Photographers who say they 'make' photos... 

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_“You don’t take a photograph, you make it”_ was a famous quote by Ansel Adams. It was to do with the importance he placed on the practice of visualisation. I’m not sure he went around correcting people, though.

I love to be extra unpretentious and call them "pictures," especially around other photographers. "Oh, you take such lovely pictures." I call my own pictures, "pictures." If I ever opened a photo gallery, I'd call it "Pictures." This one is really golden: instead of calling them a photographer, you call them a "picture taker." I absolutely love the rage over superficial stuff like that. A rose by any other name.

It is all just a bit semantic, but I think it is a way to differentiate aim or purpose. I think “taking” implies a desire to preserve moments, to capture a certain mood or feeling. While “making” implies more of a desire for storytelling, for crafting a certain mood or feeling.

The phrasing of “making” a photograph has always kind of bugged me too. Viewing it as making instead of taking completely defeats the purpose of what I love about photography and has a ring of arrogance to it. The joy in photography for me by definition is capturing something that I didn’t make. If I took a picture of a forest, and showed it to someone, my goal would be to show them the the beauty of the forest, not the beauty of my technique. I’m not the one that made that forest. I captured what I saw and felt. Capturing doesn’t take any more or less artistry than creating, it’s just different. I think of it this way: if I took leaf from said forest, would I show it to someone and say “look what I made”? Having said that, I think this is a great conversation to have but totally agree that it’s not something worth correcting each other or insisting about.

James: Life is too short to make that distinction Also james: * proceeds to make a 15 min video making the distinction *

I want to live where you live. It's so beautiful and peaceful. Your photos at the lake were otherworldly!

Interesting topic. My view is... "Taking" a picture is little more than pressing a camera shutter button. "Making" a picture is all the finding, choosing, composing, lighting, exposing, post-processing and presenting (etc).

Nice point to think about. I don't particularly care about this distinction of words but to me the distinction between "take" or "make" feels different: "taking" a photo tends more towards just taking a snapshot. "Making" a photo stresses more that you put in an effort, thus being intentional about what you do, thinking about it, paying attention to your composition etc. That said, that is just my association after watching your video because I've never myself said it that way neither in English nor in Dutch. 😁

Good points here James. As a photographer, I like to think of myself as the middle man between the scene and the people: My role is to present what is a beautiful scene to the people who want to see it. Any (small) changes I make is where my creativity gets to show. Well filmed as usual mate 👌🏼

Wales is always looking incredible. Thanks for the views. Just breathtaking 😍

Really interesting to see how you consider the options for a shot. This sort of advice on composition is so valuable to less experienced photographers like me. Thank you!

I agree with you 100% James. In my mind, a photographer's job is to capture emotion, and impart that emotion to the viewer. You can't make emotion, you can only feel it and attempt to capture it, and the good photographer can do it in such a way that the emotion of the moment is felt by the viewer, whether wedding photos or landscape. The trick is 'seeing the photograph' in front of you. Lots of people look, but it takes focus to actually see.

Hey James, just an idea to throw at you for a fun and different video, how about doing photos at Mach Loop with your telephoto lens? Something to think about :D

Thank you, James. Beautiful photos (whether “taken” or “made”!).

Love those mirror images of mountains in water so cool. Miss the 🐑

I see it like "making" a photo comes back to the days when we actually developed the film and photos home in a dark space yes I'm "old" and today for me personally making a photo is when you work on it in an editing program .

Lovely work. And boy, what a location.

See, for example, the Ilford Manual of Photography, 5th edition (May 1958) which writes in terms of _making_ photographs. Indeed, this meaning goes beyond matters of composition (chapter 20 'The Technique of Picture Making') it has detailed instruction for how to make materials for development and processing, modifying negatives, making prints, toning, trimming, mounting, and framing. This kind of photography is as much a craft as drawing or painting a picture, so 'making' is the right word to use.

Never thought about before. Well explained and I agree with you.

"Anyway, enough of this nonsense; time to head back down and shoot some reflections." -Me waking up in the morning and heading downstairs to be frustrated with the mirror.

been a photographer for 40 years and never heard anyone mention making versus taking. Good on you for inventing a new distinction that's never existed for those who shoot professionally. Cheers.

I think the word capture is better than either take or make. After all capture alludes to the fact that really top level photography is an act of hunting for the best composition, perfect lighting and the exact perfect moment to press the shutter.

Love that opening shot, gorgeous

Nice discussion about making and taking photos and it is nice to see other comments here!

What a beautiful spot! Love the way you walk around analyzing it from different angles. You’re a great teacher!

Interesting, I'm not sure if I'm too bothered about what phrasing people use (although I think I naturally say that I take photos) as there are more important things to worry about. In the end I'm too focused on my scouting or images to care ha! Beautiful place to spend the day!

Had to pause your vlog halfway through to go and take a cup of tea 😉. Re cycling, I challenge you to ride up one of the two steep roads from Arthog, perhaps wait until your knee is better!

I agree - life is too short to indulge in semantics like take v make. We're also discouraged from using 'shoot' and 'capture' - for me the whole debate is just a basket of fog. Nice video.

I agree with you about take or make photos. We're actually capturing or "taking" light in a split second. We choose or "make" the composition and finesse it later via editing.

Excellent video, James. You could even say that "taking" a photo is a part of the process of "making" an image, but honestly I agree with you that getting hung up on words isn't productive. Regarding your knee, be proactive with it now so you don't need to be hobbled with it later. Some careful strength training will make it more resistant to injuries.

Well, you know what. What hits me immediately when you say that you got your best shot after you turned off the camera, is that that’s exactly why you got your best shot. Your filming gear, talking and focus on your audience is actually a distraction, and once you turn off your camera, your focus is a 100%. Your able to take in more of the surroundings, mood, and not at least the ten second window of ripples that might’ve passed in a “stupid” comment, as you would put it 😅 Well done, though and thanks for sharing

I think it is great you finally discover the world of telephoto lenses for landscapes 😁 They definately come with their own challenges, but can offer great compression. Personally I think of my Sigma 100-400mm on the a7rii as a really nice piece of kit. It fits great with the 24-105 and the 12-24 from Sony because they cover every focal length you could want to have for landscapes, whilst fitting in a messenger bag 😉

Agree, the terminology is not worth arguing about. Some gorgeous shots you took, a reminder that the sky does not have to be moody.

Awesome video and those last 2 are my favorites

You get great lavender on that hill, noticed when I parked there to save a couple of quid when doing a 1.5hrs walk in to Cader Idris..

My wife and I or going to Namibia too in October. Traveling through Namibia, Sosusvlei, Swakupmund, Damaraland, Etosha etc. Who knows, we might bump into eachother. Hope we are able to come home with awesome shots of wildlife and landscapes. Wish you lots of fun, and hopefully, a safe Covid free trip. Love watching your videos. Looking forward to see what you have done in Nimabia.

Great review

My favourite Lee Mack impersonating photographer. Good stuff, thank you.

Fantastic lake reflection photos James! I have been eyeing a 70-200 mm lens (waiting for it to go back on sale) and a 2x teleconverter. So your quick little demo was perfect timing! Now....for a sale to come along! Any rate, great video and photos as always!

Hi James, just because we can all press a shutter button doesn't make us all photographers, as I amply demonstrate more often than not ... but it is all too easy to trivialise the effort required to be in the right place at the right time with the right settings in order to press that button and capture those particular light rays .. therein lies the skill. Candidly I rely on luck most of the time, but with your help I get more and more lucky ;-)

I just bought myself the Sigma 150-600mm lens, I have a lot of motorsport this year, salt lake speedweek being the first, and I like to take wildlife. Been out playing, its amazing having that extra reach. What an awesome place, so many stunning places in the UK. I so love your understated style, amazing photos. Look forward to seeing footage from your workshops.

It becomes a lot more interesting when you consider long exposure. Did you make or take? It can look incredibly different with a long exposure, and it's not natural to see time flattened into one image, so make might be more appropriate than take

All the decisions that were made such as composition, waiting for certain light or standing on rocks for a more compelling perspective, is exactly what people mean by making.

This has been discussed at great length, not least by David Ward in a recent mini-series of articles for On Landscape. Obviously, opinions vary on the definitions of the terms used to indicate production of a visual image. Regardless of these debates, the main thing is to keep on taking videos and making photographs. As long as you don't go "capturing images" we'll all be fine. Oh, and you'll need a solid tripod and head for long lens landscapes. A wobbly, flimsy set of sticks will be a very frustrating experience.

A photo isn't finished until the post work is completed. Next time you're in the middle of Lightroom, ask yourself if you took the photo or are you in the (post)process of making it.

First: where's the links to those workshops you mentioned? Second: a little rant. I'll admit, I get a bit chaffed when someone comments about one of my photos, "You must have a really good camera." Yes, I do have a really good camera. Which would be useless without a really good knowledge of light, a good eye for composition and color, and decent skills in editing. The thought process, both before taking the shot and afterwards, make all the difference. Even a really good snapshot requires the ability to see the right moment and seize it rather than just walking on by.

Thanks you for giving us your make on it 😄

You debated yourself really well, and managed to get the lens on the Hawk jet 🤘🏻

I don't make photos, i save them from Lightroom

I think specifying whether you “take” or “make” a photo only make a difference to a small percentage of people. For those who think that capturing a photo is just pressing a button (which sometimes it is) they will not care which word you use to describe the process and if you say “make” a photo to that type of individual they’ll probably assume you’re trying too hard to legitimize yourself and your process. I’m trying to choose my words carefully with this next bit….the one thing I can think of is for product photography you are adding all the elements and shaping the light to achieve an almost predetermined and visualized outcome so that could be “making” a photo BUT that being said you also choose the elements in landscape and portrait photography with foreground, mid ground, main subject and background but mostly using what’s available. I don’t know if this makes sense but at the end of the day if you really want to emphasize “take” or “make” for your photos then you do you! This is taking forever to write with my little2 year old causing chaos and wife sleeping for night shift 😂

Looks like a great location to revisit through the seasons. 👍 🚴🏾‍♂🥂

I love your combination of thoughtful reflection with "and I just can't be bothered to take it that seriously" 😊 It's part of what has made your channel one of my favorites as I've started my own photography journey. I can't wait to see what comes out of your Antarctica adventure as I am going myself in March.

For me a photo is, at least when it's more than when I shoot flowers, a window through which someone can see a moment in time through. In that sense, you're capturing that moment and recording it for others to be able to observe visually. The only time I would argue you're "making" a photo is if you literally put together a still life or something. Even then it seems weird to say you "made" a photo, but that may be me being a painter coming into play where you actually create a piece versus capturing a moment in time. Even the built-in grammar check tool in this browser is confused as to why I'm saying "making"/"made" in the context of a photo/photography; it's trying to correct it to taking/took.

Ansell Adams "made" photos. He did not "take" photos (his own words). Probably he was referring to his comprehensive dark-room process... ;-)

"Fighter Jet" = Hawk advanced trainer as used by the Red Arrows

Namibia? Welcome to Africa. Take with you cards and batteries in a quantity slightly more than you think you need. There's so much wildlife, physical features and culture to make or take nice photographs of. Bon voyage.

I first heard the make vs take discinction in a book by Ansel Adams - he argued that the choices the photographer makes in composition, choice of lens, and choice of exposure, followed then by the choices of darkroom cropping, dodging and burning etc (now all the work in Lightroom et al) mean that almost all photography is "making". The actual taking is a lot easier now than it was with large format film cameras, and with digital we have new tools which mean less "previsualisation" of an image and thus planning of artistic intent is needed - we can experiment more. Personally, I have some photos I "take" - i.e. I shoot the moment with little or no thought and some that I "make" where I have gone out to a specific location with image making in mind and with a particular aesthetic I am looking for.

I look at it like you capture (take) the moment, and then fiddle with (make) it afterwards. I don't really care one way or the other if people need the validation of being an artist with photography. I take pictures. It's cool if you think you make them. Ansel would be happy for all of us just doing the photo thing.

Agreed. Make, take, potato, potato, doesn't really matter. I'm still trying to figure out photopills and learning LRC so not going to care what I call the process. Not sure why people are putting a lot of energy into this argument as it's meaningless. If you enjoy taking photos, that's all that matters. People get hung up on the weirdest things. Let's document this wonderful nature we seek out as much of it will not be in the same condition years from now. There, I've added a word to the photography lexicon to argue about......

I’m not really insecure about my photography anymore. I think of what I’m doing as making pictures and here is why. The end results is what matters and the photography is only one part of it. The other parts of it is traveling/hiking to the location and the editing. Those two are just as important as the photography itself. You won’t get your final image without those two things. This is why “making pictures” makes more sense to say in my opinion. It does not make sense to ignore the other things, the other hard work, that goes into making a picture. All that said, I might refer to myself as a photographer when in a conversation, just to not derail the conversation. You know? But ultimately I think of what I’m doing as making pictures/photos.

Great video you *made* there - as ever. (And with crop mode it's about 26MP, apparently.)

Make...take...who cares!..Really..why? Maybe the new word should be made...lol. Another great video there James. Very enjoyable watch.

In my photography I use a lot of studio and strobe lights, thus I make photos. I do just 'take' some too, sometimes.

I think both can apply depending on the subject matter, landscape already exists and it’s down to us to record what is so we “take” the shot. If we manipulate the content by placement of a subject etc then “make” could be more appropriate?? Good talking point 👍🏻

Sounds a bit pretentious to "make photos" but I understand where they are coming from as you said. It's the same as a painter would say that they are "making art". Btw, there is a place for a potential photo in the video at 1:30-5:00, from around the video cameras point of view over the right most peak of the mountain you're om to the peak in the distance. 🙂

Random question, James - what are the walking trousers you're using please?

IMHO - If you make a photo, you need to have constructed the scene (posed wedding guests etc) If you take a photo you capture what nature/humanity has provided

In Italian (I am a native italian speaker), the literal translation is just "make" a photo, there is no such thing as "take" a photo. Interesting, eh!?

Sorry if a little contraversial, but as a non techie who doesn't really post process (because I just don't get it) I take a photogragh, maybe when it gets changed and manipulated in LR or PS it becomes digital art, so becomes making a photograph? I spent three and a half years trying to get my head around PP, in the end decided I prefer the jpegs to hours in lightroom trying to make a raw look like my jpegs. Could have bought a new lens instead of wasting money on a subscription! :)

About telephoto lenses, I love long telephoto lenses for landscape photography but I wonder why you would use the lens in crop-mode on a full-frame camera. All that does is cropping your sensor area, it doesn't change anything about the optics, so you can always just apply that crop in post and get the same result? The only thing it really changes is that you see a centre-crop in your viewfinder already but optically you don't get anything extra. (I'm sure that you are experienced enough as photographer to be aware of this but I've seen some people being thoroughly confused about this, thinking they would actually get more detail when shooting their FF camera in crop-sensor mode with a telelens).

I say "take". There's something in the world and I'm taking it into my camera. I also draw. If I'm drawing something from life, I don't say I'm "making" a picture. I say I'm drawing something.

I think both attitudes are equally valid and interesting. There is, of course, many options for photographers other than landscape (as magnificent as that is). Many photographers work in studios, in which case we walk into a large room, typically with grey walls, black ceilings, and dark floors, which gives us incredible control over our lighting and clinical depression. I think "making" a photo applies here as there is no subject, scene, or light until you create it. But I think it still applies to any type of photography, including scenic, and I would make the argument that is it definitely worth spending your precious time thinking about it. One thing I learned long ago in the commercial world is that many clients hire photographers because of their opinions - it's pretty much on par with the quality and relevance of the work in their portfolios. As a matter of fact, you very eloquently spoke your opinion in this video. Our opinions typically drive our processes and usually help define our individual style as a photographer. So good on you - go out there and be opinionated! It doesn't mean you have to be a stubborn bastard about it. I would far rather chat with a photographer whose opinions differ from mine, as I will likely get a lot more out of a conversation like that than with someone who shares my opinions. By the way - this was a really worthwhile video and your work is just superb. Now I'm going to sit down with pen and paper and start planning the next photo I'm going to make. ;)

I tend to use make or take randomly, oh subbed.

No at all interested in the make/take debate to be honest. More interested in your boots - what brand? Danners??

Discussions about pictorialism go back to the earliest days of photography. Technology developed quickly enough to get an accurate rendition of a scene, within a couple of decades of photography's invention. "How can something captured so quickly be art?" - was what (some) people asked. So they painted the photographic emulsion and and chose quirky lenses for "artistic" effect, because reality rendered in 2-D wasn't sufficient to dispel their doubts. Plus ca change..

Hey James - Thanks for the content! Did you end up keeping the 2x TC, and did you feel that the level of image quality was good enough?

Great video as always, could you tell me what tripod you use that’s compatible with your capture pro plate thingy ? Cheers

I tend to capture the subject, then create the photo through stylized editing or if I'm going for a real life edit, I'll stick to the capture. What word we use just reflects our 'take' on photography. 😉 -Elaine

Makes since to me but I always say I take photos. To me make photos is the photos people make using photoshop that you can tell isnt a real photo like the moon and planet Saturn huge in the photo over a city or mountain. To me that is a made photo. I simply just take a photo and just editting it in lightroom a bit like exposure, contrast, dehaze, highlights, and shadows. This to me is the differnence between take a photo and make a photo. Hope this makes since to you and everyone reading this.

How did you manage to attach the teleconverter to the 70-200 f4? I thought iSony converters only fitted the F2.8GM version not the f4.0. If they do fit the f4 that is very interesting and may revise my upgrade considerations!

I also prefer saying "take". They are already there and you basically catch the light out of the air. In Germany even the noun is "Aufnahme". That means the act of taking something into your care. Could be a stray dog or a photo. The part you "make" is the photoshopping afterwards, but that does not work without the photo you took out of the air before. I see the world as an infinite amount of possible photos. There are infinitely many points were the camera or a drone could be, infinitely many points in time, infinitely many directions and a very large, but finite number of camera settings. However the actual amount of photos of a given size and colour depth is only finite. For example if you camera has 6000x4000 pixels and the end result is a 16 bit per colour file, the total number of possible photos is ((2^16)^3)^(6000x4000). That us a very large number, but you can sort them. Each is represented my a number with 1,152,000,000 digits starting from 000....000 representing a totally black image to the highest number 111...111 representing a totally white image. The numbers in between represent ANY 16 bit image with a 6000x4000 pixel resolution you could think of including a 6000x4000 pixel version of all images that were ever taken or will ever be taken. Imagine you convert all those binary numbers into images and show them on a screen for a second each. After a very long, but finite amount of time each of the image will have been displayed for a second. For example photos of how your city will look in 2100. Or photos of all possible combinations of existing and non existing people having sex. What I want to express is that all photos already exist. The are just binary numbers and all those numbers already exist. By taking a photo you convert one of those numbers into something that we can see with our eyes.

Taking a photo is just like a snapshot, and making a photo requires a bit of creative thought and composition etc. it is not hard to tell the difference. I know this because looking back on the majority of the photos I have ‘taken’, I discover that they are rubbish and the more recent ones where I have thought more about composition etc I can see they are far better and interesting. But at the end of the day ‘take’ and ‘make’ are just words, and it is the results that matter.

To be fair, as I used to oil-paint canvases a bit in the past, you just need the basis for a landscape no matter what conditions and then you can make what you want out of it on your canvas. It's not entirely the same thing in photography where although it only takes 1/200th of a second to "take" a photo, it takes days of prep and scouting or even months to get the right conditions for a shot, if you want to take the authentic route, and then process it in 2-10 minutes at home. Expensive equipment too considered as canvas and some oil paint don't run you more than £100... That said, there are also people doing sky replacement and other things which even then... they're making a photograph, it takes good hours to make a convincing one. But yeah, unlike painting, people can take a photo of anything nowadays on their phone so the appreciation for a intermediate to pro photographer has dramatically decreased compared to the days in which you shot on 4x5 or 8x10 inch and had to do everything in the darkroom and many considered it magic. So I don't blame people who say "make"... I use both terms, and honestly I could say I don't care much about it but I clearly do a little bit as I've typed this comment. That's my two cents on it, however people want to feel about their own photography I say they're allowed to.

You "captured some great images" there James! I love to "make photos" of the moon with my 600mm as well. Looks like you had a lot of fun "taking photos" of the reflections... LOL!!! I hope that you saw what I did there. People get so petty about these things. I have a friend who's Dad got killed over the fact that he preferred one brand of vehicle over another. Life's just too short for that type of nonsense. Have a great day!

As a pro photographer for over 40 years, I think I've probably claimed to 'photograph things'. Whether that's described as taking/making/creating images is an individual's choice, and I've never cared much about how people refer to what I do. Great video as usual 👌

Wear some knee support grandad James

I personally use the term make for video not for the perception of "we do a lot of work", but rather, we create something when it's needed. We don't have to wait for the conditions to be correct, we can make a great result, usually through lighting. Work goes in directly effecting the image, like paint on a canvas, except light on a scene. I find clients kinda dig that terminology because it gaurentees results.

We had a number of comments on our recent video about the number of outdoor jackets Alan has. Might send them your way as I’m sure you have more 😂 If that’s the Greenland number 1 down jacket, you’re going to love it. Excellent jacket 👌🏼 Great images by the way, I’d say you “take” photos but we’re all different 👍🏼

I know you took that picture of the boat house and the V shaped wall, but I think you "made" it by walking around. Absolutely brilliant shot! Loved the jet too!

I do Photography, Videography and Pixel art... The Pixel Art I get compliments on my skill and I use the word "arts" becuase it's fun and not to serious. And their isn't a word for making Pixel art like drawing or painting both you can do in other Digital art styles... My videos of unboxing stuffs and rocket launches never get complaments on my skill, just what I am recording.... And my photos of mainly mintures, cars and random stuff I shoot, record, take never thought much about but the response a mix between the other to... Like nice photo and and that subject is cool. So I never felt the need to say I make photos or videos.

First time you were able the shoot a plane. But still nothing in the Ogwen Valley.

You demonstrated the real answer to your initial question of “make” versus “take” through the course of the video, with or without narration, by moving around and using both pre-visualization and experimentation coupled with your personal aesthetic in coming up with what you thought would be the best compositions of shapes, light, colors, and textures in that location on that particular morning. As others have mentioned, in context of their primary languages, “make” vs “take” may have more to do with the happenstance of having both words in English rather than any underlying logical difference. Think of the fact that indigenous peoples have literally hundreds of words for snow, ice, and types of snow and ice conditions. Any of the rest of us would freeze to death listening to two residents debate the proper term for the snow underfoot on any given day; a debate we would be incapable of having in our languages. The b-camera shot at 11:20 of you in the foreground and the perfect arrowhead reflection in the background was, not accidentally, one of the best compositions. The art was in the thinking and experimentation, uncoupled with any debate over “make” versus “take.” Danner does make great boots, don’t they? (Or is it Danner do make great boots…..?)

You're right James, life is too short to worry about such things... But (yes a dreaded 'but') you seemed to employ some strange version of logic. There has to be more possible reasons for someone to say 'make' rather than 'take' and vice verse, rather than defaulting to insecurity. It could be, for instance, just learned vocabulary. In the interest of clarity I personally don't have a preference, I often use both words, and accept both words from others without prejudice. I do, however, have one small question, if I may? Do you think it possible that you 'made' this video or do you think you 'took' it? 🙏🙏🙏

At vet school we had a Diagnostic imaging professor who always corrected you if you said 'Take an X-Ray', no no no no, you're "making a radiograph" 🙈😂 technically correct maybe, but so pedantic!

First up, I say "take a photo". I don't care what people call it. As for your knees, welcome to aging. When you were standing on the rocks to Take a photo across the lake, at one point you panned to the right and there was something white in the sky, Do you know what that was. To small to be a cloud. Anyways, great video and love your work. PS, Keep taking photos.

*Ansel Adams peeking from the corner* 👀

you take a picture if you have done nothing to change it, you make a picture if the image wouldn't exist without your input be it pre or in post

looks warmer than our -8* we had this morning, high might be 7* if we are lucky so much for taking, making or are we really creating photos in our editing software

Love this location can i have the name of the place please