More than Extreme Determination I would call it Obsession. The thing is: if you 'don't have time to take photos', it means that it's not than important for you. I have 3 jobs and I take photos everyday. I can't carry my camera around all the time but I have my phone, and thank god I have it! It allows me to take photos constantly and I don't care if Im not going to be able to print them big, who cares, it's the act of taking a photo that gives me pleasure!
Another way of thinking about "Extreme Determination" is focus. Multitasking is the opposite of focus. Many of the people I meet are frenetic and trying to do multiple things at once. While a few may be able to do this, I think the majority of us cannot. For most of your viewers, photography is a segment of our time. The key is to focus when we are photographing.
You are not wrong. I can remember the moment when i realised I didnt want to be a great photographer. End of my art foundation and i had wanted photography from birth; my father was a pro, I was born in a darkroom. I got a great grade and i was offered a place to do fine art at a good university. When it came to it I just couldnt commit. I realised my heart wasnt in it, no doubt I had the talent, the college told me that and my grades told me that. I just didnt have the desire, the spark wasnt there. I switched to science and transferred my drive to that. Well I have an international reputation in Physics so it tells me one thing. You have to be completely driven whatever you do. I still take good photos and I know all the guff but I wont ever be a great photographer ;-)
What IS a great photographer? To me, a great photographer is somebody who can make you think of their images when you are not looking at them. If you can do that, you have hit a home-run.
Sometimes I think photography is not unlike meditation. Shunryu Susuki The Japanese Zen master once said about meditation, "it's nothing special". That is how I feel about photography for me. It's a part of who I am and I will always live it and make time for it. Beautiful and eloquent thoughts on the matter Ted!
Yes photography is very special indeed. I was referring to the 'practice of photography" as being something that we make time for it regularly in out lives like breathing and walking.
I have a severe lack of time when it comes to things I'm interested in. photography is the main thing I wish I had more time for. I just take my camera with me everywhere I go. it makes me conscious at all times. Ted, you're knowledge and passion for not only photography but the passion for teaching us is inspiring buddy. thank you for these videos
The common theme with anything you pursue in life is passion and why not?!!? The more passionate you are, the more involved, more creative you are... Of course you will reap the benefits and be more fulfilled... I have been fortunate enough to rediscover passion and integrate it into my professional life and guess what? My professional life continues to improve... Life is fantastic!
Getting a ship ton of value from your channel Ted; this episode is one of many examples. Thank you SO MUCH for making these vids for us. Your channel is entirely unique, wonderful and very very high value. It’s a genuine privilege to be able to access your thinking, insights, teaching, guidance, reviews and interviews. I literally, can’t thank you enough. For now, these words will have to suffice. Stay well!
My husband and I are learning so much from you and enjoying your videos. We're both doing the assignments--we chose different cameras and lenses, found journals we can tack photos and drawings into, decided on a few themes to try, etc. But the biggest part is that we're nudging each other along so we don't get stuck in the details. We know a lot of shooters who are all about the profit, and it doesn't hurt to earn a few bucks to support our interests, but your focus on the art is what we need and appreciate most.
Having gone to university for photography ending with a degree, I agree with your sentiment about the college route not being necessary and it's value being dependent on the person. Like the theme of the entire video, you get what you give to it. I've had conversations with university students that complained that they didn't get any value and they wanted to burn their degree. Others, say it's the most valuable thing they've done and gone on to accomplish many things. The apposing sides went through he same program. I'm closer to the later sentiment in that I milked every bit of potential and wisdom out of Alberta College of Art + Design as I could. Having just completed a year long photography project, I've learned that sometimes just the simplest fastest photo still has value.May feel like a fail, and has its success in the lesson learned from why it's a perceived failure so the next is improved. For those timid of the assignments Ted is giving, this is a practice. PRACTICE. The time to take risks in a safe place. Thanks for the great video Ted!
Hey Ted, definitely relate to this video. Went to college for just under three semesters and dropped out and the past year Ive been hustling. I put out my second photo book, shot a handful of gigs and recently had one of my photos accepted into an art museum. It's a lot of grinding all the time, taking a ton of photos, learning other skills, talking to a lot of people, taking up a lot of jobs that may not be the best. Then at some point, something will catch.
Ted, thanks so much! Watching your videos gives me a great feeling of togetherness throughout my journey as a photographer. I'm self thought for the most part, short courses have also assisted me to develop. But something I wish to share is from the words of a good friend who seen the big times in the music business and eventually branched out on his own as composer. Ironically I met him many years ago in the taxi industry (Job to fill in the gaps between gigs....so to speak). His words of wisdom to me; if you have a passion for something which is really special to you, and you have a day job that makes the rent, puts food on table, enables you to live life and allows you to follow that passion! Then keep that day job, follow the passion, forget the money prospective, because then what is fun and passion for something becomes complicated and gets lost along the way. I guess that's something that could apply, or not, to any of us, but for me it rings through strong! I get to shoot how I want to shoot, coz there's no money or clients egos involved. Thanks again Ted!
Everyone is talented at something. Some are talented at many things. Seems to me those who discover what they are truly talented at is rare. Even rarer are those who use their true talents and obsessively perfect them to a degree that separates them from the pretenders. That, to me, is passion.
Thank you for this, I find myself falling into all these pitfalls you talked about all the time, part of it is my anxiety which I struggle with reaching out to people to collaborate with, and when I'm out I'm always scared I'm doing something wrong. But it's nice to hear these creative pitfalls are common and that I'm not the only one out there experiencing them. This video was definitely one I needed to see so thank you for making it.
Good video. Reminds me of the old saying, “Art is never finished. It’s abandoned.” One of my teachers in school told me great photographers throw out all of their bad photos.
I'm from India, Ted. I've been a keen listener of your videos for some time but this time you've surpassed yourself. You have been inspirational and honest! Thank you.
Dear Ted - I love all of your videos, but this one is really amazing, and so timely. Thank you for sharing this amazing truth, and thank you for sharing those pieces of yourself with all of us. We are all, without exception, made better thanks to your efforts. Thank you!
Hi Ted, Yet another great video. As with your video on motivation, half the battle is turning up. Every one has time constraints one way or another. If you take a bus or train to work, sit or stand in the same spot and take a pic from that view. Or from the same bench or cafe you take lunch. Looking forward to more assignments. Drew. Sydney.
There's a couple of video's on youtube (shot in black and white) of a lecturer going through the darkroom process and printing and framing. What I have noticed about him is something I never experienced in my formal learning life (school and varsity) is a mentor who instills passion in what you do, not merely providing you with a tick mark. I think that as a teacher that is one very important goal with a student, instilling that excitement not to perform, but to produce...produce your images, produce your music, produce your mechanical designs, ideas, concepts, solutions to real world problems, no matter how silly they are. Just produce them, cause once produced we can become better. Same with photography, take pictures, review, shoot. Write the script, review, write the next. It is harder to instill in yourself without some excitement from others. But I think a mentor is that, fanning the flame of passion by being excited. Great thoughts Ted, food for action.
Found your page while looking for a review on the XT-2, and have been watching for the past 2 hours; appreciate the insight, and dig your music! you're a fascinating guy!
i love love love your tone and point of view. i'm now going to have to binge watch all your clips. and the way you put the things out is so so clear to the average man. thank you again.
My neighbor in CT was Edward Steichen and I had a chance to meet him. At the time he was mid-90's but he was so amazing to speak with. I was a kid so I only asked a couple of things that were not photography noted. I did take some photos around his very modest home and as he stood behind his double Dutch door was so wonderful and I will never forget that. He was all white hair from the top of his head to the bottom of his long flowing beard. An amazing man and I am so glad to have met him. This meet up was in the 60's.
As a long in the tooth journalist my advice to those who are starting out is "Keep coming back for more." Enthusiasm must fill the gap that will eventually be turned into experience. Hunger for success and a willingness to listen, to learn and to never make the same mistake twice are key. Thank you for your enthusiasm. It's also what great teaching is all about.
Hey Ted, Just wanted to let you know that you are truly inspiring. I just recently got into photography for the past 8 months or so and your videos are seriously some of the most informative, interesting, and motivating I have ever come across. Thank you so much!
In the 70s and 80s my dad was a professional wedding photographer. Twice a year he would go to different seminars on photography and out of all of them the lecture that stood out the most was the difference about a good photographer and a great photographer. A great photographer disposed of good photos and kept only the great ones...
I don't know if I would categorize it as "Extreme Determination" on my part, but more about the absolute joy and fulfillment that photography brings me on a daily basis... It's Extremely Cathartic. One Love.
Hi Ted... I've been watching your channel on and off now for about a year and have enjoyed most of what I've seen and heard. You are amazingly clear and knowledgable about your perspective on photography. I love your reviews on gear and your honest enthusiasm over things you love. The info is very inspirational and so informative that you've helped me make decisions about my direction and other things like a simple purchase. I was pleased to hear in this video that you were very involved in music as well which I admire greatly. It's difficult to find time and energy to do both and keep them alive with new experiences. But it's doable. I too have been involved in both music and photography for most of my life. I can't seem to quit one for the other. Because of that I've probably grown as an artist slower than if I focused on one or the other. But at this time of my life I feel grateful to have the beautiful experiences I receive from both mediums. I am older now and feel more in love with both like never before. Maybe one day we can share some of our talents and maybe even have a short conversation about these wonderful things we do. Bravo to you on everything your'e doing for the community and your creations. Thanks Ted Regards Freddy Lopez freddycoolpix@gmail.com www.freddylopez.com
Recently found your channel and am binge watching... thanks for all that you are doing. In terms of the concepts here; I’m a retired farmer and wildlife worker and tend to approach my photography in the same way that I’ve lived forever... having to get up at the same time every morning and do the work/milk ...7 days a week and then sit down and analyze that work at the end of the month. Make adjustments in feed or whatever and onward to the next month. Slow and steady progress grew my herd into one of the best producing around and I’d like to think the same towards any venture in my life. Anyhoot. Loving these videos and thanks again.
You're completely right. In fact, I've observed this to be the case for every successful artist in any medium, that the one consistent thing they have is DRIVE. They do it and do it and they live it and breathe it. David Lynch recently called this The Art Life.
“Whatever I was doing wasn’t good enough, because I was able to do it” Great vid but I particularly love that quote. I think the difference is ‘worthiness’. I know you said ‘determined’, and I agree to a degree but I believe that naturally comes from a sense of worthiness. I got into photography a few months ago. I only had a very old and slow laptop so couldn’t really edit much. I dreamed of getting a powerful device and a good photo editor so I could unleash my creativity. After saving up I purchased an XT2 for the manual controls that I wanted to use, and I bought an iPad Pro, a big investment for me. And then it all stalled. There I was with the things I said I wanted so much, but then I was frozen because now I could do it. So then I went looking for more excuses, such as “My photos should look as good as theirs, and I don’t know how to do that, so I’ll do nothing”. But what makes that person have thousands of followers, and me a handful. Why do I think I have to copy someone I admire, instead of just enjoying the feeling of appreciating them. It’s about worthiness and acceptance of self. Occasionally over the last 10 years I’ve been making music with a couple of friends. I’m self taught and don’t even consider myself able to ‘play’ in a technical sense. Nethertheless I’ve come up with some seriously catchy bass lines and guitar riffs. Over time I pretty much completely stopped listening to/and making more of the music I made with my friends, even though I really enjoyed listening to and making the music. Instead I would listen to those musicians I admired, yet with a sense of wishing I was as good as them. Where did the joy go? The fact is the joy never went, it’s still as accessible as it ever was. There is room for everything to exist, and nothing is any better than anything else, other than a personal preference. Isn’t that reason enough to accept oneself and feel worthy of ones expression, Who wouldn’t prefer to dig themselves, to know and feel that whatever they produce has value without conditions. We wouldn’t have had such things as expressionist Art if everyone towed the line. Some Art movements started with just one or a few people that are now part of the history of art, recognised, appreciated and valued by many. There would be no new movements if it weren’t for those with a sense of worthiness. Impressionist art can sit alongside Renaissance art, or whatever. I dig many art forms and one doesn’t have to take the place of the other. Nothing has to take the place of you. So don’t let your admiration of another detract from yourself. Instead appreciate that they feel worthy, and sprinkle some of that fairy dust onto yourself. Thanks for your channel Ted.
loving the truth in this video. i'm a pro photographer looking for some inspiration and motivation to do some personal portfolio work and guess what.... you're last 2 videos got me thinking, so thanks for that :)
Great talk! I'm moved and feel motivated before having watched your Motivation vid. I don't know what better you could light upon to motivate those who really want a boosting to get to be among the photographers who people will count. I also appreciate your examples of individual prodigies of Mozart and Beethoven and how different they were in getting their symphonies put their individual hallmark in the same field they worked. Now as an individual who loves both of them and always try to figure out as to how this could be achieved still, so difficult till now, what that thing doesn't occur often and the truth is the same in other art forms. There is, I think, always a difference between a great photographer and all time great photographer whose work has been timeless classics and strike the chords of awe to even great photographers. One more thing I do agree with you that putting up messages through art forms in a simplistic way is the toughest job anyway and that requires real rigour to be there. But sometimes a simple thing eludes us to make us believe that had been complicated and very difficult for some long time before we deciphered the simple meaning of the art. Anyway, I'm a little love for photography and this may prove irritating to take a notice of all the side talking.
You are an inspiration, have been overthinking the assignment though I am excited to do it. But you know what somehow during this episode I got the idea which I will execute and show you later. Thanks a lot Ted for all the work you do.
I have been following your series for a while but this is easily one of your best videos! Touches something so fundamental that we can connect immediately.
As a musician (and still learning my craft.) I think this is relevant in all kind of medium you're working in and I greatly admire people who dedicates their lives into their own medium of preference and choice and nothing beats hard work and dedication it doesnt matter when you're achieving success. The most important factor is that you don't stop improving yourself on the never ending journey. It doesnt matter if you're 25 of if you're 45.
Ok this made me cry from 8 minutes onwards, but in a good way, in a kind of "I'm terrified but not worried because I know I'm in good hands, nothing bad is going to happen and it's alright to fail". Thanks Ted, for all the effort you put into these videos, they are very much appreciated.
This is such a great message, Ted...It's so simple, go and photograph daily! I have a day job myself and now I've started taking pictures daily and all credit goes to all your wonderful videos, Ted! Actually, I feel like young Ted in overthinking part :) Cheers
The video was really good, but I almost didn't watch it because of its title. I'm glad I did because you raised a many good, helpful points, but as someone who spends a lot of time on RU-vid I'm just so tired of the constant clickbait and manipulation and I wish there was a way for my favorite creators to do the RU-vid-thing successfully without resorting to it.
There are two endeavours that that being me to a "near Zen" state; photographing people and architecture on City Streets and accelerating a motorcycle from "0" to 85 (can't go over 85 as I get tunnel vision above that). Happy Birthday. Thank you for the quality of thought and the technical addeptitude of your Vids.
I love everything you said here. This is what I am talking to my students about. Never stop taking pictures, you grow every time. It is in stewarding the mundane as some would call it, where you find the extraordinary.
Great video! I found you because of Peter McKinnon. He unboxed a camera that you sent him in the mail and he linked you in the description, I found this channel and am currently doing the Assignment #1 Variations! Love your teaching so far! 👊
I was a cinematographer back in the days when that term actually meant something. I still shoot for my own pleasure. With my phone. In fact, some of the best images I've made in 50 years behind various viewfinders have been with cell phone cameras. A camera that is *instantly and continuously available* is game-changing for both photography and the photographer. You're right, Ted. The cellphone camera is the most important advance in photography in the last hundred years.
I'm also working on my sketchbook...but in Word...as my MBP is something is always with me, and I edit , store etc. my photos with it...so I thought it would be easier and more practical to do it on my PC... ! Wonderful video as usual, they should show it on every school, sport center, college etc. every year to the new students !
This is so genuine, so fundamentally simple and great execution. It makes the principles of success feel human and attainable. Walking out of here inspired. - Cheers.
As Alfred Stieglitz once asked Minor White "Have you ever been in love? Then you can photograph". In my opinion, you have to love photography to be able to pursue your artistic aspirations...
I remember the words by John Free in one of his videos as he said how important it is to practice your photography..."there is practice in basketball and eurythmics, but there is no practice in photography" these were the words by Mr.Free. it helped me alot like your videos. Thank you! :-)
I have the same approach to time. I try to fill every spare moment with something. I just have to satisfy that creative side of myself by putting out content in my free time. It's very rewarding!
What you said is true for just about anything you want to achieve! Be it photography, music, painting, dancing, programming, writing, becoming a carpenter ... As a young kid I always thought that it was all about talent, if you didn't have it, you would never succeed. But that's just an excuse to stop you from trying and working hard. Talent is just a very small part of the equation, passion and (most of all) practice (you need passion in order to keep practicing) is what you need and most people are not willing to put in the time it takes to reach a level beyond the average. They will maybe stick with it for 6 months or a year but that isn't enough! It takes years and years to develop a style, to move past grasping the technicalities of photography and knowing the basics composition. Making a (technicaly good) photograph and being a photographer are two different things, just like cooking spagetti at home and being a chef are different.
Excellent video Ted. The value of facing, and accepting failure transcends beyond photography, and is important to your life and work. It's makes you a better person and overcome so much fear and hesitations. Keep up the great work.
I'm a musician as well. Music is my passion but photography is my new passion. Investing so much money in music and photography! Love your videos man!!
It's also about being a ruthless, vicious consumer of visuals. You have to care about the picture and nothing but the picture. That's what I have noticed about some of the amazing photographers I've had the privilege of knowing. They're often times bad parents, bad spouses because they are obsessed with the image and their work. It's why so many parents are bad photographers, because they care more about the child than the picture.
Hey Ted, big fan of your videos and as an aspiring photographer, its awesome to hear your thoughts and insights. Maybe a cool idea for assignments would be to have a host page of some sort, like maybe a Facebook page or something so we could all see each others work, would be super interested to see everyones work. I wish I had more time for photography, I'm also a musician, but love photography. The journal idea is awesome, wish I had more time to do this kind of stuff to help with self progression and reflection in my work. Thanks for the videos!!
I dont make my living out of photography, im just a hobbyist , but i like to be as much as perfect as i can be when i do something, and you really inspire me Ted, thanks alot for the great efforts u do here .. Cheers ...
How the Hell did 156 people thumbs down this. And, why? You have been a wonderful teacher through your channel, and videos. I've even gone back to watch the Master class from, what, 8 years ago. Thank you Ted. 📷
Well said. It’s that simple!!! Just do it. Over and over. Until you get good at it. Life is not a competition. Do what you like for little time you have here.
Discipline, determination, vision, and a deep, deep desire to master your craft - whatever it may be - that, I think, is what make an outstanding artist.
And I totally agree with you. When regularly spent 4 hours in each weekend to go out to shoot and comeback to edit, I found I started shooting some nice photos.
Sir at present I and while I'm in my retirement life. And also a bucket list of things wildlife photography has always been a part of my life . So I'm doing my best to put together a set of my best works ( photos ) to do a photo showing presentation. Both for me and get the insight critique of others . I'll be including some landscape and some portraits works ....
For folks with time constraints-and I work 50-60 hours a week so I know how it goes-I'd say get an app that allows you to save multiple pins. If you find a great scene or subject but the light sucks that day or you just don't have time, you can catalog your finds for later. I just started doing this, and it's allowed me to be a LOT smarter with my time.
I gave on taking pictures over 3 yrs and I stumbled upon this video and im actually cleaning my camera's now and tomorrow morning im going out to take a few shots with my sony a35 and a77 with minolta lenses... thanks for the video...
Thanks Ted - I needed this! I am busy looking after two people I love, but I think both of them would be disappointed if I didn't photograph. I need to take some time for myself.
I just simply love this channel, I have a couple weeks watching your videos, and well they are really good, I realy feel your passion for photography, cheers from Venezuela!
