Sadly posting photos on Instagram seems pointless these days, the interaction is so poor, it feels so demotivating bothering now, it’s just videos and adverts, such a shame they ruined it
I've never had it but because interaction on twitter has gone the same i had been contemplating signing up, but if it's as you describe then i definitely won't bother.
Sure, a fake prank video with a plot 10 years old will get more attention than the best photo anyone watching this video could come up with would. The question is: do you care? I don't as I am lucky enough not to be dependent on these platforms to make my living on 🎉
Nigel- Your continuing humility is so rare. You are so far away from a “decent photographer” it’s incredible. In fact, by any measure you are one of the finest photographers out there with the print proofs that anyone would want on their wall. Thank you for all you do… Cheers!
@NigelDanson I agree. I love photography and look at it online all the time. Yours is the only I have ever purchased. I have a big, lovely print on my wall that is the first thing I see in the morning. :)
It would be fun too see you go back to the locations of these older photos and improve upon them with all your acquired knowledge. Assuming you can find the same tree a decade or so after the fact.
the best thing I tell myself when getting to a location is "take a photo of somethinng, not the scene" really helps avoid those "snapshot" type photos that aren't very exciting.
As it should, your work has evolved over time. You are conscientious and spend time reflecting on your work. You have learned post processing makes a significant difference. Looking forward to seeing your work at 500,000.
Nigel, I’ve been following your channel for a long time and every new video is like a breath of inspiration for me. You are an amazing photographer, speaker and personality. Your manner of speech encourages me to delve into every word, every thought, every example you give. You know how to convey complex ideas in a very subtle and concise way. It's a pleasure for me to listen to you! You are an amazing teacher, Nigel! Thank you for sharing your truly unique experience and amazing knowledge in photography. I sincerely wish you further success in your creativity and development of your channel! With best wishes, your regular viewer :)
One of the things I really love about your channel is that your background and photographic journey is so similar to mine. I'm and engineer and woodworker and photographer. I was blown away when you started your videos about building your camper van. And I love when you look back at your old photos and think about all that you could have done better. I also do that from time to time and love to see the progress I've made over the many years. And your time in the darkroom. I still have all my old equipment in a box in the basement but i doubt I will ever go back. Digital Photography is the best invention since sliced bread in my opinion. Anyway it's really great to know that there's someone else out there who's photographic journey is so similar to mine. Thanks for all your work and keep it up. Cheers!
I started a Camera club in my local area and it is wonderful for pushing eachother to do better. As always your videos are amazing and you are directly responsible for 75% of my understanding of photography at least!
Love this thanks Nigel. I have been following your channel for a long time now and I have learned a lot from you. For me it has just been getting out consistently. I have definitely gone from the big scene to more intimate photos using my telephoto lens most of the time now. I live in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand and although it's not the famous South Island, locally I have a Peak for cloud inversions, rivers, autumn tree colours to die for, waterfalls all within half an hour. When I really look and revisit over and over, I see something different as the conditions always change. Got some great photos this morning in fog and thought to myself, "It doesn't get better than this!!!...until it does. Take care and look forward to your next video.
Your wide open honesty of your photography experiences (failures & successes) are so helpful! Please know that your videos have provided inspiration to improve my photography journey...and at the same time, allow me to enjoy our beautiful world in such a personal way. Your videos are the best around!
I took a break from photography for about a year and a half due to some health issues. I’ve really missed it. Having this video pop into my feed gave me so much joy! You, James Popsys, and Pat Kay were my “mentors from afar” for a few years and although I’ll no longer be doing photos as a profession, I’ll once again enjoy photography thanks to all I’ve learned from you.
Always when I watch your videos I get even more sucked in to photography. Sometimes its hard but your videos Nigel inspire me again and again, thank you 😁 Your photos are amazing, wish I could become one day near like You 😊
such a nice humble guy .... thanks Nigel .. you're like a petrol station to my photography ... your videos are refueling with positive vibes and load of new energy my own photography endeavour ..
Hi Nigel, I've learned so much from your channel, and my landscape photography has improved tremendously thanks to your tutorials and insights. Your passion for capturing natural beauty is truly inspiring. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and helping me grow as a photographer! - Anil Thomas (Bangalore, India)
Your videos really inspires me. As a passionate being, i purchased my first second hand camera recently by all my saved money. And by seeing your videos i want to explore many many places and want to take atleast one photo as good as yours
This video is just amazing. There are so many ‘do this to become a good photographer’ videos out there. You don’t even sell this video as such (which I very much appreciate) but if there was a video that could do that it has to be this one.
Couldn't agree more about simplicity, Nigel. I'm drawn to minimalism, always attempting to create visual order out of what sometimes seems like nature's chaos. After returning to photography (this time in digital form) about 12 years ago, my shutter count is probably one-tenth of yours...must get out more. Thanks for another interesting video.
This was a very inspiring video. It was interesting to see your first pictures and how much you have improved over the years until today, to the point where it can surely be said that you are one of the very best landscape photographers out there. Thank you for sharing all your knowledge.
Great video Nigel. It is really interesting when we look back at our photos from the past and we realise how far we have come after so many photos!!! The only way to improve is to keep on shooting, no matter what!!!
Boy oh boy, there are days when I think I have this composition down pretty good - then I notice a pole coming out of someones head. I focus on the subject without spending enough time to take a look at the broader picture for problems. Folks like you have been a big help along the way too. You touched on it a bit; there are so many times when everything clicks except the light or timing. Or something. With experience; which means get out there and make a lot of mistakes, you learn to make adjustments to compensate - maybe it's in the editing process, but you make do with what the world has offered up. Which means you do have to develop a skill to look at your work and try to decide what works and what is not working and what you should try next time to fix it. Too often while shooting an dog agility trial, the shot I want is lit wrong (who ever sets these courses must hate photographers!) or the back ground is too busy etc. After shooting so many trials I figure most folks have some good shots of their dogs anyway so I'll try something different and so far, more often than not I get some very interesting shots. Helps to break the mold from time to time.
Really enjoyed this, I do love your approach to photography and the sharing and collaboration so that everyone improves through enjoyment and positive interaction. Really appreciate your insights and knowledge after being a photographer for many years, as you say we all have to start somewhere 😊 I’ve had such a lack of motivation since a bereavement and haven’t been out near as much I was before that. As well as having mobility issues myself, it can be such a challenge just getting out and about - however videos like yours and other photographers that I follow really help to keep the photography ‘spirit’ alive inside. A wee nudge to just go outside with my camera, even if it’s just for 30 minutes, is much appreciated. Thank you for all you do, for all people like yourself do, for your audience and followers 👍
Albeit I have been a photographer since 1969, it is always good to be reminded of things you at times take for granted and forget. Although coming from a younger one😂 Nice lecture though.
Another great video Nigel. Your knowledgeable and friendly advice is easy to understand and absorb. You have reawakened my interest in a life long hobby. Thank you 👍
Reviewing your photography portfolio over the years is very helpful. It should tell you how much you've improved over time, but alas, it may also tell you where you may be slacking off or getting lazy. Kind of a wakeup call.
I agree with the others that you are way beyond being just a “decent”photographer. And by the way, I really enjoyed the composition book that you mentioned. It inspires me to go through it again. The composition book is a quick read and a terrific help.
Thanks Nigel, really enjoyed this video. Could not agree more with the camera really not mattering; it's odd when the loudest voices on RU-vid are all about the next more pixel, faster AF device. The more you take, the better you become. Had so much fun with my 2004 Olympus E1 and 1980s OM lenses recently! Keep up the great work, much appreciated!
So, really important question! I've been watching you for a long time. Multiple years for sure. The over riding question I have is, why a guy from southern Australia wears a SF Giants cap? There must be a story! 😄
Awesome Nigel, would love to see some of your day to day images like the wave and the window shots they look interesting. I take lots of random shots on my phone depending on my mood even if my camera is hanging off my shoulder, I usually go for a lunchtime walk from work always have my camera with me at all times. Thank you for the great videos Nigel x.
Thanks for the great video. You always motivate me to want to get out and do more photography...even thought I do a lot already. Again, thanks for the tips. Awesome.
The photo of Mads in the mists is fantastic. I have got an older Nikon D5300 but a good set of lens, so I am going to try an area that is prone to get that kind of ground fog, I think regions north into New Hampshire in the White Mountains might just do the job!
Great advice about getting to know your camera. I've been taking photos for 50 years and think Im a pretty decent photographer, but I reckon I probably understand about 10% of what my Nikon D850 can do!!!
I hope that one day my compositions come close to where yours are today. Glad that you believe we can learn that artistic competence, because that gives me some optimism.
Another great video, which is both insightful and inspirational. I now find the hardest thing is getting out there, which I think stems from times in the past when I went out to recce my local area at completely the wrong time, so I didn't have the light, struggled to find a subject or an interesting composition as a result. I did this repeatedly and failed to learn my lesson at the time. As a consequence, when I feel an urge to go out my next thought is, but where do I go? My mind is blank, except on a very few occasions when I have an idea of where to head in the prevailing conditions. I would love to know how to overcome this, as it's proving quite difficult. I think my compositional skills have improved, though I've always had times when I've absolutely nailed it, but the rest of the time I come up short and then kick myself when I'm reviewing them on my monitor. So thank you for producing this video, which has given me some hope and plenty to think about.
Hi Nigel. I do a lot of timelapse photography with my Nikon Zs with the electronic shutter to prevent shutter wear. I just added up my last 6 months of photos. 94,000 photos total. I'm going to need a NAS.
Madeira; that spot for waves crashing in, is a good spot. Did not take quite as many shots as you when there, but i did sit and watch the waves for a far few hours.
I try to share as much as possible on social medias, especially instagram, but I find it really difficult to generate engagement and it’s quite frustrating. I’m not the best photographer out there, quite the opposite actually, but my work especially in the last couple of years is not bad at all and I wouldn’t mind to get some recognition from time to time 😅Apart from that, great video as usual Nigel, thanks!!
