Hey everyone, I've been overwhelmed by the response to this and my other video! It was a great way to start on youtube. Thanks for all the great comments and to everyone for visiting me on Instagram! I'm working on the next video now and will post it when it's ready. Keep the comments coming :)
As a keen amateur photographer I found this video to be very interesting and useful. I am still trying to work out my style and experimenting with all sorts at this time - hence why I am watching your video. I had never thought of including paintings, movies etc. into the mix of an ideas board, so I will do that now. Thank you for the inspiration!
Wow! While I have certainly heard a lot of this advice already, I have never heard it put together so concise, encouraging and inspiring. I am not a photographer by profession yet, but have developed a strong urge to become a good photographer and improve what I can create with a camera. I am still very much confused about what I really want to achieve. I just know that I want to create something original, real art that matters to me and to others as well. Thanks for putting this out, I wish you good light!
I appreciate the kind words! Great to hear that you found the video helpful. With the right amount of inspiration and persistence, I think you'll reach your goal. Good luck with it!
Great job on breaking this down. I'm glad your video popped up in my feed. The is great advice and applicable to artists across a variety of disciplines.
Great tips! I picked up photography awhile back, but stopped for about 5 years because I got sick. I look at my old photos and feel like I would do things differently now. My life experiences have changed my views and my ability to take the same type of photos, so I'm forced to do something new. This video has definitely helped me try to solve this problem of what I want to change going forward.
Great video Scott! Couple of book recommendations: "Shooting Space" and "Constructing Worlds". Both are very much in the wheelhouse of the 'manufactured landscapes' and feature some of the images/photographers you referenced.
Scott, thank you so much for making this video. I'm not sure I'm even a photographer, but this has been so useful for me. I'm more of a physical creator (furniture, lights and lamps) and use photography to capture it, but so much of the content I've been watching is about: gear, editing, composition... things that are just table stakes. This video helps me and connects to me on a different level, figuring out who I am and how that affects the work. I saw that you only have 750 subs right now, that's mind-boggling to me. There's a lot of room for this type of content in the world. Thank you.
Thanks for the kind words, Samuel! Really glad to hear that you found this helpful. It's only been about 3 weeks since I posted the video...my first and only so far. I was surprised to get that many subscribers so quickly (I think it's up to 800 now). I appreciate all the support from you and everyone else. I'll have a new video up in a couple of days. Thanks again!
Great advice. As a pro photographer of 23 years, who generally shoot what clients want, in the style they want, it is actually really hard to know my own tastes among the thousands of frames I make every month, to someone else's vision and aesthetic.
Scott, you and I share similar backgrounds. I too worked for a college. I was the publications guy and later the media center manager. I did some photo work that got noticed very early on as a college student. I used a Pentax K1000 and a 50mm f2 lens for it! I knew nothing about the technical stuff. I never did anything with my photography (we are talking about decades here) until about a year ago. Along the way, I created a lot of iconic images that got noticed but nothing ever came from them. It is time to share the images. Thank you so much for the videos and the inspiration. I have semi-mastered the technical stuff. Now I focus on what I call "why" of photography. Your video hit the bullseye every time... and I only discovered you a few hours ago!!
Muchas gracias Scott! Finding your own style could be a very elusive task, but you provide some very good advice on how to do it. Do keep the videos coming, you have a very fresh, calm way of conveying topics/ideas.
really interesting to hear you mention "Manufactured Landscapes". I was shown this film in one of my first classes in my first year of university and it had an enormous impact on the lives of me and my closest friend at the time. Great video Scott, thanks a lot
Funny is, at the start of your video we see monsieur Belmondo in brasilia.. some buildings there from oscar niemeyer. In one of my first video i made some nightshots of one oscar niemeyer building here in berlin/germany. presented 1957 at internationale Bauausstellung. Later i made some more with analog. thx for this super video.
Very thought provoking. Developing a sense of style in photography is a journey in itself. I think this video focuses on the key points that makes a photographer. Some people spend years just in search of what is the right way to do photography. This video will certainly be of great help to them. Will be waiting for more of such content. Thank you, Scott.
Excellent advices. I started this journey into finding my style and it fits to this process, so I can testify that it works. At a certain point, the pleasure of making images started to prevail over it. Finding my style isn't an obsession anymore because I think it's happening. Now I understand that it's a never ending process and I like it. I'm happy to discover your channel at its beginning. Subscribed !
I'm glad youtube somehow recommended your channel. I love the message you're trying to deliver and the way you talk. And... hmm maybe you've got a good voice 🤔
Just came across your video Scott, really enjoyed it, some great advice, I’ve been going down a similar route myself lately trying to work on my style. Thanks for sharing and subscribed!
Thanks for the thorough and concise information and inspiration. You're clearly a critical thinker and very good at expressing your objectives(much appreciated). It's interesting to me that you mentioned painters as inspiration for photography. I've dabbled in photography for a long time...well before exploring other art forms. So, inversely I approach artwork often from a photographic understanding and and standpoint. I'm going to wager that you're familiar with books like, 'Perception And Imaging' by Richard Zakia and 'Design Concepts And Applications' by Frank & Jane Cheatham and Sheryl Haler. I'd recommend titles like that to artists and photographers alike.
I think over time you will find a pattern in your photography, and that's your style :) Could be the way you play with light, shadows, soft/hard light,. Could be your framing, how you play around with colors/B&W. If you force it, then it is not your style :) Changing the subject/genre does not mean that you change your style. Happy shooting, more important, have fun.
Thanks for sharing Rene. :) I agree, style cannot be forced. It's something that's already within you and will cross genres. My goal with the video is to provide a framework to help bring it out.
after many years of photography, my one challenge with style is the lens and focal length. how can we define a style in photography when switching from an ultrawide or wide, to mid range, or tele makes such a huge change in results, that it possibly trumps style. I mean, if were to go out with my 14-24 and shoot, and then next day I take my 24-120 and shoot, those will be radically different results. What does that mean for style? it gets even more complex, when you throw in primes. What about someone who shoots 35 or 50 all the time? Sure you see a style, but what if you give them a 20mm or 85mm all of a sudden. focal length in photography can influence style in a big way. I almost want to think of it as a fine brush, vs a thick brush used by a painter. Maybe the difference in photography is even greater depending on type of lens and focal length.
Thanks for the comment! You've raised some great points here. I think the choice of focal length and why we choose it are closely related to style. While he's not a direct influence on my style, Eugene Richards is one of my favourite photographers (I'd encourage anyone not familiar with his work to look him up). His focal length of choice for his documentary work is the 21mm which he uses to devastating effect. He doesn't chose this focal length arbitrarily. He uses it to get close to his subjects. Gene's photographs are powerful. They have an intimacy that I haven't seen almost anywhere else and a style that is unmistaken. As for my own work with buildings and the built environment, most times I choose wider focal lengths (starting at the 35mm equivalent of a 19mm lens). I try to get close but I'm also trying to show a little of the surrounding area so the photograph still has a sense of place. I've also used all the way up to what would be the 35mm equivalent of an 80mm lens when practical reasons prevent me from a wider focal length or if I think the story is better told with a longer lens. In those cases I'm relying on light/exposure/common theme to make that image cohesive with the rest of the series. So I guess for me it wouldn't be about someone giving a lens and seeing if it changes my style. My lens choice is made carefully based on the story I'm trying to tell with each image. Hope this helps!
I am immediately interested what you just conveyed and I'd like to know more about the three ways to develop a style that is only mine! The points, for me, would be more impelling if all points were illustrated with visuals which would be an automatic response from my brain's imbeded memory to act while I take shots and I think it works for everyone to follow your instructions subconsciously to develop their unique style! Personally, I believe everyone who is serious about taking pictures has their stamp on it like when asked to write an essay or paragraph about a subject to a group of people, it'll be found no two writings have the same style! A few of the writers of the single subject may be so that everyone will appreciate for their out of the way creativity, true for photography also! Developing a signature gives recognition and can only be achieved by constant tenacious indefatigable practice with same seriousness all the time with your tips make someone achieve his own signature in his work! I really wanted to get it to be elaborative! Hope I'll be getting it in your next effort!
I want to do a photo project documenting the different architecture of homes in my city reflecting the history of the neighbourhoods (eg one area has homes mainly built in the early 20th century for factory workers, one area has a lot of very new homes on the outskirts built for commuters, etc). I feel a bit nervous standing (or worse, setting up a tripod) outside someone’s home with a camera. Do you have any tips for things like that? Is it better to get over the nervousness and just do it, or better to knock on people’s doors and ask if they mind me shooting the house, or maybe post an ad in the local paper inviting people who are interested in having their home photographed?
That sounds like an interesting project Jimi. You definitely draw a lot of attention to yourself when shooting with a tripod. I’ve had a couple of bad experiences using a tripod in the city centre…shooting buildings, not houses (oddly enough the trouble came from people who had no connection to the building but were just angry because I was shooting in the area). I did use a tripod when shooting houses in Palm Springs without any issues. But home owners there are used to having tourists take pictures of their houses. I think you need to do what you’re comfortable with. You might start by identifying the houses you want to shoot and asking the homeowner’s permission. You could also try local Facebook groups to ask for volunteers along with an ad. A combo of all 3 might work best. Best of Luck!
I've taken thousands of photographs and am always trying to learn more. But one thing I truly believe is that to be successful in this overcrowded field, your work must have something that no one else has that sets you apart. And if you can manage to develop a style, or a certain look that is in all your work and people can recognize your work by sight alone, then you've succeeded. But what is it really? How do you make all of your work have something in common, and easily recognizable, regardless of the subject? Yeah. That's my problem. I know my gear, I'm educated about the field and I do all I can to try and reach that peak. I know my photos are good. But they are not stand out jaw dropping great. There is certainly no similar look to my collection that I can detect. My friends and family think I'm really good, but they aren't photographers and do not really understand what makes a great photo. And as hard as I've searched for the thing I must be missing, the key to going from good to great seems more elusive than Bigfoot. I thought this video might help me find that key, but unfortunately, in a sense, I've already done what you advise. I know what I like to shoot. I often shoot wildlife as moving targets are my major downfall and try to improve my skill in that area. I normally prefer more unmoving subjects like still life or nature. And I even like to play around with abstract now and then. One thing I simply am unable to do is portrait photography. Shooting people is awful for me because I am such a loner. I'm so uncomfortable and flustered, I am barely able to operate my camera. No desire to even change this, because it's easier just to shoot things that don't look back. There is too much anxiety to try and improve that genre. And I'll never be able to be great at something that's so stressful for me, especially when shooting all other photography genres relaxes me do much.
Thanks for sharing your story. You're obviously serious about your photography and have invested a lot of time in learning. It can be difficult to stand out in a crowded field like nature and wildlife but I think you should stick to the work you enjoy. I myself am not interested in nature and wildlife photography. Yet one of my favourite photographers is Nick Brandt, a wildlife photographer. I find his work to be really powerful. It transcends the genre. My question to you is what do you want to say with your work? What are the reasons you take photographs? I think you need to look deeper. If you're not sure of the answers yet, a great way to learn more about your own motivations is to start a personal project as I suggested at the end of this video. A personal project organized around an idea allows you to take a deep dive into your interests/passions/etc. It's also helpful in bringing out your style or inner voice. I know it really helped me. Even if your project doesn't pan out as you hoped it often leads you to something else that does. Good luck with it!
Thank you so much for taking time that I'm sure is valuable to you and responding to my comment. One that you really took the time to read. When you asked me what message was I trying to say with my work, I really don't know the answer to that. I don't believe my work as a whole has a message. I've never thought to consider that. I take it more on a photo by photo basis. In other words, I try to make my photos interesting, and if I succeed, great. Now I move on to a brand new image unrelated to anything else I've shot. At least none I've considered. I can't even wrap my head around that because I guess I don't fully understand what you mean. Maybe this concept is a bit too abstract for me. Even when you put all my most favorite photos of nature I've taken together and study them forever, I don't believe I'd ever find a common message except for the obvious which to me is natures beauty. But I don't believe that's what you mean. I believe you mean something much less obvious. But I really am confused and clueless of how to even start to get there. I desire to take photos I can display with pride because I am confident they are excellent in every way. But it seems no matter how good my composition, exposure and all of it though good, never seems to have a professional look. That is what I cannot understand. How can all the parts be there, but yet it still lacks that magic. It has eluded me for almost 50 years of photography. It is quite discouraging. But I'm still trying at least. Looking under every rock for it, but still don't get it.
Hey, no problem. Let me try to put this another way. You've analyzed all your past work, and you don't see anything that really stands out or makes you happy. Maybe you just need a reset and to start fresh (this was also in the video). That's ok. A few years back I was in the same position. I needed a reset. So let's move beyond what you've shot so far and start thinking about where you go from here. People who become great photographers are passionate about their work or the subjects they shoot and have something they want to say. That's where the "magic" comes from. That's where a personal style or unique voice comes from. Based on what you've told me, I think that's what's been missing from your work. The good news is that you already have the technical skills needed to produce great photographs. You just need to discover your passion or the subjects that really inspire you. That's why I suggested starting a new personal project with a common theme on something that you have an interest in ( I made another video on this very topic where I detailed how I developed an idea/concept and put the project in motion): ua-cam.com/video/bUgTfQNLJ4E/v-deo.html A project can help you take a deep dive into your interests/passions/etc. It can help bring out your style or inner voice. And even if this project doesn't pan out as expected, it can lead to something else that does. I know doing this really helped me. I hope this helps you. Good luck!
I like pictures from across many different styles and genres. It's much the same with music, again I have no preference for any particular style or genre. A good picture is a good picture, a good song is a good song. It all seems to depend upon that work's individual appeal. This of course makes it difficult to find my own preferred 'style'. Not very helpful, I know, but that's just how it is! :)
I agree! Great pictures (and great art in general) have a way of transcending style or genre. I myself love so many different types of photography. Developing a personal style can be challenging for many reasons. I think it starts with finding what inspires us and having something we want to say.
Excellent video Scott. I agree with the 'idea board' concept especially. My wife used it to help launch her cut flower business and it truly does hone the concepts that people find interesting.Although my best work is black and white landscape photography, I do enjoy many other genres and can see that strong shapes and patterns are key in those as well.
I hope somebody reads this and help me. What inspired me are the one that made me feel talentless, the ones that made me think I cannot shoot a camera, and the ones that said “don’t touch my lens, it’s expensive.” Now that I know better, this dude paid $200.00 for that lens; one extra battery of my camera is $300.00. Now, these people built business around their photography and got paid. Their photos doesn’t appeal to me nor is it even well thought of, composition to editing wise. That said, they’re still ahead of me because my gears make theirs look cheap but I don’t get money in return. How do I set that bitterness aside and actually mind my own and start doing what I love and shoot. I really want to give quality photo for those who cannot afford it. It’s all I want.
Hi Kim, I'm not really sure how to answer. But I can tell you that for a long time I thought gear was important. A few years back, I realized it was not nearly as important as I thought. If your goal is to make great photographs, an obsession gear will hurt more than help. You spend most of your time in a never ending quest to acquire the latest and greatest gear rather than working on becoming a better photographer. I also realized at some point that while I was inspired by other photographer's work, I didn't want to be them. I still wanted to find my own path. Find something that you love to shoot. As you say, all you want is to produce quality photos. Don't let how you feel about others stop you from doing it.
@@scottfrenchart you’re right. Thank you! I guess I’m just angry at others that I thought could guide me, instead, I’m out down. I’ll continue shooting and find my style. Thank you!
I recommend the channel Tin House Studio, it’s by a pretty successful pro good photographer who took about a decade before finding his style and starting to get much bigger paid jobs. He has loads of videos about the journey etc that I think will help you
Haha...while I wouldn't say NO style without post-processing, for many of us shooting digital, yes the edit is a big part of it. Raw files have maximum leeway for edits but are not really considered a finished image without some processing. So I won't be posting mine. Plus I also advocate only showing your best, finished work. Unedited images don't qualify for me. Although if you look at the work of the photographers that I included in this video, it was mostly if not all shot on film. Some of the work was from photographers who didn't use digital post-processing at all (but maybe a little dodging and burning in the darkroom) and the rest used very little. Yet all of them have a distinctive style.
Great idea of making a moodboard of inspiring work. Seeing the other artists' work together also helps you to understand their styles. (By the way, what happened to your Instagram account?)
Thanks Brett...my Instagram account is still up and running. My reference to it in the video was to illustrate how my style evolved if that was what you meant.
Hey everyone, I've been overwhelmed by the response to this and my other video! It was a great way to start on youtube. Thanks for all the great comments and to everyone for visiting me on Instagram! I'm working on the next video now and will post it when it's ready. Keep the comments coming :)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 10/10 OY3AH!
@@oy3ah2025 Thanks so much!
As a keen amateur photographer I found this video to be very interesting and useful. I am still trying to work out my style and experimenting with all sorts at this time - hence why I am watching your video. I had never thought of including paintings, movies etc. into the mix of an ideas board, so I will do that now. Thank you for the inspiration!
Thanks for watching Philip. Glad you found it helpful. Regarding working out your style, it seems you're well on your way. Good luck with it!
😊ll😊
Wow! While I have certainly heard a lot of this advice already, I have never heard it put together so concise, encouraging and inspiring. I am not a photographer by profession yet, but have developed a strong urge to become a good photographer and improve what I can create with a camera. I am still very much confused about what I really want to achieve. I just know that I want to create something original, real art that matters to me and to others as well. Thanks for putting this out, I wish you good light!
I appreciate the kind words! Great to hear that you found the video helpful. With the right amount of inspiration and persistence, I think you'll reach your goal. Good luck with it!
this was great! thanks for sharing
Cape Town South Africa. What a pleasure to hear his sincerity. Sensible and inspirational.
Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed the video!
I have no idea how many times I had seen this video in the last month. 🎉🎉🎉
Hopefully it helped :)
This is by far the most relevant and useful video I've seen about the subject. Thank you very much
Glad you found it helpful!
Wow! Excellent content. Great presentation, too! Very well done.
Thanks for watching...I'm glad you liked it!
Nicely presented. Thank you. Looking forward to your future videos.
Thanks! Glad you liked it.
FANTASTIC first video!
Glad you like it…thanks!
Great job on breaking this down. I'm glad your video popped up in my feed. The is great advice and applicable to artists across a variety of disciplines.
Thank you! Glad I popped up too.
Great video and ideas, thanks!
Thanks, glad it helped!
Great tips! I picked up photography awhile back, but stopped for about 5 years because I got sick. I look at my old photos and feel like I would do things differently now. My life experiences have changed my views and my ability to take the same type of photos, so I'm forced to do something new. This video has definitely helped me try to solve this problem of what I want to change going forward.
I’m glad to hear you found it helpful!
Wow. Great inspiration. Looking forward to your next videos. Subscribed!
Thanks so much! I appreciate the support.
EXCELLENT VIDEO! Thank you so much for producing this and sharing the info. It’s helping me so much in my photography journey
My pleasure! Happy to hear it helped :)
This is wonderful. Great substance, great presence. Thank you.
Thanks for watching! Glad you like it.
Thank you Scott. I appreciate your perspective.
thanks Kenneth
great videos, looking forward to more on your channel!
Thanks for the support!
Very well thought out and articulated. Excellent!!!
Thanks so much!
A great set of principles, thoughtfully presented. Loved the reference to Hopper.
Thanks! I appreciate it. Can't wait to see the new documentary, HOPPER: AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY
Thank you for providing good information
Inspiring lots
Thank for watching. Glad you found it helpful.
Excellent Again😊
Love the advise description insigh as to what is style and what contributed to it rather than just telling us to “go find it”
👍😊
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video Scott! Couple of book recommendations: "Shooting Space" and "Constructing Worlds". Both are very much in the wheelhouse of the 'manufactured landscapes' and feature some of the images/photographers you referenced.
Thanks Todd! Glad you liked the video. Definitely 2 great books for anyone interested in the "built environment".
Great advice, thanks.
Thank you!
Love this video Scott!
Thanks Trevor!
Scott, this video gave me several ideas. Thank you. I also really like your high key architectural work. Looking forward to more from you. Subscribed!
Thanks so much! Glad you found the video helpful.
Scott, thank you so much for making this video.
I'm not sure I'm even a photographer, but this has been so useful for me. I'm more of a physical creator (furniture, lights and lamps) and use photography to capture it, but so much of the content I've been watching is about: gear, editing, composition... things that are just table stakes. This video helps me and connects to me on a different level, figuring out who I am and how that affects the work.
I saw that you only have 750 subs right now, that's mind-boggling to me. There's a lot of room for this type of content in the world. Thank you.
Thanks for the kind words, Samuel! Really glad to hear that you found this helpful. It's only been about 3 weeks since I posted the video...my first and only so far. I was surprised to get that many subscribers so quickly (I think it's up to 800 now). I appreciate all the support from you and everyone else. I'll have a new video up in a couple of days. Thanks again!
@@scottfrenchart Well you have 4.5K now!
@@scottfrenchart Amazing :) to see that you already have 5K notifications right now :) well deserved
Thanks! Great handle btw :)
Thanks Samuel...I appreciate your encouragement and support!
Nothing dramatically new, just good common sense and a sound approach to identifying and improving your individual style. Well done Scott! Thank you.
Thanks Nick...I appreciate it!
Good advice and really nicely presented and illustrated!
Thanks Erich...I appreciate it!
Great watch, great advices. Really felt it clicking 2-3 times.
Subbed.
Thanks so much. Glad it helped.
I'm surprised that this is your first video on your channel because of the quality! Keep up the amazing work!!
Awww...thanks so much. I appreciate it!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks for the feedback!
@@scottfrenchart you put into words what I’ve been trying to figure out…so thank you!
Great advice. As a pro photographer of 23 years, who generally shoot what clients want, in the style they want, it is actually really hard to know my own tastes among the thousands of frames I make every month, to someone else's vision and aesthetic.
Thank you Danie...great to get feedback from a pro like yourself.
Another great video, thanks again 🙏
Glad you enjoyed it!
Love roberts work! My true inspiration.
Same here!
Continue your excellent work. Subscribed
Thanks so much...got lots of stuff in the works!
Scott, you and I share similar backgrounds. I too worked for a college. I was the publications guy and later the media center manager. I did some photo work that got noticed very early on as a college student. I used a Pentax K1000 and a 50mm f2 lens for it! I knew nothing about the technical stuff. I never did anything with my photography (we are talking about decades here) until about a year ago. Along the way, I created a lot of iconic images that got noticed but nothing ever came from them. It is time to share the images. Thank you so much for the videos and the inspiration. I have semi-mastered the technical stuff. Now I focus on what I call "why" of photography.
Your video hit the bullseye every time... and I only discovered you a few hours ago!!
Thanks for sharing your story Boris! We do have similar backgrounds. Would love to see a link to some of your work.
Muchas gracias Scott! Finding your own style could be a very elusive task, but you provide some very good advice on how to do it. Do keep the videos coming, you have a very fresh, calm way of conveying topics/ideas.
Hey thanks! I'm glad you like what you've seen so far.
You have inspired me so much by what you have posted. Please continue.
@@leilahijazi6313 Thanks Leila!
very helpful and inspiring!
Thanks! Glad it helped.
really interesting to hear you mention "Manufactured Landscapes". I was shown this film in one of my first classes in my first year of university and it had an enormous impact on the lives of me and my closest friend at the time. Great video Scott, thanks a lot
Thanks! The film had quite an impact on me as well.
Wow I just started mentorship in finding my style and at last focusing in my work. And now I find your lecture. Thanks I really needed this!
I appreciate the comment! Glad you found it helpful.
I love your channel. Thank you
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoy it.
Great advice and very helpful.
Glad to hear...thanks!
Thank you so much!
Thanks for watching!
Funny is, at the start of your video we see monsieur Belmondo in brasilia.. some buildings there from oscar niemeyer. In one of my first video i made some nightshots of one oscar niemeyer building here in berlin/germany. presented 1957 at internationale Bauausstellung. Later i made some more with analog. thx for this super video.
Thanks for sharing! So glad to know that you liked it.
Thanks Scott, I was looking for the next video until I realized it haven't been published yet.Keep it up!
Haha...Thanks. The next one is in the works.
Very thought provoking. Developing a sense of style in photography is a journey in itself. I think this video focuses on the key points that makes a photographer. Some people spend years just in search of what is the right way to do photography. This video will certainly be of great help to them. Will be waiting for more of such content. Thank you, Scott.
Hi Dipanjan, I appreciate the comments...lots of similar content is on the way!
Great video 🙌
Thanks!
Excellent advices. I started this journey into finding my style and it fits to this process, so I can testify that it works. At a certain point, the pleasure of making images started to prevail over it. Finding my style isn't an obsession anymore because I think it's happening. Now I understand that it's a never ending process and I like it. I'm happy to discover your channel at its beginning. Subscribed !
Thanks for the kind words! Glad to know that this fits with your own journey. Good luck with it!
I'm glad youtube somehow recommended your channel. I love the message you're trying to deliver and the way you talk. And... hmm maybe you've got a good voice 🤔
I'm glad too! I appreciate all the kind words!
Do you by any chance have some recommendations on inspirational and educational books on photography?
Hey, there are a lot of great books out there. What sort of photography are you interested in?
Great video tutorials! And I just followed you on Instagram!
Awesome! Thank you!
Really helpful video. Subscribed.
Glad to hear it helped...thanks!
amazing!!!
Thanks so much!!
Just came across your video Scott, really enjoyed it, some great advice, I’ve been going down a similar route myself lately trying to work on my style. Thanks for sharing and subscribed!
Thanks for much Colm...glad you found it helpful!
Thanks too much Scott :)
You're more than welcome Luca! Thanks for the support :)
Thanks for the thorough and concise information and inspiration. You're clearly a critical thinker and very good at expressing your objectives(much appreciated). It's interesting to me that you mentioned painters as inspiration for photography. I've dabbled in photography for a long time...well before exploring other art forms. So, inversely I approach artwork often from a photographic understanding and and standpoint. I'm going to wager that you're familiar with books like, 'Perception And Imaging' by Richard Zakia and 'Design Concepts And Applications' by Frank & Jane Cheatham and Sheryl Haler. I'd recommend titles like that to artists and photographers alike.
Thank you for the thoughtful comment...I appreciate the kind words and the book recommendations!
promising channel! suscribed
Thanks for kind words!
thanks 🙏🏼
You're welcome 😊
I think over time you will find a pattern in your photography, and that's your style :) Could be the way you play with light, shadows, soft/hard light,. Could be your framing, how you play around with colors/B&W. If you force it, then it is not your style :) Changing the subject/genre does not mean that you change your style. Happy shooting, more important, have fun.
Thanks for sharing Rene. :) I agree, style cannot be forced. It's something that's already within you and will cross genres. My goal with the video is to provide a framework to help bring it out.
after many years of photography, my one challenge with style is the lens and focal length. how can we define a style in photography when switching from an ultrawide or wide, to mid range, or tele makes such a huge change in results, that it possibly trumps style. I mean, if were to go out with my 14-24 and shoot, and then next day I take my 24-120 and shoot, those will be radically different results. What does that mean for style? it gets even more complex, when you throw in primes. What about someone who shoots 35 or 50 all the time? Sure you see a style, but what if you give them a 20mm or 85mm all of a sudden. focal length in photography can influence style in a big way. I almost want to think of it as a fine brush, vs a thick brush used by a painter. Maybe the difference in photography is even greater depending on type of lens and focal length.
Thanks for the comment! You've raised some great points here. I think the choice of focal length and why we choose it are closely related to style. While he's not a direct influence on my style, Eugene Richards is one of my favourite photographers (I'd encourage anyone not familiar with his work to look him up). His focal length of choice for his documentary work is the 21mm which he uses to devastating effect. He doesn't chose this focal length arbitrarily. He uses it to get close to his subjects. Gene's photographs are powerful. They have an intimacy that I haven't seen almost anywhere else and a style that is unmistaken.
As for my own work with buildings and the built environment, most times I choose wider focal lengths (starting at the 35mm equivalent of a 19mm lens). I try to get close but I'm also trying to show a little of the surrounding area so the photograph still has a sense of place. I've also used all the way up to what would be the 35mm equivalent of an 80mm lens when practical reasons prevent me from a wider focal length or if I think the story is better told with a longer lens. In those cases I'm relying on light/exposure/common theme to make that image cohesive with the rest of the series. So I guess for me it wouldn't be about someone giving a lens and seeing if it changes my style. My lens choice is made carefully based on the story I'm trying to tell with each image. Hope this helps!
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Thanks!
I am immediately interested what you just conveyed and I'd like to know more about the three ways to develop a style that is only mine! The points, for me, would be more impelling if all points were illustrated with visuals which would be an automatic response from my brain's imbeded memory to act while I take shots and I think it works for everyone to follow your instructions subconsciously to develop their unique style! Personally, I believe everyone who is serious about taking pictures has their stamp on it like when asked to write an essay or paragraph about a subject to a group of people, it'll be found no two writings have the same style! A few of the writers of the single subject may be so that everyone will appreciate for their out of the way creativity, true for photography also! Developing a signature gives recognition and can only be achieved by constant tenacious indefatigable practice with same seriousness all the time with your tips make someone achieve his own signature in his work! I really wanted to get it to be elaborative! Hope I'll be getting it in your next effort!
Thanks...I'll eventually circle back to another video about style but I've got some different topics I'll be covering first.
Copying is an important part of the process of finding your style. Canadians always complain about it though.
Haha...I can imagine!
Thank you a good video
Glad you liked it...thanks
I want to do a photo project documenting the different architecture of homes in my city reflecting the history of the neighbourhoods (eg one area has homes mainly built in the early 20th century for factory workers, one area has a lot of very new homes on the outskirts built for commuters, etc). I feel a bit nervous standing (or worse, setting up a tripod) outside someone’s home with a camera. Do you have any tips for things like that? Is it better to get over the nervousness and just do it, or better to knock on people’s doors and ask if they mind me shooting the house, or maybe post an ad in the local paper inviting people who are interested in having their home photographed?
That sounds like an interesting project Jimi. You definitely draw a lot of attention to yourself when shooting with a tripod. I’ve had a couple of bad experiences using a tripod in the city centre…shooting buildings, not houses (oddly enough the trouble came from people who had no connection to the building but were just angry because I was shooting in the area). I did use a tripod when shooting houses in Palm Springs without any issues. But home owners there are used to having tourists take pictures of their houses. I think you need to do what you’re comfortable with. You might start by identifying the houses you want to shoot and asking the homeowner’s permission. You could also try local Facebook groups to ask for volunteers along with an ad. A combo of all 3 might work best. Best of Luck!
I've taken thousands of photographs and am always trying to learn more. But one thing I truly believe is that to be successful in this overcrowded field, your work must have something that no one else has that sets you apart. And if you can manage to develop a style, or a certain look that is in all your work and people can recognize your work by sight alone, then you've succeeded. But what is it really? How do you make all of your work have something in common, and easily recognizable, regardless of the subject? Yeah. That's my problem. I know my gear, I'm educated about the field and I do all I can to try and reach that peak. I know my photos are good. But they are not stand out jaw dropping great. There is certainly no similar look to my collection that I can detect. My friends and family think I'm really good, but they aren't photographers and do not really understand what makes a great photo. And as hard as I've searched for the thing I must be missing, the key to going from good to great seems more elusive than Bigfoot. I thought this video might help me find that key, but unfortunately, in a sense, I've already done what you advise. I know what I like to shoot. I often shoot wildlife as moving targets are my major downfall and try to improve my skill in that area. I normally prefer more unmoving subjects like still life or nature. And I even like to play around with abstract now and then. One thing I simply am unable to do is portrait photography. Shooting people is awful for me because I am such a loner. I'm so uncomfortable and flustered, I am barely able to operate my camera. No desire to even change this, because it's easier just to shoot things that don't look back. There is too much anxiety to try and improve that genre. And I'll never be able to be great at something that's so stressful for me, especially when shooting all other photography genres relaxes me do much.
Thanks for sharing your story. You're obviously serious about your photography and have invested a lot of time in learning. It can be difficult to stand out in a crowded field like nature and wildlife but I think you should stick to the work you enjoy. I myself am not interested in nature and wildlife photography. Yet one of my favourite photographers is Nick Brandt, a wildlife photographer. I find his work to be really powerful. It transcends the genre. My question to you is what do you want to say with your work? What are the reasons you take photographs? I think you need to look deeper. If you're not sure of the answers yet, a great way to learn more about your own motivations is to start a personal project as I suggested at the end of this video. A personal project organized around an idea allows you to take a deep dive into your interests/passions/etc. It's also helpful in bringing out your style or inner voice. I know it really helped me. Even if your project doesn't pan out as you hoped it often leads you to something else that does. Good luck with it!
Thank you so much for taking time that I'm sure is valuable to you and responding to my comment. One that you really took the time to read. When you asked me what message was I trying to say with my work, I really don't know the answer to that. I don't believe my work as a whole has a message. I've never thought to consider that. I take it more on a photo by photo basis. In other words, I try to make my photos interesting, and if I succeed, great. Now I move on to a brand new image unrelated to anything else I've shot. At least none I've considered. I can't even wrap my head around that because I guess I don't fully understand what you mean. Maybe this concept is a bit too abstract for me. Even when you put all my most favorite photos of nature I've taken together and study them forever, I don't believe I'd ever find a common message except for the obvious which to me is natures beauty. But I don't believe that's what you mean. I believe you mean something much less obvious. But I really am confused and clueless of how to even start to get there. I desire to take photos I can display with pride because I am confident they are excellent in every way. But it seems no matter how good my composition, exposure and all of it though good, never seems to have a professional look. That is what I cannot understand. How can all the parts be there, but yet it still lacks that magic. It has eluded me for almost 50 years of photography. It is quite discouraging. But I'm still trying at least. Looking under every rock for it, but still don't get it.
Hey, no problem. Let me try to put this another way. You've analyzed all your past work, and you don't see anything that really stands out or makes you happy. Maybe you just need a reset and to start fresh (this was also in the video). That's ok. A few years back I was in the same position. I needed a reset. So let's move beyond what you've shot so far and start thinking about where you go from here.
People who become great photographers are passionate about their work or the subjects they shoot and have something they want to say. That's where the "magic" comes from. That's where a personal style or unique voice comes from. Based on what you've told me, I think that's what's been missing from your work. The good news is that you already have the technical skills needed to produce great photographs. You just need to discover your passion or the subjects that really inspire you. That's why I suggested starting a new personal project with a common theme on something that you have an interest in ( I made another video on this very topic where I detailed how I developed an idea/concept and put the project in motion):
ua-cam.com/video/bUgTfQNLJ4E/v-deo.html
A project can help you take a deep dive into your interests/passions/etc. It can help bring out your style or inner voice. And even if this project doesn't pan out as expected, it can lead to something else that does. I know doing this really helped me.
I hope this helps you. Good luck!
great
Thanks!
I really get a kick out of the fictional facades over at studio sander patelski. Others that I find inspiring: Burtynsky, Gursky, Jeffrey Smart
Thanks Marty...I think we are of like minds!
Thank you
Thanks!
This was great….but where’s the link project video??
Thanks Ross! The Project video was just posted. The link should be working now.
I like pictures from across many different styles and genres. It's much the same with music, again I have no preference for any particular style or genre. A good picture is a good picture, a good song is a good song. It all seems to depend upon that work's individual appeal. This of course makes it difficult to find my own preferred 'style'. Not very helpful, I know, but that's just how it is! :)
I agree! Great pictures (and great art in general) have a way of transcending style or genre. I myself love so many different types of photography. Developing a personal style can be challenging for many reasons. I think it starts with finding what inspires us and having something we want to say.
Excellent video Scott. I agree with the 'idea board' concept especially. My wife used it to help launch her cut flower business and it truly does hone the concepts that people find interesting.Although my best work is black and white landscape photography, I do enjoy many other genres and can see that strong shapes and patterns are key in those as well.
Thanks so much...glad you like the video! The idea or inspiration board is definitely helpful.
I hope somebody reads this and help me.
What inspired me are the one that made me feel talentless, the ones that made me think I cannot shoot a camera, and the ones that said “don’t touch my lens, it’s expensive.” Now that I know better, this dude paid $200.00 for that lens; one extra battery of my camera is $300.00.
Now, these people built business around their photography and got paid. Their photos doesn’t appeal to me nor is it even well thought of, composition to editing wise. That said, they’re still ahead of me because my gears make theirs look cheap but I don’t get money in return.
How do I set that bitterness aside and actually mind my own and start doing what I love and shoot. I really want to give quality photo for those who cannot afford it. It’s all I want.
Hi Kim, I'm not really sure how to answer. But I can tell you that for a long time I thought gear was important. A few years back, I realized it was not nearly as important as I thought. If your goal is to make great photographs, an obsession gear will hurt more than help. You spend most of your time in a never ending quest to acquire the latest and greatest gear rather than working on becoming a better photographer. I also realized at some point that while I was inspired by other photographer's work, I didn't want to be them. I still wanted to find my own path.
Find something that you love to shoot. As you say, all you want is to produce quality photos. Don't let how you feel about others stop you from doing it.
@@scottfrenchart you’re right. Thank you! I guess I’m just angry at others that I thought could guide me, instead, I’m out down.
I’ll continue shooting and find my style. Thank you!
I recommend the channel Tin House Studio, it’s by a pretty successful pro good photographer who took about a decade before finding his style and starting to get much bigger paid jobs. He has loads of videos about the journey etc that I think will help you
@@JimiCanRead I really appreciate it!
no style until you master post edit. prove me wrong with unedit pics
Haha...while I wouldn't say NO style without post-processing, for many of us shooting digital, yes the edit is a big part of it. Raw files have maximum leeway for edits but are not really considered a finished image without some processing. So I won't be posting mine. Plus I also advocate only showing your best, finished work. Unedited images don't qualify for me.
Although if you look at the work of the photographers that I included in this video, it was mostly if not all shot on film. Some of the work was from photographers who didn't use digital post-processing at all (but maybe a little dodging and burning in the darkroom) and the rest used very little. Yet all of them have a distinctive style.
Tired of everything related to Wes Anderson. He has a unique style, but internet imitation is just boring.
Yeah I guess anything that imitated will start to get boring eventually.
Id say if you are starting out dont bother with style
Thanks for the comment...yes, this video is intended more for those with some photography experience.
Great idea of making a moodboard of inspiring work. Seeing the other artists' work together also helps you to understand their styles.
(By the way, what happened to your Instagram account?)
Thanks Brett...my Instagram account is still up and running. My reference to it in the video was to illustrate how my style evolved if that was what you meant.