I watch a lot of YouTube videos, it all started when I was in Graphic Design school learning desktop publishing software, looking for tutorials. Lately, I find myself searching for the latest content on photography or art history both in English or Spanish. Occasionally, thanks to the translation feature in some videos, I also watch content in other languages like Russian, German or even Japanese.
Since I spend so much time on YouTube, I figured it would be useful to start documenting my favorite videos each month; I hope that way I can get something extra as I go a little deep sharing my takeaway from each video. So, with this post, I’m starting to do just that.
With photography, it's tough for me to set my attention on one single subject, there’s just so much to choose from. All my favorite picks this month cover different areas of photography like 4x5 portraiture, street documentary, landscape photography and develping a photographic style.
Craig Prentis :4x5 Photo Shoot | Large Format Photography | Behind The Scenes
So, let's begin with 4x5 photography. It's a format I plan to experiment with in the future, so I’m always on the lookout for anything related to 4x5. I enjoy watching videos that feature how those type of cameras work. Looking at someone performing their craft is always fascinating, especially people like Craig Prentis, who seems so concentrated on the final result.
Samuel L. Streetlife: Walk of Shame & Fish Market Street Photography (POV)
I’ve been watching this channel for some time and I enjoy his wit and determination to get something. I ’m no longer a big fan of street photography videos that involve a Go Pro camera or where the photographer is on center stage. For me, a street photograph gets a little tarnished when the purpose of the picture is to be included in a video. Nonetheless, this video stood out to me when I watched it for the first time, it’s got great shots and is also very inspiring.
Steve O'Nions:Landscape Photography. No Secrets Sadly, Just 3 Things Matter
U.K photographer Steve O’Nions is also a photographer with a YouTube channel to which I’ve become a little addicted. This is the kind of learning material I value a lot because it reassures me that stripping things down to the very essence is always liberating.
Daniel Norton: Don't be a Rebel without a Cause, Know when to break the rules
and speaking of liberating, It seems to me that we are caught in the middle of two fighting forces these days. One one side, there are those who say that artistic expression must meet a certain standard to be accepted. (high pixel rate, gear brands, realism or anatomy accuracy); and on the other side, there are those that say art is everything and anything goes. So, with this video, Daniel Norton helped me realize that there’s something quite valuable about sticking to some basic principles. My takeaway is that knowing when to break the rules helps us make a statement.