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No Tony is right, the art of image making is DEAD. We need to go back to painting and drawing for some appreciation. Others wise you simply have some money-grab intention. Its DONE..And only the commercial feeder remains. No one wants to be a part of deception and greed, which is what the demand boils down to. Photography today is like getting dressed in the morning, looking in the mirror and seeing if your honest to yourself.
@@philindeblanc have you seen what AI is capable of doing? I've seen paintings, drawings,3d work done by AI and its simply outstanding I've heard music, arrangements, and composing and they are astonishing. With deep fakes eventually, there will be no need for models and actors. All these will serve mostly business and AI isn't even up to its full potential. It's not that I looking forward to this I'm seeing the future of content creation and i don't like it.
Bring back live critiques. Give people a reason to shoot and edit and show some photos. Instagram is becoming a place of fake reality. It's no longer a place for photographers to show their work.
Photography is perception… and an editing of life… there’s a reason why we use different focal lengths to get different perspectives and looks… I enjoy Instagram because it’s partly a motivation to sort and process my photos but also I appreciate people appreciating my work… even if it’s occasionally a picture of a traffic cone because it was a particularly intense and sensor-ally pleasurable shade of yellow…mostly it’s my friends and that’s all I need…
Good video! I’m a 65 year old retired graphic designer who is also a semi-professional photographer. But I have always found pro-photography to be a rather expensive hustle that I never came around to embracing fully. Given that, my photography has mostly been a hobby. I shoot digital mirrorless but about a year and I half ago I found my passion for 35mm film photography. I collect vintage film SLRs and shoot with them in rotation or two at a time (one loaded with color film and the other loaded with black and white). I agree with what you say, Tony, because it’s true. People, today, don’t seem to create photography, the computer in the smart phone does it all for them. For me, however, I couldn’t care less what photography is “evolving” into as I am in my own little bubble world and I do what makes me gratified and happy. After shooting 20+ years digitally, I can now say that I, like my predecessors of yesterday, CREATE photography with my Nikon F, my Canon FTb, my Minolta SRT-303, my Canon AE-1, my Olympus OM2SP, my Nikon FA. All of these cameras, are 30+ years old and some as old as 50 years old and refurbished. I have a lab develop my film and give me 4”x 6” prints and I scan my negatives at home on my Epson V600 film scanner so I can post them online. For me, I don’t care who’s doing what or what the current trends are or if most people are using smart phones. Like I said, I couldn’t care less. Whatever floats your boat. I do what I want and in photography, I do what makes me happy. And I am quite thrilled to be creating photography with my vintage, ancient film SLRs.
you are still posting it online where people dont even know if its film or digital effect of a film style , and they dont even care . That is why i dont post my photos online , i feel that no one cares and i dont earn anything since im not a pro , so why post it . I need no one to tell me my picture is good . If they want it , they can ask for it ,so its mostly family that asks for my photos , they learned that my photos are good , at least better then smartphone in any case , so we hold regular photoshoots , i even get assistants :) But i dont post it , only problem being that i never get pictures of my self . Hence im on the market for 6D , with Wifi remote live view , and shooting my self is going to happen .
Wow I'm a bit younger & I also used to do graphic design but it went so tech and photography followed suite. I do semi-pro stuff mainly stock photos but you still need the composition & technical skills to take great photos that you learnt in your design diploma back in the day whether its film or digital
I feel exactly the same. Whilst not a pro, I shoot only as a hobby so don't have to follow the latest "trends" of TickTock/Instagram/Clients etc. I moved over to film exclusively about 7 years ago and roll my own film from bulk, develop at home and scan on a Epson V750. My favorite camera is a Canon FT QL which has only 3 controls - aperture, shutter speed and focus. The rest doesn't matter. I do have much more advanced film SLR's, but I prefer the more basic Canon because it actually poses a challenge to "get it right". I'm happy with this - I've stopped caring about the latest gear being released, megapixels, eye autofocus etc. and just focus on the quality of the photo. I don't shoot as much as I would digitally, but each photo has more value to me as apposed to the hundreds of thousands of photos sitting on my harddrive. Whilst I still upload to instagram or facebook sometimes, it's only for family/friends and not for the the "likes" or to be a influencer. So, do what makes you happy.
Camera sales are down 93%? Oy Vey... However, my schedule is still full and I could employ three of me full time. True, smartphones are everywhere... also true, studio demand is waaaay down. There are still photographers charging per pose and per shot as if using film. Most of them are struggling. I'm always looking ahead and enjoying the versatility that new gear offers. I do love the new Z9, just covered a wedding and could shoot silent through prayers and every moment was not ruined by a shutter click. I keep thinking I need a photographic plan-B, yet people continue to call and schedule sessions without slowing down. Interacting with, and directing people, remain the most important aspect of successful portrait photography, it's assumed we know the gear. I call them organic non-gmo portraits :) keep it natural looking while exploiting the amazing capabilities of new gear :) This was a great coffee break session. THANK YOU BOTH!
Maybe you have a full calendar but the prices are going down for sure and is full of kids doing it for nothing and with cameras on auto. I gave up competing with them. There are even 2-3 people and some doing video and all, all with cameras on auto. Next day they deliver and edit with a disgusting grading done with a 15$ LUT they got from the web and they are ready for the next gig. This is the current status where i am, in central europe.
Camera companies should be putting the same software into their products that smart phone companies do. Smart phones have much better image processing stuff in the background, image stabilization, etc
As an old, retired Architect, I've needed to adapt from T-square to arm machine to CADD. But just as in photography, you can't teach that most important component which is the 'Art.' That intangible yet most critical aspect which separates the everyday from the 'Wow!' The two of you have given me stimulus to further explore my photography and for that I am eternally grateful. Your enthusiasm is contagious. I consider you two of my best friends which I've never met. Thanks for all you do.
Don't despair, Tony. It's not the industry; it's you. It happens to the best of us...we get a little older, a little wiser and, dare I say it, a little grumpier. Thank goodness you have beautiful and wise Chelsea to level your keel.
My father recalled the biggest lesson he learned near the end of getting his master's degree in music (and went on to be a professional musician his entire life). On the last day of a post-grad music theory class, after years of studying the intricacies of music technicality, the professor said, as his final lesson, "but ultimately, does it sound good?" For anyone behind a camera: Ultimately, does it look good?
The problem I feel like is that the standard has been raised on editing side quite a bit. 10-15 years ago a good subject, correct exposure and some creative framing could be enough to make a good photograph that could stand out. That is not true anymore, each of the "good looking" photographs in social media are so heavily edited now that the edited version is a completely different form of art almost. I don't have editing skill amd thats what fraustrates me.
Meanwhile, my 27 year old daughter and her friends are now shooting film with 70s SLRs because they got sick of phone photos, and because they want to learn how it all works and because it feels more like art. It's funny and also touching to hear them complain about exposure, focus, and shutter speed going wrong, and the various camera problems they are having. They are enjoying the same struggles we did. I've explained the exposure triangle more than a couple times, and I've realized I just need to give her my old Joy of Photography book.
I feel like a lot more people are taking up film photography nowadays than say, around 10 years ago. Especially young females I've noticed. But that's pretty cool. Because it opens up different photographic opportunities and creative ideas. And it's all good fun.
The dark side of automation is that it makes it possible to take passable photos with zero understanding of how it happens. I don't know how many times I've seen someone say "my kids changed the settings on my camera and now I can't take photos." I learned on manual film cameras and that experience has proven to be invaluable. I certainly use a fair bit of the automation in my latest generation camera bodies - but I also know what to do when the big dial is set to "M".
My is carrying a film camera wherever he goes. An oddity indeed. And I switched to digital almost around 20 years ago, completely, although I kept buying him film and digital cameras for him when he was a kid.
No matter what happens in the industry, I will always love photography. Sure, making money doing something you love is important. However, if you enjoy it, do it anyway! Composition and design never get old. Do Cartier-Bresson's photos seem dated? Do moments ever stop happening? Does personal vision ever become obsolete? For those who can appreciate such things, I think there will always be a market and group to belong to. Sure, there is a lot of noise and a flood of flashy imagery out there. Those types of images are getting easier and easier to make without the struggles of editing for long hours in Photoshop or even using an action. However, that's when one has to become epicurean about their own approach and get off the treadmill of trying to please others. Photograph what you love, create the images you would enjoy making for yourself and ignore the static. :)
What struck me was each time Tony and Chelsea start talking about Square Space, and how easy it is to drag and drop photos to create a website, it got me thinking how other folks who earned a living from building websites from scratch would feel. They would be feeling frustrated too! Technology will keep evolving and everyone has to evolve as well! Great conversation though!
Easy, they need to upgrade selling bespoke customised design with suitable font relevant to your purpose requires technical knowledge and artistic sense
I’m a full time “web producer” I used to code HTML/CSS for clients but nowadays I drag & drop content in CMS(Content Management System) for my clients instead - thank god I still have a job
A heart felt interview and Tony’s feelings are very similar to mine . I am a professional photographer of 35 years experience. I’ve gone from working with 10”x8” plate cameras to top end Canon DSlRs . I still love photography and feel very privileged to have been able to make a living from it . BUT I can’t see how anyone would be able to make a good living from photography now . Everything is to open to everyone. The craft has gone and therefore the demand has gone . It saddens me greatly , but that’s just the way it is:) to quote Grayson Perry “We live in an age where photography rains on us like sewage from above.” I’m sad to say it’s true :(((
I feel like Tony (my passion is medium format, black & white, night photography). The "Art" of making great images is truly going away. I've gone "full circle" from a simple "point & shoot" camera to a medium format film camera (Hasselblad) and making prints on "fiber paper" in the darkroom, back to point & shoot digital cameras. Photographers no longer need to understand the "how" to make great images, they can simply take 100 shots, throw it in to Photoshop and create a "perfect" image with software. 😞
I am with Tony on this one. I am struggling with a similar thing in IT. I spent many years analyzing business work flows and turning them into data designs that would support the businesses long term. We had a simple language called SQL to access this rationally defined information. Now there is an idea that raw data can just be thrown into big data junk piles and Google, Microsoft or Amazon will make sense out of it. However, sloppily defined and captured data has a very low usability level. People throw together pretty charts and Power Points but when the underlying data is examined it tells businesses nothing. It is much easier to make junk look good. Privately, I struggle with Light Room trying to make metadata true and useful as I scan 100 years of family history. The good is that the metadata is very flexible but the bad is that it is difficult to make data consistent and persistent. I want metadata my great-great grandchildren will see, when they want to know about earlier generations. In quality photography its all about composition and capture, if you want to tell a true story. One result of the modern trend toward irrationality is people see so many happy pictures of acquaintances in Facebook and compare against there own lives. They become depressed and self-harming. Wouldn't we rather be Ansel Adams than Jo Snap-chat? At the end of my 40 year career of rationality and quality design, I now see a new, overwhelming pile of useless stuff that will only benefit the current fiscal quarter. We can only insist on quality in our own work and hope that someone will be willing to pay us for it. (I am sorry about the rant.)
You’re wrong. Corporations don’t pay people to make their data less usable or harder to get at. I’m a dba and if you do make corporate data less usable or harder to get at - you’re fired.
OMG, I SAW IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE. I was thinking, "Oh no, no more video's".We need you both! Your video's are amazing! 1.56 M subscibers and 2,375 comments on just this video. That shows the value that that you both are!
Exactly, and unfortunately a lot of people are afraid to talk about it in fear of being pointed fingers at and then getting a negative impact from community. Really bad that now days everything has to be one-sided or you have everything to lose 😔
Fascinating & uplifting presentation! Evolution & adaptation to social media trends & algorithms is key. Loved the interplay between Chelsea's motivational insights & Tony's expertise.
Photography has been a big part of my life in over 40 years. I still love it as much today as when I started. And the technical development is fantastic.
I just watched a photographer on youtube embracing the notion that we should all reinvent ourselves every two years. And it doesn't just apply to photographers. The world is changing. Always changing. You either adapt, or you fall by the wayside.
It's not about the camera, it's about the person capturing the image and the person experiencing it. As a photographer, it doesn't matter *what* device you're using, if you're not able to *see* the image in the first place you're never going to be able to capture it. If you *can* see it, you have increasingly better chances of capturing it successfully. Forget the tech. It's all in the picture. As long as you're about great pictures - and not great cameras - you're golden.
16x9 isn't going anywhere. humans have eyes that are horizontally spaced, and our field of vision is widescreen. biology will eventually course-correct tech trends. xoxo
@@seannoithat9999 only pretty girls? I photographed hundreds of weddings during 33 years and seldom had a really pretty girl but each had a partner and yes, verticals look best as verticals and horizontals look best in landscape mode. Unfortunately, the screen we view unless the phone (although I still enjoy using landscape mode instead of portrait mode) just does not provide the same sized image in portrait mode as it does in landscape mode which is the way it sits naturally.
@@phlotographer well, not “only”, but especially. You wanna look at both their legs and their face, their outfits, as detailed as possible, right? Do you need to see the background or side objects to them? Of course not, those are unnecessary part of the image, the ones we don’t care about, so clearly filming horizontal doesn’t make any senses.
@@phlotographer i was so much against vertical videos back in the days (5,6 years ago). Back then no video apps or websites support the vertical view. But when they did, like youtube, and now is tiktok, it makes perfect senses watching videos vertical, i don’t have to turn my screen sideway. In a small screen like a phone’s screen, watching people in vertical mode is much more comfortable. I love shooting & rewatching my kids videos this way. Things reinvented themselves all the time, we have to move on
What a great discussion! I so needed to hear this, I’ve been feeling like a old man lately, thank you guys for all you’ve taught me over the years, I’m a full-time professional photographer with so much work I can hardly keep up, I appreciate you both a ton
I’ve been self employed for 45 years in the graphic, reproduction, photo, video, web, youtube, digital everything business, and I can tell you that I have seen a ship load of change. And I have had to take every one of those challenges on with enthusiasm and yes, throw out the old gear and upgrade at a great expense, but that’s life in this medium. I’m 67 (as of 2 days ago) and I just returned to my home base here in Canada after taking on a Canadian video project in Sedona AZ. There is still plenty of work out there, and yes, you still need to learn and reinvent yourself all the time. And you need to love doing that. I’m excited because I have so much to learn. I’m stepping into more Log footage and colour grading. I just bought the remote controlled Tilta Mirage VND matte box to control exposure better… Wow! Is that not an awesome tool?? That exposure control in the sun drenched Arizona State was so cool. I’m not getting old, nor am I giving up the art of learning. There has never been more opportunities to grow and create a business than there are right now. The secret? Show up ready! Read, learn, watch videos, practise, try stuff, figure out what others are doing, recognize material that amazes you and learn how to do it. There is no going back, change is the one thing you can always depend on. Now, we “Learn a Living” not ‘Earn a Living’. And yes, there is going to be a “Smart Camera’!! It’s going to happen and it will take us into yet another world of possibilities. Get excited!
Another salient and necessary perspective video from you guys. Y’all are my FAVORITE photography channel, and a true voice for the community that is lacking in the influencer realm of this new era of photography. I think that is part of the feeling of loss, that the “community of specialists” has now lost its raison d’être, since the specialization has given way to a democratization of skill and entry costs. However, the new generation has its own challenges and own barrier- not one of entry, but of expertise. In a world where everyone can become a pro in record speed, the need to stand out, to differentiate, and reinvent/progress the medium, is even MORE dire now. The existential anxiety of being lost in the noise, is forever present and getting worse. Old masters such as your generation are our guides and role models. Outdated in some senses by the extreme pace of change, but honored and respected FOR that mastery and fundamental understanding that is lacking in most of the quick-entry generation. Nothing really replaces years of experience, incremental progress, and creative drive to make onesself better. To me, those are the true hallmarks and core competencies of the pro photographers. And they’re not easily learned either. Thank you for your light in guiding and shaping the community.
"I miss feeling special." i started photographing professionally in 1977 and built my skills for 35+ years. I totally get both sides of this. Really glad that I don't need to build a business in this market though.
Tony, most people do not know how to ride a horse nowadays, and most people from 100 years ago did not know how to drive a car. My original thesis for my MFA was "technology deskills people", and I abondoned that topic later. Don't get me wrong. There are still people riding horses, shooting films, making funiture with hand tools only. People truly love a subject will keep perfecting it.
I think Instagram is killing conventional 35mm photography as an art. 70% of posters on Instagram don't know what an f-stop is. I think Flickr was the last best alternative that I personally used.
In what way do photographers on instagram not know what an f stop is? Do you mean like, they’re not intimately acquainted with the mathematics of it? Cause none of these bangers are being shot in auto. Or are you ragging on them for shooting at f1.4 and 2.8 instead of 16
I agree with both of you. It's much easier to take photos these days. But, I feel I take better photos now than when I did not know anything about photography. Also, some photography fields are still better done with cameras than with a cell phone, such as wildlife, sports, astro...
yes, also photos that needs to overpowering the sun, compressed light etc. those techniques cannot be simply done with cell phone, if you get all the great length to photoshop then it is easier to do it right there already.
The digital image is worthless today, but the printed image has still got a very high value, depending on your reputation. The Print is still ultimate image and smart phone images dont print well in a large size. Smart phone images only display well on a smart phone.
Tony, your skill set will never become obsolete, your compassion for photography is evident. No matter how well technology for photography evolves, the composition and story of the image is driven by the photographer. It can only be well driven when the photographer understands the art of photography and post production editing. As an advanced practice nurse, I am seeing the profession change so much in the delivery of health care pre Covid, it concerns me that the new generation seems to want to rely on monitoring tools more than on patients . There are so so many ways to enjoy photography, I have a lot of images on my smart phone that are transferred via Wi-Fi from the camera. Tony, you must follow the trends with AI tech and help us. My background is science, the Academy of Arts University photography program has given me the tools and confidence in photography. I hope you will continue and embrace social media outlets, how are we going to appreciate the nuances of various tools without your input?
I had a client who wanted me to just take pictures of her and her family with HER IPHONE. She didn’t even care about my camera. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ got paid tho.
One of your greatest videos Tony & Chelsea, even though it’s not technical! I come from a photographers family but I wasn’t invested into it when I was younger. My father was a film photographer all his life, and I saw him feeling exactly the same when digital came around. My brother studied photography too, and he was starting right before the transition from film to digital, but he was very skilled in all sorts of technical things. Growing up with him, these technical skills were what I appreciated, and I ended up becoming an electrical & computer engineer. I also loved astronomy, so about a decade ago I was looking for a DSLR to attach to my telescope, and your videos were the ones that influenced me to buy a Canon T5i DSLR with the two kit lenses. At that time, all my cameras (after the very old film ones) were simple point and shoot. I had a Canon SX50HS which at the time naively I was thinking about it as being a DSLR replacement. When I saw the first photos coming out of that old T5i and I compared them side by side to that SX50, I couldn’t believe my eyes! I never left my camera home and I started shooting anything that would catch my eye! I started watching all your videos, trying to learn lighting and composition, I bought some of your books, along with many many other photography books for inspiration, and I kept practicing! Although the technical part was the thing that originally drew me to photography, the creative part was the thing that kept me always wanting to improve! I remember waiting every week to share my new photos in your videos, waiting for the next subject you’d put out for next week. It was all a challenge! I’m writing this as a thank you for all your effort all these years. Never stop evolving.
Social Media sucks. Teenagers suck. I would never gauge any of my hobbies based on the trends existent within either. I want to be in a totally different world. I like photography for ME. And the current competition being levies by modern Smartphones is only good for that. I'll probably have one of those phones anyway, and Camera manufacturers need to innovate more than they have in decades to stay relevant, or lend their tech too the mentioned phones we will all have. It feels like obsession over MPs, Autofocus, and IS it a net positive for Photography enthusiasts and Pros alike. The pros may need to make like the brands though and start thinking about how to be creative again.
I taught High School Photography for 36 years, now retired - Did both with the students, Film with Darkroom, Photoshop & Yearbook. I have also lived with all these changes. Gary from Michigan 😎
In the 1920's, it was declared that the camera, which came into widespread use, had ruined painting. The influence of the camera pushed painting into the impressionist era. Cell phones are amazing, but cannot match the artistry and skill of a photographer with a camera.
Apparently TV was going to be the death of radio. Now we have TV, radio, streaming services, Spotify. No wonder we don’t have time to speak to people and have to text them.
The camera is the reason modern art happened in painting. Abstract, impressionistic, surreal, symbolic, and psychological forms of art all came about because artists felt pressured into trying to do things that didn't compete with the realism of a camera.
Just watched this video and I agree that there are strong arguments on both sides . What I think that has been lacking since the strong push of mirrorless cameras , best and newest lenses and comparisons of camera manufacturers has been what is still needed no matter what gear you have . What is missing is a back to basics of lighting , composition, and the other numerous factors to still get that stunning image we all desire. I would love to see you and Chelsea create some new back to basics videos on lighting, composition etc and equipment needed to achieve those shots . Would love to see your thoughts and uses with umbrellas, I hear the translucent umbrella gives both advantages of a soft box and diffuser . Thoroughly enjoy all your content and videos you bring to us . If anyone is in agreement with me on this let’s hear about your thoughts. Thank you. Sorry so lengthy
I empathize with Tony on many points. I just turned 50 and photography has gone through many changes in the last 40 years that I've been involved. I remember as a kid saving money for film and developing and learning photography on my fully manual Pentax K1000 (still works btw!). The conversion to digital, Photoshop, Lightroom, the birth of the internet and social media - what an amazing time of rapid and dramatic change to get to experience! I honestly feel blessed to have been able to experience it all. I wonder will the next generation be so lucky? I hope so.
Yep. I'm age 60. I began to ride the tech wave with my Radio Shack trs-80. I was first on with a social community in 1996 when Two-cows and AltaVista were trending. I too feel lost trying to find my new tech North Star. Aging sucks ;)
In my business I provide drone photography / videography as well as real estate photography. My drone business is seriously undercut by the hobbyists with a Mavic etc. and I've seen GBP £1M houses listed by a realtor with awful iPhone images. There is a definite dumbing-down of standards and people seem willing to accept this.
You get what you pay for.I only do real estate that pays well and wants a pro job. I dont do $150 shoots. I generally charge over $1500 a home. Display homes $2500 and I have done over 656 of them.
"The Art of Photography" is being lost as smartphones become more "intelligent". Photos are no longer displayed (printed), they are shared online and stored. Tony is being real, Chelsea is optimistic and only seeing +ve. To be a photographer you need the core skills and knowledge that Tony talks about.
As a retired art director I felt the same devaluation of skills but thanks to my creativity and fine arts background was able to move past it and always be open to new ways to workflow ease. Thanks guys
Please don't think that people aren't interested in learning all about photography. I bought your books years ago and progressed so fast with my first digital camera. I'm just a novice but I love learning how to take amazing photos. I don't want to take short cuts, it would feel like cheating to me. Looking at my wildlife and landscape photos gives me so much pleasure and enjoyment, nothing else can compare in my opinion. My photos make me very happy and that's all that matters. I am so grateful for your books and videos because without them I wouldn't have known where to start. It's been a masterclass for me and I still watch and learn from you both. I rarely comment on anything but I felt I had to let you know how important you both are especially with Tony looking so worried! Well done Chelsea for helping him out - you're both amazing and I'm hugely grateful to you both 🙏
The same we have seen with the HiFi music equipment industry. Who is interested nowadays in compiling a great HiFi system and listen to music exclusively (as a dedicated action)? This once huge market got reduced to a small niche and the majority of people is listening to heavily compressed music formats which sound "dead" compared with the real thing (either high quality CD or vinyl). The same will happen with classical photography. Sad but true. And the inflation of pictures and music files makes a more and more difficult to "filter out" what is really relevant from an artistic perspective.
This addresses my thoughts and feelings exactly. So glad I watched it as I have been lamenting the loss of craft and study in our business. Tony sounds just like me. Although things do evolve and change it seems that the old way of "paying your dues" is missing in a lot of younger photographers. I LOVE the art and craft of photography and I hope that new photographers can appreciate the giants whose shoulders we have stood on to learn about this wonderful business. You've made me think and have a better outlook on the future of photography. I still miss the "good old days though". Thanks so much for posting this video. I'm encouraged. All the best to both of you!!
After almost 45 years in Photography, I agree with you Tony 100%. It’s like a feeling of frustration because after so much hard work to learn the trade. I agree the reasons Chelsea gave, but I already took the desition to retire. I still watch your videos and learn a lot from them. That gives a sense of belonging, even though I out of the field for good. Keep up the good work. Blessings to you and your family.
I agree with Tony. You should have a basic understanding of how your camera works. SS, F/stops, ISO. The problem with not understanding these and other fundamentals is when something goes wrong, you don't know which way to turn. My D850, is actually a complicated computer. You have to know how to use: SS, F/stops, ISO, plus EV, and a menu of other things. Then you have to emphasis one variable over another, to get the shot not to be over or underexposed. That is the difference. Note: No Android photo can compare to a photo taken by a real camera.
People need to remember that there is a huge difference between pictures and portraits. Although camera technology on phones have improved, and you can just point and snap... a skilled photographer will always be needed and appreciated. Great video guys, thank you for all of the valuable lessons you have taught us. And that, will always be needed and appreciated as well.
Chelsea, you are so right! I have had the same angsts as Tony, but I feel better now. That was a good therapy session...how much did you charge Tony an hour for this?
I feel the same as Tony in relation to drawing and painting. Learning manual skills seems to have lost it’s relevance as digitally it’s easier to create an image. I’m not against technology and use it almost exclusively myself to illustrate, but people believe it’s just button pushing.
The art of composition isn't dead. I created cheat sheet cards from your videos especially crop factor conversions for my canon APS-C. Years ago, I taught myself photoshop after using the watered down Jasc PaintShop Pro for scanned prints and negatives. Nerds never stop learning and love challenges. Hey wasn't Murphy and optimist? I went to the rebranded Photo Plus in 2019 and I was very disappointed with the lack of vendors I usually see every year. I purchased two DSLR's in January, an APS-C and a full frame. I bought the full frame because of you Tony. I originally shot with canon SLR film camera and relied heavily on the light meter for exposure accuracy. One of my major projects involved shooting and processing pre-existing bad print images for websites. There's always a market for photography through creative means. "Necessity is the mother of invention".
Tony..it’s like I am seeing and hearing myself when you are talking about cameras and how they have have evolved from the early SLR’s to the digital era!. But now it is the Smart Phone. I have experienced the learning curve of the basics and theory of photography as you have. I am glad I had to “learn” photography be it in high school in the 60’s, seminars in the 80’s…Denis Reggie, Monte Zucker and the likes. Nikon’s to Hasselblad it’s been a great ride. Still doing “Live” concert imagery, weddings, studio (yes music artist of the newer age…love studio photography and I had to bring out the Old Masters Canvas) and some real estate. Still Love it…besides it keeps me bust at 72! Thank you Chelsea and Tony!
People in the MASSES (small market) don’t purchase hi quality hi-fi sound systems anymore. I feel your pain Tony. The majority Listen on phone with Bluetooth or wireless speakers. Don’t care about true hi rez audio sound. Same principle applies to cameras.
The issue really is that technology has moved on and on and on a great deal. The smartphone of today is vastly better than all Hi-Fi's of the 1980's. Virtually all music is recorded digitally, mastered digitally and distributed digitally. I'm 50 now, I've bought my Linn's and B&W's have a vast music collection. Yet I watch UA-cam for my music now as my collection gathers dust. Why you ask, because I can talk to the TV and hear what I want instantly, I can also see the Band playing in 4K, I get recommended tracks of what else I might like, I can instantly switch to another artist and best of all I can explore thousands of cover versions of my favourite songs which will never make it onto vinyl or CD. For example Angelina Jordan amongst many others. The only thing you really need today is a pair of decent speakers. I'm not sure when i'll spend 5 minutes trying to find a CD to put on again!?
If people watched photos on large monitors instead of tiny phone screens, they'd see the difference, it's a matter of viewing device. How many people though are physically capable of hearing the difference in audio quality?
Tony, In my fifty’s now, been enjoying landscape photography for years…still appreciate the beauty of those large prints. I agree you could possibly make more money doing many things on UA-cam nowadays. It takes a long time to master what you’ve achieved. Top of that, you’re a very passionate technical photographer. I completely empathize your nostalgic feelings for the ‘golden era of photography’. The personal satisfaction would not be the same taking photos via phones and such. I guess things have changed, and we are adapting. Much appreciate to you and Chelsea for sharing your expertise online. I’ve learnt a lot from you. Wishing you much joy and success!!!🙂
I came to photography through the back door. I was a "camera operator" photolithographer which was a fancy term for saying I worked pre-press in the printing industry. I worked with cameras and photosensitive surfaces and my root knowledge in this let me be the occasional pinch hitter in the photography department. I was also a color separationist using laser technology or filters, films, and angled screen. Back then being an actual photographer was a different sort of commitment to the technology because it required a personal investment in learning its aesthetics of it. I had a b&w darkroom for my own work and a 4X5 as well as an 8 x 10 for ad work. I was an early adopter of the digital camera because it replaced the polaroid. Basically, I was a photosynthesis geek that never called herself a photographer until my first dslr. I remember all the hubbubs in the printing industry saying digital would never replace the whatever (eye roll). I felt differently than most and to prove it I shot an image with a Kodak 1.6 megapixel all in one and piped it through Adobe something or other and printed it out at 14 x 18 within a 18X24 poster. No one knew what kind of camera I used and the print was beautiful. That's what made me a believer. My geekiness made the basics of digital technology easy to understand and the digital camera untethered me to create with it. I can do now in one room what it used to take a building to accomplish. Basically, I see it all as working untethered by tons of equipment and chemicals. Also, I love my D850 because it blows me away and at my age, it will be the last camera I buy. It's amazing! What a great way to finish the adventure.
Hi Tony. I can totally relate to your feelings that the old skill set that you developed and mastered feels like it's no longer valued. But, we do learn and continue to learn. Like Chelsea said you would need to adapt with your skill set with the current trend of cell phones which you already have with drones. I would love to get a drone and learn. But, I loved the "Airwolf" reference and I loved the show just like you did. Thank you as usual!
After I discovered your channel last year, you guys inspired me to go out and explore more with my camera, I'm at the point right now where I'm ready to drop an installation in the local library. Keep it up. :)
You are both correct; Chelsea from the standpoint of logic, Tony from the viewpoint of aesthetics. Tony knows and understands that the knowledge and art of photography got him where he is today, and he is reflecting on the thought that he would not have had a chance with Chelsea if it were not for the magic he could do with light waves...........and now there is an app. for that ??? The journey is important too.
Thats one of your best video ever. I’m just an amateur and enjoy all of what you do. I’m not your generation but not your kids either. Late 30s I feel for you. But she is so right. And even if the photo you’ve learn over the last 25 years changed so much it will never be dead as long as you and other people like me are alive. There will still be people enjoying the old school way of doing things.
You guys need to create a ‘photographers anonymous’ because I feel the same way as Tony but I also feel what Chelsea talks about that many people use their phone/photography to express themselves.
Tony do not fret, @1 am 75 and spent my career in advertising photography....your seeing eye is gained from years of experience and we all still have that. It is always valued and can't be learned overnight...
It’s a pretty sad video, particularly after having just watched how “That Nikon Guy”/ Matt Granger just got rid of his entire Nikon dslr/lens collection… I perfectly understand Tony’s stance on the current unsettling way of things, where he finds his skills are suddenly no longer in demand, when the photo industry switched from DSLRs to mirrorless and from actual photography to mostly video/content management. (I’ve never really been a 'professional' photographer, as it’s been a hobby of mine for about 20 years, though all this time I was buying and using pro gear to satisfy my desire for quality equipment.) ...This whole madness with smartphones has created generation of MWCs, (men with the cameras)/women included, where I’ve seen a tremendous leap in technology, however I yet to see the equally sizeable leap in creativity and quality. Tony, great and skillful photographers are very hard to find and they will always be in high demand. I really feel your pain, (as much as Chelsea tried to levitate the situation), as I’ve never seen you being so upset - and it’s understandable. To be a hobbyist is one thing, but to feed your family in the rapidly changing industry is another. The way I see it is that the entire creative photo/video industry is driven by younger generation of content creators, who don’t really have much respect or need for formal and therefore “older” photographic institution, forcing us, “older”/seasoned folks, in turn, to adapt to their creative new visions and standards, based on what forever changing industry dictates. Smart phones, with their computer-based “skills”, produce algorithm-based results, but will never replace a human. To make a parallel, this is akin to a symphonic orchestra composer, who is used to writing music scores, and who’s suddenly pushed to abandon his life-long skills and instead “fall in love” with consumer-grade digital pianos with their auto-accompaniment features, that require only one-finger playback in every music style, without putting much thought into the final result, as the computer "will fix it in the mix"… These AI “innovations” kill individuality and promote mediocrity. Unfortunately, in many areas of our lives, quality took a backseat to cheap consumerism and superficiality. So, don’t get upset, my friend. Instead, use what you’ve always been using equipment and knowledge-wise, while still adapting to newer standards, as “newer” is not always better.
Tony, I totally feel you on this. I went through a similar process of mourning and realization, in the late 90s, when digital started taking over from film. I started out in film myself. Photography. In 1988, with D76, darkrooms, enlargers, etc. Then, 10 years later, I enrolled at NYU film & TV. It was actually between 98 - 2000, in school, that I felt the wave changing over to digital in earnest. I wrestled with it. Overwhelming romantic attachment to film, the process, the artifacts, the grain-plus let's remember, digital video sucked 22 years ago. but the writing was on the wall. FCP was released, unshackling us from AVID editing suites, opening the door for independent filmmakers. I knew back then that it wasn't going to pay to cling to the old ways. One of my habits is when I intuit this kind of thing, I jump. I jump into the new and I adapt. Better to do it early. But I think what you were expressing feeling here is very real. And while I appreciate Chelsea’s perspective, she also made your case for you. Photography is not enough anymore. You have to be a one-stop shop for Media. Yes there was additional work you had to do as a photographer in the old world, but it's not equivalent. Yes, everything changes, but that doesn't mean it isn't sad to watch an industry die. And let's be real, film photography is dying. That's why we went from SLR to DSLR, to mirrorless… And there ain't no more negative involved. Yes there will always be a niche market for it. But digital media has reshaped the entire landscape. There is a very real and hard to describe feeling of frustration and loss and anxiety when an entire body of technical knowledge you wrestled with and mastered suddenly appears obsolete. It's easy to feel like you wasted 10, 20, 30 years of your life. I went through that very same process and I would never diminish it or try to explain it away. There really is no pat answer. Yes you can adopt in your case and you are adapting and you are doing well, so that's good. It's not all doom and gloom. But some people *are* pushed out of their livelihood. The world is always changing, we are always having to adapt, and some people will be able to adapt. But for some people it will be too late. Some people don't have the means to reinvent or branch out. So while I think it's important to stay optimistic, there's no question that it's difficult and hard making a living in fields where technological change is guaranteed, and can overturn careers. On the other hand, I spent 10 years working labor jobs after I quit high school at 16, and before I went back, to enroll in photography. So there're worse things to do for money.
I second that Avid comment. I use it (soon past tense because I quit this week) for work, and it sucks for anything but newsroom use. FCPX is fast, easy, and way cooler.
Excellent presentation!!! Thank you! I am about two decades older than Tony. His sharing of the emotional impact of his technical skills being easily available to every “smart phone” owner was very endearing. Many of us struggle with similar changes across our modern economy. Then the understanding, compassionate, unrelenting, uncompromising, but HOPEFUL response given by Chelsea made this video universal and timeless. I repeat, “THANK YOU!”
Awesome video and perspective. I was into photography many years ago when my Canon A1 was the latest and greatest thing out there. I recently retired and needed a hobby. I decided photography was something I always loved and found fascinating so why not dive back into it. My camera gear was really outdated. I updated to a Canon EOS R full frame and a couple of new lenses. fortunately, with the adapter I can still use most of my old lenses. I completely agree with Tony about changes in the way pictures and videos are taken, thought put into framing, etc. is just not seen as being important by the younger generations. Almost every parent has a photo album or two (I've got 27) that shows the life of them and their family. What will the younger generations have to show moments of their life? At 67, I do appreciate some of the camera automations. Having worked in the high-tech industry most of my life I found adapting to change was a constant challenge. The photo industry is no different. The key to dealing with evolving tech is to learn how to incorporate your existing expertise to use it to create photo's that emote and emotion, capture a subject that leaves to viewer wanting to know more about it and video's that not only tell a story but do so while compelling the viewer to have an emotional response.
Great video! I am an old school amateur photographer so I needed to “learn” the skills you two speak of to shoot film. Now everything is done in post production. I was resentful when the digital world moved in but now love it. Smart phones can, and do , kick butt. The mind needs to stay open on so many levels. Thanks for reminding me of that!
I feel the pain as well - so many of the photos I see on social media just look over saturated, over processed, and even photos I really enjoy, it was 90% lightroom work versus capturing a great shot
Biggest problem is that while the tech becomes more available, the technical knowledge becomes more irrelevant. Digital cameras (including smartphones) use a sensor to capture light data (info). So it's different than film. You want to try and have all the data in the middle of the histogram, light in the shadows and diffusing highlights (where possible). All this must be done whilst shooting to reap the full benefits of digital sensors. When done correctly, post production can be used to its maximum potential, control now gained over all the data the sensor captured because the photographer had the skill and knowledge to fill his shadows and diffuse his highlights. He understands that the point is to pack as much information into the sensor as possible because as RAW data, it can all be used and manipulated. I find it so ironic boomers shooting with DSLRs claiming to do it all in camera. If you're gonna do that, go back to film, where it looks right because digital is NOT film and it's sad that the photo community never learned this. You need to do in-camera work, the actual shoot, DIFFERENTLY than you would for film. You actually want to capture a very boring image that will not appear very visually striking. Most dslr's should have some way to quickly apply filters to give you an idea of what your shooting could look like after some typical edits. My point: the people complaining do not understand the problem anymore than those they are choosing to criticize.
@@tailong9548 I feel like you should be able to know how to do both. It's also important to get exposures correct in-camera and be able to produce decent sooc jpegs. Sometimes youre just not gonna have time to import all your photos to LR and spend hours post-processing photos. This is definitely what's missing a lot today. Lots of people with their fancy Sony full frame cameras are being taught to underexpose their images by more than 2-3 stops to protect the highlights cuz the sensors have so much dynamic range that they can just push the shadows in post significantly and still get quality images. The tech has advanced to a point where its arguably more important to have post-production skills than getting it right in camera. In that sense photography is losing its traditional art form but whats being gained are people with excellent skills in graphic design and can turn any photo into something more magical. Just my 2c.
@@tailong9548 some good points. Us old dogs have to change with the times and even good 'ol Ansel Adams messed with his pics quite a bit in the darkroom LOL
The non technical aspect has always been first and foremost when it comes to photography. A technically perfect photo can suck. A photo that misses the technical marks can still be a great photo.
100% I think the problem now is that you have billions of people taking photos. Odds are that there will be millions if not billions of brilliant photos generated each year where only 20 or 30 years ago there would’ve been a small fraction of that generated each year.
Smartphone photography and urban exploration is what drove me to buying my first “real” camera (an a7Riii), but the portability, ease-of-entry, and weatherproof iPhone I already had in my pocket is what opened my eyes to the appreciation of the world around me in a different way. However, its limitations as a cellphone first and foremost held me to a standard, and a shot, that I wanted move beyond, which I recognized could only be done by growing to the next level. It was this channel and y’all’s content that lessened my intimidation of such a vast knowledge base and financial commitment. For those of us that truly love the artistry of photography, the desire for betterment will always move us beyond satisfactory. Thanks for that you’ve done for this community, and take pride in being ambassadors to such a timeless and ever changing craft!
What I hate is photography seems to have become more "digital art" because people so over process pictures and blend many shots without pointing that out. Even sports photographers photos are looking more like a Madden game instead of looking real.
Excellent couched conversation on this subject. You played this out well with yin to yang and Tony's emotions were palpable and relatable as many of us are greying gracefully too. Ironically my 25 year old daughter appreciates when I have my Leica M5 with me vs my XPro3 as she loves the "nostalgia" my film captures give her of us captured in candids as a family. Scanning and saving film frames in web quality then sharing to her, to see her then post on her social media and the quality gets bashed again, the resulting images to my eye are atrocious...but she loves it as do her friends as it;s clearly NOT iPhone footage. Lovely job here ~ Cheers Peter
I am fully agree with you. People don't even print pictures anymore. Sad day for sure. I have been following you both for years. I let go many of my high end camera gears and keep just a few. My cellphone is my vacation camera. I kept Just the last one Sony A6400 with sigma and Tamron lens. It is because it's somewhat tiny and small. Thank you for everything you both do.
I enjoeyed how you set up this video with Tonys concerns and thoughts resonating with many photographers and then Chelsea seeing the upside of the way technology is helping people to be creative without necessarily needing to understand and study the usual photographic theory and science , similar I think in music production which I have seen change since my days in th 1980s owning thousands of dollars of hardware taking up my bedroom space, now more sonic power and artistic freedom is available just on a laptop to compose music using a massive arsenal of freely available virtual instruments. I easily identified with Tonys thoughts and feeling sand my observations about the photography playing field being leveled and how your own daughter sees studio photography as being a bit of a relic in some ways, not spontateous and real life compared to smart phone captures and creativity around this approach - I noticed that the actors, models, musicians, performers that I do shoots with all of them are having a wealth of smartfone shots on their profiles and social media and formal photography is a secondary thing. For this reason I see my portrait, headshot, fashion and concept work currently as just one of the creative services I offer though I would like to grow much more. Meanwhile I also am providing product photography, video, motion even 3D and all of it, combines harmoniously in multiple offerings - if I was more business savvy and clever I would find a way to package , promote and market myself to be able to open a business/go freelance one day. And I have to add that in the past it was seen as a bad thing to be multidisciplinary, and that one should specialise - well I see it differently I always enjoy being invlved in different areas of creative work and as you mentioned also, a photographer doesnt just click a button, its about concieving ideas, concepts, planning, selecting equipment , backdrops, lighting, creating a scene, mood and looks - on top of this post production and often video, prints, the list goes on and learning is never finished!
My photography business keeps growing every year, with that being said we've added video to our packages/collections recently. I like videos that incorporate stills. Behind the scenes videos look good with stills in the video to see what they captured. I think I'm going to be okay because I know how to direct models that don't know how to move for the camera. Also my daughter styles our fashion photoshoots and she's great at editing on Tik Tok and we have my 78 year old Dad who has been a professional photographer since the 60s and he just helped me do the lighting in the studio for an ecommerce fitness/athleisure photoshoot.
Thank you, Chelsea and Tony! I feel your angst, Tony! But, I agree with Chelsea more. I appreciate the various tech and gear that helps me do my Tog work better, or easier. Especially my mirrorless Nikon Z6 and the great lenses I have with it, like my Z 70-200 f2.8 S, and my Z 14-30 f4 S, too! I can get great shots that I couldn't get before. The color rendering these lenses produce, and even via the low light capability of my Z6, is incredible, and no smartphone can match that! As you very well know, the sensor size over those found on smartphones, enables me to do my work in real estate and architectural photography. I was surprised about your comment regarding wildlife photography, as no smartphone can get great pics like a great zoom lens and camera can. There's no way any smartphone camera can match a mirrorless camera's capabilities. It now becomes compositional capabilities over just snap-shooting. Even in Smartphone pics. This is why I call a snapshot a "pic", as opposed to an "image" that needed thought, calculations, observation, patience, and technical expertise and the right gear to accomplish that image. That is a skill that is still in high demand. There are marketing services that provide leads for portraits, etc. that pay pretty good per session, that need that skillset that professional photographers can only provide. Airwolf was an awesome show! They don't make good shows like that anymore, do they?😎
recently i was a guest at a wedding so i took along my trusty D7200 and 35mm lens....there was a professional photographer with his assistants and and a load of state of the art canon and sony gear.....i kept well out of their way but they kept giving me stink face,i couldn't figure out why but now you say image quality hasn't noticeably improved in the last few years maybe they were afraid of the little nikon?
Because expensive gear doesn't mean they will deliver a good job. I saw things botched at commercial level too. If they know what they are doing, they should not be afraid or bothered by you unless you were disrupting their staged (pre-planned) collective and individual shots, say, by talking to the subjects about their poses, etc (too many cooks may spoil the broth).
I have experienced this a few times in my life; Before, there were few people that could take good photos because there was a barrier to entry into the hobby&profession. When I got started, there were restrictions because of capital investment, there was skill/learning curves, and there was creative ability. Before my time, you can add the additional skills for developing and dark room techniques... the ol' dodge & burn. As technology moved on, cameras became cheaper, film became easier to developer (just drop it off), then digital meant anyone could take a photo with no costs for a shutter press... So, as a professional, you make money by doing something that others want but can't do themselves. So that's why pro photographers are fewer and farther between. Now people can do it themselves and therefore don't value the skill any more. The same thing happens to software coders/developers. Before, it was an elite group of nerds and geeks. Then, it became a desirable skill set and money was made. Now, it's a commodity and you can hire a boatload of unnamed developers off-shore with no faces even at low rates to develop whatever you want. Every time the barriers of entry are reduced, people lose their cash cow and it sucks to be on that declining side, but it is a helluva ride on the rise up. Some people cut-bait, jump on the next escalator up... that gets harder to do over time because specialists take time to become masters. and once you are no longer a master, you have to do it all over again and compete with the young and energetic. So the trick is to continually look for the next escalator and overlap your skillset from one thing to the next... like you did with photography to youtube creator, taking one skill set and rolling it into the next so that you are on to mastering the next thing. Here's my question back to you... when the UA-cam/social media cashcow dwindles, what do you see yourself doing 'next'?
Tony, you have expressed my sentiments exactly. It has taken me 10+ years to learn photography from scratch thanks to UA-cam and shows like yours. Now I find myself disillusioned with all the changes and feel that it’s all been for nothing. iPhone photos are amazing now and they’re only going to get better. I’m also disillusioned with social media and just recently deactivated my IG and Twitter accounts. Photos get lost and there are too many ads and reels in IG that don’t interest me. I’m hanging in there though and hope that Chelsea is right. Thanks for another great video 🙏🏻😊
Tony is a purist and I love it. Those among us who are "traditional" at heart and appreciate the work that goes into learning the best way to do things and the little intricacies, will appreciate this.
Chelsea, Tony needs a hug. You guys are always so good. If photography is so simple and anyone can do it, I hope it eclipses graffiti. I want the graffiti "artists" to feel lonely. Graffiti is right up there with tattoos. I hate words with twin letters. It's so, ah, well...
Hi Tony & Chelsea I have watched this video a couple of times I took a few videos with a video camera. I came from a still photography background. I agree with the things we needed to take a photo ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Then I would head off to the darkroom for hours. But I agree with you both. Now people can pick up the camera and just press the button without thinking about it. Yes Tony I loved when the store I used to work for got new cameras I got invited to the buying office to see the new cameras that we going to carry which was exciting to me back in around the 1977-79 era. I was the camera guy back in highschool I took photos for the newspaper. Yes developed the negatives and make the custom sized prints. That brings back so many memories, my dad was my teacher . Have to say I enjoy your channel a lot.
I'm 71 years old. My career was Mechanical Designer. I was one of the first to learn AutoCAD, a computer drafting program. It opened so many doors for me; TRW, San onofre nuclear power plant, Edward Air Force Base, an American Airlines. But then, but then, came SolidWorks, the 3D solid modeling program. Now every high school kid has learned AutoCAD, no big deal. The answer? At 65 I went back to college. There I found, because of my basic drafting skills and my AutoCAD background, that I was way ahead of these young students. I don't care if you have the best cell phone, the best cell phones photography camera, you still need to know how to shoot a great picture. I love you both. You taught me, with your books and your online show, so very much. Along with my 4 years of college photography classes you have taught me most of my photography skills. But what we (new and old photographers) need now is how to convert the knowledge you have given us to the new modern tools; cell phones, photo editing software, video editors, etc. How do we take better pictures with our cell phones? How can we make money using these modern tools? Grasp the future and become the masters of it like you have so brilliantly in the past. You're only outdated when you stop evolving. I will continue to watch your amazing and educational show as long as you decide to not give up. Looking forward to learning more. Again, I love you both for being so real. 🥰
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WARNING! We are NOT doing a giveaway right now. Anyone contacting you and claiming to be us is running a scam.
No Tony is right, the art of image making is DEAD. We need to go back to painting and drawing for some appreciation. Others wise you simply have some money-grab intention. Its DONE..And only the commercial feeder remains. No one wants to be a part of deception and greed, which is what the demand boils down to. Photography today is like getting dressed in the morning, looking in the mirror and seeing if your honest to yourself.
@@mikhailphoto31 Na... Someone has to feel influential! ;-) The fact is that the art in photography is very slim at this point.
@@philindeblanc have you seen what AI is capable of doing? I've seen paintings, drawings,3d work done by AI and its simply outstanding I've heard music, arrangements, and composing and they are astonishing. With deep fakes eventually, there will be no need for models and actors. All these will serve mostly business and AI isn't even up to its full potential. It's not that I looking forward to this I'm seeing the future of content creation and i don't like it.
I got contacted and have seen this scam before on other channels. Did not fall for it. Thanks Tony and Chelsea. Yall are awesome. :)
photographer becomes the mediagrapher of the future
Bring back live critiques. Give people a reason to shoot and edit and show some photos. Instagram is becoming a place of fake reality. It's no longer a place for photographers to show their work.
Nah, it's not fake when you control what you like and follow. Do agree with the photo critique though.
Was it ever?
definitely agree about live critiques!
Yes pleaseeeee!!!!!!
Photography is perception… and an editing of life… there’s a reason why we use different focal lengths to get different perspectives and looks…
I enjoy Instagram because it’s partly a motivation to sort and process my photos but also I appreciate people appreciating my work… even if it’s occasionally a picture of a traffic cone because it was a particularly intense and sensor-ally pleasurable shade of yellow…mostly it’s my friends and that’s all I need…
Good video! I’m a 65 year old retired graphic designer who is also a semi-professional photographer. But I have always found pro-photography to be a rather expensive hustle that I never came around to embracing fully. Given that, my photography has mostly been a hobby. I shoot digital mirrorless but about a year and I half ago I found my passion for 35mm film photography. I collect vintage film SLRs and shoot with them in rotation or two at a time (one loaded with color film and the other loaded with black and white). I agree with what you say, Tony, because it’s true. People, today, don’t seem to create photography, the computer in the smart phone does it all for them. For me, however, I couldn’t care less what photography is “evolving” into as I am in my own little bubble world and I do what makes me gratified and happy. After shooting 20+ years digitally, I can now say that I, like my predecessors of yesterday, CREATE photography with my Nikon F, my Canon FTb, my Minolta SRT-303, my Canon AE-1, my Olympus OM2SP, my Nikon FA. All of these cameras, are 30+ years old and some as old as 50 years old and refurbished. I have a lab develop my film and give me 4”x 6” prints and I scan my negatives at home on my Epson V600 film scanner so I can post them online. For me, I don’t care who’s doing what or what the current trends are or if most people are using smart phones. Like I said, I couldn’t care less. Whatever floats your boat. I do what I want and in photography, I do what makes me happy. And I am quite thrilled to be creating photography with my vintage, ancient film SLRs.
you are still posting it online where people dont even know if its film or digital effect of a film style , and they dont even care . That is why i dont post my photos online , i feel that no one cares and i dont earn anything since im not a pro , so why post it . I need no one to tell me my picture is good . If they want it , they can ask for it ,so its mostly family that asks for my photos , they learned that my photos are good , at least better then smartphone in any case , so we hold regular photoshoots , i even get assistants :)
But i dont post it , only problem being that i never get pictures of my self .
Hence im on the market for 6D , with Wifi remote live view , and shooting my self is going to happen .
I love your post. I used to develop my own stuff - both at home and in a lab - You have given me new ideas! Thanks!
@@lindasheffield999 Hi Linda! What cameras do you use?
Wow I'm a bit younger & I also used to do graphic design but it went so tech and photography followed suite. I do semi-pro stuff mainly stock photos but you still need the composition & technical skills to take great photos that you learnt in your design diploma back in the day whether its film or digital
I feel exactly the same. Whilst not a pro, I shoot only as a hobby so don't have to follow the latest "trends" of TickTock/Instagram/Clients etc. I moved over to film exclusively about 7 years ago and roll my own film from bulk, develop at home and scan on a Epson V750. My favorite camera is a Canon FT QL which has only 3 controls - aperture, shutter speed and focus. The rest doesn't matter. I do have much more advanced film SLR's, but I prefer the more basic Canon because it actually poses a challenge to "get it right". I'm happy with this - I've stopped caring about the latest gear being released, megapixels, eye autofocus etc. and just focus on the quality of the photo. I don't shoot as much as I would digitally, but each photo has more value to me as apposed to the hundreds of thousands of photos sitting on my harddrive. Whilst I still upload to instagram or facebook sometimes, it's only for family/friends and not for the the "likes" or to be a influencer. So, do what makes you happy.
Camera sales are down 93%? Oy Vey... However, my schedule is still full and I could employ three of me full time. True, smartphones are everywhere... also true, studio demand is waaaay down. There are still photographers charging per pose and per shot as if using film. Most of them are struggling. I'm always looking ahead and enjoying the versatility that new gear offers. I do love the new Z9, just covered a wedding and could shoot silent through prayers and every moment was not ruined by a shutter click. I keep thinking I need a photographic plan-B, yet people continue to call and schedule sessions without slowing down. Interacting with, and directing people, remain the most important aspect of successful portrait photography, it's assumed we know the gear. I call them organic non-gmo portraits :) keep it natural looking while exploiting the amazing capabilities of new gear :) This was a great coffee break session. THANK YOU BOTH!
Maybe you have a full calendar but the prices are going down for sure and is full of kids doing it for nothing and with cameras on auto. I gave up competing with them. There are even 2-3 people and some doing video and all, all with cameras on auto. Next day they deliver and edit with a disgusting grading done with a 15$ LUT they got from the web and they are ready for the next gig. This is the current status where i am, in central europe.
@@darviniusb They are in their own category, and my clients aren't shopping for those creators. Sorry it's frustrating you so much.
@@darviniusb What's the difference in the end product? Genuine question. What order of magnitude worse - 10%, 20%, 50%?
Camera companies should be putting the same software into their products that smart phone companies do. Smart phones have much better image processing stuff in the background, image stabilization, etc
As an old, retired Architect, I've needed to adapt from T-square to arm machine to CADD. But just as in photography, you can't teach that most important component which is the 'Art.' That intangible yet most critical aspect which separates the everyday from the 'Wow!' The two of you have given me stimulus to further explore my photography and for that I am eternally grateful. Your enthusiasm is contagious. I consider you two of my best friends which I've never met. Thanks for all you do.
Thanks Keith, you said it for me. Tony and Chelsea are a great team.
As a previous Architectural Technician, I totally agree with your comments. Great analogy. Who really misses the Pelican Graphos pen and nibs anyway!
Don't despair, Tony. It's not the industry; it's you. It happens to the best of us...we get a little older, a little wiser and, dare I say it, a little grumpier. Thank goodness you have beautiful and wise Chelsea to level your keel.
My father recalled the biggest lesson he learned near the end of getting his master's degree in music (and went on to be a professional musician his entire life). On the last day of a post-grad music theory class, after years of studying the intricacies of music technicality, the professor said, as his final lesson, "but ultimately, does it sound good?"
For anyone behind a camera: Ultimately, does it look good?
The problem I feel like is that the standard has been raised on editing side quite a bit. 10-15 years ago a good subject, correct exposure and some creative framing could be enough to make a good photograph that could stand out. That is not true anymore, each of the "good looking" photographs in social media are so heavily edited now that the edited version is a completely different form of art almost. I don't have editing skill amd thats what fraustrates me.
Meanwhile, my 27 year old daughter and her friends are now shooting film with 70s SLRs because they got sick of phone photos, and because they want to learn how it all works and because it feels more like art. It's funny and also touching to hear them complain about exposure, focus, and shutter speed going wrong, and the various camera problems they are having. They are enjoying the same struggles we did.
I've explained the exposure triangle more than a couple times, and I've realized I just need to give her my old Joy of Photography book.
I feel like a lot more people are taking up film photography nowadays than say, around 10 years ago. Especially young females I've noticed. But that's pretty cool. Because it opens up different photographic opportunities and creative ideas. And it's all good fun.
Yeah my son uses all my old om1 lenses and loves them.
The dark side of automation is that it makes it possible to take passable photos with zero understanding of how it happens. I don't know how many times I've seen someone say "my kids changed the settings on my camera and now I can't take photos." I learned on manual film cameras and that experience has proven to be invaluable. I certainly use a fair bit of the automation in my latest generation camera bodies - but I also know what to do when the big dial is set to "M".
My is carrying a film camera wherever he goes. An oddity indeed. And I switched to digital almost around 20 years ago, completely, although I kept buying him film and digital cameras for him when he was a kid.
That's awesome. For us, it's going backward to use film. For young photographers it's going forward.
I still thank you for the F16 etc enabling me to enjoy this awesome hobby! I love video and telling a story and do so at age 80 ♥️.
No matter what happens in the industry, I will always love photography. Sure, making money doing something you love is important. However, if you enjoy it, do it anyway! Composition and design never get old. Do Cartier-Bresson's photos seem dated? Do moments ever stop happening? Does personal vision ever become obsolete? For those who can appreciate such things, I think there will always be a market and group to belong to. Sure, there is a lot of noise and a flood of flashy imagery out there. Those types of images are getting easier and easier to make without the struggles of editing for long hours in Photoshop or even using an action. However, that's when one has to become epicurean about their own approach and get off the treadmill of trying to please others. Photograph what you love, create the images you would enjoy making for yourself and ignore the static. :)
What struck me was each time Tony and Chelsea start talking about Square Space, and how easy it is to drag and drop photos to create a website, it got me thinking how other folks who earned a living from building websites from scratch would feel. They would be feeling frustrated too! Technology will keep evolving and everyone has to evolve as well! Great conversation though!
touche!
Think about all the entrepeneurs creating and finally seing alive their idea thanks to these platforms tho.
Easy, they need to upgrade selling bespoke customised design with suitable font relevant to your purpose requires technical knowledge and artistic sense
nice one!!! hahaha
I’m a full time “web producer” I used to code HTML/CSS for clients but nowadays I drag & drop content in CMS(Content Management System) for my clients instead - thank god I still have a job
A heart felt interview and Tony’s feelings are very similar to mine . I am a professional photographer of 35 years experience. I’ve gone from working with 10”x8” plate cameras to top end Canon DSlRs . I still love photography and feel very privileged to have been able to make a living from it . BUT I can’t see how anyone would be able to make a good living from photography now . Everything is to open to everyone. The craft has gone and therefore the demand has gone . It saddens me greatly , but that’s just the way it is:) to quote Grayson Perry “We live in an age where photography rains on us like sewage from above.” I’m sad to say it’s true :(((
Your last sentence here underlines the need for us to always carry a 'photo sewage umbrella'👌
I feel like Tony (my passion is medium format, black & white, night photography). The "Art" of making great images is truly going away. I've gone "full circle" from a simple "point & shoot" camera to a medium format film camera (Hasselblad) and making prints on "fiber paper" in the darkroom, back to point & shoot digital cameras. Photographers no longer need to understand the "how" to make great images, they can simply take 100 shots, throw it in to Photoshop and create a "perfect" image with software. 😞
I am with Tony on this one.
I am struggling with a similar thing in IT.
I spent many years analyzing business work flows and turning them into data designs that would support the businesses long term.
We had a simple language called SQL to access this rationally defined information.
Now there is an idea that raw data can just be thrown into big data junk piles and Google, Microsoft or Amazon will make sense out of it.
However, sloppily defined and captured data has a very low usability level.
People throw together pretty charts and Power Points but when the underlying data is examined it tells businesses nothing.
It is much easier to make junk look good.
Privately, I struggle with Light Room trying to make metadata true and useful as I scan 100 years of family history.
The good is that the metadata is very flexible but the bad is that it is difficult to make data consistent and persistent.
I want metadata my great-great grandchildren will see, when they want to know about earlier generations.
In quality photography its all about composition and capture, if you want to tell a true story.
One result of the modern trend toward irrationality is people see so many happy pictures of acquaintances in Facebook and compare against there own lives.
They become depressed and self-harming.
Wouldn't we rather be Ansel Adams than Jo Snap-chat?
At the end of my 40 year career of rationality and quality design, I now see a new, overwhelming pile of useless stuff that will only benefit the current fiscal quarter.
We can only insist on quality in our own work and hope that someone will be willing to pay us for it.
(I am sorry about the rant.)
Hi there retired and can seriously relate :)
You’re wrong. Corporations don’t pay people to make their data less usable or harder to get at. I’m a dba and if you do make corporate data less usable or harder to get at - you’re fired.
@@tennissir1986 Yeah, he's 40 plus years wrong. You guys are something else.
@@tennissir1986 yep, if he knows SQL I know where he can earn $150K yearly to start.
@@Mike-vd2qt I only work for $200K.
OMG, I SAW IT'S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE. I was thinking, "Oh no, no more video's".We need you both! Your video's are amazing! 1.56 M subscibers and 2,375 comments on just this video. That shows the value that that you both are!
Unfortunately I agree with Tony. So much has already been lost in the industry. Sad ...
Exactly, and unfortunately a lot of people are afraid to talk about it in fear of being pointed fingers at and then getting a negative impact from community. Really bad that now days everything has to be one-sided or you have everything to lose 😔
what has been lost?
Ask the camera industry with sales of cameras and accessories down as much as 90% in many markets.
it's like this with so many things.
@@georgemelo6124 Pro cameras are selling well actually.
Fascinating & uplifting presentation!
Evolution & adaptation to social media trends & algorithms is key. Loved the interplay between Chelsea's motivational insights & Tony's expertise.
Photography has been a big part of my life in over 40 years. I still love it as much today as when I started. And the technical development is fantastic.
I just watched a photographer on youtube embracing the notion that we should all reinvent ourselves every two years. And it doesn't just apply to photographers. The world is changing. Always changing. You either adapt, or you fall by the wayside.
It's not about the camera, it's about the person capturing the image and the person experiencing it. As a photographer, it doesn't matter *what* device you're using, if you're not able to *see* the image in the first place you're never going to be able to capture it. If you *can* see it, you have increasingly better chances of capturing it successfully.
Forget the tech. It's all in the picture. As long as you're about great pictures - and not great cameras - you're golden.
16x9 isn't going anywhere. humans have eyes that are horizontally spaced, and our field of vision is widescreen. biology will eventually course-correct tech trends. xoxo
It depends on which kind of content you shoot. When filming a person, especially a pretty girl, it fits best vertical
@@seannoithat9999 only pretty girls? I photographed hundreds of weddings during 33 years and seldom had a really pretty girl but each had a partner and yes, verticals look best as verticals and horizontals look best in landscape mode. Unfortunately, the screen we view unless the phone (although I still enjoy using landscape mode instead of portrait mode) just does not provide the same sized image in portrait mode as it does in landscape mode which is the way it sits naturally.
@@phlotographer well, not “only”, but especially. You wanna look at both their legs and their face, their outfits, as detailed as possible, right? Do you need to see the background or side objects to them? Of course not, those are unnecessary part of the image, the ones we don’t care about, so clearly filming horizontal doesn’t make any senses.
@@phlotographer i was so much against vertical videos back in the days (5,6 years ago). Back then no video apps or websites support the vertical view. But when they did, like youtube, and now is tiktok, it makes perfect senses watching videos vertical, i don’t have to turn my screen sideway. In a small screen like a phone’s screen, watching people in vertical mode is much more comfortable. I love shooting & rewatching my kids videos this way. Things reinvented themselves all the time, we have to move on
What a great discussion! I so needed to hear this, I’ve been feeling like a old man lately, thank you guys for all you’ve taught me over the years, I’m a full-time professional photographer with so much work I can hardly keep up, I appreciate you both a ton
I’ve been self employed for 45 years in the graphic, reproduction, photo, video, web, youtube, digital everything business, and I can tell you that I have seen a ship load of change. And I have had to take every one of those challenges on with enthusiasm and yes, throw out the old gear and upgrade at a great expense, but that’s life in this medium.
I’m 67 (as of 2 days ago) and I just returned to my home base here in Canada after taking on a Canadian video project in Sedona AZ. There is still plenty of work out there, and yes, you still need to learn and reinvent yourself all the time. And you need to love doing that. I’m excited because I have so much to learn. I’m stepping into more Log footage and colour grading. I just bought the remote controlled Tilta Mirage VND matte box to control exposure better… Wow! Is that not an awesome tool?? That exposure control in the sun drenched Arizona State was so cool. I’m not getting old, nor am I giving up the art of learning. There has never been more opportunities to grow and create a business than there are right now. The secret? Show up ready! Read, learn, watch videos, practise, try stuff, figure out what others are doing, recognize material that amazes you and learn how to do it. There is no going back, change is the one thing you can always depend on. Now, we “Learn a Living” not ‘Earn a Living’. And yes, there is going to be a “Smart Camera’!! It’s going to happen and it will take us into yet another world of possibilities. Get excited!
Hell yeah, keep that new tech coming! I'm 49 and I'm loving the new tools available to professionals.
Happy Birthday. Digging this energy.
I agree wholeheartedly with Tony! I for one value his tutorial videos and the shooting skills.
Another salient and necessary perspective video from you guys. Y’all are my FAVORITE photography channel, and a true voice for the community that is lacking in the influencer realm of this new era of photography. I think that is part of the feeling of loss, that the “community of specialists” has now lost its raison d’être, since the specialization has given way to a democratization of skill and entry costs. However, the new generation has its own challenges and own barrier- not one of entry, but of expertise. In a world where everyone can become a pro in record speed, the need to stand out, to differentiate, and reinvent/progress the medium, is even MORE dire now. The existential anxiety of being lost in the noise, is forever present and getting worse. Old masters such as your generation are our guides and role models. Outdated in some senses by the extreme pace of change, but honored and respected FOR that mastery and fundamental understanding that is lacking in most of the quick-entry generation. Nothing really replaces years of experience, incremental progress, and creative drive to make onesself better. To me, those are the true hallmarks and core competencies of the pro photographers. And they’re not easily learned either. Thank you for your light in guiding and shaping the community.
"I miss feeling special."
i started photographing professionally in 1977 and built my skills for 35+ years. I totally get both sides of this.
Really glad that I don't need to build a business in this market though.
Tony, most people do not know how to ride a horse nowadays, and most people from 100 years ago did not know how to drive a car. My original thesis for my MFA was "technology deskills people", and I abondoned that topic later.
Don't get me wrong. There are still people riding horses, shooting films, making funiture with hand tools only. People truly love a subject will keep perfecting it.
I think Instagram is killing conventional 35mm photography as an art. 70% of posters on Instagram don't know what an f-stop is. I think Flickr was the last best alternative that I personally used.
So promote and support Flickr. It's still going and it works.
Doesn't matter to me if they don't know what an f-stop is. You know and I know, and we know how to use it as a tool.
@@fingerhorn4 I support and promote photography as art. "Which media?" don't matter to me.
In what way do photographers on instagram not know what an f stop is? Do you mean like, they’re not intimately acquainted with the mathematics of it? Cause none of these bangers are being shot in auto.
Or are you ragging on them for shooting at f1.4 and 2.8 instead of 16
I agree with both of you. It's much easier to take photos these days. But, I feel I take better photos now than when I did not know anything about photography. Also, some photography fields are still better done with cameras than with a cell phone, such as wildlife, sports, astro...
yes, also photos that needs to overpowering the sun, compressed light etc. those techniques cannot be simply done with cell phone, if you get all the great length to photoshop then it is easier to do it right there already.
@@reddychan9819 Today's camera do the teknik, You do the motivs
Weddings, films, etc
Which photography fields are better done with a phone?
@@danielfortune4283 the spontanious one
The digital image is worthless today, but the printed image has still got a very high value, depending on your reputation.
The Print is still ultimate image and smart phone images dont print well in a large size. Smart phone images only display well on a smart phone.
Tony, your skill set will never become obsolete, your compassion for photography is evident. No matter how well technology for photography evolves, the composition and story of the image is driven by the photographer. It can only be well driven when the photographer understands the art of photography and post production editing. As an advanced practice nurse, I am seeing the profession change so much in the delivery of health care pre Covid, it concerns me that the new generation seems to want to rely on monitoring tools more than on patients . There are so so many ways to enjoy photography, I have a lot of images on my smart phone that are transferred via Wi-Fi from the camera. Tony, you must follow the trends with AI tech and help us. My background is science, the Academy of Arts University photography program has given me the tools and confidence in photography. I hope you will continue and embrace social media outlets, how are we going to appreciate the nuances of various tools without your input?
This s legitimately every conversation I ever had with you guys at a press event.
I had a client who wanted me to just take pictures of her and her family with HER IPHONE. She didn’t even care about my camera. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ got paid tho.
One of your greatest videos Tony & Chelsea, even though it’s not technical! I come from a photographers family but I wasn’t invested into it when I was younger. My father was a film photographer all his life, and I saw him feeling exactly the same when digital came around. My brother studied photography too, and he was starting right before the transition from film to digital, but he was very skilled in all sorts of technical things. Growing up with him, these technical skills were what I appreciated, and I ended up becoming an electrical & computer engineer. I also loved astronomy, so about a decade ago I was looking for a DSLR to attach to my telescope, and your videos were the ones that influenced me to buy a Canon T5i DSLR with the two kit lenses. At that time, all my cameras (after the very old film ones) were simple point and shoot. I had a Canon SX50HS which at the time naively I was thinking about it as being a DSLR replacement. When I saw the first photos coming out of that old T5i and I compared them side by side to that SX50, I couldn’t believe my eyes! I never left my camera home and I started shooting anything that would catch my eye! I started watching all your videos, trying to learn lighting and composition, I bought some of your books, along with many many other photography books for inspiration, and I kept practicing! Although the technical part was the thing that originally drew me to photography, the creative part was the thing that kept me always wanting to improve! I remember waiting every week to share my new photos in your videos, waiting for the next subject you’d put out for next week. It was all a challenge! I’m writing this as a thank you for all your effort all these years. Never stop evolving.
Social Media sucks. Teenagers suck. I would never gauge any of my hobbies based on the trends existent within either. I want to be in a totally different world. I like photography for ME. And the current competition being levies by modern Smartphones is only good for that. I'll probably have one of those phones anyway, and Camera manufacturers need to innovate more than they have in decades to stay relevant, or lend their tech too the mentioned phones we will all have. It feels like obsession over MPs, Autofocus, and IS it a net positive for Photography enthusiasts and Pros alike. The pros may need to make like the brands though and start thinking about how to be creative again.
I taught High School Photography for 36 years, now retired - Did both with the students, Film with Darkroom, Photoshop & Yearbook. I have also lived with all these changes. Gary from Michigan 😎
Adapt everything, changes are always there, in photography and in life!
In the 1920's, it was declared that the camera, which came into widespread use, had ruined painting. The influence of the camera pushed painting into the impressionist era. Cell phones are amazing, but cannot match the artistry and skill of a photographer with a camera.
+
Apparently TV was going to be the death of radio. Now we have TV, radio, streaming services, Spotify. No wonder we don’t have time to speak to people and have to text them.
One of the most on-point comments I've seen in a while. Thank you!
The camera is the reason modern art happened in painting. Abstract, impressionistic, surreal, symbolic, and psychological forms of art all came about because artists felt pressured into trying to do things that didn't compete with the realism of a camera.
This was the most helpful perspective changing interview… and it helped me refocus my mind. Thanks.
Just watched this video and I agree that there are strong arguments on both sides . What I think that has been lacking since the strong push of mirrorless cameras , best and newest lenses and comparisons of camera manufacturers has been what is still needed no matter what gear you have . What is missing is a back to basics of lighting , composition, and the other numerous factors to still get that stunning image we all desire. I would love to see you and Chelsea create some new back to basics videos on lighting, composition etc and equipment needed to achieve those shots . Would love to see your thoughts and uses with umbrellas, I hear the translucent umbrella gives both advantages of a soft box and diffuser . Thoroughly enjoy all your content and videos you bring to us . If anyone is in agreement with me on this let’s hear about your thoughts. Thank you. Sorry so lengthy
...dont forget the Ninja V +
It’s over. That’s just the reality. Back to basics is like trying to date your ex.
I empathize with Tony on many points. I just turned 50 and photography has gone through many changes in the last 40 years that I've been involved. I remember as a kid saving money for film and developing and learning photography on my fully manual Pentax K1000 (still works btw!). The conversion to digital, Photoshop, Lightroom, the birth of the internet and social media - what an amazing time of rapid and dramatic change to get to experience! I honestly feel blessed to have been able to experience it all. I wonder will the next generation be so lucky? I hope so.
Yep. I'm age 60. I began to ride the tech wave with my Radio Shack trs-80. I was first on with a social community in 1996 when Two-cows and AltaVista were trending. I too feel lost trying to find my new tech North Star. Aging sucks ;)
In my business I provide drone photography / videography as well as real estate photography. My drone business is seriously undercut by the hobbyists with a Mavic etc. and I've seen GBP £1M houses listed by a realtor with awful iPhone images. There is a definite dumbing-down of standards and people seem willing to accept this.
You get what you pay for.I only do real estate that pays well and wants a pro job. I dont do $150 shoots. I generally charge over $1500 a home. Display homes $2500 and I have done over 656 of them.
"The Art of Photography" is being lost as smartphones become more "intelligent". Photos are no longer displayed (printed), they are shared online and stored.
Tony is being real, Chelsea is optimistic and only seeing +ve.
To be a photographer you need the core skills and knowledge that Tony talks about.
As a retired art director I felt the same devaluation of skills but thanks to my creativity and fine arts background was able to move past it and always be open to new ways to workflow ease. Thanks guys
Please don't think that people aren't interested in learning all about photography. I bought your books years ago and progressed so fast with my first digital camera. I'm just a novice but I love learning how to take amazing photos. I don't want to take short cuts, it would feel like cheating to me. Looking at my wildlife and landscape photos gives me so much pleasure and enjoyment, nothing else can compare in my opinion. My photos make me very happy and that's all that matters. I am so grateful for your books and videos because without them I wouldn't have known where to start. It's been a masterclass for me and I still watch and learn from you both. I rarely comment on anything but I felt I had to let you know how important you both are especially with Tony looking so worried! Well done Chelsea for helping him out - you're both amazing and I'm hugely grateful to you both 🙏
The same we have seen with the HiFi music equipment industry. Who is interested nowadays in compiling a great HiFi system and listen to music exclusively (as a dedicated action)? This once huge market got reduced to a small niche and the majority of people is listening to heavily compressed music formats which sound "dead" compared with the real thing (either high quality CD or vinyl). The same will happen with classical photography. Sad but true. And the inflation of pictures and music files makes a more and more difficult to "filter out" what is really relevant from an artistic perspective.
Your view of things are on the mark and I have also been force to change.. Your UT channel has helped me make that change - THANK YOU.
This addresses my thoughts and feelings exactly. So glad I watched it as I have been lamenting the loss of craft and study in our business. Tony sounds just like me. Although things do evolve and change it seems that the old way of "paying your dues" is missing in a lot of younger photographers. I LOVE the art and craft of photography and I hope that new photographers can appreciate the giants whose shoulders we have stood on to learn about this wonderful business. You've made me think and have a better outlook on the future of photography. I still miss the "good old days though". Thanks so much for posting this video. I'm encouraged. All the best to both of you!!
After almost 45 years in Photography, I agree with you Tony 100%. It’s like a feeling of frustration because after so much hard work to learn the trade. I agree the reasons Chelsea gave, but I already took the desition to retire. I still watch your videos and learn a lot from them. That gives a sense of belonging, even though I out of the field for good. Keep up the good work. Blessings to you and your family.
I understand your frustration, but it's time to update your resume. It is what it is, the marketplace decides.
I agree with Tony. You should have a basic understanding of how your camera works. SS, F/stops, ISO. The problem with not understanding these and other fundamentals is when something goes wrong, you don't know which way to turn. My D850, is actually a complicated computer. You have to know how to use: SS, F/stops, ISO, plus EV, and a menu of other things. Then you have to emphasis one variable over another, to get the shot not to be over or underexposed. That is the difference. Note: No Android photo can compare to a photo taken by a real camera.
People need to remember that there is a huge difference between pictures and portraits. Although camera technology on phones have improved, and you can just point and snap... a skilled photographer will always be needed and appreciated. Great video guys, thank you for all of the valuable lessons you have taught us. And that, will always be needed and appreciated as well.
She left you, I knew it. It was that goatee wasn't it.
What? Ok, I'll watch the video.
Chelsea, you are so right!
I have had the same angsts as Tony, but I feel better now. That was a good therapy session...how much did you charge Tony an hour for this?
I feel the same as Tony in relation to drawing and painting. Learning manual skills seems to have lost it’s relevance as digitally it’s easier to create an image. I’m not against technology and use it almost exclusively myself to illustrate, but people believe it’s just button pushing.
I agree too
The art of composition isn't dead. I created cheat sheet cards from your videos especially crop factor conversions for my canon APS-C. Years ago, I taught myself photoshop after using the watered down Jasc PaintShop Pro for scanned prints and negatives. Nerds never stop learning and love challenges. Hey wasn't Murphy and optimist?
I went to the rebranded Photo Plus in 2019 and I was very disappointed with the lack of vendors I usually see every year. I purchased two DSLR's in January, an APS-C and a full frame. I bought the full frame because of you Tony. I originally shot with canon SLR film camera and relied heavily on the light meter for exposure accuracy.
One of my major projects involved shooting and processing pre-existing bad print images for websites. There's always a market for photography through creative means. "Necessity is the mother of invention".
Tony..it’s like I am seeing and hearing myself when you are talking about cameras and how they have have evolved from the early SLR’s to the digital era!. But now it is the Smart Phone. I have experienced the learning curve of the basics and theory of photography as you have. I am glad I had to “learn” photography be it in high school in the 60’s, seminars in the 80’s…Denis Reggie, Monte Zucker and the likes. Nikon’s to Hasselblad it’s been a great ride. Still doing “Live” concert imagery, weddings, studio (yes music artist of the newer age…love studio photography and I had to bring out the Old Masters Canvas) and some real estate. Still Love it…besides it keeps me bust at 72! Thank you Chelsea and Tony!
" You love learning". Strong statement, we all need to embrace.
Thanks to both of you! Now enjoy editing with Topaz Studio 2. Still shoot with my iPhone 13 Pro, not often with my mirror less Sony camera.
The phone is for certain kind of photo.
L
People in the MASSES (small market) don’t purchase hi quality hi-fi sound systems anymore. I feel your pain Tony.
The majority Listen on phone with Bluetooth or wireless speakers. Don’t care about true hi rez audio sound. Same principle applies to cameras.
The issue really is that technology has moved on and on and on a great deal. The smartphone of today is vastly better than all Hi-Fi's of the 1980's. Virtually all music is recorded digitally, mastered digitally and distributed digitally. I'm 50 now, I've bought my Linn's and B&W's have a vast music collection. Yet I watch UA-cam for my music now as my collection gathers dust. Why you ask, because I can talk to the TV and hear what I want instantly, I can also see the Band playing in 4K, I get recommended tracks of what else I might like, I can instantly switch to another artist and best of all I can explore thousands of cover versions of my favourite songs which will never make it onto vinyl or CD. For example Angelina Jordan amongst many others. The only thing you really need today is a pair of decent speakers. I'm not sure when i'll spend 5 minutes trying to find a CD to put on again!?
YES. Great comparison. People use terrible speakers today
If people watched photos on large monitors instead of tiny phone screens, they'd see the difference, it's a matter of viewing device. How many people though are physically capable of hearing the difference in audio quality?
Tony, In my fifty’s now, been enjoying landscape photography for years…still appreciate the beauty of those large prints. I agree you could possibly make more money doing many things on UA-cam nowadays. It takes a long time to master what you’ve achieved. Top of that, you’re a very passionate technical photographer. I completely empathize your nostalgic feelings for the ‘golden era of photography’. The personal satisfaction would not be the same taking photos via phones and such. I guess things have changed, and we are adapting. Much appreciate to you and Chelsea for sharing your expertise online. I’ve learnt a lot from you. Wishing you much joy and success!!!🙂
I came to photography through the back door. I was a "camera operator" photolithographer which was a fancy term for saying I worked pre-press in the printing industry. I worked with cameras and photosensitive surfaces and my root knowledge in this let me be the occasional pinch hitter in the photography department. I was also a color separationist using laser technology or filters, films, and angled screen. Back then being an actual photographer was a different sort of commitment to the technology because it required a personal investment in learning its aesthetics of it. I had a b&w darkroom for my own work and a 4X5 as well as an 8 x 10 for ad work.
I was an early adopter of the digital camera because it replaced the polaroid. Basically, I was a photosynthesis geek that never called herself a photographer until my first dslr. I remember all the hubbubs in the printing industry saying digital would never replace the whatever (eye roll). I felt differently than most and to prove it I shot an image with a Kodak 1.6 megapixel all in one and piped it through Adobe something or other and printed it out at 14 x 18 within a 18X24 poster. No one knew what kind of camera I used and the print was beautiful. That's what made me a believer. My geekiness made the basics of digital technology easy to understand and the digital camera untethered me to create with it. I can do now in one room what it used to take a building to accomplish. Basically, I see it all as working untethered by tons of equipment and chemicals.
Also, I love my D850 because it blows me away and at my age, it will be the last camera I buy. It's amazing! What a great way to finish the adventure.
Hi Tony. I can totally relate to your feelings that the old skill set that you developed and mastered feels like it's no longer valued. But, we do learn and continue to learn. Like Chelsea said you would need to adapt with your skill set with the current trend of cell phones which you already have with drones. I would love to get a drone and learn. But, I loved the "Airwolf" reference and I loved the show just like you did. Thank you as usual!
Thanks for this honest conversation. I have felt a bit discouraged and hearing Chelsea's perspective "reframed" my thinking. I now see more - Thanks!
After I discovered your channel last year, you guys inspired me to go out and explore more with my camera, I'm at the point right now where I'm ready to drop an installation in the local library. Keep it up. :)
You are both correct; Chelsea from the standpoint of logic, Tony from the viewpoint of aesthetics. Tony knows and understands that the knowledge and art of photography got him where he is today, and he is reflecting on the thought that he would not have had a chance with Chelsea if it were not for the magic he could do with light waves...........and now there is an app. for that ??? The journey is important too.
You guys are pretty good actors. I felt a bit manipulated, but it was still a good and worthwhile presentation 👍.
Thats one of your best video ever. I’m just an amateur and enjoy all of what you do. I’m not your generation but not your kids either. Late 30s I feel for you. But she is so right. And even if the photo you’ve learn over the last 25 years changed so much it will never be dead as long as you and other people like me are alive. There will still be people enjoying the old school way of doing things.
"you say goodbye and i say hello" (The Beatles)
Great discussion. Chelsea was very open minded and inspirational while Tony was fundamental and frank.
You guys need to create a ‘photographers anonymous’ because I feel the same way as Tony but I also feel what Chelsea talks about that many people use their phone/photography to express themselves.
Tony do not fret, @1 am 75 and spent my career in advertising photography....your seeing eye is gained from years of experience and we all still have that. It is always valued and can't be learned overnight...
It’s a pretty sad video, particularly after having just watched how “That Nikon Guy”/ Matt Granger just got rid of his entire Nikon dslr/lens collection…
I perfectly understand Tony’s stance on the current unsettling way of things, where he finds his skills are suddenly no longer in demand, when the photo industry switched from DSLRs to mirrorless and from actual photography to mostly video/content management.
(I’ve never really been a 'professional' photographer, as it’s been a hobby of mine for about 20 years, though all this time I was buying and using pro gear to satisfy my desire for quality equipment.)
...This whole madness with smartphones has created generation of MWCs, (men with the cameras)/women included, where I’ve seen a tremendous leap in technology, however I yet to see the equally sizeable leap in creativity and quality. Tony, great and skillful photographers are very hard to find and they will always be in high demand.
I really feel your pain, (as much as Chelsea tried to levitate the situation), as I’ve never seen you being so upset - and it’s understandable. To be a hobbyist is one thing, but to feed your family in the rapidly changing industry is another.
The way I see it is that the entire creative photo/video industry is driven by younger generation of content creators, who don’t really have much respect or need for formal and therefore “older” photographic institution, forcing us, “older”/seasoned folks, in turn, to adapt to their creative new visions and standards, based on what forever changing industry dictates.
Smart phones, with their computer-based “skills”, produce algorithm-based results, but will never replace a human.
To make a parallel, this is akin to a symphonic orchestra composer, who is used to writing music scores, and who’s suddenly pushed to abandon his life-long skills and instead “fall in love” with consumer-grade digital pianos with their auto-accompaniment features, that require only one-finger playback in every music style, without putting much thought into the final result, as the computer "will fix it in the mix"…
These AI “innovations” kill individuality and promote mediocrity. Unfortunately, in many areas of our lives, quality took a backseat to cheap consumerism and superficiality.
So, don’t get upset, my friend. Instead, use what you’ve always been using equipment and knowledge-wise, while still adapting to newer standards, as “newer” is not always better.
There are still things you cant shoot on a phone, even the portrait mode is just fake blurring. So I dont think cameras are going away any time soon
But the demand for the bokeh picture have shrunk, badly, much harder making a living out of it
@@seannoithat9999 yea, most of us can appreciate the real bokeh, but the average joe can barely tell the difference or be bothered to care.
Tony, I totally feel you on this. I went through a similar process of mourning and realization, in the late 90s, when digital started taking over from film. I started out in film myself. Photography. In 1988, with D76, darkrooms, enlargers, etc. Then, 10 years later, I enrolled at NYU film & TV.
It was actually between 98 - 2000, in school, that I felt the wave changing over to digital in earnest. I wrestled with it. Overwhelming romantic attachment to film, the process, the artifacts, the grain-plus let's remember, digital video sucked 22 years ago. but the writing was on the wall. FCP was released, unshackling us from AVID editing suites, opening the door for independent filmmakers.
I knew back then that it wasn't going to pay to cling to the old ways. One of my habits is when I intuit this kind of thing, I jump. I jump into the new and I adapt. Better to do it early.
But I think what you were expressing feeling here is very real. And while I appreciate Chelsea’s perspective, she also made your case for you. Photography is not enough anymore. You have to be a one-stop shop for Media. Yes there was additional work you had to do as a photographer in the old world, but it's not equivalent. Yes, everything changes, but that doesn't mean it isn't sad to watch an industry die. And let's be real, film photography is dying. That's why we went from SLR to DSLR, to mirrorless… And there ain't no more negative involved. Yes there will always be a niche market for it. But digital media has reshaped the entire landscape.
There is a very real and hard to describe feeling of frustration and loss and anxiety when an entire body of technical knowledge you wrestled with and mastered suddenly appears obsolete. It's easy to feel like you wasted 10, 20, 30 years of your life. I went through that very same process and I would never diminish it or try to explain it away. There really is no pat answer. Yes you can adopt in your case and you are adapting and you are doing well, so that's good. It's not all doom and gloom.
But some people *are* pushed out of their livelihood. The world is always changing, we are always having to adapt, and some people will be able to adapt. But for some people it will be too late. Some people don't have the means to reinvent or branch out. So while I think it's important to stay optimistic, there's no question that it's difficult and hard making a living in fields where technological change is guaranteed, and can overturn careers.
On the other hand, I spent 10 years working labor jobs after I quit high school at 16, and before I went back, to enroll in photography. So there're worse things to do for money.
I second that Avid comment. I use it (soon past tense because I quit this week) for work, and it sucks for anything but newsroom use. FCPX is fast, easy, and way cooler.
Excellent presentation!!! Thank you! I am about two decades older than Tony. His sharing of the emotional impact of his technical skills being easily available to every “smart phone” owner was very endearing. Many of us struggle with similar changes across our modern economy. Then the understanding, compassionate, unrelenting, uncompromising, but HOPEFUL response given by Chelsea made this video universal and timeless. I repeat, “THANK YOU!”
Awesome video and perspective. I was into photography many years ago when my Canon A1 was the latest and greatest thing out there. I recently retired and needed a hobby. I decided photography was something I always loved and found fascinating so why not dive back into it. My camera gear was really outdated. I updated to a Canon EOS R full frame and a couple of new lenses. fortunately, with the adapter I can still use most of my old lenses. I completely agree with Tony about changes in the way pictures and videos are taken, thought put into framing, etc. is just not seen as being important by the younger generations. Almost every parent has a photo album or two (I've got 27) that shows the life of them and their family. What will the younger generations have to show moments of their life? At 67, I do appreciate some of the camera automations. Having worked in the high-tech industry most of my life I found adapting to change was a constant challenge. The photo industry is no different. The key to dealing with evolving tech is to learn how to incorporate your existing expertise to use it to create photo's that emote and emotion, capture a subject that leaves to viewer wanting to know more about it and video's that not only tell a story but do so while compelling the viewer to have an emotional response.
Great video! I am an old school amateur photographer so I needed to “learn” the skills you two speak of to shoot film. Now everything is done in post production. I was resentful when the digital world moved in but now love it. Smart phones can, and do , kick butt. The mind needs to stay open on so many levels. Thanks for reminding me of that!
I feel the pain as well - so many of the photos I see on social media just look over saturated, over processed, and even photos I really enjoy, it was 90% lightroom work versus capturing a great shot
Biggest problem is that while the tech becomes more available, the technical knowledge becomes more irrelevant.
Digital cameras (including smartphones) use a sensor to capture light data (info). So it's different than film. You want to try and have all the data in the middle of the histogram, light in the shadows and diffusing highlights (where possible). All this must be done whilst shooting to reap the full benefits of digital sensors.
When done correctly, post production can be used to its maximum potential, control now gained over all the data the sensor captured because the photographer had the skill and knowledge to fill his shadows and diffuse his highlights. He understands that the point is to pack as much information into the sensor as possible because as RAW data, it can all be used and manipulated.
I find it so ironic boomers shooting with DSLRs claiming to do it all in camera. If you're gonna do that, go back to film, where it looks right because digital is NOT film and it's sad that the photo community never learned this. You need to do in-camera work, the actual shoot, DIFFERENTLY than you would for film.
You actually want to capture a very boring image that will not appear very visually striking. Most dslr's should have some way to quickly apply filters to give you an idea of what your shooting could look like after some typical edits.
My point: the people complaining do not understand the problem anymore than those they are choosing to criticize.
@@tailong9548 I feel like you should be able to know how to do both. It's also important to get exposures correct in-camera and be able to produce decent sooc jpegs. Sometimes youre just not gonna have time to import all your photos to LR and spend hours post-processing photos. This is definitely what's missing a lot today. Lots of people with their fancy Sony full frame cameras are being taught to underexpose their images by more than 2-3 stops to protect the highlights cuz the sensors have so much dynamic range that they can just push the shadows in post significantly and still get quality images. The tech has advanced to a point where its arguably more important to have post-production skills than getting it right in camera. In that sense photography is losing its traditional art form but whats being gained are people with excellent skills in graphic design and can turn any photo into something more magical. Just my 2c.
@@tailong9548 some good points. Us old dogs have to change with the times and even good 'ol Ansel Adams messed with his pics quite a bit in the darkroom LOL
The non technical aspect has always been first and foremost when it comes to photography. A technically perfect photo can suck. A photo that misses the technical marks can still be a great photo.
100%
I think the problem now is that you have billions of people taking photos. Odds are that there will be millions if not billions of brilliant photos generated each year where only 20 or 30 years ago there would’ve been a small fraction of that generated each year.
Smartphone photography and urban exploration is what drove me to buying my first “real” camera (an a7Riii), but the portability, ease-of-entry, and weatherproof iPhone I already had in my pocket is what opened my eyes to the appreciation of the world around me in a different way. However, its limitations as a cellphone first and foremost held me to a standard, and a shot, that I wanted move beyond, which I recognized could only be done by growing to the next level. It was this channel and y’all’s content that lessened my intimidation of such a vast knowledge base and financial commitment. For those of us that truly love the artistry of photography, the desire for betterment will always move us beyond satisfactory.
Thanks for that you’ve done for this community, and take pride in being ambassadors to such a timeless and ever changing craft!
just as I was feeling Tony, Chelsea, thx 4 great words of wisdom there to see forward in our beautiful world of photography
What I hate is photography seems to have become more "digital art" because people so over process pictures and blend many shots without pointing that out. Even sports photographers photos are looking more like a Madden game instead of looking real.
So make your more candid/ “authentic” photos instead, why hate that some others want a different style ?
@@definingslawek4731 because its not photography if it's overly manipulated in PS. This is a PHOTOGRAPHY Channel, not a PS channel.
Excellent couched conversation on this subject. You played this out well with yin to yang and Tony's emotions were palpable and relatable as many of us are greying gracefully too. Ironically my 25 year old daughter appreciates when I have my Leica M5 with me vs my XPro3 as she loves the "nostalgia" my film captures give her of us captured in candids as a family. Scanning and saving film frames in web quality then sharing to her, to see her then post on her social media and the quality gets bashed again, the resulting images to my eye are atrocious...but she loves it as do her friends as it;s clearly NOT iPhone footage. Lovely job here ~ Cheers Peter
Love this conversation! Thank you guys!
I am fully agree with you. People don't even print pictures anymore. Sad day for sure. I have been following you both for years. I let go many of my high end camera gears and keep just a few. My cellphone is my vacation camera. I kept
Just the last one Sony A6400 with sigma and Tamron lens. It is because it's somewhat tiny and small. Thank you for everything you both do.
I enjoeyed how you set up this video with Tonys concerns and thoughts resonating with many photographers and then Chelsea seeing the upside of the way technology is helping people to be creative without necessarily needing to understand and study the usual photographic theory and science , similar I think in music production which I have seen change since my days in th 1980s owning thousands of dollars of hardware taking up my bedroom space, now more sonic power and artistic freedom is available just on a laptop to compose music using a massive arsenal of freely available virtual instruments.
I easily identified with Tonys thoughts and feeling sand my observations about the photography playing field being leveled and how your own daughter sees studio photography as being a bit of a relic in some ways, not spontateous and real life compared to smart phone captures and creativity around this approach - I noticed that the actors, models, musicians, performers that I do shoots with all of them are having a wealth of smartfone shots on their profiles and social media and formal photography is a secondary thing. For this reason I see my portrait, headshot, fashion and concept work currently as just one of the creative services I offer though I would like to grow much more. Meanwhile I also am providing product photography, video, motion even 3D and all of it, combines harmoniously in multiple offerings - if I was more business savvy and clever I would find a way to package , promote and market myself to be able to open a business/go freelance one day. And I have to add that in the past it was seen as a bad thing to be multidisciplinary, and that one should specialise - well I see it differently I always enjoy being invlved in different areas of creative work and as you mentioned also, a photographer doesnt just click a button, its about concieving ideas, concepts, planning, selecting equipment , backdrops, lighting, creating a scene, mood and looks - on top of this post production and often video, prints, the list goes on and learning is never finished!
My photography business keeps growing every year, with that being said we've added video to our packages/collections recently. I like videos that incorporate stills. Behind the scenes videos look good with stills in the video to see what they captured. I think I'm going to be okay because I know how to direct models that don't know how to move for the camera. Also my daughter styles our fashion photoshoots and she's great at editing on Tik Tok and we have my 78 year old Dad who has been a professional photographer since the 60s and he just helped me do the lighting in the studio for an ecommerce fitness/athleisure photoshoot.
Thank you, Chelsea and Tony!
I feel your angst, Tony! But, I agree with Chelsea more. I appreciate the various tech and gear that helps me do my Tog work better, or easier. Especially my mirrorless Nikon Z6 and the great lenses I have with it, like my Z 70-200 f2.8 S, and my Z 14-30 f4 S, too! I can get great shots that I couldn't get before. The color rendering these lenses produce, and even via the low light capability of my Z6, is incredible, and no smartphone can match that! As you very well know, the sensor size over those found on smartphones, enables me to do my work in real estate and architectural photography. I was surprised about your comment regarding wildlife photography, as no smartphone can get great pics like a great zoom lens and camera can. There's no way any smartphone camera can match a mirrorless camera's capabilities. It now becomes compositional capabilities over just snap-shooting. Even in Smartphone pics. This is why I call a snapshot a "pic", as opposed to an "image" that needed thought, calculations, observation, patience, and technical expertise and the right gear to accomplish that image. That is a skill that is still in high demand. There are marketing services that provide leads for portraits, etc. that pay pretty good per session, that need that skillset that professional photographers can only provide.
Airwolf was an awesome show! They don't make good shows like that anymore, do they?😎
A really interesting conversation! I've definitely made many of the same conclusions that Chelsey points out :)
Please don’t say Goodbye. I’m still learning from you. Love old school photography! Love your guidance and knowledge.
recently i was a guest at a wedding so i took along my trusty D7200 and 35mm lens....there was a professional photographer with his assistants and and a load of state of the art canon and sony gear.....i kept well out of their way but they kept giving me stink face,i couldn't figure out why but now you say image quality hasn't noticeably improved in the last few years maybe they were afraid of the little nikon?
Because expensive gear doesn't mean they will deliver a good job. I saw things botched at commercial level too. If they know what they are doing, they should not be afraid or bothered by you unless you were disrupting their staged (pre-planned) collective and individual shots, say, by talking to the subjects about their poses, etc (too many cooks may spoil the broth).
@@billmorrigan386 definitely wasn't getting in the way of their staging...all the guests with iphones were doing that !!
I have experienced this a few times in my life; Before, there were few people that could take good photos because there was a barrier to entry into the hobby&profession. When I got started, there were restrictions because of capital investment, there was skill/learning curves, and there was creative ability. Before my time, you can add the additional skills for developing and dark room techniques... the ol' dodge & burn. As technology moved on, cameras became cheaper, film became easier to developer (just drop it off), then digital meant anyone could take a photo with no costs for a shutter press... So, as a professional, you make money by doing something that others want but can't do themselves. So that's why pro photographers are fewer and farther between. Now people can do it themselves and therefore don't value the skill any more.
The same thing happens to software coders/developers. Before, it was an elite group of nerds and geeks. Then, it became a desirable skill set and money was made. Now, it's a commodity and you can hire a boatload of unnamed developers off-shore with no faces even at low rates to develop whatever you want. Every time the barriers of entry are reduced, people lose their cash cow and it sucks to be on that declining side, but it is a helluva ride on the rise up.
Some people cut-bait, jump on the next escalator up... that gets harder to do over time because specialists take time to become masters. and once you are no longer a master, you have to do it all over again and compete with the young and energetic.
So the trick is to continually look for the next escalator and overlap your skillset from one thing to the next... like you did with photography to youtube creator, taking one skill set and rolling it into the next so that you are on to mastering the next thing. Here's my question back to you... when the UA-cam/social media cashcow dwindles, what do you see yourself doing 'next'?
Tony, you have expressed my sentiments exactly. It has taken me 10+ years to learn photography from scratch thanks to UA-cam and shows like yours. Now I find myself disillusioned with all the changes and feel that it’s all been for nothing. iPhone photos are amazing now and they’re only going to get better. I’m also disillusioned with social media and just recently deactivated my IG and Twitter accounts. Photos get lost and there are too many ads and reels in IG that don’t interest me. I’m hanging in there though and hope that Chelsea is right. Thanks for another great video 🙏🏻😊
Great post - I loved Chelsea saying "You're not obsolete Tony, you just need an ...update!" That's pretty much a constant in life isn't it! Thanks!!
Tony is a purist and I love it. Those among us who are "traditional" at heart and appreciate the work that goes into learning the best way to do things and the little intricacies, will appreciate this.
Chelsea, Tony needs a hug. You guys are always so good. If photography is so simple and anyone can do it, I hope it eclipses graffiti. I want the graffiti "artists" to feel lonely. Graffiti is right up there with tattoos. I hate words with twin letters. It's so, ah, well...
Knowledge is always power. You two make great content.
Hi Tony & Chelsea
I have watched this video a couple of times I took a few videos with a video camera. I came from a still photography background. I agree with the things we needed to take a photo ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Then I would head off to the darkroom for hours. But I agree with you both. Now people can pick up the camera and just press the button without thinking about it. Yes Tony I loved when the store I used to work for got new cameras I got invited to the buying office to see the new cameras that we going to carry which was exciting to me back in around the 1977-79 era. I was the camera guy back in highschool I took photos for the newspaper. Yes developed the negatives and make the custom sized prints. That brings back so many memories, my dad was my teacher . Have to say I enjoy your channel a lot.
These kinds of changes have also occurred in movie-making, music composition and production, and even software engineering/development.
Its called technological deflation. Advances in technology have severly devalued all human efforts across the board.
Very much in music production.
I'm 71 years old.
My career was Mechanical Designer. I was one of the first to learn AutoCAD, a computer drafting program.
It opened so many doors for me; TRW, San onofre nuclear power plant, Edward Air Force Base, an American Airlines.
But then, but then, came SolidWorks, the 3D solid modeling program.
Now every high school kid has learned AutoCAD, no big deal.
The answer? At 65 I went back to college. There I found, because of my basic drafting skills and my AutoCAD background, that I was way ahead of these young students.
I don't care if you have the best cell phone, the best cell phones photography camera, you still need to know how to shoot a great picture.
I love you both. You taught me, with your books and your online show, so very much. Along with my 4 years of college photography classes you have taught me most of my photography skills.
But what we (new and old photographers) need now is how to convert the knowledge you have given us to the new modern tools; cell phones, photo editing software, video editors, etc.
How do we take better pictures with our cell phones?
How can we make money using these modern tools?
Grasp the future and become the masters of it like you have so brilliantly in the past. You're only outdated when you stop evolving.
I will continue to watch your amazing and educational show as long as you decide to not give up.
Looking forward to learning more.
Again, I love you both for being so real. 🥰