The Biggest Myths in Photography 

I’ve been taking photos for over 40 years (my first camera was a Kodak Instamatic) and I subscribe to several photographic themed RU-vid channels. What makes this channel stand out from the crowd is the focus on the human aspects of photography. While I can only guess at the perils of opening yourself up by sharing your personal feelings and philosophy to all of the trolls and internet armchair critics, I very much appreciate the effort. Keep up the great work mate.

I had a short conversation yesterday with a young lady taking her photos. A beginner, a new low end camera, visibly enthusiastic. It was so good to see that.

Talent does exist, but practice, perseverance, and willingness to learn is where its really at. This really is art. Some people have to practice little, but most of us have to practice a whole lot. Technology + Practice = success

One of the fundamental questions we all have to ask ourselves is: Why am I doing this? What is photography to me, and what do I want out of it? We will all have our own reasons, and they are all legitimate. To me, asking - and answering - this question is the single biggest aid to improving our photography. Once we clearly understand why we are doing it (and it's sometimes an uncomfortable pill to swallow), our work will improve simply through the clarity of knowing what we are after. This may seem obvious and simplistic, but for me at least, it's important that I periodically ask myself this soul-searching question. Adam's video today was a reminder that I am overdue to have the discussion with myself. For that, Adam, I thank you for this weeks topic!

I’m 39 and completely new to photography. I’ve watched so many videos on lenses, cameras, lights, colors, composition, etc. I’m so behind the 8ball but this is a beautiful community, you’re all amazing artists in your own right. Bravo on this human aspect, great video!

"Being intentional" preach it Sir Adam! I am in the fortunate position that photography is my passion but I do not rely on it to pay the bills, therefore it is the journey, the story, the sharing that I love and AI will never take that from me :)

Marvelous message!!! I must echo many of the other comments. It really is the passion behind photography that makes the difference. I have been taking pictures for about 50 years and still learning. Until recently it was just for myself. Rarely did I share the pictures. Some of my kids were helping me with my computer and discovered I had about 70,000+ pictures (some digital pictures, and many scans of slides and negatives). We spent hours looking at them. They commented that they were different to anything they were taking with their point and shoot, or phone cameras. So many brought up emotions of a time spent together. Maybe this means nothing to others, but for my family, there is a recorded history. Please keep up the great work.

I always had passion for photography since I was a child but I never nurtured it a part from a brief course in high school until I started writing a book about my valley in Liguria and therefore I thought I needed to buy a camera and learn how to make pictures to illustrate it. I never left the hobby since and it has become my companion in every experience that I manage to engage myself with. I love to take casual snapshots but also all of my rare moments of free time from my 5/7 job remains saved now in my files and sometimes printed. It is also nice for me to share these photos with my friends and seeing them happy it's priceless. Great video indeed, thank you for your empowering message!

Hi Adam, I’m a veteran photographer who got very jaded with using my camera in recent years, but your videos have inspired me so much that I am back out in the Lakes getting oissed wet through and I am loving it again, so thank you so much, KT

My second comment… is just a warm pat on the back for drastically improving your channel. You are excellent at the format of talking in the studio. I really appreciate it

I've been watching your films for a number of months now and I think your approach to talking about photography is so great. I really appreciate your honesty and dedication!

This morning, I’ve seen two vlogs that are really rather complementary. Yours is the first, focusing on the person taking/making the photo and the importance of creativity, persistence, enthusiasm, training etc. The second is by Chris Gampat on the Phoblographer about f stops and how modern lenses are so good wide open. It seems to me that getting the balance right between person (craft) and technology, between capture and post-processing, and between perfection and character are key. Really enjoying your work.

Thanks for sharing your experience with great comments ....I am only a hobbyist at 78yrs of age & just love taking pics of whatever interests me. I am guilty of believing that the gear makes great pics & I upgraded my camera instead of maybe upgrading my glass...for what I photograph my older camera would have been ok...the human factor is that it is me that takes the pics ...the newer camera doesn't take better images...your video/comments are very true ....again thank you... cheers from Australia 😀

Adam, well-thought-out and great comments! It all comes down to loving what we do and putting in the time to learn and grow!

I am still chuckling, hyperfocal and the dangers of parallax shift.... brilliant.

Another great video Adam. Over the last few years of watching your videos and listening to your and others wise words i am finding myself in a place i'm happy in. I no longer care what others think about my images. I now like my good images and i learn from my bad ones, this is a great place to be.

For me photography like anything we do in life is something you enjoy before anything , if you enjoy and love whatever you do be it photography or your day job or a sport . You have to enjoy it because it’s your passion. Only then will you be successful and conquer it . As long as you focus on that then peoples opinions don’t matter at all . If you purely doing it for money alone then you not doing whatever it is for the right reasons. I have been a part time photographer since 2014 .. I love wildlife snd landscape photography. Those are my two loves and my passion. If I sell prints from my photography then great .. if not it’s not important to me because the journey and the joy and peace it’s brings me is my reward . So many critics out there saying this or that from the comfort of their over priced armchairs . Put yourself out there and be proud of yourself for that alone . Great blog mate . 👍👏👏

.....thanks Adam. Very much appreciated ....and Happy Easter!

Not caught a video of yours for ages. You popped up and I’m glad I clicked. Great video mate. Glad you’re going strong.

I always did photograph for enjoyment and to try and create images I personally found interesting. I have always treated it as art not a money machine and give it all the attention it deserves. Yes I can get frustrated when I don't get the image I want but I slog on and try again..... I'm very grateful for the editing abilities you now have in the studio. Photoshop I personally think has been one of the most important tools in photography in the past 100 years after the camera itself. I really don't miss the days of darkrooms and manually printing.....

Great stuff Adam! Thanks!

Great thoughts Adam! Thanks!

Always a joy to catch up with your videos. Very inspiring and refreshing to see your energy. Intentional. Bang on.

Really interesting video. I’m recebtly new to your channel but getting addicted to it.

Great points as always Adam. Excellent video

Bravo! A great tutorial and loved the pep talk at the end :)

Thanks for this perspective on photography in general. I couldn’t agree with you more. All of it!

Another good chat Adam, I also like the comment by William Curwen lower down. I have looked at so many Pictures be they paintings or photographs over the years that compositional tools are stored in my brain like a human app. Art handles the tools of composition far better and in many forms, some of the armatures you mentioned, but there are more, the elements you mentioned are part of the composition but if you take one as in colour, we also know that splits into saturation, hue, and luminosity. We can also throw in Gestalt theory, but to be fair that didn't exist in JMW Turner's time and he managed to paint all his great work before it came about. Look at great works of art and photographs, and ask yourself why it works. Don't try and make the rule of thirds work, or the golden spiral. Search and ye shall find. Keep up the good work Adam, cheers.

Man you make some of the best videos on the platform, every time I watch one of them I come away inspired and motivated. Bravo!

Thanks for your inspiring and insightful words to keep going in the photography journey! 🙂

It does not matter which Country you are from you always make sense that everyone can understand. This is why I keep watching because you INSPIRE, Thankyou Very Much. Mark from down under (Victoria Australia)

Exactly! Thank you! Keep on keeping on!💛😀

Interesting comments Adam and made me reflect on what you were saying as initially when my photography journey started in earnest, I will admit to thinking too much about the technical side and missed other aspects which I am now thankfully more invested into and a big one for me is the mental well-being derived from being out with the camera. Certainly money is not my motivator and currently writing a blog on this subject and discussing legacy and value in our work. Beautiful image added to your continuum series too

That was one inspirational video, but be sure you are well understood by so many creative people like you. One new female subscriber here 👍🏻

Absolutely love the image at 4.28. It's stunning!

I've been told I learned photography wrong, that being picking up a camera and shooting, and shooting, and shooting until my photos looked half decent in my eyes going trough the process of learning composition and the exposure triangle almost purely through trial, error and observation. Advice should be broad and sweeping initially, the exposure triangle and the basic ideas of composition, and allow people to find their creative footing, then it should go into the minute parts later.

'Technical aspects of photography gets very boring very quickly...' I agree with this ha. I do appreciate the technical side of photography, but I am more interested in a story someone has to tell, an emotion someone wants to convey, the journey someone went on to capture an image. Great video with interesting points.

very inspiring. thanks for the video

As one of your 10% I can tell you that you Clearly make this Not boring. Thanks, as always, for the inspiration!

Photography is always about capturing the moment and its no different in landscape photography, everytime I capture an image while out in the landscape it's a time capsule containing information on the environment, the feeling, the experience of that day and its great to look back and enjoy it again and again. Excellent video Adam enjoyed watching as usual 👍

Another really interesting video Adam , I thought your point on how long it takes to produce an image was especially important and a little understood aspect of photography as it is with producing a video for youtube which is no short task. :)

Amazing content sir!

You raise great questions. I just had a conversation the other day about AI and when an image is really our own. If we process in LR and hit the "Auto" selection, is it really our photo? If we use someone else's presets, is it our photo? If we select an option provided by Photoshop when we replace a sky, is it our photo? I tell myself, I made the final adjustments, so the result belongs to me, but is that true? I cannot think of any other art form where using AI is part of the creative process, although I may not be terribly well informed in that area. I don't see a great deal of pushback to the use of AI or any of the "auto" features of most post processing software. I have used Nik software when processing my B&Ws. It is so easy to just tab through the forty odd options looking for the effect I want. However, when someone asks how I managed to get such a dramatic sky, I am at a loss. I think there are ways to use the software without surrendering the creative process to the computer, and I am trying to make my own decisions. Some photographers may see AI as part of the creative process, and that is fine, of course. I just feel like a bit of a fraud when I show someone a print when the "wow" factor came from a preset that someone else created. Thank you for addressing this.

Enjoyable. Very well done. Thanks.

The only thing that matters is practice. I have been using cameras regularly since my early teens. Now, over 20 years later, I can pretty much always "see", or predict how a camera will see something im looking at in real life. Time, and maybe that I started out with analog cameras, might be why I shoot a lot less frames of things then some people I've met. I don't get people that take 600+ photos for a portrait, then goes through and selects a picture out of that pile. Is that skill or just the law of numbers? Fits the term "spray and pray" very well, you pray that in enough hundreds of photos, at least one is going to be good.

Of course talent helps a lot when it comes to photography, as it does with painting and drawing. Talent is something that helps you to improve where others struggle. And some people simply are unable to develop it because they indeed lack an eye for their surroundings. They can only mimic what they think are great pictures. Take for instance all those "landscape" pictures, taken with a wide angle lens, which only show some stones as the main feature while the landscape is tiny like on the Mona Lisa painting (which is a portrait, not a landscape picture).

A few things here… you are right about the first thing we hear tends to be gospel. Misinformation is a problem unless you research thoroughly. Music is my other passion and I, like you, see plenty of synergy there. Lastly, as a former tennis coach of 33 years, I totally agree with your sentiments regarding elite athletes remarks. They are the exceptions not the rule.

This was amazing great video I do know I need to slowdown for sure.

Good point about motivation--trying to create an image (or a song, for that matter) just to sell it is the wrong motivation and doesn't deserve to be met with success (however you define that--true success isn't financial). Also, although "natural talent" is certainly a factor in many areas, one can indeed learn to improve their "vision." There is an adage "it takes three things to be successful: talent, hard work, and enthusiasm, and it only takes two of them, as long as one is enthusiasm." I'm not 100% down with that as at least some natural ability is fairly important in many things, but you can't live on that alone. However, rules in general (and mathematically-based ones in particular) are fundamentally at odds with true artistic vision. When I see a composition that obviously adheres to any of these established "cookbook" approaches, I find often it distracting and contrived/unnatural (even if it's "abstract"). Visual weight of compositional elements is affected by more variables than just their geometric relationships. Very few of the truly great painters (who of course have free reign with composition, HSL, tonalities, etc. and don't necessarily try to precisely match what they see--it's all their interpretation of a scene or the product of their imagination) follow rules--they simply compose an image based on their "vision." That's not to say that their vision isn't the result of experience based on training and feedback, but true artists go by what "feels" right and aren't bound by convention--true art by definition pushes the boundaries of convention.

I used to be fast. Mind you, I'm still big! Anyway, this former outside centre - the thinking man's rugby player - is a new subscriber. I'll check out the rest of your videos.

Great video indeed.

Hi Adam, very well said...

There is such a thing as talent, and to make it apparent it needs to be constantly worked at - not necessarily by taking pictures all day and every day, but by thinking about visual imagery in all its aspects, whether awake or daydreaming, even during sleep. It that way, a little bit of talent can eventually become great enough to sustain a lifetime in photography, especially when photographers don’t hit their peak until after sixty.

You're like the Toni Robbins of photography! Subscribed! 🕺

Photography is about the intentions of the photographer. It is by nature contemplative as one observes what is around them and decides what images should be taken. Technical knowledge, quality gear should make executing this intention easier. But they are not prerequisites to being a good photographer. To me the primary prerequisites are understanding yourself and the subjects you like to shoot; both of which are lifetime projects. Everything else can be learned to depth one needs to execute their intentions. I think there such a thing as talent. But talent has to be nurtured and trained for it to blossom to its full potential. But I think photography suffers badly from the Dunning-Kruger Effect where untalented individuals with cellphones badly overrate their competence. Given the prevalence of cellphones this stunts photography I think this makes it difficult for many to get the encouragement to become better photographers.

9:11 If someone thought landscape photography was boring, try railroad photography. Try to set up a shot for something that isn't there yet... at a certain location, at a certain time of day, in a certain type of weather and hope a train comes... Some people could wait years for there dream railroad shot.

I appreciate the story of how the picture came to be more than what gear, settings or edits were done. There is a quote that says "If I could tell the story in words, I wouldn't need to lug around a camera." With the advances in digital photography and editing, I think you need to do both.

It’s frustrating when someone says…oh that’s a great shot what camera did you use! Great vlog Adam thank you 🙏

Thank you.

I been a artist for 50 years and blind in one eye since i was 10- my good eye is 15/20 and i see the world differently than some i guess?

thank you i'm a beginner just started out i'm not 20 somethimg but i'm hooked than u once again

I’m glad to be making up part of the 18% 🙂 i wish there were more female photography vloggers, but unfortunately, it can be a very toxic place for many women who put themselves out there - me included - I have personal experience of trying it myself. PS In my opinion, under 25s don’t watch because you’re not in their demographic. From my experience this age group only relate to people who look and sound like them, so I’m not sure it’s because photography itself is seen as ‘boring’.

Natural born talent is very real and some people just naturally have eyes for great composition. I know one of those people very well because she's my wife. She has 0 interest in photography. Most of her picture are snapshots of our son she took with her cell phone. However, many of those pictures are such well-composed that when I showed it to my professional photographer friend they were stunned.

“The eye” can be taught to a point l think, but for someone like myself that started drawing and sculpting since l was two, “the eye” comes naturally and easily for me.

Hi Adam Will AI ever replace for an amateur enthusiast or even the professional the challenge of finding the location, seeing a good composition and then adjusting the camera for the right settings? Somehow I think not.

Too many people still think that you just have to press the button to take a picture. it's hard to make them understand that it's a bit more complex than that

I agree I think AI will kill commercial photography. It’s endemic in society today. People want results now they don’t want to wait or put in the work.

I must respectfully disagree. There is no difference to the uneven distribution of athletic talent, intellectual talent, and artistic talent, as well as subcategories and other talents. You need talent and deliberate practice in any endeavor to be successful. Sometimes we cannot see our own talent and see only the practice. My daughter and wife are both artists, they can see and compose an image naturally. I need to wonder, then plan, then return.

❤️

18 hours of effort and many years of experience. No wonder I get annoyed when my wife says “it’s nice out, why don’t you go and take some pictures 🤣”

the EYE cannot be taught theirs a reason why some photographers make it into the greats and others dont and just end up in the sea of a million photographers out in the world right now when it comes to journalism, fashion, etc... because its something that cant be taught its the way you look at things through your own mindset and how you see things taking a work shop class on composition isn't the same as teaching someone how to really look at things in there own way

The biggest myth is that no business skills are necessary in order to survive successfully in the world of photography - The actual business is "business." Photography is merely the means.

Great video, yes technology as taken the money out of everthing look at the high streets in the uk most of them are dead, people have no time for one and other but can spend all day looking at there phone sorry for the rant, great video now subscrided.👍

Regarding AI, is photography about composing pretty pictures, or human beings communicating something meaningful? AI will crush us with the former, sure, but will never touch the latter. So I ain't worried. :)

I'm just sharing my journeys with others through my films..

Not sure if it's intentional or not, but it seems like the noise reduction is a little too aggressive. Great points otherwise. Nice video!

well, this is art it's far easier to document reality as it is, like working in television or similar but no, everyone wants to be a filmmaker . f:@~ that

Would you like to try our newly upgraded one-of-a-kind tripod? We really want to cooperate with you on our products.-- Andobil

Photography isn't boring. Straw man arguments--those are boring.

Most people I know who are into landscape (or macro) photography are indeed older men.

It seems you're talking from a landscape photographers perspective and your concepts don't necessarily translate to other areas of photography. There are absolutely those people who have an 'eye' for photography and to a large part this cannot be taught when it comes to street and photojournalism. Many photographers can certainly improve by learning stuff but I'd suggest they won't ever develop that same ability to extract from a situation the one photograph that sums the scene that an individual who has an innate photographic ability. Likewise there are plenty of actors that can learn to improve their craft by going to drama school but I doubt very much they'll ever reach the same acting heights compared to the one with the innate ability to inhabit a character. So the concept of having an 'eye' is a real thing and not a myth at all. Sure, learn as much as you can and you'll get better but it won't get ever get you to the same level as one with innate ability. And that comes after working with hundreds of cameramen and photographers over the years.

I seriously could care less about AI or if people think that photography is easy. It is not AI that comes up with my projects, concepts or ideas nor creativity. It also doesn't affect me if these wannabe photographers use sky replacements or other plugins that will artificially enhance their photos. It also has no impact on my life if people are too lazy to actually learn a craft, all power to them. Now let me get my camera (any camera) and do some shooting, Cheers.

AI can create art as defined by the person who designed the system. AI cannot innovate and come up with a new way of seeing - at least not yet.

How did you know I shoot Sony? 😂

Creativity is inherited just like musical intelligence, iq etc. There are several studies on this. Of course you can learn but you Will probably never be as Good as someone born with it. I dont have a Good singing voice and of course I wont learn to sing like Celine dion

Every good thing comes from the Lord as David spoke and as one honest with himself will admit. It’s biblical, you cant make this up, it’s part of the destiny, it goes down to birth, the environment you were brought up into, the education you received, the mother tongue, the country, the area you live in, all these things are not earned, they are given. For you to be in a specific place at a specific time, having the time to even search for a photograph to make, it comes from God alone, who wrote every story, gave every desire, who allows any action to be done or not, every day, and to each their own he has given. Some would never breathe another day passed 30 years old, others would live up 90 years. Some are born with disabilities, others without defect. Some have an eye to see, others dont. Some have a desire for photography, others dont. Everything is intertwined, there is no difference inbetween having an artistic vision and being born 190cm tall or being Mozart. All things come from the source, every tree, every shape of light and color, every leaf rolling and every branch cracking, every day with dew, days of rain, days with clouds and without, for you to feel joy going out, and others to lament yourself home being lazy. Josef Sudek, probably my favorite photographer of all time spoke about this, that seeing is something someone either has or doesnt have, there is no way to teach yourself how to see if not that you can watch other photographs and get inspiration from them, but natural talent like Sudek, like Steichen, like Cartier Bresson and the whole lot, they were not looking at any particular photographer, maybe as they were learning about photography in the beginning, how to deal with the settings, the techniques, the printing process, but passed that they were just doing their thing, they didnt need to look at other peoples work for inspiration or creativity. It is an internal call, photographers are driven creatures like Michael Kenna said, i recognize it entirely. And i mean i dont come to this channel often, but no youtuber/photographer has ever stunned me over their photography, you guys do the same thing, there is no originality, all pictures look the same, the subject matter is the same, the fashion in which you guys shoot, all of it’s like a science you try to shove in everybody’s throat, like a religion clearly, and frankly, i feel bad for anyone looking up to this kind of channel to get better at photography or improving your personal vision, because it’s not by looking at something mediocre taken with a consumerist camera, a consumerist lens, digital single reflex camera with 50mpx 3:2 ratio that you will ever make a breakthrough or improve your pathetic vision (as we all have nowadays). One just needs to be honest with himself, photographer on youtube are just content creators, not photographers, they dont have time to be photographers, making videos is their job and thing at most, in the field of photography second, the whole lot, Adam Gibbs, Heaton etc Nowadays people call whatever easy doing shite they do « fine art », not even knowing the history of photography nor how it came to become a fine art thing, nor even what makes a piece of art being art. Everybody can push a button, in the mountains, in a field, it takes more effort than the simple effort and help of a machine to produce a real work of art. And i mean, if you know the history of photography, there are not too many ways around it, only a painter is somewhat worthy to call his work « pieces of art » from the get go, and still, looking at most painters nowadays, one can just wonder how we came from Raphael to a Banksy or whatever bad Pollock the 21st century produced, but if a guy takes a scene thats in front of him as it is, and signs it, good Lord what an arrogant, ignorant piece of turd you make. *signing off*

I disagree. There is no doubt that regardless of equipment and training, what makes a great photographer is natural talent. It is solely a natural artistic phenomenon that makes one artist or photographer's work stand out from the majority of mediocrity displayed by the majority. Yes, years of study and understanding can eventually improve the mediocre to become a decent master of their trade...but there is certainly such a thing called 'natural born' photographer or artist. It is inherent in their genes, and nothing can match that.

But isn't having a philosophy for why you take photographs, why you create images, what your "eye" is? AI has no heart, no soul, no need to say anything with its images. We do.

AI can go forth and multiply!!! It's not real!!

Im blind.

Love every morsel of this, Adam. You’re one in a million. 👍🦘

thought this was a a colab with @The_Photographic_Eye