I think that nowadays, the vast mayority of the photographers are obssesed with the gear, we should enjoy more being a photographer, photographing what we do really like. Love this video, it will help many photographers.
I found your channel and subscribed about 2 months ago and I must say that I find you very inspiring. At 72 years old and still wanting to learn more, your knowledge and enthusiasm are brilliant. I have recently returned from my first safari in Botswana and loved it. After watching some of your editing techniques, I now have changed my style and must go back and re-edit other shots. My go to lens is a 180 - 600mm with a Z8 and I love the combo. Keep up the good work.
A lesson learned as a birdwatcher/photographer: the subject will never move for the camera until you put it down and pick your binos up! Great presentation Mark, thanks
Hi Mark, I stumbled upon your channel by accident and then...stayed. I have been an amateur photographer for more than 15 years (Photography is not my main profession). I have consumed and subscribed to many photography channels and though they are great and have taught me a lot, nothing has come closer to your content. You somehow talk about what I have been wanting to hear. I especially liked your Lightroom edit episodes, I am fairly well versed with editing after many years but you gave a fresh perspective and your episodes are detailed as well. For example, I would have never slid the black point slider to the right if I hadn't seen your videos. You have given me a new way and perspective. Thank You so much. I appreciate people like you who share their hard-earned knowledge to people like me who can benefit from it. Love and respect from India.
That means a lot to me thank you! I appreciate your support, and the time you’ve taken to write this comment. It motivates me to share even more when I know there are people out there that appreciate what I do 😊
Very wise words Mark. Thank you for them and for all the videos you post. I went down this road when I thought I was not "a good enough" photographer. And I just fell into the trap of social media, where I wanted my photos to be liked. As a result, I got depressed and stopped editing and publishing photos at all. I finally realized that this is supposed to make me happy and that I can do it according to my personal vision. Now I am much calmer and approach photography in a relaxed way.
Great words of wisdom here - both for the more seasoned photographers as well as those who are new to the trade. Point 3, „Spend on money on experience“ is particularly important to me personally. The fanciest camera equipment in the world cannot replace that.
"Your photography will become better when you shoot for yourself"... as a newby to photography that's an absolutely powerful message Mark. I'm still trying to find my niche but I feel super attracted to portraits, there's something about the eyes and look of certain people that I find really moving. Still, my dream job is to photograph wildlife, I've been saving money for a couple of years now hoping to go to SA and Botswana next year. I've been following you and taking notes of all your tips and best practices so thank yoy for all the work you do for us! Greetings from Buenos Aires and I really do hope you can make it to Patagonia, my birthplace in Argentina!
Thanks so much for watching and for the comment! I’m so happy to hear the message about shooting for yourself resonates with you. Keep shooting EXACTLY what you want to shoot, even if no one likes it! I hope you manage to visit this side of the world, super beautiful! And I do hope to visit Patagonia one day 😊
Careful, though Charly. Wildlife photography in South Africa and Botswana is contagious - once you‘ve been there, you need to come back again and again. Happened to me for sure!
Awesome advice mate, Awesome. I fell into that social media trap a while ago, now I shoot for me, not doing it for likes at all, doing it cause it's my passion, my release of life stress and for my mental health, thanks again mate, great video 👌👌🙌🙌
Hello Mark, another fantastic video. I’m really glad I stumbled upon your RUclips channel a few months ago, and I haven’t missed a single video since. I believe the honesty with which you share your knowledge and experience is what drives me to watch all your videos. I follow that philosophy myself-I photograph what I love the most, don’t worry about likes, and am open to all suggestions. That’s the only way to improve. Now, it’s hard to resist GAS syndrome, but mine is focused not on new but on vintage, manual but great and not too expensive lenses. But even there, I’ve reached a limit. I stoped at the right time because skill is more important than gear. And the first thing and reaction people always ask me, when they see my images, is the same question: what camera do you use? When I tell them it’s an old camera from 2016 and that most of these photos were taken with vintage lenses, they start to realize that skill, not an expensive camera or lens, is what makes a good photograph. Best regards, and keep up the great work.
Thanks so much for that comment 😊 I’m so glad you follow my channel and I can’t wait to share more knowledge with you! It is always funny when people ask us what camera do we use. All about the skill of the photographer that’s for sure 😊 thanks again for the kind support!
Twice now I have received awards for photos that non-photographer friends savaged when I asked for their opinions. In fact, I knew one of the photos was special BECAUSE my friend didn't like it, for the simple fact that she has terrible taste in art. So I'm not so sure about that one, although the point is taken that if you can find someone you trust who at least understands something about your art and your style, then their opinion would be valuable.
Thanks for the comment. I do agree that sometimes non photographers do give bad critique, but I’ve often received great critique, but one should definitely take what a non-photographer says with a pinch of salt.
I think that nowadays, the vast mayority of the photographers are obssesed with the gear, we should enjoy more being a photographer, photographing what we do really like. Love this video, it will help many photographers.
Thanks so much for watching! We definitely need to enjoy being a photographer more! 😊
I found your channel and subscribed about 2 months ago and I must say that I find you very inspiring. At 72 years old and still wanting to learn more, your knowledge and enthusiasm are brilliant. I have recently returned from my first safari in Botswana and loved it. After watching some of your editing techniques, I now have changed my style and must go back and re-edit other shots. My go to lens is a 180 - 600mm with a Z8 and I love the combo. Keep up the good work.
A lesson learned as a birdwatcher/photographer: the subject will never move for the camera until you put it down and pick your binos up! Great presentation Mark, thanks
Hi Mark, I stumbled upon your channel by accident and then...stayed. I have been an amateur photographer for more than 15 years (Photography is not my main profession). I have consumed and subscribed to many photography channels and though they are great and have taught me a lot, nothing has come closer to your content. You somehow talk about what I have been wanting to hear. I especially liked your Lightroom edit episodes, I am fairly well versed with editing after many years but you gave a fresh perspective and your episodes are detailed as well. For example, I would have never slid the black point slider to the right if I hadn't seen your videos. You have given me a new way and perspective. Thank You so much. I appreciate people like you who share their hard-earned knowledge to people like me who can benefit from it. Love and respect from India.
That means a lot to me thank you! I appreciate your support, and the time you’ve taken to write this comment. It motivates me to share even more when I know there are people out there that appreciate what I do 😊
Thanks a lot for sharing your experience!
Very wise words Mark. Thank you for them and for all the videos you post. I went down this road when I thought I was not "a good enough" photographer. And I just fell into the trap of social media, where I wanted my photos to be liked. As a result, I got depressed and stopped editing and publishing photos at all. I finally realized that this is supposed to make me happy and that I can do it according to my personal vision. Now I am much calmer and approach photography in a relaxed way.
That makes me so happy to hear, I’m glad you worked your way through the dark times and came out on top! Well done 😊
Great words of wisdom here - both for the more seasoned photographers as well as those who are new to the trade. Point 3, „Spend on money on experience“ is particularly important to me personally. The fanciest camera equipment in the world cannot replace that.
Thanks Thomas, appreciate the comment. I’m happy to hear you also hold the gear vs experience point closely! It’s vitally important for me.
"Your photography will become better when you shoot for yourself"... as a newby to photography that's an absolutely powerful message Mark. I'm still trying to find my niche but I feel super attracted to portraits, there's something about the eyes and look of certain people that I find really moving. Still, my dream job is to photograph wildlife, I've been saving money for a couple of years now hoping to go to SA and Botswana next year. I've been following you and taking notes of all your tips and best practices so thank yoy for all the work you do for us!
Greetings from Buenos Aires and I really do hope you can make it to Patagonia, my birthplace in Argentina!
Thanks so much for watching and for the comment! I’m so happy to hear the message about shooting for yourself resonates with you. Keep shooting EXACTLY what you want to shoot, even if no one likes it! I hope you manage to visit this side of the world, super beautiful! And I do hope to visit Patagonia one day 😊
Careful, though Charly. Wildlife photography in South Africa and Botswana is contagious - once you‘ve been there, you need to come back again and again. Happened to me for sure!
You hit the nail. Thanks for this video.
Thanks! Valuable lessons Mark ❤🙏🏻
Thank you so much! Your contribution is truly appreciated! I’m happy to hear you found these lessons valuable 😊🙏🏻
Awesome advice mate, Awesome. I fell into that social media trap a while ago, now I shoot for me, not doing it for likes at all, doing it cause it's my passion, my release of life stress and for my mental health, thanks again mate, great video 👌👌🙌🙌
Thanks so much for the comment! Social media is a big trap, but I’m glad you are shooting for yourself 😊
Hello Mark, another fantastic video. I’m really glad I stumbled upon your RUclips channel a few months ago, and I haven’t missed a single video since. I believe the honesty with which you share your knowledge and experience is what drives me to watch all your videos. I follow that philosophy myself-I photograph what I love the most, don’t worry about likes, and am open to all suggestions. That’s the only way to improve.
Now, it’s hard to resist GAS syndrome, but mine is focused not on new but on vintage, manual but great and not too expensive lenses. But even there, I’ve reached a limit. I stoped at the right time because skill is more important than gear. And the first thing and reaction people always ask me, when they see my images, is the same question: what camera do you use? When I tell them it’s an old camera from 2016 and that most of these photos were taken with vintage lenses, they start to realize that skill, not an expensive camera or lens, is what makes a good photograph. Best regards, and keep up the great work.
Thanks so much for that comment 😊 I’m so glad you follow my channel and I can’t wait to share more knowledge with you! It is always funny when people ask us what camera do we use. All about the skill of the photographer that’s for sure 😊 thanks again for the kind support!
Great stuff Mark, thank you. The tip about swapping gear for experience is so, so true. Good one.
Thanks so much for watching! I experience over gear is super important to me!
Excellent advice!
Appreciate that a lot, thanks for watching!
Another brilliant video. Thanks Mark. Hope the move has gone well, I’d love to do a few days with you in Kruger.
Hey Brendan. Not there yet, hopefully in the next 4-5 weeks! Can’t wait 😊
@@MarkDumbleton I’m so jealous man. Super happy you have this opportunity 👊🏼
Thanks man! Appreciate it
Mark , Wise words through experience indeed !!
I appreciate that a lot, thank you 😊
Thanks mate!
My pleasure! Thanks a lot for watching 🙏🏻
Amazing video thank you
Thanks so much for watching 😊 appreciate it!
Great TRUTHFUL tips!
Thanks so much Kobus! And thanks for always giving me great constructive critique!
Twice now I have received awards for photos that non-photographer friends savaged when I asked for their opinions. In fact, I knew one of the photos was special BECAUSE my friend didn't like it, for the simple fact that she has terrible taste in art. So I'm not so sure about that one, although the point is taken that if you can find someone you trust who at least understands something about your art and your style, then their opinion would be valuable.
Thanks for the comment. I do agree that sometimes non photographers do give bad critique, but I’ve often received great critique, but one should definitely take what a non-photographer says with a pinch of salt.