Unfortunately we live in a consumer society with a multitude of websites full of people who seem to be trying to outdo each other. A 1.4 lens is seen as "not as good as" an f/1.2 lens. A Canon lens is seen as inferior to a Leica. A photograph taken with a $500 lens is seen as inferior to one taken with a $5000 lens. You know the drill. People start seeing things that don't exist. Where it all falls apart is when people talk about Hasselblads. Cameras don't create. Cameras don't light and cameras don't do post production (though I'm a minimalist in that department, preferring to get it right in the camera). Between you and Peter Coulson, - who once did a shoot with a Sony RX100 to prove the point - there's enough inspiration to forget the naysayers.
Thanks Karl. And for a lot of photography, one light but moved around and stacked in post allows many photographers to mimic the multi-light product shots
Absolutely right. I love working with speedlights, I have 4 of them and I mainly use only one when I'm doing Portrait outdoors, two sometimes. They are light and portable. I also have 4 studio strobes, all new but I hardly use them. I also use the speedlight indoors. Using one light allows you to be more creative with shadows and makes you more attentive to the surrounding ambient light or lack off because you are forced to look to find additional light for rim lighting effects, better flow of light. I love your product and food photos in this video. I feel inspired I am going to shoot some shots indoors tonight. Thank you for the awesome talk/video. ❤🙌
Preach Brother Taylor, preach! There will always be doubters and in most cases they don't want to learn. It's far easier to complain, hate and troll. I follow several photography channels and even when they shoot different subject matter, I learn something from all of them.
Karl, I find your clips & knowledge inspirational. You remind me of my early photo roots with film in the late Sixties. I served my ‘apprenticeship’ in an old established properly run Camera Club in the west of Scotland, and like you at a young age - I could not afford to buy an expensive camera- let alone studio equipment. The Club studio was basic with a variety of No.1 & No.2 Tungsten Flood lights- I don’t think the brolly flash had even been invented. But it did also have a darkroom where I learned basics of ‘ D& P’. In competition I was up against Hasselblads - Nikon - Leica, Rollieflex and maybe one or two members using large format Linhof. All I had was my little 35mm Miranda FM - yet I managed to walk away at the Quarterly and Annual Competitions with four Silver Trophies. That was my proudest moment to look back on! I did not go on to a Pro Career like you which I regret. My early success was cut short by getting married. My enthusiasm melted away over the years and that was rekindled in the early Nineties when I went digital. I now have great admiration for your work and now (at 77yrs) trying to create a little home studio with small product photography- just for fun! Thank you so much for these invaluable clips- you are doing a great contribution to the art which most of us love!
Thank you Matthew, interesting to hear your story and how you found your way back to photography. I'm glad these videos help keeping you inspired! All the best Karl.
With any profession , it will always be knowledge with trial and error and hard work that brings out the perfection of the end product. Always remember that the ones that complain never put in the work and expect the end result to be perfect .
Remind me when I was a live photographer in the past and I used a Canon 60D with an old zoom not really fast (like 3.5 to f5.8) and people was "Your photographies are really great, but it's because you have great gear". Yeah, Canon 60D and an old zoom are great gear... It's just because I learned, lot of practice, not the gear. It's exactly the same in studio now, with my mentor I learn so much about the light that I can do shots with one light and knowledge...
Awesome awesome video. I am a professional photographer and I do some 1 on 1 teaching to beginner to advanced photographers. I totally agree that getting them out of the mindset of gear be in the answer rather than knowledge is something that I believe every for toggle for goes through. As they mature as a photographer they do eventually start to realize that it is their knowledge and the appropriate practical artistic use of lighting that is more important than the brand name on the light there using. Really really love all your videos I hope you and your family are safe and healthy and thank you again for all your insightful education.
I am just starting out in photography and just discovered your channel and you are fantastic! Rant all you want... just don't stop sharing your information! This 1-light video has given me confidence to continue practicing. Thank you!
Excellent, sir. Working in a small studio, with a small budget, has forced me to learn to get the most out of a little. And, as it turns out, some of the images that come out of here with the best compliments are those shot with a single light source (and perhaps a reflector made from foamcore I got at Walmart). Understanding light and pushing creativity will trump gadgets almost every time. Bravo on helping us all see that!
I bought your advertising DVDs about 5 years ago and they were a game changer for me! Your free UA-cam tutorials are fantastic and anyone serious about producing great imagery would do themselves a huge favor by buying/subscribing to your educational materials. Thank you for putting the work in to help make others better.
Myself as a beginner photographer over one year always think and have a mindset that one light is key, that mindset is based on sun light, sun is only one, that is why I never complain whenever I can only shoot with one light only, because I also never complain when I have one sun. The maximum of lighting that I can use are 2, but mostly only one light.
You didn't need to explain anything Karl. Just watching one or two of your tutorials should be enough evidence for anyone who "really" wants to know your worth. As for the naysayers, best response is ignoring them altogether. Keep up the great education. I learn a lot from you.
If they change the camera and they fail, it was a lack of lights. If they buy lights and they fail, it was the studio. If they change their studios and fail, it was the model or the MUA. The problem may be that many believe that by knowing the exposure triangle they already know everything. If we give an F1 car to anyone with no experience and explain all the functions, even if they learn them very well, they will still lose the race. I can certainly say that you can have a lot of equipment and yet you still have to plan your shots and organize yourself to be successful, not all shots are the same, you have to think and that's why most fail. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.
Hi Karl.Thanks so much for all your knowledge sharing.People who doubt your knowledge themselves donot know what they are doing. Photography is all about learning and trying things and photographers like you really help so many photographers around the globe to take that one step forward. So please forget all those people who have doubts about your knowledge as we know that you are one of the best photographer. Thanks again.... From A learner
Excellent video to teach and advice to the photographers about the one light photography. I will try and practice to do the best of my knowledge. Thanks a lot.
Another video full of wisdom and truth..... one wonder why people never seem to get the point... it's a never ending story that never seems to end somehow. Thanks Karl for putting things straight (again).
Thank you for sharing your many years of experience and knowledge, which I have followed for the last 7 years of more. There are always going to be those people that try and knock others and let them as it only reinforces how good you are which this video and your others demonstrate. Keep up the amazing work.
I quite agree, Karl. I have worked in another area of education and training. It's the skill and competence of people that matters most. Thanks for the video.
Fab stuff right on the money im guilty myself of not pushing the gear as far as it can go and needing to push myself even further with light experimenting and practicing way more and its something I am still working on for sure and making some good inroads. I recall you created a great video demo of a shoot with budget speedlites and a consumer dslr - I wonder if a reboot version of that for 2020 could make for a further compelling video further demoing your knowledge trumping whatever cost of gear.
It's exactly what you say! Keep experimenting, keep trying and don't be afraid to fail in order to succeed! This is, in my opinion, the best way to gain knowledge 💪🏾
Brilliant Carl..! And well needed too! More rants please and don’t hold back. There are still lots that need a damn good telling haha. Amazing work as always! Very inspiring buddy 😊👏🏻
So true, i run a training company in construction many years ago and people invested lots in equipment but not in knowledge,, we used to say all the gear but no idea, we got to fully understand the basics first. Keep learning
Good job Mr Taylor. I personally don't have a lot of equipment but I always say that it's not the camera but rather it's the photographer that makes the photo awesome. Having the equipment does help but it's not always needed.
Keep cool Karl. Heads up to you for just not ignoring the trolls. I use the same Cam gear since 13 years and only updated lights, since battery beats cables outside for my work. However thanks to you and other Pros tips on techniques my results became better and better over the years to the point where it feels exciting and effortless at the same time. I felt I could always check out your teams channel for guidelines and check out one way to go about it. You provide high class education and don’t hide knowledge but on your level it requires attention from the students and some just don’t want to go there. All the best.
When i started with commercial photography i did a lot of editorial stuff. I literally said to myself i would use mainly one light and master it by doing so day in day out. I still mainly use one light, i started with a cheap falcon eyes battery powered light and nowadays i use the b10x plus. If you start out with one light you will really get a feel for how to blend ambient light with flash light. It's the same as when someone starts out with photography, i would recommend them using prime lens instead of a zoom lens. Keep it simple, don't give yourself too many options that will distract you. Try to master 1 focal length and or 1 light. When you feel like you understand this than go to the next phase and start adding more lights or different focal lengths. Gear is just tools, if you give a builder a consumer drill instead of a professional drill then he can still do the job.. The same goes for camera's and lighting. It might take a bit longer to get to the same result but it will get the job done, and clients won't even notice this. I see so many other photographers being so focussed on gear, it really annoys me most of the time.
The side by side at 8:16 really demonstrates the utility of reflectors and flags because when I first got to that point in the video I said "wait a minute, if it's one light how'd he get the background like that without another light?". I imagine if it's not shaped from a flag, it's the edge of the the light source from how it's directed.
Invest in your learning before your gears. That's ultimately the one most crucial lesson I've to remind myself of! At the end of the day, what makes outstanding Photography is knowledge and creativeness. Thanks, Karl for this essential lesson.
i learn much better by doing. i have a difficult time watching a video and trying to mimic what im seeing. i am suffering from some memory issue too (unless its just that i learn better by doing, than watching). i love your presentations and your topics. not sure why ive never subscribed before now!
Great video. When doing food photography I only ever use one light, but lots of reflectors (white foamcore) and black scrims. Sometime, no light other than window light.
You are absolutely right, being able to create a photograph with a single light depends a lot on the knowledge and creativity that you have acquired over time, thanks for your video, I am a big fan of your work as a product photographer.
Recently I had a shoot inside of a small student accommodation room. I had no gear, only my trustworthy a7ii. I borrowed 2 tiny LEDs and a black sheet for the background. I'm still impressed with how much I could achieve with it. Granted I had to do moderate post processing, but nothing I wouldn't do even if I had professional equipment. It's always good to be reminded that we don't have to fall down the rabbit hole of shiny and newer tech.
what a great statement and so true 👍 the comparison between the six-light and the one-light lipstick photos is a great example I`m only an enthusiastic hobby photograoher who has to be economical with the money, so I use elder speedlites and mainly different self-made diffusors, sometimes I use only a small LED flashlight + camera shutter mode "B" to light my homemade product or table top photos shot on rainy or stormy weekends for instance
Well said. Best thing I did before signing up for your courses was to read Light: Science and Magic (such an eye opener) and then try to work out the examples using a single speed light and whatever modifier(s) I had on hand. Now when you talk about light in your courses , I can at least understand what is going on.
That's a good book although I prefer to learn visually so in our platform we demonstrate the important stuff in a way that i believe is easier to absorb for many.
nice video. I'm very grateful to this pro that gives his time to create content to help other photographers. im 60 now and i have start taking pictures in my teen years. in my personal experience the most important part, hands down, of a photographer kit is the lens or lenses. you can have three Broncolor strobe and a shit lens your pic will look bad. you can have three ikea lamps and a top of the range prime and your pic will look good (if you know how to set up your lights, that is). I cannot even begins to understand why anybody would hate this guy. He makes free contents from you from which can learn and gets hate in return? lol. crazy and sad.
When I was 22 I spent 2 years saving up for a camera. I spent a huge £1000 on my first camera. Being autistic, I have these extreme emotions towards some things That week, my house got robbed! 3 years ago, I was finally able to buy a camera again. I absolutely love it. I am still learning and struggling to get to grips with it but I use it everyday for my products for my business I have recently learnt that the light box I am using is very limiting. So I plan on getting a single strobe and bounce the light off the ceiling as I do alot of small products There is just something about photography It feels like an infinite journey of learning how to play with light and it really helps you appreciate the smallest of things in life I wish I had the money earlier on in life and never got robbed as I sometimes worry I will never learn everything I want to know. But for the last 3 years not a single day has gone past where I have not taken a photo I love photography with such a passion The noise the shutter makes Messing with the settings and setting up the shoot. It's just amazing
@@VisualEducationStudio Thank you Karl. Todays budding photographers have an absolute blessing of a platform to learn from people like yourself Thanks for sharing so much insider knowledge I know there are a few business owners out there But I would love to see a tutorial on setting up a small product photography setup for shooting small items with a white background Would you use a continuous lighting or a strobe light setup? Would be really useful
Hello Karl, you are absolutely right. The camera and light are just tools to get the job done, it’s the creators imagination and creativity that creates the image. An average canon dslr and some basic light are 100 times better today than they were 20 years ago. And people took some amazing pictures back then. But then again, people really needed to understand the basics of photography, because there was no looking over your shoulder to check the scream to see if your picture was ok, you didn’t have a delete option or an option to take 1000 pictures and then see which one was best. You had to wait to develope your filmrol. It’s like with any profession, a programmer can program on any computer, a good carpenter can make anything with a limited amount of tools. I’ve never heard a carpenter say “if only I had a better hamer 🔨, then I could built a nicer home”. If you can’t take a picture with basic camera, then you will never be able to take a picture with a 5000 euro camera..
I‘m really enjoying the time I have these days and invested in a one-year subscription on your website. I am really happy with what I learned so far and can‘t wait to get back into the studio and test out a lot of stuff!
I agree with you in every word you said. I personally don't have even a speedlight but I'm not so concerned about that too much. What I'm concerned about is the ideas I should have and find a way to achieve me. Gears just make things easier and the work more efficient.
Very kind thank you but I just make pictures and teach people how to do it. The very best are those filling our shelves, caring for our sick and keeping us safe.
Great tutorial! Thankyou! Upgrading? I'm still working with the RB67 and a Canon snapshot digital as my 'Polaroid'. Why? I invested in my lighting first and a pair of mannequins!
I love your ranting!! That's a great teaching for people who only see limitation of $$$ in producing great photo. A great chef can make great food with a cheap wok! It's the same thing as in photography.
Excellent video which deserves some follow up. Great looks can be achieved with simple and cheap equipment, like umbrellas or bounced strobes (look how much Annie Leibovitz gets done with one or two umbrellas or Albert Watson with a few beauty dishes, V-flats and flags). The more expensive modifiers typically add creative flexibility (grids, focusing etc), greater ease of set-up and break-down or other features that are useful in specific shooting scenarios (e.g. a large metal dish reflector will not fly away in the wind). These features need to be weighed against cost and ease of transport and set-up. One has to think about stands, boom arms, sandbags for all these options. And also keep in mind that equipment is not the only (or often even the largest) success and cost factor - models, location, set, props and wardrobe, etc. usually play the key role. It all keeps adding up in terms of cost and complexity and, frankly, one needs to adopt a "production mindset". It is usually only in these "high production value" contexts that the expensive equipment that the "naysayers" drool over tends to make a difference.
Absolutely agree! The knowledge is the most important, and the equipment it will be a tool to completely both. Thank you Karl, for you explain so clear the way of Photography. Congratulations for your channel. Antonio Moreira from Porto/Portugal
Glad i watched this video. Was thinking of upgrading my Sony A6000 just for IBIS and continuous eye AF but after watching this video the thought came to me that photographers had been taking fantastic photos without these features way since the dawn of time so why can’t I???
Honestly for me fiddling arround with stuff trying to get it to work might be the best part of photography for me. I did make lots of upgrades, but only when i thought i could use it! Oh and just to be clear it's the same struggle as with the first speedlight, but only with more expensive stuff...
I have a old canon 5D, old speedotron strobes and three speedlites, my camera is falling apart, it still working but I still continue using it and get good shots, no reason to complain, I would love to upgrade someday but for now I’ll still use my fossil
I even find a 2 dollars to 4 dollars umbrella for speedlight which is really really cheap,and one of my fellas use that a lot for their photograph,so there is no excuse to can't get a decent lighting because of economical conditions
Most of the time my lights are around power 8 on a 3200J pack so that's equivalent to 800J but don't forget that a 400J lamp is only one stop less than an 800 so simply increasing your ISO from 100 to 200 would compensate.
Absolutely no excuses... Even only with available light with knowledge will create great images... The gear are there to help us to achieve our willing to make great image, and make our live easier...
I know people who have really great equipment and their output is flat and lifeless. I really liked this video, because I know it’s all about knowledge and creativity. Salute.
The best honest advice I ever had. And you are right, I admire your honesty, because you could try to promote your equipment for sponsorship. Thank you
Love it! if you have a camera go out and shoot, invest your time to improve your skillset and learn about light. My favorite fashion photographer just posted a incredible photo that she took with the brand new mirrorless Canon and most people just wanted to know about the camera. The fact is, she would take the same amazing photo with an old Polaroid if she has too, why? because she has an incredible skillset.
Same applies with music. Many believe that buying a new pedal or a new guitar would make them better musicians, where a much better move would be just to train your own ears.
cheers for this video! one question regarding the 6-light vs 1-light version of your photo with the lipsticks: can you match the 1-light version even more close tot he 6-light version in post? how close can you really come with adding reflections and the light patch at the bottom in post? my guess is: very...
Hi Karl, I have taken your online courses, and I have no doubt that you can produce excellent pictures even without light. I have learn so much from your online trainings. unfortunately due to some cost constrains, I could not continue. PS. I usually do not comments on social media, but for this could not resist. Keep doing what do best. Your work speak itself.
Hi no I've not used a light meter since the days of shooting film. You have all the information you need with a histogram and looking at the preview image. I generally start at the aperture that I know I want to use and the light on a mid power setting, I then do a test shot and then either go up or down on the flash power until it looks right.
What an eye opener this exalant video could turn out to be for many people including myself! I believe your analysis is spot on for many and to have it delivered in the way you delivered it, to the point and straight out of the box and why not. Nothing wrong with a bit of shock phycology loved it. Again, wonderful content and has given me hope and encouragement in wht I attempt. At seventy four I can confirm that it is never too late to learn! Thank you.
Unfortunately we live in a consumer society with a multitude of websites full of people who seem to be trying to outdo each other. A 1.4 lens is seen as "not as good as" an f/1.2 lens. A Canon lens is seen as inferior to a Leica. A photograph taken with a $500 lens is seen as inferior to one taken with a $5000 lens. You know the drill. People start seeing things that don't exist. Where it all falls apart is when people talk about Hasselblads. Cameras don't create. Cameras don't light and cameras don't do post production (though I'm a minimalist in that department, preferring to get it right in the camera). Between you and Peter Coulson, - who once did a shoot with a Sony RX100 to prove the point - there's enough inspiration to forget the naysayers.
Thanks Karl. And for a lot of photography, one light but moved around and stacked in post allows many photographers to mimic the multi-light product shots
This is gold!!
06:10 - See, the reason I can't make photos like Karl's is that I don't have access to professional-grade cardboard :-)
🤣
so im not the only one who thought of that joke....
stop making excuses, start learning and start doing! The most important thing in photography. Doesnt matter is this portrait/sport/documentary.
Absolutely
Absolutely right. I love working with speedlights, I have 4 of them and I mainly use only one when I'm doing Portrait outdoors, two sometimes. They are light and portable. I also have 4 studio strobes, all new but I hardly use them. I also use the speedlight indoors. Using one light allows you to be more creative with shadows and makes you more attentive to the surrounding ambient light or lack off because you are forced to look to find additional light for rim lighting effects, better flow of light.
I love your product and food photos in this video. I feel inspired I am going to shoot some shots indoors tonight.
Thank you for the awesome talk/video. ❤🙌
Preach Brother Taylor, preach! There will always be doubters and in most cases they don't want to learn. It's far easier to complain, hate and troll. I follow several photography channels and even when they shoot different subject matter, I learn something from all of them.
Karl..... As an amateur photographer, your words of wisdom really have propelled my work.
Thanks
Karl, I find your clips & knowledge inspirational. You remind me of my early photo roots with film in the late Sixties. I served my ‘apprenticeship’ in an old established properly run Camera Club in the west of Scotland, and like you at a young age - I could not afford to buy an expensive camera- let alone studio equipment. The Club studio was basic with a variety of No.1 & No.2 Tungsten Flood lights- I don’t think the brolly flash had even been invented. But it did also have a darkroom where I learned basics of ‘ D& P’.
In competition I was up against Hasselblads - Nikon - Leica, Rollieflex and maybe one or two members using large format Linhof.
All I had was my little 35mm Miranda FM - yet I managed to walk away at the Quarterly and Annual Competitions with four Silver Trophies. That was my proudest moment to look back on! I did not go on to a Pro Career like you which I regret. My early success was cut short by getting married. My enthusiasm melted away over the years and that was rekindled in the early Nineties when I went digital. I now have great admiration for your work and now (at 77yrs) trying to create a little home studio with small product photography- just for fun! Thank you so much for these invaluable clips- you are doing a great contribution to the art which most of us love!
Thank you Matthew, interesting to hear your story and how you found your way back to photography. I'm glad these videos help keeping you inspired! All the best Karl.
With any profession , it will always be knowledge with trial and error and hard work that brings out the perfection of the end product. Always remember that the ones that complain never put in the work and expect the end result to be perfect .
Remind me when I was a live photographer in the past and I used a Canon 60D with an old zoom not really fast (like 3.5 to f5.8) and people was "Your photographies are really great, but it's because you have great gear".
Yeah, Canon 60D and an old zoom are great gear... It's just because I learned, lot of practice, not the gear.
It's exactly the same in studio now, with my mentor I learn so much about the light that I can do shots with one light and knowledge...
Awesome awesome video.
I am a professional photographer and I do some 1 on 1 teaching to beginner to advanced photographers.
I totally agree that getting them out of the mindset of gear be in the answer rather than knowledge is something that I believe every for toggle for goes through.
As they mature as a photographer they do eventually start to realize that it is their knowledge and the appropriate practical artistic use of lighting that is more important than the brand name on the light there using.
Really really love all your videos I hope you and your family are safe and healthy and thank you again for all your insightful education.
Thanks Karl for this lesson 🙏
I am just starting out in photography and just discovered your channel and you are fantastic! Rant all you want... just don't stop sharing your information! This 1-light video has given me confidence to continue practicing. Thank you!
I appreciate that thank you.
Excellent, sir. Working in a small studio, with a small budget, has forced me to learn to get the most out of a little. And, as it turns out, some of the images that come out of here with the best compliments are those shot with a single light source (and perhaps a reflector made from foamcore I got at Walmart). Understanding light and pushing creativity will trump gadgets almost every time. Bravo on helping us all see that!
thank you
And this is why Karl Taylor is one of my favourite photographers on UA-cam.
thank you
I bought your advertising DVDs about 5 years ago and they were a game changer for me! Your free UA-cam tutorials are fantastic and anyone serious about producing great imagery would do themselves a huge favor by buying/subscribing to your educational materials. Thank you for putting the work in to help make others better.
Thank you for your comments.
Myself as a beginner photographer over one year always think and have a mindset that one light is key, that mindset is based on sun light, sun is only one, that is why I never complain whenever I can only shoot with one light only, because I also never complain when I have one sun. The maximum of lighting that I can use are 2, but mostly only one light.
This is the best photography video ever made......!!!!!! David Rodigan would be proud of the Microphone Skills.....!!!
You didn't need to explain anything Karl. Just watching one or two of your tutorials should be enough evidence for anyone who "really" wants to know your worth. As for the naysayers, best response is ignoring them altogether. Keep up the great education. I learn a lot from you.
If they change the camera and they fail, it was a lack of lights. If they buy lights and they fail, it was the studio. If they change their studios and fail, it was the model or the MUA. The problem may be that many believe that by knowing the exposure triangle they already know everything. If we give an F1 car to anyone with no experience and explain all the functions, even if they learn them very well, they will still lose the race. I can certainly say that you can have a lot of equipment and yet you still have to plan your shots and organize yourself to be successful, not all shots are the same, you have to think and that's why most fail. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks Peter.
Thanks Karl, you’re my hero!
Hi Karl.Thanks so much for all your knowledge sharing.People who doubt your knowledge themselves donot know what they are doing. Photography is all about learning and trying things and photographers like you really help so many photographers around the globe to take that one step forward.
So please forget all those people who have doubts about your knowledge as we know that you are one of the best photographer.
Thanks again....
From
A learner
Excellent video to teach and advice to the photographers about the one light photography.
I will try and practice to do the best of my knowledge.
Thanks a lot.
Another video full of wisdom and truth..... one wonder why people never seem to get the point... it's a never ending story that never seems to end somehow. Thanks Karl for putting things straight (again).
Well said Karl, so true and so important to take on board.
Thank you for sharing your many years of experience and knowledge, which I have followed for the last 7 years of more. There are always going to be those people that try and knock others and let them as it only reinforces how good you are which this video and your others demonstrate. Keep up the amazing work.
Thanks Simon
I quite agree, Karl. I have worked in another area of education and training. It's the skill and competence of people that matters most. Thanks for the video.
Fab stuff right on the money im guilty myself of not pushing the gear as far as it can go and needing to push myself even further with light experimenting and practicing way more and its something I am still working on for sure and making some good inroads.
I recall you created a great video demo of a shoot with budget speedlites and a consumer dslr - I wonder if a reboot version of that for 2020 could make for a further compelling video further demoing your knowledge trumping whatever cost of gear.
It's exactly what you say! Keep experimenting, keep trying and don't be afraid to fail in order to succeed! This is, in my opinion, the best way to gain knowledge 💪🏾
Thanks
Brilliant Carl..! And well needed too! More rants please and don’t hold back. There are still lots that need a damn good telling haha. Amazing work as always! Very inspiring buddy 😊👏🏻
Thanks Gareth.
So true, i run a training company in construction many years ago and people invested lots in equipment but not in knowledge,, we used to say all the gear but no idea, we got to fully understand the basics first. Keep learning
Well said!
Good job Mr Taylor. I personally don't have a lot of equipment but I always say that it's not the camera but rather it's the photographer that makes the photo awesome. Having the equipment does help but it's not always needed.
Keep cool Karl. Heads up to you for just not ignoring the trolls.
I use the same Cam gear since 13 years and only updated lights, since battery beats cables outside for my work.
However thanks to you and other Pros tips on techniques my results became better and better over the years to the point where it feels exciting and effortless at the same time. I felt I could always check out your teams channel for guidelines and check out one way to go about it. You provide high class education and don’t hide knowledge but on your level it requires attention from the students and some just don’t want to go there. All the best.
Thank you very kind.
When i started with commercial photography i did a lot of editorial stuff. I literally said to myself i would use mainly one light and master it by doing so day in day out.
I still mainly use one light, i started with a cheap falcon eyes battery powered light and nowadays i use the b10x plus.
If you start out with one light you will really get a feel for how to blend ambient light with flash light. It's the same as when someone starts out with photography, i would recommend them using prime lens instead of a zoom lens. Keep it simple, don't give yourself too many options that will distract you. Try to master 1 focal length and or 1 light. When you feel like you understand this than go to the next phase and start adding more lights or different focal lengths.
Gear is just tools, if you give a builder a consumer drill instead of a professional drill then he can still do the job.. The same goes for camera's and lighting. It might take a bit longer to get to the same result but it will get the job done, and clients won't even notice this.
I see so many other photographers being so focussed on gear, it really annoys me most of the time.
The side by side at 8:16 really demonstrates the utility of reflectors and flags because when I first got to that point in the video I said "wait a minute, if it's one light how'd he get the background like that without another light?".
I imagine if it's not shaped from a flag, it's the edge of the the light source from how it's directed.
Invest in your learning before your gears.
That's ultimately the one most crucial lesson I've to remind myself of!
At the end of the day, what makes outstanding Photography is knowledge and creativeness.
Thanks, Karl for this essential lesson.
i learn much better by doing. i have a difficult time watching a video and trying to mimic what im seeing. i am suffering from some memory issue too (unless its just that i learn better by doing, than watching). i love your presentations and your topics. not sure why ive never subscribed before now!
Excellent!! Study and practice, practice, practice. Very clear statement that of yours. Thanks
Great video. When doing food photography I only ever use one light, but lots of reflectors (white foamcore) and black scrims. Sometime, no light other than window light.
You are absolutely right, being able to create a photograph with a single light depends a lot on the knowledge and creativity that you have acquired over time, thanks for your video, I am a big fan of your work as a product photographer.
thank you.
Recently I had a shoot inside of a small student accommodation room. I had no gear, only my trustworthy a7ii. I borrowed 2 tiny LEDs and a black sheet for the background. I'm still impressed with how much I could achieve with it. Granted I had to do moderate post processing, but nothing I wouldn't do even if I had professional equipment.
It's always good to be reminded that we don't have to fall down the rabbit hole of shiny and newer tech.
what a great statement and so true 👍
the comparison between the six-light and the one-light lipstick photos is a great example
I`m only an enthusiastic hobby photograoher who has to be economical with the money, so I use elder speedlites and mainly different self-made diffusors, sometimes I use only a small LED flashlight + camera shutter mode "B" to light my homemade product or table top photos shot on rainy or stormy weekends for instance
Well said. Best thing I did before signing up for your courses was to read Light: Science and Magic (such an eye opener) and then try to work out the examples using a single speed light and whatever modifier(s) I had on hand. Now when you talk about light in your courses , I can at least understand what is going on.
That's a good book although I prefer to learn visually so in our platform we demonstrate the important stuff in a way that i believe is easier to absorb for many.
Yes, it is Knowledge and the willingness to Try. thank you Mr. Taylor
This is the best demonstration of skill. The best investment in my skills I ever did was school and then an internship at a commercial studio.
Living in a cardboard box outside the corner store is my secret weapon in photography.:) Kidding, spot-on video...
nice video. I'm very grateful to this pro that gives his time to create content to help other photographers. im 60 now and i have start taking pictures in my teen years. in my personal experience the most important part, hands down, of a photographer kit is the lens or lenses. you can have three Broncolor strobe and a shit lens your pic will look bad. you can have three ikea lamps and a top of the range prime and your pic will look good (if you know how to set up your lights, that is). I cannot even begins to understand why anybody would hate this guy. He makes free contents from you from which can learn and gets hate in return? lol. crazy and sad.
You are passionate about what you do and it shows. Thanks for all you do to help amateurs like me to become better.
I appreciate that!
When I was 22 I spent 2 years saving up for a camera. I spent a huge £1000 on my first camera. Being autistic, I have these extreme emotions towards some things
That week, my house got robbed!
3 years ago, I was finally able to buy a camera again. I absolutely love it.
I am still learning and struggling to get to grips with it but I use it everyday for my products for my business
I have recently learnt that the light box I am using is very limiting. So I plan on getting a single strobe and bounce the light off the ceiling as I do alot of small products
There is just something about photography
It feels like an infinite journey of learning how to play with light and it really helps you appreciate the smallest of things in life
I wish I had the money earlier on in life and never got robbed as I sometimes worry I will never learn everything I want to know.
But for the last 3 years not a single day has gone past where I have not taken a photo
I love photography with such a passion
The noise the shutter makes
Messing with the settings and setting up the shoot. It's just amazing
So glad you are still able to enjoy photography after your bad experience
@@VisualEducationStudio Thank you Karl. Todays budding photographers have an absolute blessing of a platform to learn from people like yourself
Thanks for sharing so much insider knowledge
I know there are a few business owners out there
But I would love to see a tutorial on setting up a small product photography setup for shooting small items with a white background
Would you use a continuous lighting or a strobe light setup?
Would be really useful
Hello Karl, you are absolutely right. The camera and light are just tools to get the job done, it’s the creators imagination and creativity that creates the image. An average canon dslr and some basic light are 100 times better today than they were 20 years ago. And people took some amazing pictures back then. But then again, people really needed to understand the basics of photography, because there was no looking over your shoulder to check the scream to see if your picture was ok, you didn’t have a delete option or an option to take 1000 pictures and then see which one was best. You had to wait to develope your filmrol. It’s like with any profession, a programmer can program on any computer, a good carpenter can make anything with a limited amount of tools. I’ve never heard a carpenter say “if only I had a better hamer 🔨, then I could built a nicer home”. If you can’t take a picture with basic camera, then you will never be able to take a picture with a 5000 euro camera..
I‘m really enjoying the time I have these days and invested in a one-year subscription on your website. I am really happy with what I learned so far and can‘t wait to get back into the studio and test out a lot of stuff!
Thank you much appreciated
Word! The best video on UA-cam! Finally the ”secret” recipe to become a successful photographer that actually works 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Glad it was helpful
It's a good reminder of what's important.
Brilliant Karl, it was such amazing insights. You are right, an excuse will never give room for growth. Thanks:)
I agree with you in every word you said. I personally don't have even a speedlight but I'm not so concerned about that too much. What I'm concerned about is the ideas I should have and find a way to achieve me. Gears just make things easier and the work more efficient.
Thanks Karl, always enjoy your work mate.
My pleasure
Sir Karl, you're the absolute best.
Very kind thank you but I just make pictures and teach people how to do it. The very best are those filling our shelves, caring for our sick and keeping us safe.
Great tutorial! Thankyou! Upgrading? I'm still working with the RB67 and a Canon snapshot digital as my 'Polaroid'. Why? I invested in my lighting first and a pair of mannequins!
Glad it was helpful!
What do you have to concider to photograph with a medium format camera or smaller format
I have learned a lot from your videos. Will watch more. Thanks.
Thanks Karl! Some great motivation seeing what's possible
Any time!
I love your ranting!! That's a great teaching for people who only see limitation of $$$ in producing great photo. A great chef can make great food with a cheap wok! It's the same thing as in photography.
Exactly and thanks
Excellent video which deserves some follow up. Great looks can be achieved with simple and cheap equipment, like umbrellas or bounced strobes (look how much Annie Leibovitz gets done with one or two umbrellas or Albert Watson with a few beauty dishes, V-flats and flags). The more expensive modifiers typically add creative flexibility (grids, focusing etc), greater ease of set-up and break-down or other features that are useful in specific shooting scenarios (e.g. a large metal dish reflector will not fly away in the wind). These features need to be weighed against cost and ease of transport and set-up. One has to think about stands, boom arms, sandbags for all these options. And also keep in mind that equipment is not the only (or often even the largest) success and cost factor - models, location, set, props and wardrobe, etc. usually play the key role. It all keeps adding up in terms of cost and complexity and, frankly, one needs to adopt a "production mindset". It is usually only in these "high production value" contexts that the expensive equipment that the "naysayers" drool over tends to make a difference.
Best video i have watched in a while. Thank you for the honesty.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Karl is a Jedi master, the force is strong with him 😀
'These are not the droids you are looking for'......
I totally agree with everything you've said. Invest on yourself.
Could not agree more with you Karl! Well said!
Cheers
Absolutely agree! The knowledge is the most important, and the equipment it will be a tool to completely both. Thank you Karl, for you explain so clear the way of Photography. Congratulations for your channel.
Antonio Moreira from Porto/Portugal
Thank you.
Glad i watched this video. Was thinking of upgrading my Sony A6000 just for IBIS and continuous eye AF but after watching this video the thought came to me that photographers had been taking fantastic photos without these features way since the dawn of time so why can’t I???
Amazing stuff as always. I wish I could get a daily motivation audio clips from Karl, whenever I wake up ;-)
Ha ha thank you.
Honestly for me fiddling arround with stuff trying to get it to work might be the best part of photography for me.
I did make lots of upgrades, but only when i thought i could use it! Oh and just to be clear it's the same struggle as with the first speedlight, but only with more expensive stuff...
Totally agree
I have a old canon 5D, old speedotron strobes and three speedlites, my camera is falling apart, it still working but I still continue using it and get good shots, no reason to complain, I would love to upgrade someday but for now I’ll still use my fossil
Great job Kyle ,Keep up the great work !!!👍🏽👏🏽
Cheers
I love it! thank you for sharing your knowledge of lighting!
Thanks for watching
You hit the nail in the coffin 👍👍👍
So very ...motivated speech ...speech is very motivated to repair myselves... rather than waste money by buying expensive gear......
I even find a 2 dollars to 4 dollars umbrella for speedlight which is really really cheap,and one of my fellas use that a lot for their photograph,so there is no excuse to can't get a decent lighting because of economical conditions
Very interesting, if i only use 1 light ,at least how much power does it for daily use Mr Carl
Most of the time my lights are around power 8 on a 3200J pack so that's equivalent to 800J but don't forget that a 400J lamp is only one stop less than an 800 so simply increasing your ISO from 100 to 200 would compensate.
KARL TAYLOR EDUCATION
My biggest investment of my life!
Grazie mille Karl
Thanks for joining our community.
Love it! So true. You do phenomenal work, keep it up! You have to love the people that always complain, haha
Absolutely no excuses... Even only with available light with knowledge will create great images... The gear are there to help us to achieve our willing to make great image, and make our live easier...
Absolutely
I know people who have really great equipment and their output is flat and lifeless. I really liked this video, because I know it’s all about knowledge and creativity. Salute.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you Karl
The best honest advice I ever had. And you are right, I admire your honesty, because you could try to promote your equipment for sponsorship. Thank you
I appreciate that!
Thank you!! Karl.
Love it! if you have a camera go out and shoot, invest your time to improve your skillset and learn about light. My favorite fashion photographer just posted a incredible photo that she took with the brand new mirrorless Canon and most people just wanted to know about the camera. The fact is, she would take the same amazing photo with an old Polaroid if she has too, why? because she has an incredible skillset.
Exactly
I loved this video!
Good job Karl! You're the best 😍
Same applies with music. Many believe that buying a new pedal or a new guitar would make them better musicians, where a much better move would be just to train your own ears.
cheers for this video! one question regarding the 6-light vs 1-light version of your photo with the lipsticks: can you match the 1-light version even more close tot he 6-light version in post? how close can you really come with adding reflections and the light patch at the bottom in post? my guess is: very...
Hi Karl, I have taken your online courses, and I have no doubt that you can produce excellent pictures even without light. I have learn so much from your online trainings. unfortunately due to some cost constrains, I could not continue. PS. I usually do not comments on social media, but for this could not resist. Keep doing what do best. Your work speak itself.
Many thanks
learning by doing and keep practicing is the key.
One light one word ...Awesome Thank you
Thank you.
The problem that I have right now is nailing the exposure everytime. Do you use a light meter everytime before taking the shot? 😃
Thanks
Hi no I've not used a light meter since the days of shooting film. You have all the information you need with a histogram and looking at the preview image. I generally start at the aperture that I know I want to use and the light on a mid power setting, I then do a test shot and then either go up or down on the flash power until it looks right.
What an eye opener this exalant video could turn out to be for many people including myself! I believe your analysis is spot on for many and to have it delivered in the way you delivered it, to the point and straight out of the box and why not. Nothing wrong with a bit of shock phycology loved it. Again, wonderful content and has given me hope and encouragement in wht I attempt. At seventy four I can confirm that it is never too late to learn!
Thank you.
you have got all my admiration and support!!!!
Totally agree with what you are saying. I have more equippment than I'd ned for a lifetime, but what I lack is the knowlige 😶.
Thanks Karl, for almost 5 years im following your advise through youtube
i love your stance on the subject. 100% true
Thank you.
Thanks Karl for this great video! Best Regards from, Bavaria , Germany , Andi