The WORST photography advice ever given 

I’ve been a photographer for 5 years now and I’m still learning , we will never stop learning , point being , never let anyone make you doubt your worth and always be true to yourself.

Hi Adam, I've been following your channel for a while now and your probably one of the most sincere photographers around. Keep it up. Greetings from the Netherlands.

I did listen to the advice of "specializing" when I started taking photography more seriously. I wanted to specialize in wildlife photography but in the back of my head I knew I wanted to do landscape as well. I knew I had a knack for landscape photography back when photography was more of a hobby for me. I don't specialize anymore. I'm interested in all forms of photography and enjoy taking on the challenges that they have to offer. I recently did my first real estate shoot and was pretty satisfied with the images I created.

“Learn the rules first and then you can break them”. I hate that one. Though the end of the phrase gives you freedom so many people lock into the “rule of thirds” or “golden ratio” both for themselves and when viewing the work of others and I think that’s so limiting.

I applaud you for your frank and honest opinion, which I whole heartedly agree. No body becomes an expert by focussing on one specific avenue from the get go. Life is simply a long journey of discovery. I also hated all those RU-vidrs who say that mobile phone or micro four-thirds cameras are not landscape cameras. What a lot of ... Everyone should use whatever tool they like to enjoy their hobby or explore their creative talents.

I absolutely love your content, and your honest approach to what make a great “photographer”. What I find interesting, is that people, often your so called mentors, tend to guide you and help your growth as an artist, right up until, the see you may be a threat to them by getting good at your art form. I had this happen to me at a younger age, and it impacted me greatly. I got ghosted by my mentor and it took a long time to find out, that he did this because he was threatened by my work and somehow would surpass his skills and make him less than. He often put down my work and pointed out technical flaws and never showed me a way to make my art better other then getting exposure right or composition etc. It was total rubbish, I was just doing my thing and not trying to compete with anyone. This was when I was striking out as a “professional” and it impacted me in a way, that kept me from making a go of striking out on my own. The good part of all that, was I was able to just concentrate on making image that I loved and to get better at the things that made me happy with my photography. I now approach things differently, and follow my heart in making photos. I love what I produce, and that’s the best way to be happy with your work… make any sense to you at all?

Thanks Adam! The way you show us how we can make something positive in defying all the bad advice is really inspiring. I always feel a sense of hope after taking in what you say on your videos. One piece of advice I have heard quite a lot, and didn’t believe at first, was to not be disappointed if I don’t come back with a masterpiece every time I go out. How could I not be, having made the effort? I’ve learned over time that on days when the photography just isn’t ‘happening’ for whatever reason, slowing down and enjoying being out in nature, getting some exercise and disengaging from all the BS there is around the world and in our daily lives, is truly uplifting and more so than a photograph. On days when the photography is happening, it’s the icing on the cake.

“Most of you will be shit at maths and nearly all of you will suck at football..” the absolute truth, perfectly put.

This video couldn't have come at a better time Adam. I love the positivity that you include in your video. I have learned so much from you from the time of watching your channel. I really appreciate your approach to photography and your approach to encouraging your followers. Keep up the great work.

Man !!! I love your videos and your perspective on photography and Life in general. You do a wonderful job in teaching, explaining and mentoring us new and "mediocre" photographers to work at it and getting better along the way. I watch a lot of Photography videos BUT very few I follow all the time, you are one of those few I watch every time a new one comes on. Thanks so much for your wisdom in photography but mostly for your wisdom in LIFE !!! Thanks Adam

Every video you make, Adam, is a treat of knowledge and entertainment.

Hi Adam, I started following you on Twitter and it led me to your YT channel and wanted to express that after watching just 2 of your videos I find your content so honest and fresh. These are tremendous tips to apply in any stage of our photography career. Thank you 😌

Just stumbled onto this video and absolutely love your approach to business and life. The section on work smarter not harder is absolutely brilliant and a much needed message for young people in all aspects of life. Opportunity is everywhere and the attitude of working smart but being willing to outwork the other guy is a key concept. I’m just a hobby photographer and have been since I was 12 (a long time ago) and this video has inspired me to get out there and shoot more. Bravo.

Love your content, Adam. You've become my favourite photography channel because of your realistic approach, calling out BS and not selling people pipe dreams. One thing I've learned in 20+ years of being in business though is something along those lines of "work smarter not harder" except I've changed it. My motto is now "do less work for more money" and you can apply this to everything, for example putting your prices up as much as possible, be that guy who is the most expensive. People will assume you're the best and want to hire you. Another example could be putting less effort into capturing an amazing image. I bet some of your best selling and most creative 'art' pieces are the ones that just happened easily. Happy accidents. More of this instead of busting a nut trying get the perfect image, under then perfect conditions and then spending 30 hours on editing it. True art always has that magic about it where it feels like it's creating itself and you're only there to watch it happen. At least that's been my experience.

When you mention the sharpness police, I always remember Ansel Adams quote “There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept”. Many of these gatekeepers are so obsessed with technical aspects, or gear, they have forgotten about creating a compelling image.

Telling kids they can be whatever they want... That made me laugh. Very accurate ! Great video man !

I always enjoy your insight on all things photography. Thank you for sharing.

Adam, when you mentioned the "gate keepers" the first thing I thought off is how when I retired from the US military young Soldiers would ask what advice I had to give and I now do the same for new photographers. You are your own gate keeper and you alone have the drive and power to accomplish whatever you set your mind too. I honestly feel that I as a photographer take the shots I like and what makes me happy. Which is what I mentioned the other month to a young lady who said that she couldn't take great photos because her gear was just a cheap point and shoot camera. So after and several hours I proved that she could she just had to work and master the basics first but never stop learning, when you do then you only failed yourself and don't compare yourself and work to others. In the past I have seen professionals make mistakes and put out some horrible work, and so have I, but when you learn and grow along side your photos then you no longer need that gate as you are standing outside of it. Just my thoughts, wonderful video yet again.

Love love love your videos Adam! Thanks for being encouraging for the sake of art!

Thank god there's someone out there talking some sense that's relatable to everyone

Adam- I love your channel and the passion you have. It comes out as honest and genuine. Loads of great life and photography advice. Keep up the great work.

I took a coaching course for youth rugby. A major thing they emphasized was 3 positives for one negative. So the kids don't just hear "NO" all day long. I've only ever given one bit of photography advice online, but I followed the "I like what you did here" and "I thought this was great" and "keep at it", before I offered what I hoped to be constructive criticism (basically: be careful as to what is in the background so it doesn't take away from your subject - which was cars- pretty benign stuff).

it's nice to see the enthusiasm you display while talking about photography, this is what any beginner should hear when starting out. I do photography as my job, and enjoy everyday at my job. keep up the good work.

Great advice & another thoughtful video. Keep up the good work Adam.

This is an excellent video presentation and some very useful advice. Thank you for posting it.

Thank you so much for your great advices and your channel is just great. Im about to start my own photography business and i will take your advices with me. Keep up the good work

This is the best advice I have ever heard from someone that is down to earth about photography .you are free to try any style of photography and if you like one style over the other that's fine but it should never cramp you desire for all photography the choice should always be yours and not others tell you what to do . It was a pleasure to watch and listen to your video. Thanks Adam

I'm so glad you made this video! I know I've been very guilty of needing all my photos to be technically perfect, but not too long ago I realized that knowing the "rules" are important if only to then break them! I believe that the art and intension is so much more of the story your photo can tell. And I don't think I realised this in myself until helping others become better at taking photos and critiquing their work (at their request) and after awhile realize the harm I was doing to their art! and how important it is to break the rules and just create.

Thanks for all the valuable tips from your "mediocre" photos! Your negative experience sums up what a sewer Twitter is. I gave up on it years ago. Keep going!

You are extremely wise, thank you for sharing and motivating!

Agreed, Adam. I've seen photographers very successfully combine genres. The most obvious example is portrait and landscape (e.g., a couple getting married in a stunning outdoors setting or a dramatic landscape with a person showing the scale and depth of the geography in some way)

A very helpful and encouraging video Adam. So sensible, no bull and down to earth. If anything could make someone want to get out there with their cameras, it would be your videos. Thanks!

Love your authenticity.

what great video Adam, top stuff and some really excellent advice. Keep up the good work 👍

Interesting comments Adam. As a newbie to photography, I’ve already learned that everyone has an opinion on what you should do, and few share the same opinion. This has led me to ignore most of it and try lots of different things, my favourite being woodland, closely followed by macro and landscape. I have however been “scared” to share some images, such as splash photography or macro images using a flash or light painting with some other photographers because it isn’t their area of speciality. Regardless of peoples thoughts or opinions, I love getting lost in finding and taking images, and that has remained my main focus.

Great advice Adam....Just enjoy the creative ride!

Great advice to ignore some bad advice indeed! :-) To me, any advice smelling like pigeonholing is probably the worst of all. Making people think in preconceived, "pure" categories of photography kills creativity and, tragically, it is the sort of advice that beginners are bombarded with. Escaping the rut that this way of thinking leads to is a challenge that many struggle with, including myself.

Thanks Adam. Inspiring and authentic. Much appreciated. Cheers! Dave

I love the “gatekeepers” haha. I actually saw on a FB group for beginners, a person said that “in order to be taken seriously as a photographer you MUST use Photoshop and Lightroom”. He actually refused to answer me when I asked how a client would know what software was used.

Helpful advice Adam thanks, starting out I got stuck in the TFP cycle, very difficult not to be taken advantage of.

Great video!! The section about creativity reminded me of a quote from Scott Adams. “Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes, art is knowing which ones to keep.”

Adam - great advice and some very cool images. I'd be happy to hang either your Lone Tree or Lighthouse image on one of my walls. Love the positivity mate. Keep on keeping on and taking great photos.

I studied Photography at College, & one of the first bits of advice we were given was to avoid Camera Clubs. For the very reasons you are stating. Being a mature student I popped along to my local club to see if it was true. I genuinely couldn't believe the advice they were giving out, just about everything you've stated in your video & much more! I lasted two weeks, After the 3000th photo I couldn't stand seeing yet another photo of a Blue Tit on a feeder ha ha ha. At my college we were taught all aspects of photography, except landscape & macro funnily enough. It was more of a Commercial Photography syllabus, & landscape & macro weren't on the national syllabus. The Tutors however did give advice on ALL aspects of photography when asked. If you just specialise in one field you miss out on so much more. The more you push yourself the more you learn, & you never stop learning in photography

Great positive film Adam. One piece of advice I hear which is terribly misleading is “the gear doesn’t matter” . I remember a while back when many photographers who have RU-vid presence were all claiming that gear doesn’t matter, then before too long they were all releasing films with them featuring their medium format cameras, many of them had upgraded to the best possible gear, thankfully it’s rare now for any of them to proclaim “ the gear doesn’t matter” well I can say after nearly forty years of experience, the gear does absolutely matter if one is trying for a certain look in their photographs. Learning and realising what gear is needed for different types of photography and certain images is all part of the art, much of which comes from experience! Keep positive buddy, your films are always uplifting 👏😀👍

If you ever give up being a “mediocre” photographer Adam, you would do really well as a motivational speaker. In the meantime, I will continue to follow your best advice and enjoy the time I get to spend taking photos. Thanks for sharing again Adam. Stay safe 🇦🇺

Exactly! I’ve been told much the same and have ignored most of it! Thank you for taking the time to share some of these silly myths from a few maybe, jealous ?, people. Keep on my friend!

Agree with all of the points you make Adam, but "work smarter" especially. I am retired now, but all we used to hear from our line manager was "work smarter". We spent twice as much time on projects and reviews of our work than actually doing the work.

As always, Adam, great advice. I shot motorsport on film for several years for various publishers. I was always rushing from one location to the next, trying to capture that one elusive image that no-one else had. Eventually, it wore me out. I've taken lately to landscapes, where I feel I can slow down and take my time to create an image that suits me (and not necessarily anybody else) without the pressure associated with sport photography. As for advice for beginners, I think they should just experiment and try anything and everything. With the advantages of digital imaging these days, a budding photographer can quickly see what they are producing and elect to keep or delete.

Enjoyed the discussion Adam, totally agree about making mistakes it’s one of the best way to learn. Loved seeing your image from Flamborough and as it happens will be there tomorrow morning for sunrise

Great video Adam, these sort of things meed to be discussed, there are so many people new to photography being given terrible advice and even spending money unnecessarily based on poor guidance, it makes me angry too. BTW, that tree shot lit by drone light is fab!

thanks. lot of this things are on my "personal playlist" of living, but is good to refefresh my ideas.

Great video and really good advice and perspective!

Inspiring as usual thanks Adam

I just love your videos Adam! Keep being you!

Good on you Adam for another intelligent video. Twitter, Facebook etc can be so toxic, but you see through the guff and continue to inspire those who appreciate and recognise knowledgeable, fun films.

Another great video from my favorite photographer-philosopher. I've shared many of these sentiments for years and know the reactions from close-minded people.

One of your best videos Adam. I love your technical photo example the most. A photo that is technical bad can be simultaneously artistically brilliant. Thank you for visually demonstrating that with your mediocre skills. A fan of your positivity. Luke

Much respect for this vlog Adam , as a photographer starting my pro journey I've been given some really bad advice. Some really good advice too . I seldom comment but this video echoes my own thoughts . We only learn by playing with settings and making those mistakes. Thank you.

Hey Adam, I think you got it to the point in this one. This dos and don'ts from more experienced photographers (no matter whether professional or not) can put a heavy load on someone's shoulder, preventing to improve your skills or even showing your work. "It's good but..." "you could try this ...." yeah sure... sometimes you just want to show smth and sometimes you want an advice - but not every single time! Ignoring this might help, but (in my case at least) there is this voice saying "this critic is correct" and that's annoying 😒 I guess what I want to say is: it's nice to see that others (even really good ones imho) struggle with this too and that it's not only my fault... thanks for sharing, love your videos and their open hearted character!! ❤️

I'm only an incidental photographer, as I prefer to paint and draw, but I really enjoyed this video Adam. I think your photography is very fine and I love the way you make your videos too, so I respect all the advice you give here. Thanks very much. Most entertaining!

Great video, and thanks. I agree fully that specializing is not necessary and possibly detrimental. Another photographer I follow on RU-vid once challenged himself to ensure he took shots regardless of weather, lighting, etcetera. He discovered that there is a world of small things that he was missing by focusing only on the large landscapes. I have tried many types of photography, and enjoy every one of them. For me it is more important to see the world around us and document the story we see and experience. Please keep up the great work you are sharing with us. Cheers.

Great video Adam!!

Good advice. I like to shoot landscapes but am always alert to the unusual. Thanks for the video.

Adam, you are always an inspiration to me. Thank you so much.

Great advice Adam. Just watched Mali's video where he thanked you for that spectacular print he purchased from you. Loved Mail's video and yours too.

Another great encouragement...... as a person who loves nature and takes tourists (and locals) into the "middle of nowhere" on this Caribbean island.... I take a LOT of photos ........ I critic my own photos heavily and only display a fraction of the images I shoot online HOWEVER I find the Flickr to be particularly good indicator of the "better" photos....... and all beginner photographers need their yardstick..... and to understand that photography itself PREDATES the "rules" we all learn when studying the subject ....... rules are only useful in so far as they enable people without "creative eye" to potentially take photos that are popular with the public ....... I have taken some photos that resonate with my spirit (and would never have mass appeal) ..... and yet again, I have taken other photos that are widely popular for reasons that have little to do with photography alone ("nude in paradise" .... just as an example) ...... once we have achieved technical mastery of manual mode and the camera has become an extension of ourselves ...... it is ALL about ART ...... and we are free to stamp "our" view of the world into our work ...... this causes the passion to flow and the best work to surface

what about ye fella !! i totally agree with you on trying the different genres of photography, i normally bimble around my local locations normally woodlands and fields and am content with that but every few weeks my partner and myself take ourselves around different parts of Ireland{north and south} for a few days, normally staying close to the sea and boy do i look forward to them !! thanks for the videos, your an inspiration !! cheers

Hi Adam, Simon from Australia here. Two things: Re the mediocre photography comment, why is this guy spending his valuable time watching "mediocre" photographers on RU-vid rather than getting out there and being an amazing photographer in his own right? Second - I agree totally with not pigeon-holeing yourself. I describe myself.f as a photographer with particular interests in landscape, nightscape and light painting and keen to learn more about other genres. Your channel brings value and your photos are really lovely. Thank you.

I love your channel I find a few others are look at me look at my camera look what I'm doing etc ...you give off a very friendly impression that what your doing we could all do too 🙂

I've always been a fan of 'mediocre' photography. 😊 I think you've hit the nail on the head when you talk about the art of photography. Many of the great artists aren't technically perfect yet their work is loved and revered. If I've learnt nothing else since taking my own photography journey I've learnt that you just have to keep practicing and let the people viewing your work feel how they want to about it.

Love your advice, there are way to many naysayers, normally those people do not have the ability to produce inspiring images themselves, but the best thing we can do is ignore them, and shoot the way we want, baseing our learning from people like you, positive, constructive, encougaging, individuals, keep up the good work !

Very good advice. Thank you so much Sir. 👍

Well done Adam love the honesty in this video...

over three decades of shooting, I've settled on landscapes and wildlife... I tried weddings but that added too much pressure onto something I love, so I leave that to the professionals (and I get asked all the time) :) Love love your drone lighting photo !! and I agree with Theo below. Thanks Adam!

I notice you have discovered the sheer power of negative RU-vid titles 😂 Great video though, I agree on the advice!

Great video and advice. Thank you

I left the Police in December 2019 before the March lockdown to do real estate photography full time. When lockdown struck I panicked because I had come from a job where I was guaranteed an income to not knowing where next weeks work would come from. Thankfully it's worked out well and 3 years ish later I'm busy as ever!!!! Love your videos keep them coming!

I totally agree with what you have to say! Especially with specializing part... the fun of photography is the adventure part! I think it is fun to explore new techniques and skills! Ive been better with portraits and now i am exploring landscapes and street from what ive learned from portraits and they are similar but still different and hard! You dont have to be specialized in one thing, just keep exploring! I also agree with what you said with dont work for free! Ive been walking around downtown and taking photos for people for free... really great way to market yourself and self promote and get some new followers :)

Some great thoughts here. I'm currently trying to establish myself as an event photographer AND a wildlife photographer. I really enjoy both and have got both forms up to a standard I'm proud of. I don't want to cut one out to become more marketable, nor do I think it would have any real benefit.

Hello Adam, I’ve been a subscriber to your channel for a long time (years), I don’t usually make comments, but this time I have to, this is one of your best videos. Be well and stay safe.

That was such a necessary video. Thanks for that!

I started out shooting sports as I knew it was what I was most passionate about. But I love testing myself so I seek out opportunities to shoot out of my comfort zone. That's how I added concert photography to my work flow. The pandemic took away my work so it allowed me to go out and shoot nature and street photography even more than I would have. I love when photographers tell others never work for free. I can't imagine any photographer that got paid 100% from the start. I'm always looking for ways to use my love of photography to bring joy to others. Yes, that includes giving my work as a gift. Gate keepers only stifle passion. I welcome others into the world I shoot. I believe in passing it forward.

About the first advice, I found that it's better to learn as many different genres of photography that you can. The techniques you learn from one type can help you in other types. I like landscape photography probably the most. I have done some portraits though and I find that my environmental portraits are better than a lot of other photographers in my area because I first learned landscape. I have even taken handheld 2 shot brackets and blended the exposures together. I know when to include more depth of field when there's a nice background and when to blur it out. I'm just getting into macro. When photographing small insects, it's sort of like portrait and landscape photography. The insect is the main subject but you can include other elements into the shot to show their surroundings but you also have to have the right kind of light. This may include using flash or reflectors. Knowing how to focus stack landscape images comes in handy for macro. One thing I'm not good at is street photography where you're taking pictures of strangers walking around. But learning how to do that builds confidence and helps you when dealing with clients or guests at a wedding. Everything you learn about one type of photography helps you in other types.

“Sh*t at math” hilarious!…Ah yes many of us have been told to “specialize” in something (and occasionally still do), and it’s quite rubbish I think. There are tons of people who just enjoy it for numerous reasons (travel, hobby, etc.)…Nice vid as always. You’re one of the few ones that I genuinely watch & follow. Cheers man 👍🏽

Great video Adam, and Kudos to you for achieving professionalism as a Landscape photographer, no easy feat, well done! Appreciate the advice given here in this video. Thanks & take care!!

I have lots of photos that have noise, are out of focus, and motion blur. Some of them are my favorites. Why? Because as imperfect as they are, they’re a moment in time. Imperfect as they are, they happened once, and I captured them.

Ive learned in the last past few months to shoot what ever catches my eye, im no longer caught up on getting the sharpest image ect. Really good advice on this video

Wise words of wisdom indeed, thanks Adam!

So many good points here, Adam. We definitely think alike. And as for your ‘imperfect’ shots of your favourite tree and the lighthouse… Spectacular.

Just a great video Adam. Thank you

I'm a student photographer and it's hard to know what's acceptable and good photography. Very helpful video. I thought it was neat how you lit the tree from above with the drone.

Grate Video Thank You

Hi Adam! I remember when I'd only been doing photography for about 6 months, I was told by someone exactly the same thing.. maybe I should specialise in photographing one specific thing. And worst of all it wasn't even a photographer who 'advised' me to do it! Needless to say, that piece of 'advice' was duly ignored! I don't even like specialising these days if I'm honest. With it being just a hobby, I just photograph what takes my fancy on that particular day! You rock too mate!😁

I love your channel. You are not only sincere but you get emotional at times. If you aren't emotional and passionate about what you are doing, you probably are in the wrong field of work. Please keep on doing these videos.

Absolute Gold advice. Loved this video. I agree with everything you said. Take it as read you are an excellent pro photographer. Some images you taken have been mind blowing. I get very envious at your skill and how simple you make things look.

After two videos of yours, I'm such a fan (okay, I'll tone it down a bit). So much great stuff to unpack here, and so REFRESHING! As you hit on just moments into this video, while the opinion is yours (and for what it's worth, mine), shooting different subjects/environments/concepts allows you to translate knowledge from one area to another. In my personal experience, learning street dances translated to Swing, Hustle, Country Western, Argentine Tango, and Ballroom. Skills and techniques learned one place could translate somewhere else. Then you could find what you love, and if desired, focus on only that. Focusing from the beginning can lead to burn out early (I've seen it many times). I understand where the "adviser" was coming from, but it's just one opinion, so I hope the youth is smart enough to incorporate it all and make his/her own decision. I now completed the video and it brought up so many emotions. I suppose I'm either too old or experienced because I hear your words resonate with my development. It's far to easy for someone to project their value system on others work, whether it be dance, photography, music etc. This can stifle growth (and we all start out miserable, well most of us anyway). Instead of "work smarter, not harder" (I agree with you, working hard is not a bad thing), I would suggest that as one grows, to have a plan and something to work on, but be flexible if the opportunity presents itself to change. It's so important to understand and feed someone's growth, but all too uncommon. Before I leave, "perfection" is a goal, not a reality. We can't all be stars, but we can all shine. Well done. Subscribed. Keep up the great work, and wonderful shots.

Adam as always great video you really are a true gentleman.

I would tell a beginner to learn the triangle of aperture, shutter speed and ISO and how they work as a team. Learning the triangle will help you graduate from being a mere button presser to taking control of your camera and how your shots look.

I could not agree more. I personally have never given much importance to free advice from people I don't know and who don't know me. As far as photography is concerned, I do what gives me the most pleasure at that moment. I don't even wait for the sunset or the clouds in the sky. Any time, place or weather conditions are good for practicing photography. And as for technicalities, I also learned that I will never achieve perfection, neither I nor anyone else. In terms of artistic expression, each person is unique, in what they create and also in the way they see other people's art. It's all very subjective. As for the "gatekeepers", they should learn a little about life in general and develop their common sense. Nobody knows and will never know everything about anything. Keep up the good work, even if "mediocre", I'll be on this side waiting for a few more minutes of knowledge and wisdom, and also good entertainment. See you soon.

Good topic, Adam. Hope you're well.