The photo #6 at 19:01:00 is awesome. It is impossible to believe anyone said that has too much dead space. On, man… That palm lines street leading down to the ocean is everything in this shot. 🙏
I have a habit of noticing shops located in previous pizza hut buildings. Here in Australia all the previous pizza huts from the 1970’s & 80s had a particular architectural style and you can still find them since the dine-in all you can eat pizza died.
Super interesting! Especially like how you explained what it means to "tell a story" in a photo, because that's an expression I always found hard to grasp.
Hello Nick, I’ll finish writing this at 0617 - in your honour 😊. This is a marvellous teaching, with virtually no time-wasting. This attribute will bring me back for more. Your niche of Large Format is enthralling, and it seems to me that this labour intensive, slow process has helped you to develop a superb photographic eye - head and shoulders above the crowd (another reason to come back). Your high level of expertise positions you amongst the best instructors. I believe that investing in tuition from an instructor/teacher of your calibre is a better investment than buying the next piece of kit. I’ll be looking closely at what you have to offer. (Only two minutes to go…) Thank you for making this excellent video, it has opened up a new world of image making. I hope you will always love your craft. Best regards from British Columbia, at 0617
Hey Nick...this attention to detail was extremely evident in your recent train image where you placed the distant mountains under the rail car and between the wheels. Your attention to detail and composition is always top-notch.
Genuine question why do Americans seem so irritated about someone minding their own business and just photographing a building? If Nick was doing something like this in the UK I can almost garentee nobody would be irritated by this. They might come outside and ask if he'd like a biscuit rather than calling the police.
Great video thanks 👍. The light you get at dusk when it’s still warm and you have that American look thats kind of baked and soft dusty brings the feeling you get from a Hollywood film from the 60s/70s. We obviously get a lot of that in cinema and on the TV in the uk and it’s all very distant and appealing. When I visit it feels like I’m walking around in a film set. I’ve often wondered if people from other countries would see pictures of a typical rainy or overcast day in the UK and feel anything for it other than pleased they’re not there.
I love all your episodes, but this one was particularly good. I really enjoy hearing you dissect each shot. The painstaking effort and the perfectionism for even tiny details. I try to replicate it in my own (far less impressive) photography.
Ditto. Always interesting to hear your approach. Because we share the urban architecture gene, your methodology (nearly) always applies! Always look forward to the next - thanks, Nick!
I look most of these images and all I can think of is Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks". That same feeling of quiet, perhaps reflective, solitude. Thank you for a very pleasant few moments well spent.
It's crazy how cropping the image (photo#6) completely ruins the feel and the vibe. With the street going off into the distance added, it brings a whole new level of story and character to the scene which makes it feel more "complete" to me.
I had the same understanding about your photo having to tell a story until you explained it just now... thanks for clearing that up. It makes me hate the fine art types 0.023% less
You were talking about Europeans loving the obviously “American” story in your pictures. Roland Barth called the knowledge that the viewer brings to a picture, “the studium”, (just like London is immediately recognisable, Americana is immediately recognisable, etc)… and, something that draws the viewers eye in a picture, he called “the Punctum”. I’m not sure whether Roland Barth actually coined those words, but he speaks about them. Anyway, I really enjoy your videos. Of the photos you showed, I liked the Mini Taco Bell, I think using a polarising filter definitely paid off; but I particularly liked the red building under God’s soft box. And, the lonely lit building…. yes, I really appreciate your work. But, don’t forget your Hi Vis vest next time.
Thanks for the video. Very helpful. I am not particularly drawn to buildings like that but appreciate your appreciation of them. I might even buy the book. Noticed your Mac Studio. I’ve been considering getting one. How do you like it? Keep the videos coming.
How interesting and thoughtful your videos are… You can be sure that you made thousands of people being better photographers with your great work and videos!
Nick!!! Love your work and thanks so much for sharing your insight. What an experience it must be to photograph large format film. I need to learn how to 'see' upside-down. ;)
About your safety vests: it's called social engineering. Professional physical penetration testers audit perimeter security by donning a safety vest, a clipboard, and a "don't fucking talk to me, I'm working here!" attitude.
I was surprised by this video...not your best work. I hope all is well with you. It's not the imagery but the production as a whole. I don't know, just a different feel. It's probably me...
Great review. Where were you 50 years ago? I have a great innate sense of composition. My only "formal" education on this was a little manual about how to take a picture published by Kodak (probably from the Fifties or earlier). Everything you talk about is exactly what goes through my mind now every time I look through a viewfinder. Timeless stuff!!
Great video, and beautiful shots, this is stuff people/photographers don't talk about but very important. Do you have shots (of other Photographers) of these buildings when they were Taco Bells ?
i think, from a european point of view, that the panoramic format gives your work a very cinema type of vibe (i hate that word (just like moist)), especially at dawn or dusk. so maybe transmits the american way of life a bit better. also: sign says „drive thru 24/7“ but it‘s closed on sundays? hmmm 🤔
Hi Nick, slightly off-topic, but what monitors do you use, or what would you recommend? I'm in the market for something new and wanted to understand if there are cheaper options than the Apple or BenQ monitors. Cheers 👍
I am European, but I married an American so I've been there many times, and let me tell you, your photos are the best depiction of California I can think of. When I look at your pictures, I can smell them, I can hear the personal injury lawyer ads on the radio while I'm drinking a ridiculously large coffee, I catch myself thinking "dang, I should really learn Spanish". Once we were driving from LA to Death Valley and in the middle of the desert I had to stop and take pictures of the trains. Because long freight trains in the middle of the desert are the most Californian thing. Is there a local equivalent of the word Americana? Like, Californiana? That's what you should call your style.
I think we Europeans think these photos look so American, because nobody in Europe builds buildings like Americans do. Here's no wood and drywall, here is bricks and sandstone and many many pointy roofs.
A very intelligent critique (I hate the word 😱) of your work I must put some of this in to practice ( if I remember ), when I am shooting my masterpieces 😂📷👍
Hey Nick , just thought I'd help out scouting. If you ever in the LA area theres an old abandoned taco bell in highland park on york blvd. There's another in Hollywood that's turned into a Thai restaurant.
I loved this video, and I find your project very interesting. Do you also photograph current Taco Bells? Have you ever photographed a Taco Bell and a business that replaced it?
Nick, I just sent the link to this video to an inactive pro photographer friend of mine who shot 4x5 and has been trying to get back into the groove again. I told him to watch your videos for HOW and more importantly WHY we take photographers in the first place. I follow a half a dozen or so photographers whom I respect and learn from. You just shot up to the top of the list! I cannot think of a better example of a photographer explaining his craft and his Raison d'Être better than you. Bravo and thank you.
What are you talking about? If you are in a public place (not on private property), neither the store owner or the police can make you do anything. If they did, they would be violating yor rights and they would be the ones breaking the law.
Great video! Thank you for walking through composition. It really helps other photographers to know what to think about in order to help themselves make better photographs.
Thank you Nick. Great video. Now I know why we need to slow down and think before we press the shutter button and move on. Love the lighting on the red building. You are right it looks like you had a giant soft box. The next image with the sun peaking through looks great too but the first one is something else.
I get why you want to change it up. But by not choosing the same format for all photographs you also miss out on a great typology like Bernd & Hilla Becher. That could have been great for your project actually.
But that last shot filled the screen so was there no scene? 🤣 I get what you are saying about light and changing angles on a similar scene in a Project, I'm doing a Project with limited options but it's great having the challenge to find variation,,, when it works!
I so enjoyed this video. It was informative and the pics were great. My favorite is the building, and the palm trees lining both sides leading down the alley way.
I feel like I know where that Juan Pollo is. I may have bought weed somewhere closeby before recreational weed was legal and my buddies would eat there after reupping
This is the insight that we will miss now that you have decided not to show your urban stories on your youtube channel anymore. Like you I always thought, and still think, that story doesn't make sense vis a vis a photo. I understand what is might and you have definitely explained that well but I'm not sure that I see that as a story. Nevertheless, this was a great video, with lots of really great information to setting up urban art photos and very inspirational on top of it all. A really shame that we will not be able to share that anymore. But, thanks for all the insight and inspiration to date!!!!
Nick, this is such a great episode. Loved hearing your thought process on these compositions. Also really looking forward to your future dawn/dusk metering video.
Most of them are still mexican restaurants because there was and there is still demand for mexican food in those areas. Thats the reason those tacobells were there in the first place
Another great video, sir. Especially the storytelling part. I've been a photojournalist for nearly 35 years (first still, now almost exclusively video) and it never occurred to me to think of framing a shot that *didn't* tell a story of some kind. This was a nice reminder that not everyone starts out thinking that way.
I see Nick Carver becoming one of the greater artists able to capture the 2nd American Malaise period. The first being of the late 1970's to early 1980's where much of America fell into disrepair and stagnation. This current period Nick seems to capture so well, is still undefined for most of us, but you know it when you see it. And I see a lot of that here. 01:48 Solid shot. The lighting of this building creates subtext for me. The front is very bright 5-6000K, but it tapers around the sides, giving off a more decayed/disrepair feel. Inside appears to be warmer and older with 2700K lighting probably there in its original state. The billboard is slightly damaged, but dystopian feeling that a personal injury attorney has gained official Dodger sponsorship. The single car in the drive-thru and the person in the front window are just enough to not make this fully liminal, but it feels like it will be soon. Finally, the Strode in the foreground. This does a lot for me in terms of subtext. Its that horrible highway/street design of the car centric 1960's. For me this adds further to the dystopian feel, almost explaining how we got here in society. It further isolates the building too, making me feel like its much further away knowing I can't easily cross to access it. The outside feels cold and dead, but the inside still shows a small element of warmth. 06:17 My favorite of this set. Again with the landscape chosen and the twilight timing there's so much subtext. Timing wise, the end of the day spent at a location such as this really taps into that lonely isolating feel of current society. The woman on her phone really drives that to the next level and adds much more in terms of societal comment. The older vehicles, the graffiti coverup on the side of the buildings, the decaying apartment building peaking out from behind, the yellowing lawn all perfectly paint this seen for me. Of all shots in the group, this one speaks Malaise the most. Its a more subtle 1985 Hill Valley downtown. The stores are far from the glory they once were, but oddly still have a degree of warmth. Finally, a touch Nick always gets well...the lighting. I love the high pressure sodium lamp in the foreground that's ever so slightly bent. That pink spill on the sidewalk is great. 14:13 The subtle elements here like the bent handrail, faded bathroom door and dead palm fronds and nicely juxtaposed on freshly painted walls, new signs and retrofitted A/C. Its more honest than most decay-porn photographers. Some things are tended too, but never everything. Capturing this period correctly needs to show both. It shows were still here trying, but losing ground and picking our battles. The well worn curb with years of tire rub also do a lot for me. And there's something about the trash can, open and just left there. Like someone was doing something but then not. Subtext of our current labor shortages and economy overflow here. 18:53 I wish there was more to this one, but Nick chose to show us what he did. This one's less subtle than the others and maybe why I don't like it as much. The cone, the antenna, above ground power lines and bent lamp...all very nice elements, the old Prius is interesting for me. Seeing this once too-futuristic car for the American pallet now common and boring adds to the Malaise. Decay is best shown, when it reminds you of what the future was supposed to look like. Yes on 27 is sobering...and maybe too on the nose. 19:03 You didn't even need to say San Diego. Its obvious to me in many ways. The sky, the palms, the apartment complex and the weird street parking. But most of all, is the early 20th century street lamp. And I love that its off too, because this photo to me is all about the lighting. The fluorescents of the front, warm interior menu, the neon and the apartment lights all give an authentic feel. But then there's a couple strays I love...the single light bulb on the side of the restaurant and the warm inviting porch light at the apartment. Again like many of the others, there's the classic details: the bent sign, the open street-side receptacle reveals an old metal trash can (so much subtext). And traffic cones...love them Nick C traffic cones. Final note and something distinctly SoCal: palm fronds, purple sky and powerlines. 21:27 Great details in this shot that I love: the graffiti, blackened curb in the drive-thru, ranch house neighbor and the old mountain bike. The stickers on the drive thru window make me feel like the younger crowd frequents here. The broken lamp and the removed trees in the front again highlight that pick your battles aspect of decay that I love. And lastly, that thing we see in all of these...the bent lamp post by the drive-thru. I know many won't agree with me...but Nick is a master of this modern Malaise period.
This part about storytelling in a photo was absolutely great! Never had it explained this way, makes total sense to me. I always struggled with this aspect of photography and ignored to think about it (because I'm not a "storyteller"), but now I have a better idea of what it entails. I transcribed this part of your video to have it as an easy to access snippet of wisdom in my notes. Many thanks for telling us this story … 😁
This is great. I think that's a better way to explain "Tell a story". I usually know I like a shot if a caption pops to mind (and I do like to dig into my creative writing past for captioning). So if a photo gets me thinking about a scenario a photo suggests, it probably will for others.
Te sigo, te admiro como fotógrafo y eres una inspiraci{on muy grande para mí...pero no digas más AMERICAN o NORTEAMÉRICAN como sinónimo de ESTADOUNIDENSE. América es MUCHO MÁS que EEUU, EUA, UNITED STATES OF AMÉRICA o como quieras llamar a tu país, es sólo una apreciación, no una corrección ni nada parecido, sólo querías que entiendas que AMÉRICA es un continente, no el país donde vives... Muchos saludos desde Argentina
@Phillip Banes No soy anti-nada, sólo creo que usar correctamente el lenguaje nos hace mucho más empáticos y buenas personas...el gentilicio de EEUU es *estadounidense*, no *americano*, eso es todo, no quiero crear una discusión, sólo enseñarte que americanos somos todos los nacidos en América toda, no sólo en EEUU... Saludos de un Americano a otro...
Glad to hear the rant about the scene. I am in a FB group for aviation photography, me and the admin take photos of the sky with planes in it, most guys are like you say..."fill the frame dude" and we're like "no man, context"
Hey Nick, i would love to know how you manage your archives. how do you maintain and organizd your digital files, and most importantly retrive them when you need to find them.
He even has a 6x17 clock on the desk... 🤣
I think that may actually be a "weather station": thermometer, barometer, hygrometer. Looks like a nice vintage unit.
Speaking of telling a story, one of the reasons I follow you is that not just your photos do so, but _you_ do a great job of that, too. 🙂
Nick could literally talk about anything and it would be interesting.
Yep, he's a natural born teacher.
The photo #6 at 19:01:00 is awesome. It is impossible to believe anyone said that has too much dead space. On, man… That palm lines street leading down to the ocean is everything in this shot. 🙏
I have a habit of noticing shops located in previous pizza hut buildings. Here in Australia all the previous pizza huts from the 1970’s & 80s had a particular architectural style and you can still find them since the dine-in all you can eat pizza died.
The best photography teacher on the internet by far!
you clearly have not seen Alec Soth's channel
Super interesting! Especially like how you explained what it means to "tell a story" in a photo, because that's an expression I always found hard to grasp.
Hello Nick,
I’ll finish writing this at 0617 - in your honour 😊. This is a marvellous teaching, with virtually no time-wasting. This attribute will bring me back for more. Your niche of Large Format is enthralling, and it seems to me that this labour intensive, slow process has helped you to develop a superb photographic eye - head and shoulders above the crowd (another reason to come back). Your high level of expertise positions you amongst the best instructors.
I believe that investing in tuition from an instructor/teacher of your calibre is a better investment than buying the next piece of kit. I’ll be looking closely at what you have to offer.
(Only two minutes to go…)
Thank you for making this excellent video, it has opened up a new world of image making.
I hope you will always love your craft.
Best regards from British Columbia, at 0617
will you be my dad nick carver
Hey Nick...this attention to detail was extremely evident in your recent train image where you placed the distant mountains under the rail car and between the wheels. Your attention to detail and composition is always top-notch.
The red building is beautiful, and it needed more context. The photo was a little too confined. Beautiful picture non the less.
It's not like the cops could have done anything anyway. You weren't doing anything illegal. lol
Genuine question why do Americans seem so irritated about someone minding their own business and just photographing a building? If Nick was doing something like this in the UK I can almost garentee nobody would be irritated by this. They might come outside and ask if he'd like a biscuit rather than calling the police.
My favourite film Photography teacher, I'll never shoot film but you are my teacher
Great video thanks 👍. The light you get at dusk when it’s still warm and you have that American look thats kind of baked and soft dusty brings the feeling you get from a Hollywood film from the 60s/70s. We obviously get a lot of that in cinema and on the TV in the uk and it’s all very distant and appealing. When I visit it feels like I’m walking around in a film set. I’ve often wondered if people from other countries would see pictures of a typical rainy or overcast day in the UK and feel anything for it other than pleased they’re not there.
14:25 The store is closed and you will see in a couple seconds that there’s a sign on the building indicating the drive-thru is open 24/7 😂
I love all your episodes, but this one was particularly good. I really enjoy hearing you dissect each shot. The painstaking effort and the perfectionism for even tiny details. I try to replicate it in my own (far less impressive) photography.
So many videos recently. We’re living in a Nick Carver Golden Age!
Ditto. Always interesting to hear your approach. Because we share the urban architecture gene, your methodology (nearly) always applies! Always look forward to the next - thanks, Nick!
Do you have this one on your shot list? Los Alazanes Mexican Food 15105 7th St, Victorville, CA 92395. An old Taco Bell location
Open 24/7, closed on Sundays. lol. Great images. Love the red building one.
I look most of these images and all I can think of is Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks". That same feeling of quiet, perhaps reflective, solitude. Thank you for a very pleasant few moments well spent.
The best tutorial on composition I have ever heard. Thanks Nick. And thanks for explaining “story”. It all makes sense now. 👍🙏
It's crazy how cropping the image (photo#6) completely ruins the feel and the vibe. With the street going off into the distance added, it brings a whole new level of story and character to the scene which makes it feel more "complete" to me.
Thanks Nick for another enthralling tour of your processes and thinking behind make great images. Watching your videos is better than Netflix!
Absolutely love that last image with the red wall! The light and colors are amazing! BRAVO Monsieur!!
great instruction on composition!
Watched this a year ago, Nick. And it was just as good to watch it again, now. Good to remind me of the principles, and of your approach
I had the same understanding about your photo having to tell a story until you explained it just now... thanks for clearing that up. It makes me hate the fine art types 0.023% less
Hello Nick. Very informative video of describing the story of your photos. And i loved the red building. Great work!
The bible of 6x17 and 6x7 and 4x5 and 6x6 analog photography, Mr. Nick.
Like the idea and your images. Also the composition tips. Looking forward to checking out your channel.
You were talking about Europeans loving the obviously “American” story in your pictures. Roland Barth called the knowledge that the viewer brings to a picture, “the studium”, (just like London is immediately recognisable, Americana is immediately recognisable, etc)… and, something that draws the viewers eye in a picture, he called “the Punctum”.
I’m not sure whether Roland Barth actually coined those words, but he speaks about them.
Anyway, I really enjoy your videos.
Of the photos you showed, I liked the Mini Taco Bell, I think using a polarising filter definitely paid off; but I particularly liked the red building under God’s soft box.
And, the lonely lit building…. yes, I really appreciate your work.
But, don’t forget your Hi Vis vest next time.
Thanks for the video. Very helpful. I am not particularly drawn to buildings like that but appreciate your appreciation of them. I might even buy the book. Noticed your Mac Studio. I’ve been considering getting one. How do you like it? Keep the videos coming.
Good composition tips from Nick Carver.....there you have bros.
How interesting and thoughtful your videos are… You can be sure that you made thousands of people being better photographers with your great work and videos!
Nick!!! Love your work and thanks so much for sharing your insight. What an experience it must be to photograph large format film. I need to learn how to 'see' upside-down. ;)
Interesting video and beautiful photos 👍
And one observation: How can be 24/7 Dtive Thru when they are closed on Sunday? 🤔
About your safety vests: it's called social engineering. Professional physical penetration testers audit perimeter security by donning a safety vest, a clipboard, and a "don't fucking talk to me, I'm working here!" attitude.
I was surprised by this video...not your best work. I hope all is well with you. It's not the imagery but the production as a whole. I don't know, just a different feel. It's probably me...
Great review. Where were you 50 years ago? I have a great innate sense of composition. My only "formal" education on this was a little manual about how to take a picture published by Kodak (probably from the Fifties or earlier). Everything you talk about is exactly what goes through my mind now every time I look through a viewfinder. Timeless stuff!!
Great video, and beautiful shots, this is stuff people/photographers don't talk about but very important.
Do you have shots (of other Photographers) of these buildings when they were Taco Bells ?
i think, from a european point of view, that the panoramic format gives your work a very cinema type of vibe (i hate that word (just like moist)), especially at dawn or dusk. so maybe transmits the american way of life a bit better.
also: sign says „drive thru 24/7“ but it‘s closed on sundays? hmmm 🤔
24/7, but closed on Sunday? This does not compute. 😉
Thanks for the great images and discussion.
Hi Nick, slightly off-topic, but what monitors do you use, or what would you recommend? I'm in the market for something new and wanted to understand if there are cheaper options than the Apple or BenQ monitors. Cheers 👍
I am European, but I married an American so I've been there many times, and let me tell you, your photos are the best depiction of California I can think of. When I look at your pictures, I can smell them, I can hear the personal injury lawyer ads on the radio while I'm drinking a ridiculously large coffee, I catch myself thinking "dang, I should really learn Spanish". Once we were driving from LA to Death Valley and in the middle of the desert I had to stop and take pictures of the trains. Because long freight trains in the middle of the desert are the most Californian thing. Is there a local equivalent of the word Americana? Like, Californiana? That's what you should call your style.
Californication. There's even a song about it.
theres one on washington blvd and redwood in culver city. pretty cool I think its an asian resturant now.
I think we Europeans think these photos look so American, because nobody in Europe builds buildings like Americans do. Here's no wood and drywall, here is bricks and sandstone and many many pointy roofs.
A very intelligent critique (I hate the word 😱) of your work
I must put some of this in to practice ( if I remember ), when I am shooting my masterpieces 😂📷👍
That first photo is taken close to LAX, I think. Or, maybe the lawyer sign is just similar.
Hey Nick , just thought I'd help out scouting. If you ever in the LA area theres an old abandoned taco bell in highland park on york blvd. There's another in Hollywood that's turned into a Thai restaurant.
I loved this video, and I find your project very interesting. Do you also photograph current Taco Bells? Have you ever photographed a Taco Bell and a business that replaced it?
Nick, I just sent the link to this video to an inactive pro photographer friend of mine who shot 4x5 and has been trying to get back into the groove again. I told him to watch your videos for HOW and more importantly WHY we take photographers in the first place. I follow a half a dozen or so photographers whom I respect and learn from. You just shot up to the top of the list! I cannot think of a better example of a photographer explaining his craft and his Raison d'Être better than you. Bravo and thank you.
What are you talking about? If you are in a public place (not on private property), neither the store owner or the police can make you do anything. If they did, they would be violating yor rights and they would be the ones breaking the law.
Great video! Thank you for walking through composition. It really helps other photographers to know what to think about in order to help themselves make better photographs.
Thank you Nick. Great video. Now I know why we need to slow down and think before we press the shutter button and move on. Love the lighting on the red building. You are right it looks like you had a giant soft box. The next image with the sun peaking through looks great too but the first one is something else.
I get why you want to change it up. But by not choosing the same format for all photographs you also miss out on a great typology like Bernd & Hilla Becher. That could have been great for your project actually.
But that last shot filled the screen so was there no scene? 🤣
I get what you are saying about light and changing angles on a similar scene in a Project, I'm doing a Project with limited options but it's great having the challenge to find variation,,, when it works!
I so enjoyed this video. It was informative and the pics were great. My favorite is the building, and the palm trees lining both sides leading down the alley way.
I feel like I know where that Juan Pollo is. I may have bought weed somewhere closeby before recreational weed was legal and my buddies would eat there after reupping
This is the insight that we will miss now that you have decided not to show your urban stories on your youtube channel anymore. Like you I always thought, and still think, that story doesn't make sense vis a vis a photo. I understand what is might and you have definitely explained that well but I'm not sure that I see that as a story. Nevertheless, this was a great video, with lots of really great information to setting up urban art photos and very inspirational on top of it all. A really shame that we will not be able to share that anymore. But, thanks for all the insight and inspiration to date!!!!
A great lesson of composition
The best channel dedicated for
Panoramic photos.
Have you tried any long exposures yet? On a day with big giant clouds (not overcast) the motion blur could add another creative way to capture them
Talk about telling a story. Great job mate! This video needs to be part of the book in some way ;-)
Hey Nick. You should consider making Taco Bell zine !
Thank you. You’re such a generous guy 😂
Another great video Nick! Love them, so much interesting points.
I think the manager was bragging to friends that Nick Carver was shooting her restaurant.
Nick, this is such a great episode. Loved hearing your thought process on these compositions. Also really looking forward to your future dawn/dusk metering video.
I am really curious how the book on this project will look. Hopefully it will come not too far in the future.
This particular episode is just phonomal imo. I needed to pause the vid and just soak in that scenes.
24/7 Drive Thru - closed on Sunday
Apart from doing great photographs, you sir know how to tell about it 💪
Most of them are still mexican restaurants because there was and there is still demand for mexican food in those areas. Thats the reason those tacobells were there in the first place
Thank you Nick, this is an amazing video thank so much!!!
Another great video, sir. Especially the storytelling part.
I've been a photojournalist for nearly 35 years (first still, now almost exclusively video) and it never occurred to me to think of framing a shot that *didn't* tell a story of some kind. This was a nice reminder that not everyone starts out thinking that way.
I see Nick Carver becoming one of the greater artists able to capture the 2nd American Malaise period. The first being of the late 1970's to early 1980's where much of America fell into disrepair and stagnation. This current period Nick seems to capture so well, is still undefined for most of us, but you know it when you see it. And I see a lot of that here.
01:48 Solid shot. The lighting of this building creates subtext for me. The front is very bright 5-6000K, but it tapers around the sides, giving off a more decayed/disrepair feel. Inside appears to be warmer and older with 2700K lighting probably there in its original state. The billboard is slightly damaged, but dystopian feeling that a personal injury attorney has gained official Dodger sponsorship. The single car in the drive-thru and the person in the front window are just enough to not make this fully liminal, but it feels like it will be soon. Finally, the Strode in the foreground. This does a lot for me in terms of subtext. Its that horrible highway/street design of the car centric 1960's. For me this adds further to the dystopian feel, almost explaining how we got here in society. It further isolates the building too, making me feel like its much further away knowing I can't easily cross to access it. The outside feels cold and dead, but the inside still shows a small element of warmth.
06:17 My favorite of this set. Again with the landscape chosen and the twilight timing there's so much subtext. Timing wise, the end of the day spent at a location such as this really taps into that lonely isolating feel of current society. The woman on her phone really drives that to the next level and adds much more in terms of societal comment. The older vehicles, the graffiti coverup on the side of the buildings, the decaying apartment building peaking out from behind, the yellowing lawn all perfectly paint this seen for me. Of all shots in the group, this one speaks Malaise the most. Its a more subtle 1985 Hill Valley downtown. The stores are far from the glory they once were, but oddly still have a degree of warmth. Finally, a touch Nick always gets well...the lighting. I love the high pressure sodium lamp in the foreground that's ever so slightly bent. That pink spill on the sidewalk is great.
14:13 The subtle elements here like the bent handrail, faded bathroom door and dead palm fronds and nicely juxtaposed on freshly painted walls, new signs and retrofitted A/C. Its more honest than most decay-porn photographers. Some things are tended too, but never everything. Capturing this period correctly needs to show both. It shows were still here trying, but losing ground and picking our battles. The well worn curb with years of tire rub also do a lot for me. And there's something about the trash can, open and just left there. Like someone was doing something but then not. Subtext of our current labor shortages and economy overflow here.
18:53 I wish there was more to this one, but Nick chose to show us what he did. This one's less subtle than the others and maybe why I don't like it as much. The cone, the antenna, above ground power lines and bent lamp...all very nice elements, the old Prius is interesting for me. Seeing this once too-futuristic car for the American pallet now common and boring adds to the Malaise. Decay is best shown, when it reminds you of what the future was supposed to look like. Yes on 27 is sobering...and maybe too on the nose.
19:03 You didn't even need to say San Diego. Its obvious to me in many ways. The sky, the palms, the apartment complex and the weird street parking. But most of all, is the early 20th century street lamp. And I love that its off too, because this photo to me is all about the lighting. The fluorescents of the front, warm interior menu, the neon and the apartment lights all give an authentic feel. But then there's a couple strays I love...the single light bulb on the side of the restaurant and the warm inviting porch light at the apartment. Again like many of the others, there's the classic details: the bent sign, the open street-side receptacle reveals an old metal trash can (so much subtext). And traffic cones...love them Nick C traffic cones. Final note and something distinctly SoCal: palm fronds, purple sky and powerlines.
21:27 Great details in this shot that I love: the graffiti, blackened curb in the drive-thru, ranch house neighbor and the old mountain bike. The stickers on the drive thru window make me feel like the younger crowd frequents here. The broken lamp and the removed trees in the front again highlight that pick your battles aspect of decay that I love. And lastly, that thing we see in all of these...the bent lamp post by the drive-thru.
I know many won't agree with me...but Nick is a master of this modern Malaise period.
Very nice and entertaining, Happy Thanksgiving
I see you upgraded your mac pro to a studio. What config did you go with?
Thanks so much, very useful video.
On your red building, I LOVE those two trees on the left and how they out then back in.
I live in Guadalajara, it was funny to see that first image.
For photo #6, did you stand in the center in respect to that road of palm trees off into the distance then do a lens shift to the right?
Babe wake up, a new nick Carver video just dropped
Would really like to see a landscape version of this
Your images make me feel nostalgic and i'm not even american, great mood all arround!
This part about storytelling in a photo was absolutely great! Never had it explained this way, makes total sense to me. I always struggled with this aspect of photography and ignored to think about it (because I'm not a "storyteller"), but now I have a better idea of what it entails. I transcribed this part of your video to have it as an easy to access snippet of wisdom in my notes. Many thanks for telling us this story … 😁
This is great. I think that's a better way to explain "Tell a story". I usually know I like a shot if a caption pops to mind (and I do like to dig into my creative writing past for captioning). So if a photo gets me thinking about a scenario a photo suggests, it probably will for others.
Te sigo, te admiro como fotógrafo y eres una inspiraci{on muy grande para mí...pero no digas más AMERICAN o NORTEAMÉRICAN como sinónimo de ESTADOUNIDENSE. América es MUCHO MÁS que EEUU, EUA, UNITED STATES OF AMÉRICA o como quieras llamar a tu país, es sólo una apreciación, no una corrección ni nada parecido, sólo querías que entiendas que AMÉRICA es un continente, no el país donde vives... Muchos saludos desde Argentina
@Phillip Banes No soy anti-nada, sólo creo que usar correctamente el lenguaje nos hace mucho más empáticos y buenas personas...el gentilicio de EEUU es *estadounidense*, no *americano*, eso es todo, no quiero crear una discusión, sólo enseñarte que americanos somos todos los nacidos en América toda, no sólo en EEUU... Saludos de un Americano a otro...
Yes man… close to 100k follower. Go for it
Glad to hear the rant about the scene. I am in a FB group for aviation photography, me and the admin take photos of the sky with planes in it, most guys are like you say..."fill the frame dude" and we're like "no man, context"
Dead space can contribute a lot to an image.
Congrats on the 100k subs. Nick
Hey Nick, i would love to know how you manage your archives. how do you maintain and organizd your digital files, and most importantly retrive them when you need to find them.
Thx from Paris France
Thank you for the free lesson.
Great stuff, Nick!
Great learning experience!
Almost to 100k baby!!!
So throw away the tripod ….
Thanks for the content