this is obviously more to do with a location you might not have been to before. Finessing that composition and tweaking it with all of your focus on said matter is really the crux of it and even the subtlest differences can make a big difference.

A Formula 1 driver will often visualise in his head a low fuel qualifying lap as he sits in his car before being ushered out into the pit lane to start his warm up and flying laps.

When he gets onto that flying lap, we are talking about precision and 100 percent focus on the job at hand, maximising every single opportunity, apex, gear shift, braking, throttle control etc. etc.

If he's talking to a camera at the same time he isn't able to 100 percent focus on delivering his utmost potential because he's sacrificing that time spent and concentration on delivering his maximum potential.
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Do you think that youtube viewers care about that extra 10% though.

These photographers cater to their target audience and do it well. One spends half the time talking about his wretched old campervan and they lap it up.
 
smr said:
I always have an idea of a composition in my head when arriving at or, before arriving at a location - it's 90 percent there, but there are, in my opinion, quite large differences in getting the most out of a composition, this is obviously more to do with a location you might not have been to before. Finessing that composition and tweaking it with all of your focus on said matter is really the crux of it and even the subtlest differences can make a big difference.

A Formula 1 driver will often visualise in his head a low fuel qualifying lap as he sits in his car before being ushered out into the pit lane to start his warm up and flying laps.

When he gets onto that flying lap, we are talking about precision and 100 percent focus on the job at hand, maximising every single opportunity, apex, gear shift, braking, throttle control etc. etc.

If he's talking to a camera at the same time he isn't able to 100 percent focus on delivering his utmost potential because he's sacrificing that time spent and concentration on delivering his maximum potential.
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But what we don't always see/hear is the laps in free practice where the driver will be feeding back their thoughts as they go around the track lap after lap. It's only when it truly counts that they are 100% focussed. So maybe, we only see a fraction of the time of the YouTuber (their free practice time) when they are talking to the camera and when it really counts they are 100% focused.
 
Yes, in the same way that a Michelin starred chef can produce a Michelin star quality dish whilst talking to a camera, or a surgeon can do some very delicate operation whilst talking through the procedure to students.. Those examples are two roles - you are trying to do three roles - photographer, presenter and video cameraman at the same time.
 
I assume your motivation for a Youtube channel is to make some money out of it.
You need to practice and practice. Surely after 9 or 10 goes you will have mastered doing both at the same time - or not.

I watched the Justin video. As he himself admits, he is pretentious and comes across as a real art snob.
I do agree with his thoughts on the concentration camps.

So Joel, give it a go. Your photos are certainly good enough for this purpose. I suspect the acid test will be whether you can develop a unique and interesting style for Youtube.
 
After a while those processes which one can agonise over can become second nature; then perhaps it is possible to successfully talk through them to your viewers. From what I've seen of Landscape youtubers the finished product (video) often has a few "here's one I shot earlier/later" to complete them.

I often verbalise my processes in my head while out in the landscape, but minute differences in composition (for example) wouldn't be that interesting to the viewer, particularly as they are often adjusted again in PP.

What about the time - maybe half an hour - taken to settle into the scene? That wouldn't make very good viewing! And I'd hate to think all the "oh f***'s as the tripod slipped or I realised I had the wrong settings, etc, etc....... would EVER be captured for the whole world to hear. :LOL:

Interesting question though.......:)
 
I would say no, you wont be able to your best work while trying to create content at the same time. I disagree with some of the examples here as they are very controlled environments whereas a landscape depending where you are, the light and weather can change in minutes.

You can absolutely take a step back and create content in between shots but if you try and create a great shot you will probably get good to average video content and vice versa

Actually - my no is aimed at you cant take your best ever photo and create the content for it at the same time but you could be a successful YouTuber and great landscape photographer
 
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Isn't all this talk of F1 drivers and surgeons a bit pretentious though? No one ever died or lost a limb because a landscape photographer used the wrong F stop.

The biggest single factor affecting photography is light and in landscape photography light is something over which the photographer has little control, so it becomes about being in the right place at the right time.
 
Nigel Danson seems to make an half decent job of it on YouTube, I find he’s worth a watch YMMV
 
seadog99 said:
Nigel Danson seems to make an half decent job of it on YouTube, I find he’s worth a watch YMMV
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He's ok - but there's lots of padding etc. I get why folk like them, but a 20min video to see three stills, a Volvo 4x4 and some washed out British scenery. I feel a short paragraph and image would do more for me.
 
As someone who has transitioned to doing somewhat regular YouTube content after years doing stills only, my answer to your OP is that doing YouTube (for me) significantly affects your ability to produce your best work. There’s no getting around the fact that it takes up a significant amount of time and concentration which could be better spent solely on the photography. It’s why if the conditions are exceptional I tend to bin the video and concentrate fully on the photography, then retrospectively fit some video in around it if I can, as I’ll always be a photographer first, not a video creator. It is however in the current era, for professional photographers becoming more important to at least have a presence on there as it’s such a huge potential audience - I think many of us years ago hoped YouTube would be a bit of a fad for landscape photography but in the end (for better or worse) it’s turned out to be hugely influential. It’s probably too much of a generalisation to say you can be both a great YouTuber and great photographer, but I’d say it’s much harder to combine both.

As something of an outsider coming to YouTube I’ve never thought the standard of landscape photography on YouTube is particularly high though, with one or two exceptions - but then it’s a very small pond in comparison with the wider community of landscape photographers. Many of those guys with big accounts on there are career YouTubers who learnt their photography whilst producing videos at the same time (which would hugely impact your speed of progression), and never really had to swim in the same pond where their work was held to wider scrutiny, they largely confined themselves to that platform only. The viewership on YouTube is a more casual audience, vast majority are likely beginners or novices, so the quality of the work produced is looked at a little differently because many watching don’t have anything to compare it with. I find virtually all the people who watch my videos don’t follow or interact with me on other social media platforms, they tend to stick to watching YouTube only, so it’s something of a bubble.
 
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I think an assumption is being made that recording a video impacts the photo taking in some way. Impossible to say one way or the other imho. The OP may find it difficult to 'focus' on their photo taking whilst videoing, but it doesn't mean they all do. And I wouldn't assume any of them were not giving 100% to the image capturing because of the videoing. For the landscape photographers in particular, you take the picture when the light is best, and video around that. That should be the priority anyway.

And as with all things like this, the more one does it, the more efficient you get at it, and at a certain point the whole process becomes more natural and easier. If you can produce good images and video, you have a chance of a successful YT channel, if you can't, then stick to one or the other.

I know of some video game streamers who can be racing online to a quite high level, whilst streaming and reading and replying to messages during races. I think it speeds up their thought processes, and a couple are venturing into racing in real cars, and I think that being able to multitask has benefitted them. Maybe they could be faster by totally focussing on the race, but that is what they have chosen to do, and they are still successful. With regards to YT (videoing) and photography, I would think doing both would speed up the processes of each over time.

Just the opinion of an observer, rather than someone who has tried to take photo's and video at the same time. ;)
 
I'm not sure putting 110% into your composition is necessarily productive, to be honest. Surely it's better to be a bit more fluid, because it seems to me that photography can be more reactive. Especially if it doesn't quite go to plan and what's behind you might be more interesting. I know that's not quite what you asked. But in answer to your question, yes. Quite a few vloggers manage to do okay.
 
smr said:
Can't you put everything into something and find it pleasurable ?
What if I were to say that pleasure was derived from the satisfaction of knowing that you indeed did put everything you possessed into it ? The culmination of years of experience and practice.
Isn't it a bit strange to rock up and think, I'll just put 60-80 percent effort into this composition today.
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I guess we're all different. I don't think about whether I put 100% off effort into a shot. I think about the whole shoot, from the point I arrived to the time I packed up; was it enjoyable? Even if I didn't get many good shots, did I have a pleasurable time doing it?
If you look at your shoot that way, then you may enjoy 100% of the experience even if your attention is divided between shooting stills and shooting video of yourself.

Also if we're talking about divided attention, who's to say that you might be highly distracted while on a shoot because of a situation at home or work thus meaning you're only able to put 60% of your attention on the shoot?

smr said:
I always have an idea of a composition in my head when arriving at or, before arriving at a location - it's 90 percent there, but there are, in my opinion, quite large differences in getting the most out of a composition, this is obviously more to do with a location you might not have been to before. Finessing that composition and tweaking it with all of your focus on said matter is really the crux of it and even the subtlest differences can make a big difference.

If he's talking to a camera at the same time he isn't able to 100 percent focus on delivering his utmost potential because he's sacrificing that time spent and concentration on delivering his maximum potential.
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I like to get out shooting at least once a week, however I mostly don't go out with a shot/composition already in my head. I will usually have a location in mind and head there to see what I can find.
Also like many hobbyists, I don't always get to pick when I get to shoot. IE I have to shoot when I have free time, whether it's a rainy morning or middle of the day.
I'm not an F1 driver. My life and livelihood doesn't depend on me applying 100% concentration the entire time that I'm shooting.

I do sometimes talk to myself while shooting to verbalise the thought/creative process, trying to work out what might work.
I have tried documenting a couple of landscape shoots; I carried two cameras, tripods, etc. Shot the b-roll, talked to camera about my composition and about how I wanted it to look.
In the end I decided I didn't like myself on camera and binned the idea.
So I understand the OP's point of view, shooting video is distracting and means you have more to think about.

You do have to think about the process that goes into making a landscape photography youtube video.
You will film far more video than actually makes it into the published item, so what you don't often see is that they spent half an hour walking around a scene looking for the exact spot, or they waited 20 mins for the light to change.
So that 2hr shoot in the Peak District gets condensed down to 15mins and lots of the less-visually-interesting footage gets cut.
It's true that landscape photography can require you to be very reactive when light and conditions change. I have seen youtubers who when faced with rapidly changing conditions will put the video camera down and find their shot and take it, then set up the camera after and record their piece about how and why they shot it.

I don't think there's a simple answer to the original question. The OP has their own set of standards, as do we all.
Personally I think it's possible to be a great photographer who happens to be on youtube. That's not to say that they all are, but who's to say what makes a "great" photographer. It's art afterall and that is subjective.
There are enough photographers out there for us all to like the work of someone different. If you don't like someone's work, then you don't like it; it doesn't matter whether they were shooting video at the time that they shot the image or not.
I do have Thomas Heaton's book and I find it's a different way to view his work; ie in a more traditional printed form. It also has the option to scan a QR code and watch the video of that image being captured. It perhaps gives a better way to appreciate the image and work.
 
My 5yr old boy is autistic, non verbal and can't be toilet trained.

Whilst I know that has nothing to do with the conversation, what I have learned and appreciated over the last few years is that peoples brains work differently. Accepting that can be challenging at times but basically, recognising everyone is different is a great lesson to learn.

Whilst the answer to your question is a no for you, for others it's 'maybe', for some 'probably' and for a few 'easily'.

Different thought processes can lead to different outcomes, for example, in my opinion, I think that using a ball head on your tripod for landscape photography is a crazy idea especially if you want to really fine tune a composition to the mm. Using a geared head in this situation saves me a great deal of time and swearing, but a game changer for me might not be a game changer for others.

It's all in the mind, some can, some can't. There's nothing wrong with that, it's what makes us all different.

My favourite quote that I've heard around photography conversations is 'If you think you can't do it, you're probably right, if you think you can do it, you're probably right.'
 
sirch said:
Isn't all this talk of F1 drivers and surgeons a bit pretentious though? No one ever died or lost a limb because a landscape photographer used the wrong F stop.

The biggest single factor affecting photography is light and in landscape photography light is something over which the photographer has little control, so it becomes about being in the right place at the right time.
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Don't think so - its merely that someone who is at the top of their game at their main job, they are able to accomodate the additional requirements of a secondary task easily without crashing / killing somebody / burning food.
 
smr said:
Can't you put everything into something and find it pleasurable ?

What if I were to say that pleasure was derived from the satisfaction of knowing that you indeed did put everything you possessed into it ? The culmination of years of experience and practice.

Isn't it a bit strange to rock up and think, I'll just put 60-80 percent effort into this composition today.
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Enough effort, concentration, etc. There is no advantage to more than enough, the resulting picture will not be better for more than enough and might well be worse.
 
Plain Nev said:
I'm not sure putting 110% into your composition is necessarily productive, to be honest. Surely it's better to be a bit more fluid, because it seems to me that photography can be more reactive. Especially if it doesn't quite go to plan and what's behind you might be more interesting. I know that's not quite what you asked. But in answer to your question, yes. Quite a few vloggers manage to do okay.
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Serendipity can be a powerful tool.
 
I dont see why it's not possible. After all many of us go out with fellow photographers, mates or family, thats a distraction of sorts, your oppo asking what white balance your using ect.
Yes lighting can vary and be fleeting, and perfection is a wonderful thing, but how far do you take it, the perfect light my be tomorrow, or next thurday, do I have to live there to catch that 3 second window?
Not for me, I may be talking, answering a call of nature, munching a sarnie and miss it, but I'll enjoy the day more than sitting there like a sniper poised waiting for a break in the clouds.... beside I live in Wales, last time we had a break in the clouds the romans were here. ;)
 
Look at Gavin Hardcastle, for instance. His videos are full of nonsense, but there's no denying that he is a very good photographer and knows his stuff. When he drops the comedy and you hear him talk about his pictures you realise how good he is.
 
Plain Nev said:
Look at Gavin Hardcastle, for instance. His videos are full of nonsense, but there's no denying that he is a very good photographer and knows his stuff. When he drops the comedy and you hear him talk about his pictures you realise how good he is.
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I had the pleasure of running into him at Kilchurn castle. Nice fella.
 
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