Thomas Heaton

Funnily enough, I've just been watching some of this youtube videos, on the road, easy to watch and inspirational too.

Sean.
 
Nice one up on PetaPixel now, TH getting frustrated about idiots jumping the ropes and bombing everyones shots, how he dealt with it, and of course how he got his molten lava shots...
 
FiestaRed said:
I think I've found the perfect formula for a great Vlog. Get up early in the morning, DON'T SHAVE, put the selfie camera in the back of the car then lift the boot lid, chuck all the gear in the boot, call in at McDonalds for a coffee, drive to the venue and then have a good walk around pointing the selfie stick in the air.
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You forgot about after getting up filming the kettle boil and pouring the hot water and showing the whole making a cup of tea scene too lol.
 
As someone who has been doing this as a job since late 2010 it's interesting to see how much social media is now getting a strangle hold on us as photographers.

It seems to have to be part and parcel of the process of being a photographer no matter if you are pro or amateur.

I find it quite frustrating at times as although I do social media in the form of Facebook and Instagram trying to fit it in around the day job isn't always easy. I also find it frustrating that if you don't have some kind of presence you are all but forgotten which is very sad indeed.
 
Julian Elliott said:
As someone who has been doing this as a job since late 2010 it's interesting to see how much social media is now getting a strangle hold on us as photographers.

It seems to have to be part and parcel of the process of being a photographer no matter if you are pro or amateur.

I find it quite frustrating at times as although I do social media in the form of Facebook and Instagram trying to fit it in around the day job isn't always easy. I also find it frustrating that if you don't have some kind of presence you are all but forgotten which is very sad indeed.
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It's the only way many photographers can make any money. Teach other people to be good photographers with no earning potential who will go on to teach others to be good photographers with no.......... you get my point.

Saying that, I do enjoy Toms videos, he doesn't try and push his ideals and I find his trips out inspiring.

There are far to many useless, 5 reasons to do this, 10 steps to do that, 15 mistakes every photographer makes. It's all regurgitated crap.
 
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I'm not a big fans of drones on the whole but the way this one has been used makes the filming kind of magical. Very nice. Thanks for sharing Drizz.
 
minnnt said:
I have started to follow an Irish guy called Steven Hanna. Only watched a few but I've enjoyed them so far. Will take a look at Simons work also.
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Watching Steve Hanna and Nigel Cooke videos makes me want to go the Northern Ireland
 
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ecoleman said:
There are far to many useless, 5 reasons to do this, 10 steps to do that, 15 mistakes every photographer makes. It's all regurgitated crap.
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Mr Heaton is guilty of some this type of things as well I am afraid. I do like his videos in general though.
 
Julian Elliott said:
Oh that I absolutely agree on. I don't know how many times I see that one! Thing is, there are so many ways to do things that not one way is the best way.

All of this is about marketing!
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Marketing seems to be the only way to shift a product that needs people to see it before they know they want to buy. Of course the product may not be the pictures, even if the marketeer is a photographer. I saw a couple of the TH vids, and it seemed as much about lifestyle as photography, but OTOH personal stuff is much more interesting than just information, technical polish and a sales pitch.
 
ecoleman said:
There are far to many useless, 5 reasons to do this, 10 steps to do that, 15 mistakes every photographer makes. It's all regurgitated crap.
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I am glad it is not just me who has found that there are far too many of these types of videos on You Tube. I enjoying making vlogs when out with my camera on You Tube but only make them for fun and to help advertise my website and social media etc. I stay away from "Tops Tips" and "How To Do This...". I'd always enjoy the videos more when just out showing us where they are, what they are photographing etc. Another one that seems to be popular is "What's In My Camera Bag".
 
Julian Elliott said:
I understand the need for marketing to essentially sell yourself. But it's getting very crowded of late.

The Facebook's and Instagram's are very hard to crack. I do both and out of the two probably FB works better. Instagram is a weird beast.
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I seem to be doing better on Instagram at the moment over Facebook. Now not sure if it is because the way Facebook restricts people seeing new posts and not all followers see new status messages etc.

Sometimes I have noticed it's more who you know as well. I have seen so many Facebook pages with hundreds of followers but the photography has been poor. That's when I think what the hell is going on etc. The world of social media is crazy at times.
 
martinfuge said:
I seem to be doing better on Instagram at the moment over Facebook. Now not sure if it is because the way Facebook restricts people seeing new posts and not all followers see new status messages etc.

Sometimes I have noticed it's more who you know as well. I have seen so many Facebook pages with hundreds of followers but the photography has been poor. That's when I think what the hell is going on etc. The world of social media is crazy at times.
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Problem is people 'like' because they want a 'like' in return. 90% if not more of likes ate just b*****ks. People haven't actually spent any time looking at pictures you post they just 'like' in some vain hope you'll return the favour. At least here on TP folks will genuinely look at your work and appreciate it when it deserves it. Ahh the beauty of old school forums.
 
Just been watching his Glencoe in Winter.

I would say within the first few minutes he has said something you should not do. To get up at 130AM then drive for a good 4 hours to then climb up a mountain in Winter is downright stupid! Now, I've driven four hours before to get somewhere but to then go up a mountain in Winter once you arrive is daft.

In January I stayed in a hotel near to Crainlarich and one of the owners had been in the mountain rescue. If you were to listen to some of the daft things people have got up to and then he's had to go and rescue them with the team it would make you stop and think.

It says a lot when 5 minutes in during the middle of the day that he needs sleep.

Having been to Glencoe and Scotland during Winter time accommodation is not difficult to find and is cheap. I was paying at most £35 - £40 a night for somewhere that would have been just 45 minutes drive away.
 
Julian Elliott said:
Just been watching his Glencoe in Winter.

I would say within the first few minutes he has said something you should not do. To get up at 130AM then drive for a good 4 hours to then climb up a mountain in Winter is downright stupid! Now, I've driven four hours before to get somewhere but to then go up a mountain in Winter once you arrive is daft.

In January I stayed in a hotel near to Crainlarich and one of the owners had been in the mountain rescue. If you were to listen to some of the daft things people have got up to and then he's had to go and rescue them with the team it would make you stop and think.

It says a lot when 5 minutes in during the middle of the day that he needs sleep.

Having been to Glencoe and Scotland during Winter time accommodation is not difficult to find and is cheap. I was paying at most £35 - £40 a night for somewhere that would have been just 45 minutes drive away.
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Actual lols. Why is it 'downright stupid'?

I've driven through the night, climbed a snowy mountain (literally...!) then drove another hour, shot a rally stage in a snowy blizzard then drove all the way home. I was even up for work the following day at 6am.

And I'm still alive :eek:
 
I'm sorry but I feel that nowadays people are just trying to do things just to get noticed. Just to get Likes and whatever else. To prove they are "pro" and up there with the seasoned pros.

As I said, I've done the four hour drive many a time; shot stuff and the moved on. However, you need to have your own personal safety in check plus those of you who might be then putting their lives at risk to come and get you.

Keeping going for that long is taxing on your body and you can hear when he says "I need sleep" just how tired he is. That says a lot.

If you think that is hilarious; funny and clever then so be it. In my book that is not a good standard to be setting to people. And maybe you should go and listen to people who risk their lives for others and your mind would be changed.
 
Hahaha. Brilliant.

I best not tell you I was wearing Matalans finest joggers whilst doing so then either.

Oh wait...

He must have done something right as he's making a few quid from it now instead of ranting and moaning on here. He's even making enough money to pay for a hotel room so he can drive there the evening before. I do believe that if you bothered to watch some more of his vids you would see that he actually agrees with you regarding already being on site.

Not everyone can afford to pay for accommodation when doing something for a hobby.
 
minnnt said:
Not everyone can afford to pay for accommodation when doing something for a hobby.
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Judging by the product placements by the likes of Manfrotto; Canon; VW etc he is not doing it for a hobby. Reading his website he is a "pro" too so should be in a position to fork out for a night in Glencoe.

At times I think people need to stop and think just that little bit but I guess we are now in that age whereby everyone wants their 5 minutes or so.

The less said about Matalan joggers the better. As I said, I think you should talk to some people from Mountain Rescue and what they have to deal with. You may find it hilarious but what has been described by me is horrific.
 
AFAIK the spot where he took the pic from isn't particularly tough to get to, he was hardly scaling Everest. If it's the video that I think you're referring to then I think that was a while back. His 'fame' has come recently as a result of his popularity. Companies would be mad not to throw gear at him to advertise their stuff for them as he has quite a following now.

Just think, perhaps it all came from this 4 hour drive through the night to shoot Glencoe in some lovely conditions and then drive home again.

Some would say that it's worth it. All depends how hungry you are I guess... I know someone who has had to work 10 times harder than he has to make it.

It's just life.
 
That's fair enough but this sounds like a case of each to their own way of working.

Would i drive four hours? Yes! I did just that in January to get from Crainlarich to Glen Affric. It shouldn't normally take that long but with heavy snowfall overnight extra time needed to be factored in.

Did I have an easy journey? Nope. About 15 minutes after I left the hotel I hit black ice and nearly ended up as part of the railway bridge at Crainlarich twice as I managed to get control only for it to hit ice again. Thankfully at 4AM no one else was on the road. Then about 45 minutes from Glen Affric I hit black ice again but this time a car as coming the other way. Thankfully I got control of the car.

Sometimes pushing yourself to get a photo isn't always worth it despite what maybe on the other end of it.
 
Tell me about it! The railway bridge at Crainlarich was brown pants time especially as I had a hire car! The car lurched to the right and I just got it then it went over to the left. Talk about nail biting.

Afterwards as I was going up the road to Rannoch Moor there was a tipper truck off the side of the road. I stopped and asked if he needed help but he said go on. At this point I seriously considered stopping.

Next was going down after the King's Hotel. There was a Polish family stuck on the road. There car was totalled and they were outside in the freezing cold. They asked me to phone for an ambulance which I did. Behind me was a trucker who stayed with them while I went down to Glencoe village to make sure the ambulance was going up. It did!

Not a morning I really want to repeat.

And seriously David, don't go up mountains in jogging pants. The guy who was in the MR told me some horrific things that had happened because people were just not prepared. I've got two kids and I love coming back home and seeing their faces light up when I walk in the door. It is a feeling that beats any photo!!!
 
Julian Elliott said:
And seriously David, don't go up mountains in jogging pants. The guy who was in the MR told me some horrific things that had happened because people were just not prepared. I've got two kids and I love coming back home and seeing their faces light up when I walk in the door. It is a feeling that beats any photo!!!
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I also have two kids but it was a banging photo... :D
 
Julian Elliott said:
I'm sorry but I feel that nowadays people are just trying to do things just to get noticed. Just to get Likes and whatever else. To prove they are "pro" and up there with the seasoned pros.

As I said, I've done the four hour drive many a time; shot stuff and the moved on. However, you need to have your own personal safety in check plus those of you who might be then putting their lives at risk to come and get you.

Keeping going for that long is taxing on your body and you can hear when he says "I need sleep" just how tired he is. That says a lot.

If you think that is hilarious; funny and clever then so be it. In my book that is not a good standard to be setting to people. And maybe you should go and listen to people who risk their lives for others and your mind would be changed.
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Can't agree more on this note. I've seen enough in my time to know that fatigue, mountains and winter all in the same breath are a recipe for disaster. Not only do you put yourself at risk, but those who might be climbing below or with you, those that you are sharing a road with and those that have to rescue your sorry ass when it all goes wrong. Most accidents don't happen to folks in trainers and Matalan joggers funnily enough, it tends to be those who are well prepared and know what they are doing, only for a bad stroke of luck, a misplaced step, a loose crampon, a rogue gust of wind, whatever. You needn't be on the sharpest ridge, or the highest peak, or the steepest scramble, it can happen anywhere. I was descending Tryfan once, on a dry day in summer, when MRT passed us. Turns out a man who was behind us and was out walking with his wife, tripped and stumbled a few feet, landing head first on a rock. Dead. Another time I was with a group descending Swirral Edge in winter. A chap in the group in front caught his crampon on a rock, overbalanced and fell 100ft, right in front of us. He lived, but broke his arm. Only a few weeks ago I was wandering around a slate quarry in Snowdonia. I've spent days and days in there and not slipped once. I stood on a small piece of slate, my foot slipped, I fell back, lost my balance and fell onto a boulder, my shoulder taking the impact. No injury but the speed at which one simple step turned into me falling head first towards a rock was actually what shook me up. There is virtually nothing you can do to stop yourself. So, if you want to advocate getting up at 1.30am, driving 4 hours in winter to climb a mountain, and think for one second it is safe to do so, then think again, it is not. It's not clever, it's not funny and it certainly shouldn't be celebrated.
 
Sounds like bad luck follows you around pal.

Let this be a lesson to anyone reading this thread...

Never go mountaineering with you (or even on the same mountain for that matter!) and always wear Matalan joggers as the bad stuff always happens to them who are well prepared.

All taken on board... Thanks.

P.S. I didn't have trainers on, my feet were well prepared (even had spare socks in the car!) but luckily I survived. Phew.
 
gregww1 said:
So, if you want to advocate getting up at 1.30am, driving 4 hours in winter to climb a mountain, and think for one second it is safe to do so, then think again, it is not.
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I beg to differ. It has been done by numerous people, perfectly safely, in a whole range of conditions. Everybody has different limits, and knowing, and being aware of these is THE most important thing. Some people wouldn't be safe on a mountain after a straight eight, with a hearty breakfast and a couple of coffees. Everybody is able to operate at different levels, and being aware of these levels is far more important than a sweeping statement that something is right or wrong. What's right for me, may not be right for you, but if you know your limits, and I know mine, as we both operate inside these parameters, then you are giving yourself the best chance. Accidents can, will and do happen. But accidents will also happen on pavements, in parks, and on bouncy castles.
I think it is unfair to generalise in the manner that you did. I too, know a lot of people who have worked in mountain safety, and the one thing that I have taken away from speaking with them, is that it is when people are operating on a level that they are not comfortable with, that accidents have a tendency to increase in frequency, certainly NOT that one rule is applicable to the whole population of the world.
 
Adding fuel to the fire.

As I said in an earlier post, you have only got to hear Mr Heaton when he signs off at around 5 minutes. He is shattered! That is not good and why on earth he did such a thing is still beyond me.

I guess that Greg and I are in the minority but I'd prefer to be in the minority that still has their bodies intact.

It be interesting to know how much sleep he had the day before he left. And to reiterate again. It's not difficult to get accommodation up there in January/ february and surely getting a decent night's sleep is better than getting up at 130AM to drive for four hours or so.
 
minnnt said:
Sounds like bad luck follows you around pal.

Let this be a lesson to anyone reading this thread...

Never go mountaineering with you (or even on the same mountain for that matter!) and always wear Matalan joggers as the bad stuff always happens to them who are well prepared.

All taken on board... Thanks.

P.S. I didn't have trainers on, my feet were well prepared (even had spare socks in the car!) but luckily I survived. Phew.
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Ha, no just many many years of doing it, often. coming to the aid of folks in matalan joggers...ruins my day (y);)
 
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