I can't believe this video I made while there was a gas leak in my airbnb has done so well! If you enjoyed it, maybe sign up to my email list to be the first to hear about my European photobook www.maxkent.co.uk/ (It'll pop up after a few seconds). Nice one
@@Rena152 Just in case you are confused. I wrote two sentences. One an opinion and one a statement. And as you said. You’re cool, but nobody asked you to comment.
Even out of focus and clumsy photos can be great! try this: go out with your camera and decide to only shoot out of focus photos on that day and try to find ways that it looks good to you. What camera(s) do you use?
If nice photos make you happy, go nice. I don’t care if im nice or something else and dont care after 19 years. It's probably a random mess of daily enjoyment and absolute boringness for most others. This is what it was for most before social media ruined that fun for this new generation. Embrace the nice if you're having fun!
@swiggityswoogity961 nothing in his video suggests he is talking exclusively about professionals only. He actually says in the video for professional and nonprofessional work.
AND lit from above with a pretty unpleasant industrial looking light, arms filled with tacky sticker-tattoos. Everyone; You do you, but personally, it makes it hard for me to take advice around aesthetics from someone, when this is the presentation they go with.
@@thomasoring Sure, criticize the technical aspects like focus and lighting, but not taking a person serious for the stylistic choice of tattoos one has is just you making yourself look ridiculous
Your video popped up in my recommendations today and that's crazy because that's exactly what I was thinking about yesterday. I went on a nostalgic trip looking at some old photos and I realised that they had so much soul, much more than my photography nowadays. I actually took a break from photography because I felt like I was only creating cold and soulless images. Going back to images I captured years ago (way before I learned all there is to learn about the technical parts of photography) showed me what I've been looking for and lost over the years. Your words hit home and resonated a lot with what I'm feeling right now so thank you!
Finding your own style is so valuable. There are certain photographers that just have their own style and you can spot it quickly. Such good advice here.
@4th_Lensman_of_the_apocalypse We're just talking about hobbies man. Nobody has any obligation to be good at them, they're things people do in their free time.
Yeah, I've heard about just few of the rules, and sometimes I don't care to take a picture of something, and use it as a tool to give lil factors, but usually when I would like to take a picture even in my way it's surprising how very simple pictures beat my "better" shots. I'm not photographer, I just got few picks on Google, and one of them works as an ad for one place. They got basic coffee on top of a town's tallest building, and it is quite popular as people who live there use it regularly in summertime.
I think this applies to anything involving creativity. Whenever we create or teach or converse about something, we're generally not just trying to capture and describe reality, but rather to convey how our human sensory and emotional perceptions filter that reality. Subjectivity is just more interesting than objectivity
One thing that helped me personally is to just take a picture that I "think looks good" and then in post look at what made me feel this was and simply double down on that to hone in more of a style. This is in opposition to finding "what looks good" with the help of a set of rules that is. Not sure if this is helpful to anyone, but hey.
I found that trying too hard is how you ruin a photo. You can feel the mechanical stiffness of the photographer in a perfectly composed photo, the soul is lost, Muscles are always moving or resting, never stiff and still, and that tension really shows when you ask someone to pose. My best photos were always quick little shots in the middle of something. Yea focus is often bad, and the subject is pulling a funny face, but the authenticity is there.
Sometimes you just find the videos you need and the thoughts you need to express so that you can grow as a creative. This video came at just the right time
@@maxkent I’ve made videos before and done lots of creative work that’s technically well made but I always felt that I needed to be more bold to take a true step forward. Your video helped me see that more clearly and listen to my own feelings. It’s like getting advice you can’t take from yourself, even when you know it’s true. So thanks.
you got some points i can agree on about having personal style etc. but there is nothing wrong with taking nice photos. don't fall into a trap that every single picture you take need to tell a story or be a part of larger serie or need to mean 'something' or be 'important'. that can kill the pleasure in photographing. after maybe 5-7y of shooting i had this mindset of not shooting 'nice' photos and it just stressed me out and i almost finished doing it. after 15y i appreciate shooting 'nice' photos because it is just fun. i take my point&shoot or a small dslr and a few rolls of film when i travel and i love the pictures :)
brilliant man. it has taken several years for me to finally get this and not always adhere to the norms but then its also good to know the rules and where to break them.
I like this advice. I feel the similar way in the context of drawing and design. People can make realistic works, or conventionally good designs and logos. But giving it some personal touch is something I usually fail because I was afraid that "personal" or "stylized" works cannot be seen as "good". I was seen that my style was eccentric, unconventional. And I needed to follow certain rules But you're right, there are people who wants to have your work the way you do it, and that's why they asked YOU out of all people Great video. Something I needed to hear right now
my first few years of photography have echoed what you mentioned. this video was a great emphasis on what is important to me in photography, great watch, thank you!
I’m brand new to photography, just out of highschool and took my sister’s camera with me to college. It’s quickly becoming a passion of mine, and while I don’t have it all figured out, I really do enjoy what I’ve made so far! My favorite photo is a picture of a classic soccer ball ( ⚽️ ) in a field in my hometown. There’s nothing particularly special about the photo, it doesn’t follow any rules that I haven’t even learned yet, it’s just my camera’s auto focus, auto exposure, and nature. It just calls to me, and I think to some extent I was beginning to get obsessed with getting photography “right” that I almost let go of the thing that makes my photos great.
The algorithm is scaring me at times. Just getting into photography. I have a lot of “nice” photos, but only very few are “great” to me. Thanks for showing me and others what really matters. Cheers
I’ve been shooting photos professionally for more than 40 years and I still feel my “style” is continuing to evolve as a photographer. At times I wonder if I have an identifiable style even though I do have a style… As we grow our way of making images changes and our “style” changes in the process. Good video for making us all look at ourselves.
This is very neat, I have recently remembered that I take photos because I enjoy it, not to please others or get higher numbers on social media. And this video reminding me that I should have my style and stick to that came just in time! And I can confirm, people who come to me to take photos do it because they like the way I take photos. :)
I love creativity because even though I don't know the first thing about photography, everything you're saying resonates with me greatly as a musician. The experience of making art is universal regardless of the medium and I think that's awesome. Great video!
I generally have come to know that in creative fields for some people the less you know the better you’re off. People get stuck on all these rules and never seem to just enjoy the experience.
And your whole argument in general is also good. Sticking to the car idea, there are “hyper realistic” racing games that feel “slow” because absolutely everything has crystal clear gameplay, even though that’s not how real life works. It feels motionless, so it doesn’t seem “fast” or even fun. Gran Turismo is guilty of this in many games, as an example. In contrast, the “stylistic” games are more fun, even if they’re not even 5% realistic. They feel unique and fast. The PS2 Burnout games (Burnout 3, Burnout Dominator, and Burnout Takedown) for example, so much fun! No regard for physics, no regard for realism. Just pure carnage and destruction on the road, blinding speed, taking down opponents.
You're right, and it's ok to experiment. What helps me is spontaneity. That's related to my personal project/concept but when you got less time to think it sometimes lead to surprising results. Just have to get better at it now.
I'm not a professional. Not making any money.But even though I do shoot a lot, I've never actively searched for any photography tips beyond techincalities. I think I'm going the right path with this.
also don't try to chase an identity, just doing what you're deeply passionate about is what your identity actually is (not what's supposed to be "nice"). And when you think you have developed a style/identity don't harshly stick to it all the time, that's what gets you burned out after some time. Still always try to experiment, it's about lifelong evolving
yeah i fully agree. i have a background in film and i think this applies very well to my workflow too. the media landscape has become very oversaturated especially with colorful lighting, symmetrical composition and analog or old formats (film, vhs). we are at the point at which something that was considered beautiful 10 to 15 years ago is now used by people for their instagram reels and truthfully, it still looks nice and stylish, but it's also a sign of empty and shallow art. perhaps i watch too much experimental stuff, but i absolutely prefer when something looks more raw and unadulterated. i'll always have a deep respect for the movies of dogma 95 and those inspired by neorealism for rejecting what's considered conventionally beautiful in art.
Man, I've been shooting for like 10 years and always falling into ruts - and have a degree in photography too. I think this lesson was more valuable than anything I learned in my 3 years at Uni.
This video is incredibly reassuring. I’m still quite a novice but the way I’d been looking at it was just like any art, every photographer should have a personal style rather than adhere to a super rigid set of rules. I’ve been approaching my shots from the perspective of how can I show people the world as I see it? It’s the only art I’ve tried taking up where I feel a sense of satisfaction, as a result.
Great stuff. Short and sweet. I'm grateful to say that I don't find myself too worried about doing things a certain way when I'm out shooting. I just do my thing the best I can with whatever conditions I'm in. It's very low-pressure while still striving for great quality.
Part of the process in learning the technique and then you brake free. First time you follow the recipe, then you brake free and change in the way that suits you.
Great discussion Max, spot on. It’s easier said than done I think, especially while traveling, to avoid those touristy shots. Enjoyed the one-on-one format too. 👏
true af. i used to think about taking *only* nice photos basically for external validation, but now i just shoot anything that's interesting and made me want to lift my camera up no matter how "not nice" it looked.
You’re just gatekeeping who is and is not an artist. More people are inspired by “nice” photos than your edgelord crud. Yes they understand it, they just prefer a nice landscape. It’s more inspiring to them.
@@PippetWhippet No one is gatekeeping anything, literally everything is available to view online. It's a matter of liking and sharing work, which I actively do by actually sharing photos I like regularly. I don't hide or gatekeep artists, that's up to others to pay attention and form their own opinions over what they like and don't like, what inspires them. That's an individual pursuit. *edit: everyone can take a photo, it doesn't mean that they regard themselves to be a photographer and/or artist
Good points. Being too perfect leaves us distracted. The pictorialists were onto something. But if when people start looking for shadows instead of light and feeling instead of perfection. Everything changes.
Very true. I realized this in filmmaking about 5 years ago. Once I took ownership and did things in my own style, my career took off. Now I run the video department and do almost everything "wrong" but have never had so much fun or been more successful. For example, I don't use a gimbal. I shoot either handheld or on a tripod. I don't use rule of third. I lean heavily on macro shots. I mix up music genres that don't normally fit well together. I color grade in a unique way that no pro would do for a Netlix show. I operate only on instinct. I never use shotlists. etc etc. The point is, at a certain time in your life, you gotta just be you and the world has to either be okay with it or not. I'd say as a male it equates to becoming a grown man.
4:08 shared experience. I feel when i first started I had such high ambitions that the rules didn't matter really - everything I was doing was just me. Once I learned the 'rules' everything felt like it was just a template.
Love the message in this video, quite inspiring as someone trying to get a ” breakthrough” with my images. Direct format and subtle background music are spot-on as well. Thank you for creating this and sharing your wisdom with the world!
I agree it seems that the waves of thinking "I really am getting this figured out now!" after every little breakthrough is somewhat universal for most photographers. At the end you touched on that having a clearly identifiable style is a big thing. While I agree somewhat, Ive found for myself trying too hard to have a 'distinct' style can become a little contrived. What I find more important is to just keep following whatever keeps me interested which I think will naturally lead to a style as more of an emergent property. Enjoyed your thoughts :)
I've always avoided professional wisdom of photography except for absolute fundamentals. The number One thing I tell everyone to make a good photo no matter the skill is context. Make sure you have enough material in the background to tell the viewer how big, detailed and close the subject is. A grass hill and a cloudless sky doesn't matter much, but if you have animals on the hill showing the scale and size of the hill, then you've got something to work on.
It's funny, found you through looking up this old Olympus Trip 35 that I had lying around for ages, looking to get into photography. Consistently, I find several of your videos, like this one, is just as applicable to my music (which I have been doing for the past 10+ years). This is really great, honest artistic advise.
I take photos not to show off or share with anyone, it's my own personal recollection. I will take the photos in a way that embodies how I feel in the moment.
One thing I absolutely love about photography is that there is less of a "good" or "bad", an image is good when you yourself as an artist decide so - it's good when the image makes you feel something and you connect with it and harsh guidelines don’t matter as much. Of course that is present in pretty much any art form, but especially in photography I feel like. I have been a music producer for years and in music you could say the same but I feel like there are a lot more things to mess up. Maybe I’m tripping tho lmao
seen a few on this theme lately. good one. photo is like sport in many ways. you need to know how to handle the ball, to make offensive and defensive moves, to pass, to communicate to a teammate you're open, to confuse your opponents. those are the rules. but great players dont just run the drills. they do the drills until they're reflex, then they get out there against players who also know the drills and they all try to fake each other out
Great analogy. I think in art, and especially photography, we forget the importance of practice, of drills, of honing skills. You can’t go out everyday and think you are going to make a masterpiece. You need to practice. You need to put in the hours with the camera (and without the camera) looking, seeing, visualizing. How many sketches did DaVinci make before he finally painted Mona Lisa? Athletes spend thousands of hours training, practicing, working on basic skills, obsessing over details of their performance. Then, on game day they go out there and perform and hopefully it all comes together. Sometimes it doesn’t. As a photographer, I need to accept that most days are practice days. Most photos I take on practice days will be nice but not great. But that’s okay because it’s all training (as long as I am aware and open to learning). Experiment. Fail. Learn. Then when inspiration, conditions, the location, or the client are right, then I can put all that training to use. And hopefully come away with something a few degrees above nice.
Yes I think its good advice. One thing that used to annoy me was when friends used to tell me how to take a photo of them. You have to take photos in accordance with your own vision.
Photography has been one of my hobbies since I was a kid. Only in the last few years have I had access to a genuinely good camera... For a smartphone 😅 art is all about communication... Some of my older photos taken with really bad cameras communicate more and convey deeper meaning than some of the pretty pictures I've taken lately. My 3-year-old just took some of her first photographs completely on her own with my phone. She took some pictures of me, and the ones that turned out good (5 out of like 20 haha) are the best portraits I have ever seen taken of me in my entire life???? Like my phone was able to do a lot of the heavy lifting for the focus and such, but she was able to pull expressions out of me that nobody else can. She had a unique angle that a lot of people maybe wouldn't have thought to use, because she's a tiny human. Photographs of people can convey a relationship between the person taking the photo and the subject in the photo... And you can really see that in those photos. Don't worry about capturing aesthetic images all the time. Capture feelings, capture moments, capture memories. Sometimes even an objectively bad photo is better than none at all.
I think rules are important. You need to know them by heart. When you know how to set your camera up for what you envision in your mind withouth having to think much about it, you're at a proper stage to think about "style." I wouldn't play them against each other.
It is not about “nice”. It is about formulation… Masters like Saul Leiter or Haas they all shot nice photos. They just formed their own styles which differentiate them from others.
I'm going to be honest, I have had a lot of creative hobbies, but when I try to 'get better' and learn the rules I always end up feeling less and less enjoyment in the things I do. The creative medium I enjoy the most is photography because I know next to none of the technical bits and just shoot pictures whenever I see a scene that looks pretty to me. I'll then try to edit them and make things pop, but again it's just messing around. I think that is incredibly important to have in anything that you do for the sake of doing it. Enjoy the process instead of forcing yourself to get stuck in rules. :)
Great video, love your work. Photography improves when you adopt the mindset of taking photos for yourself, not trying to take a picture you think will be viral on IG. I have been shooting since 1979 and with a SLR since 1988. I am a multi discipline photographer. I feel shooting less photos, slowing down gets you more interesting shots.
There is a very small number of people who'd have the sensitivity to be able to have a style, without basic knowledge of rules. That's precisely why 97% of photos regular folk take are just pictures of things. Hel - before digital, people couldn't even take a photo. If you look at every single artist you can classify as a "rule breaker", their early work is usually on the top of the game for master craftsmen.
What I really understood in the last few weeks about photography when I decided to come back to it - that it doesn't matter if you know how to use your camera right or you take photos according to rules - the best pictures are those that either captures "the moment" or an emotion. If you know the rules and camera's parameters, that's even better, but something that you can't stage is the best because nobody else in this world will be able to capture the same. So sometimes, those simple photos with a "soapbar" (that's how we used to call those (now) old digital cameras for family vacations or celebrations) are better than the ones captured with a professional camera by professional photographer - they have much more value.
I am because of we. TRUTH ARE HIS WORDS. I bought my first camera exactly 1 year ago. Some people go outside every now and then, I go inside every now and then. I carry a slide with me, I now frame throughout my day, asking how the image makes me feel. My camera case is strapped on my belt. Our lives are worth documenting and I do. I seldom see what others see, maybe because I have no television,email,social media accounts and time thieving acquaintances- I shoot/view dozens of images per day- LIFE HAPPENING THE WAY I FEEL IT. Photographers,instructors, artist and I myself believe and express the images are remarkable. Be true to you. Shoot for you,share with us. Heal,be well,create,be you and LOVE US
Learn the rules then break them isn't just a photography mantra - it works for all art, from the art of skateboarding to the art of cooking and everything in between
I think a better way of putting it is: photography, is like a language, and "rules" are tools that we use to communicate photos. Every photo opportunity is a puzzle, and a learning opportunity. We have many different ways to solve that puzzle, and the results are both subjective and real.
Great vid and great photos. A bit of constructive feedback: It felt like you reiterated the same point several times through the video in much the same way each time. I’d have been interested to hear more about that experience with the cover photo for example, and you could have used more of a storytelling approach to getting your point across. I’ve subscribed and looking forward to your future vids, keep it up 👍
my 4 star shot library is literally named "interesting" for this reason. this video has been very reaffirming because i've gone through basically the same hurdles, especially after art school and all of the rules that come with it
Rules are important to to learn because they often are made for a reason. Learn the rule as well as the reason why it exists. Rules were made to be broken but not just for the sake of breaking them. Rules should be broken when you find a way to address the reason why the rule exists in a way that works better for you than the rule!
0:00 Hey! You guys started it! Perhaps much farther than any of us casuals or amateurs have! Perhaps too many good ones sell! And yet, yet still, you ever see any pro or devoted/dedicated shutterbug impress bystanders with an album of "bad" photos? In my book, any photo could be considered bad just by acknowledging one to anyone else so that it can be interpreted as "art."
I had a pretty long waiting time for my first lens (several weeks) and I was waiting for it really hyped, so I watched A TON of youtube videos. I made notes etc. And I never really have been clinging to the rules as "musts". But I would say they are like tools in my toolbelt. If I see something interesting to photograph, I usually go with intuition. But if I don't get the shot I like, I can apply some of the rules (or rather, tips), and see if I can use those to make the photo better. I iterate with those and just experimentation until I get something I like. I still do have some that I apply quite consistently. But I think the worst guideline ever, and perhaps the most widespread one, is the rule of thirds. I'd say it's almost a garbage rule, and so overused. At least for me, just intuitively seeking visual balance is a much more helpful way to go.
Im just using my phone camera for pictures but i love the things i shoot. Because i try to capture the things that look pretty when I walk by them, or I try different perspectives on small things like snails and flowers. When it comes to ratio etc im just thinking „would I put this as a desktop background?“. I’m totally not aducated on photography at all or have nice equipment but people seem to like my pictures anyways 😂
I can't believe this video I made while there was a gas leak in my airbnb has done so well! If you enjoyed it, maybe sign up to my email list to be the first to hear about my European photobook www.maxkent.co.uk/ (It'll pop up after a few seconds). Nice one
Movie leaks: this character dies
Gas leaks: 💥💥💥
maybe make one with "stop making 'nice' videos" seeing the success of this one
I love how his tattoos just blend with the shirt he's wearing.
i was just thinking the same thing man
I hate tattoes. They will look like crap when they are a few years old.
No you
@@Traitorman..Proverbs26.11that's cool bro but nobody asked
@@Rena152
Just in case you are confused.
I wrote two sentences. One an opinion and one a statement.
And as you said.
You’re cool, but nobody asked you to comment.
You assume Im capable of taking a single nice photo?
I’d rather you weren’t 💪 even better
Amen! I'm sill waiting to take my FIRST nice photo!
my parents said your photos were nice haha, dont worry
This comment though! 🤣
😂😅
haha jokes on you! my photos are either underexposed, overexposed or out of focus
Well that’s not “ nice” =success
@nonculus I do that so much, I've started to tell people it's intentional and it's my "photographic style."
Mom, is that you?
Even out of focus and clumsy photos can be great! try this: go out with your camera and decide to only shoot out of focus photos on that day and try to find ways that it looks good to you.
What camera(s) do you use?
Daido Moriyama made a whole career out of that
I've been shooting for a decade, but I feel like I'm lost identity wise. This is a great reminder, beautiful video.
We all feel that way sometimes! And sometimes you think you’ve got it and then you feel like you lose it again 🙏
yes it is
If nice photos make you happy, go nice. I don’t care if im nice or something else and dont care after 19 years. It's probably a random mess of daily enjoyment and absolute boringness for most others. This is what it was for most before social media ruined that fun for this new generation. Embrace the nice if you're having fun!
I agree with you 100%
you're right but this is advice for professional photographers not hobbyists or people just taking photos to remember their holiday
@swiggityswoogity961 nothing in his video suggests he is talking exclusively about professionals only. He actually says in the video for professional and nonprofessional work.
If bro is intentionally out of focus that’s next level
AND lit from above with a pretty unpleasant industrial looking light, arms filled with tacky sticker-tattoos. Everyone; You do you, but personally, it makes it hard for me to take advice around aesthetics from someone, when this is the presentation they go with.
@@thomasoringso what do you look like that makes you a legitimate artist, then?
@@thomasoring Sure, criticize the technical aspects like focus and lighting, but not taking a person serious for the stylistic choice of tattoos one has is just you making yourself look ridiculous
Lol I shot this in 10 minutes in an Airbnb in Bergamo that had a gas leak.
@@thomasoringyou suck
This really applies to all the arts, not just photography. Rules are good to learn, but you also need to learn when and how to break them
Exactly, you need to master the techniques before you can brake free and use those techniques for what you want to show
Your video popped up in my recommendations today and that's crazy because that's exactly what I was thinking about yesterday. I went on a nostalgic trip looking at some old photos and I realised that they had so much soul, much more than my photography nowadays. I actually took a break from photography because I felt like I was only creating cold and soulless images. Going back to images I captured years ago (way before I learned all there is to learn about the technical parts of photography) showed me what I've been looking for and lost over the years. Your words hit home and resonated a lot with what I'm feeling right now so thank you!
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Finding your own style is so valuable. There are certain photographers that just have their own style and you can spot it quickly. Such good advice here.
Just take YOUR photos YOUR way. If others don't like 'em - tough! It ain't rocket science.
@4th_Lensman_of_the_apocalypse So what?! If you enjoyed takin' 'em and like the results. - jobs a good un!
mood
@4th_Lensman_of_the_apocalypse if the person taking the pictures likes them then thats all that really matters
@4th_Lensman_of_the_apocalypse We're just talking about hobbies man. Nobody has any obligation to be good at them, they're things people do in their free time.
Yeah, I've heard about just few of the rules, and sometimes I don't care to take a picture of something, and use it as a tool to give lil factors, but usually when I would like to take a picture even in my way it's surprising how very simple pictures beat my "better" shots.
I'm not photographer, I just got few picks on Google, and one of them works as an ad for one place. They got basic coffee on top of a town's tallest building, and it is quite popular as people who live there use it regularly in summertime.
Your shirt images matching your tattoo style is underrated.
I am an english teacher. Your message is equally applicable to language study and teaching.
I think this applies to anything involving creativity. Whenever we create or teach or converse about something, we're generally not just trying to capture and describe reality, but rather to convey how our human sensory and emotional perceptions filter that reality. Subjectivity is just more interesting than objectivity
One thing that helped me personally is to just take a picture that I "think looks good" and then in post look at what made me feel this was and simply double down on that to hone in more of a style. This is in opposition to finding "what looks good" with the help of a set of rules that is.
Not sure if this is helpful to anyone, but hey.
I found that trying too hard is how you ruin a photo. You can feel the mechanical stiffness of the photographer in a perfectly composed photo, the soul is lost, Muscles are always moving or resting, never stiff and still, and that tension really shows when you ask someone to pose. My best photos were always quick little shots in the middle of something. Yea focus is often bad, and the subject is pulling a funny face, but the authenticity is there.
Sometimes you just find the videos you need and the thoughts you need to express so that you can grow as a creative. This video came at just the right time
This is good to hear dude
@@maxkent I’ve made videos before and done lots of creative work that’s technically well made but I always felt that I needed to be more bold to take a true step forward. Your video helped me see that more clearly and listen to my own feelings. It’s like getting advice you can’t take from yourself, even when you know it’s true. So thanks.
you got some points i can agree on about having personal style etc. but there is nothing wrong with taking nice photos. don't fall into a trap that every single picture you take need to tell a story or be a part of larger serie or need to mean 'something' or be 'important'. that can kill the pleasure in photographing. after maybe 5-7y of shooting i had this mindset of not shooting 'nice' photos and it just stressed me out and i almost finished doing it. after 15y i appreciate shooting 'nice' photos because it is just fun. i take my point&shoot or a small dslr and a few rolls of film when i travel and i love the pictures :)
brilliant man. it has taken several years for me to finally get this and not always adhere to the norms but then its also good to know the rules and where to break them.
I like this advice. I feel the similar way in the context of drawing and design. People can make realistic works, or conventionally good designs and logos. But giving it some personal touch is something I usually fail because I was afraid that "personal" or "stylized" works cannot be seen as "good". I was seen that my style was eccentric, unconventional. And I needed to follow certain rules
But you're right, there are people who wants to have your work the way you do it, and that's why they asked YOU out of all people
Great video. Something I needed to hear right now
my first few years of photography have echoed what you mentioned. this video was a great emphasis on what is important to me in photography, great watch, thank you!
I’m brand new to photography, just out of highschool and took my sister’s camera with me to college. It’s quickly becoming a passion of mine, and while I don’t have it all figured out, I really do enjoy what I’ve made so far! My favorite photo is a picture of a classic soccer ball ( ⚽️ ) in a field in my hometown.
There’s nothing particularly special about the photo, it doesn’t follow any rules that I haven’t even learned yet, it’s just my camera’s auto focus, auto exposure, and nature. It just calls to me, and I think to some extent I was beginning to get obsessed with getting photography “right” that I almost let go of the thing that makes my photos great.
That’s great, enjoy it and keep your thing 🌞
The algorithm is scaring me at times. Just getting into photography. I have a lot of “nice” photos, but only very few are “great” to me. Thanks for showing me and others what really matters. Cheers
I’ve been shooting photos professionally for more than 40 years and I still feel my “style” is continuing to evolve as a photographer. At times I wonder if I have an identifiable style even though I do have a style… As we grow our way of making images changes and our “style” changes in the process. Good video for making us all look at ourselves.
This is very neat, I have recently remembered that I take photos because I enjoy it, not to please others or get higher numbers on social media.
And this video reminding me that I should have my style and stick to that came just in time!
And I can confirm, people who come to me to take photos do it because they like the way I take photos. :)
I love creativity because even though I don't know the first thing about photography, everything you're saying resonates with me greatly as a musician. The experience of making art is universal regardless of the medium and I think that's awesome. Great video!
I generally have come to know that in creative fields for some people the less you know the better you’re off. People get stuck on all these rules and never seem to just enjoy the experience.
that's what happens to teh England football team...
I absolutely love your photo of the blurred car headed to the stop sign. It speaks to me for some reason… It is like that phrase, “hurry up and wait”
And your whole argument in general is also good. Sticking to the car idea, there are “hyper realistic” racing games that feel “slow” because absolutely everything has crystal clear gameplay, even though that’s not how real life works. It feels motionless, so it doesn’t seem “fast” or even fun. Gran Turismo is guilty of this in many games, as an example. In contrast, the “stylistic” games are more fun, even if they’re not even 5% realistic. They feel unique and fast. The PS2 Burnout games (Burnout 3, Burnout Dominator, and Burnout Takedown) for example, so much fun! No regard for physics, no regard for realism. Just pure carnage and destruction on the road, blinding speed, taking down opponents.
You're right, and it's ok to experiment. What helps me is spontaneity. That's related to my personal project/concept but when you got less time to think it sometimes lead to surprising results. Just have to get better at it now.
I'm really grateful to capture something transient, like a car going by or the moon that's between two trees that won;t be there for long
I'm not a professional. Not making any money.But even though I do shoot a lot, I've never actively searched for any photography tips beyond techincalities. I think I'm going the right path with this.
The best analogy I have ever heard likens the camera lens to an artists paintbrush. Each artist uses their creative tool a different way.
Completely changed my view on photography for the better, thank you so much
also don't try to chase an identity, just doing what you're deeply passionate about is what your identity actually is (not what's supposed to be "nice").
And when you think you have developed a style/identity don't harshly stick to it all the time, that's what gets you burned out after some time. Still always try to experiment, it's about lifelong evolving
good take, wise words. felt the same along the way and it underlines that no one is ever done learning and evolving in photography.
yeah i fully agree. i have a background in film and i think this applies very well to my workflow too. the media landscape has become very oversaturated especially with colorful lighting, symmetrical composition and analog or old formats (film, vhs). we are at the point at which something that was considered beautiful 10 to 15 years ago is now used by people for their instagram reels and truthfully, it still looks nice and stylish, but it's also a sign of empty and shallow art. perhaps i watch too much experimental stuff, but i absolutely prefer when something looks more raw and unadulterated. i'll always have a deep respect for the movies of dogma 95 and those inspired by neorealism for rejecting what's considered conventionally beautiful in art.
Man, I've been shooting for like 10 years and always falling into ruts - and have a degree in photography too. I think this lesson was more valuable than anything I learned in my 3 years at Uni.
This video is incredibly reassuring. I’m still quite a novice but the way I’d been looking at it was just like any art, every photographer should have a personal style rather than adhere to a super rigid set of rules. I’ve been approaching my shots from the perspective of how can I show people the world as I see it? It’s the only art I’ve tried taking up where I feel a sense of satisfaction, as a result.
Photography is like a mirror, it's not about the mirror itself but what's in front of it.
deep
OU NICE ANAOLOGY
Great stuff. Short and sweet. I'm grateful to say that I don't find myself too worried about doing things a certain way when I'm out shooting. I just do my thing the best I can with whatever conditions I'm in. It's very low-pressure while still striving for great quality.
I really Loved the photo with the logs leading into the couple lying down
If you look close there are three heads 🤯
@@maxkenthahaha totally missed that
The “they suck” in the thumbnail is killing me 😂 love it
1:33 nah fr this is so true not just to photography but for anything art related
"Rules help you make nice photos." "Nice is the enemy of great". Key takeaways.
Part of the process in learning the technique and then you brake free. First time you follow the recipe, then you brake free and change in the way that suits you.
Bro just subtly stated the rule of all art: do it your way 💯
I feel like I found this video at the perfect time. It has really resonated with me. Thanks.
Dude you made the perfect point nailing the focus on the background 👌🏻
Haha! I literally only just noticed that, it’s tough shooting and editing on the road! 🔥
Great discussion Max, spot on. It’s easier said than done I think, especially while traveling, to avoid those touristy shots. Enjoyed the one-on-one format too. 👏
true af. i used to think about taking *only* nice photos basically for external validation, but now i just shoot anything that's interesting and made me want to lift my camera up no matter how "not nice" it looked.
“Nice” is basically palatable to non-artists. Life’s too short to take photos that are expected, we have to capture photos that inspire us
You’re just gatekeeping who is and is not an artist. More people are inspired by “nice” photos than your edgelord crud. Yes they understand it, they just prefer a nice landscape. It’s more inspiring to them.
@@PippetWhippet No one is gatekeeping anything, literally everything is available to view online. It's a matter of liking and sharing work, which I actively do by actually sharing photos I like regularly. I don't hide or gatekeep artists, that's up to others to pay attention and form their own opinions over what they like and don't like, what inspires them. That's an individual pursuit.
*edit: everyone can take a photo, it doesn't mean that they regard themselves to be a photographer and/or artist
@@danicee You literally said who you think the artists are and who they are not. If that isn't gatekeeping or an attempt at it what in the world is?
@@Anon54387 It's not gatekeeping, it's clarifying the definition of the word "artist"
but ain't tht gatekeeping? The term changing?
i love vidéos like this, i’m not a photographer i’m not so aware of the subject matter at all, but such an interesting take &to hear your story. ❤
its like drawing artists and their specific art styles
this kind of advice can apply to any creative hobby or profession, great video
I'll take whatever pictures I please. Thank you for the video.
Good points. Being too perfect leaves us distracted. The pictorialists were onto something. But if when people start looking for shadows instead of light and feeling instead of perfection. Everything changes.
i really needed to hear that, i''ve been struggling to find motivation to go out there and take photos
Very true. I realized this in filmmaking about 5 years ago. Once I took ownership and did things in my own style, my career took off. Now I run the video department and do almost everything "wrong" but have never had so much fun or been more successful. For example, I don't use a gimbal. I shoot either handheld or on a tripod. I don't use rule of third. I lean heavily on macro shots. I mix up music genres that don't normally fit well together. I color grade in a unique way that no pro would do for a Netlix show. I operate only on instinct. I never use shotlists. etc etc. The point is, at a certain time in your life, you gotta just be you and the world has to either be okay with it or not. I'd say as a male it equates to becoming a grown man.
That’s great dude! Keep up the good work
Im not that big into photography but this video was very mind opening, even for other creative work. Thank you very much!
Your work is awesome my dude. Congrats👏
🔥
4:08 shared experience. I feel when i first started I had such high ambitions that the rules didn't matter really - everything I was doing was just me. Once I learned the 'rules' everything felt like it was just a template.
Love the message in this video, quite inspiring as someone trying to get a ” breakthrough” with my images. Direct format and subtle background music are spot-on as well. Thank you for creating this and sharing your wisdom with the world!
I agree it seems that the waves of thinking "I really am getting this figured out now!" after every little breakthrough is somewhat universal for most photographers. At the end you touched on that having a clearly identifiable style is a big thing. While I agree somewhat, Ive found for myself trying too hard to have a 'distinct' style can become a little contrived.
What I find more important is to just keep following whatever keeps me interested which I think will naturally lead to a style as more of an emergent property.
Enjoyed your thoughts :)
I've always avoided professional wisdom of photography except for absolute fundamentals. The number One thing I tell everyone to make a good photo no matter the skill is context. Make sure you have enough material in the background to tell the viewer how big, detailed and close the subject is. A grass hill and a cloudless sky doesn't matter much, but if you have animals on the hill showing the scale and size of the hill, then you've got something to work on.
This is such a great advice for any type of art. Thank you, great vid, great advice
It's funny, found you through looking up this old Olympus Trip 35 that I had lying around for ages, looking to get into photography. Consistently, I find several of your videos, like this one, is just as applicable to my music (which I have been doing for the past 10+ years). This is really great, honest artistic advise.
Quite a lot of my advice is just life lessons that apply to a lot of stuff 😆
@@maxkent Yeah, but delivered in a dry, english manner
Real recognise real
such a valuable message you are conveying right here, this applies to any art form really
Thid apply to other art form aswell, that is why chris christodoulou's risk of rain albums are my favourites. very very good video.
I like how it's suitable for almost every art and non art work
I take photos not to show off or share with anyone, it's my own personal recollection. I will take the photos in a way that embodies how I feel in the moment.
I like to just do this: if I like the shot, keep it. If it sucks, delete. And just taking tons of them and if something works, keep doing that.
One thing I absolutely love about photography is that there is less of a "good" or "bad", an image is good when you yourself as an artist decide so - it's good when the image makes you feel something and you connect with it and harsh guidelines don’t matter as much. Of course that is present in pretty much any art form, but especially in photography I feel like.
I have been a music producer for years and in music you could say the same but I feel like there are a lot more things to mess up. Maybe I’m tripping tho lmao
to sum it up: do your thing !
Feeling and meaning beat 'nice' and, with respect, I think they even beat 'interesting'. They can be found both rationally and intuitively.
seen a few on this theme lately. good one. photo is like sport in many ways. you need to know how to handle the ball, to make offensive and defensive moves, to pass, to communicate to a teammate you're open, to confuse your opponents. those are the rules. but great players dont just run the drills. they do the drills until they're reflex, then they get out there against players who also know the drills and they all try to fake each other out
Great analogy. I think in art, and especially photography, we forget the importance of practice, of drills, of honing skills. You can’t go out everyday and think you are going to make a masterpiece. You need to practice. You need to put in the hours with the camera (and without the camera) looking, seeing, visualizing. How many sketches did DaVinci make before he finally painted Mona Lisa?
Athletes spend thousands of hours training, practicing, working on basic skills, obsessing over details of their performance. Then, on game day they go out there and perform and hopefully it all comes together. Sometimes it doesn’t.
As a photographer, I need to accept that most days are practice days. Most photos I take on practice days will be nice but not great. But that’s okay because it’s all training (as long as I am aware and open to learning). Experiment. Fail. Learn. Then when inspiration, conditions, the location, or the client are right, then I can put all that training to use. And hopefully come away with something a few degrees above nice.
Yes I think its good advice. One thing that used to annoy me was when friends used to tell me how to take a photo of them. You have to take photos in accordance with your own vision.
Some of the greatest musicians in the world cant read music and yet they are still among the greatest
Photography has been one of my hobbies since I was a kid. Only in the last few years have I had access to a genuinely good camera... For a smartphone 😅 art is all about communication... Some of my older photos taken with really bad cameras communicate more and convey deeper meaning than some of the pretty pictures I've taken lately.
My 3-year-old just took some of her first photographs completely on her own with my phone. She took some pictures of me, and the ones that turned out good (5 out of like 20 haha) are the best portraits I have ever seen taken of me in my entire life???? Like my phone was able to do a lot of the heavy lifting for the focus and such, but she was able to pull expressions out of me that nobody else can. She had a unique angle that a lot of people maybe wouldn't have thought to use, because she's a tiny human. Photographs of people can convey a relationship between the person taking the photo and the subject in the photo... And you can really see that in those photos.
Don't worry about capturing aesthetic images all the time. Capture feelings, capture moments, capture memories. Sometimes even an objectively bad photo is better than none at all.
I think rules are important. You need to know them by heart. When you know how to set your camera up for what you envision in your mind withouth having to think much about it, you're at a proper stage to think about "style." I wouldn't play them against each other.
It is not about “nice”. It is about formulation… Masters like Saul Leiter or Haas they all shot nice photos. They just formed their own styles which differentiate them from others.
I'm going to be honest, I have had a lot of creative hobbies, but when I try to 'get better' and learn the rules I always end up feeling less and less enjoyment in the things I do. The creative medium I enjoy the most is photography because I know next to none of the technical bits and just shoot pictures whenever I see a scene that looks pretty to me. I'll then try to edit them and make things pop, but again it's just messing around. I think that is incredibly important to have in anything that you do for the sake of doing it. Enjoy the process instead of forcing yourself to get stuck in rules. :)
You are criminally underrated. This is solid advice
This right here!
Took me years to realize this, and he's spot on
Its part of the process, most people need to understand the rules and take nice pictures before you can brake free and take amazing pics.
Great video, love your work. Photography improves when you adopt the mindset of taking photos for yourself, not trying to take a picture you think will be viral on IG. I have been shooting since 1979 and with a SLR since 1988. I am a multi discipline photographer. I feel shooting less photos, slowing down gets you more interesting shots.
There is a very small number of people who'd have the sensitivity to be able to have a style, without basic knowledge of rules. That's precisely why 97% of photos regular folk take are just pictures of things. Hel - before digital, people couldn't even take a photo. If you look at every single artist you can classify as a "rule breaker", their early work is usually on the top of the game for master craftsmen.
Good u pointed this out, can recognize myself in this.
being original is the best trait, not only in photography
What I really understood in the last few weeks about photography when I decided to come back to it - that it doesn't matter if you know how to use your camera right or you take photos according to rules - the best pictures are those that either captures "the moment" or an emotion. If you know the rules and camera's parameters, that's even better, but something that you can't stage is the best because nobody else in this world will be able to capture the same. So sometimes, those simple photos with a "soapbar" (that's how we used to call those (now) old digital cameras for family vacations or celebrations) are better than the ones captured with a professional camera by professional photographer - they have much more value.
I am because of we. TRUTH ARE HIS WORDS. I bought my first camera exactly 1 year ago. Some people go outside every now and then, I go inside every now and then. I carry a slide with me, I now frame throughout my day, asking how the image makes me feel. My camera case is strapped on my belt. Our lives are worth documenting and I do. I seldom see what others see, maybe because I have no television,email,social media accounts and time thieving acquaintances- I shoot/view dozens of images per day- LIFE HAPPENING THE WAY I FEEL IT. Photographers,instructors, artist and I myself believe and express the images are remarkable. Be true to you. Shoot for you,share with us. Heal,be well,create,be you and LOVE US
I get bored with the same ole stuff sometimes too, but like you said it’s hard for me to know which rule to break to mix it up 😅😂
That’s where you have to experiment and get inspiration 🔥
The nice part is that with digital it really frees one up to experiment a lot without much of a hit to the pocket book.
Was staying out of focus for the first half of the video a metaphor? Hehe. Great video and really important advice. :)
Learn the rules then break them isn't just a photography mantra - it works for all art, from the art of skateboarding to the art of cooking and everything in between
I think a better way of putting it is: photography, is like a language, and "rules" are tools that we use to communicate photos.
Every photo opportunity is a puzzle, and a learning opportunity. We have many different ways to solve that puzzle, and the results are both subjective and real.
Great vid and great photos.
A bit of constructive feedback:
It felt like you reiterated the same point several times through the video in much the same way each time. I’d have been interested to hear more about that experience with the cover photo for example, and you could have used more of a storytelling approach to getting your point across.
I’ve subscribed and looking forward to your future vids, keep it up 👍
one of the best content I have seen recently. brutally honest - love it!
Bro, thanks for the reality check
my 4 star shot library is literally named "interesting" for this reason. this video has been very reaffirming because i've gone through basically the same hurdles, especially after art school and all of the rules that come with it
dude i love your style
🔥🔥🔥🔥
Rules are important to to learn because they often are made for a reason. Learn the rule as well as the reason why it exists. Rules were made to be broken but not just for the sake of breaking them. Rules should be broken when you find a way to address the reason why the rule exists in a way that works better for you than the rule!
0:00 Hey! You guys started it! Perhaps much farther than any of us casuals or amateurs have! Perhaps too many good ones sell! And yet, yet still, you ever see any pro or devoted/dedicated shutterbug impress bystanders with an album of "bad" photos?
In my book, any photo could be considered bad just by acknowledging one to anyone else so that it can be interpreted as "art."
I had a pretty long waiting time for my first lens (several weeks) and I was waiting for it really hyped, so I watched A TON of youtube videos. I made notes etc. And I never really have been clinging to the rules as "musts". But I would say they are like tools in my toolbelt. If I see something interesting to photograph, I usually go with intuition. But if I don't get the shot I like, I can apply some of the rules (or rather, tips), and see if I can use those to make the photo better. I iterate with those and just experimentation until I get something I like. I still do have some that I apply quite consistently. But I think the worst guideline ever, and perhaps the most widespread one, is the rule of thirds. I'd say it's almost a garbage rule, and so overused. At least for me, just intuitively seeking visual balance is a much more helpful way to go.
Im just using my phone camera for pictures but i love the things i shoot. Because i try to capture the things that look pretty when I walk by them, or I try different perspectives on small things like snails and flowers. When it comes to ratio etc im just thinking „would I put this as a desktop background?“. I’m totally not aducated on photography at all or have nice equipment but people seem to like my pictures anyways 😂