How many golden hour photos are enough-I gag on them now. How many Iceland, Faroe island or Antarctica will every You Tuber all run to within two weeks of each other. I really don’t need to see 4 RUclipsrs all reporting on their trip to Iceland -all within a week or so of each other. I enjoy your Denmark photos because they are unique. I enjoy seeing how landscape photographers deal with poor or less than ideal conditions. I enjoy seeing photographers handling non-‘IN’ sites. I think this is part of the reason for decline.
Bingo. My two favorite RUclipsrs are Mark Denny and Simon d'Entremont. They mostly film from their homes, but they put a heavy emphasis on instructing. With so much content on social media and so little time, I have to make priority calls on what I watch and what I don't. I do enjoy watching some of the field work, but it's all kind of the same. And I never will watch a 30 minute video about a photographer's van.
I very much prefer the videos where the photographer is in the field creating photos but you bring up good points. They are always somewhere exotic and with 'AMAZING' conditions. It's basically the same videos over and over again. Thomas Heaton did a video several years ago where he intentionally went out into the most mundane boring landscape and tried to make photos. It was much more relatable and educational watching him try to pick something out of nothing. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only photographer who cannot afford to fly off to the Dolomites or Iceland to get our images. I think a lot of us are out there in our local landscapes trying to make something out of nothing.
And the “backcountry” Alaskan types that aren’t as backcountry as we’re suppose to believe. We’re being sold lifestyles rather than sheer photography. Being dropped off by a bush pilot does not constitute a full blown expedition. If I sound bitter, it’s because I am LOL. I’m only mad because I can’t do it myself.
Correct. Every YT landscape photographer this year has made a trip to Svalbard at least once. Ok fine, but let's take a break. Try somewhere more challenging or different, maybe a desert area.
@@annaheya2109 I went and got myself a website, filled it with beautiful photos and nobody ever visits! like 1 person every 2 weeks according o the stats..
I wonder if it has matured on RUclips. Meaning that it is not searched for as much because viewers have found their favorites and watch them regularly without looking for new channels. You’re one of my favorites! 😀
I was thinking something similar. In the beginning, I searched for information about different genres of photography and RUclips served up creatives that I then subscribed to. Since I was getting the information I wanted through subscriptions, there was no need to do further searches. The metrics that you are referencing are searches rather than specific content being consummed.
Very good point. Plus at a certain point the algorithm replaces manual searching, and the same goes for AI. One day the searches from the search box will be zero but that doesn't mean the interest is gone.
I think this is partly due to saturation of contents. Particularly on platforms like Instagram has seen an explosion of landscape photography. The abundance of similar images has reduced the perceived uniqueness and value of the genre. Secondly, there’s a shift in trends. People are gravitating towards contemporary photography that tells stories or evokes personal connections, feelings which often resonate more with viewers compared to scenic landscapes. Photography with a message, where the meaning holds greater weight than the subject matter.
Exactly! You phrased my thoughts so eloquently. I've also realised that I'm starting to become fatigued by the saturation of the content and I'm considering simplifying and lightening my camera gear and moving from landscapes to "adventure" photography to capture memories as I do hikes, mountain bike trips and splitboarding. Anecdotally my photos/carousels from some hikes to epic mountains, lakes etc. get half the likes of a simple self-portrait from my bedroom.
Saturation, pure and simple. There were a handful of photographers on RUclips, but now everyone is a landscape photographer - plus there is saturation of content, deciding on gear/editing/composition etc there is only so far you can go before it's all the same repeating cycle. I watch your channel because I like your style and presentation, but I'm not looking for any further content from others and I certainly don't search for it any more. Maybe we have got to the stage where we all know what we like?
I’ve found some really good new content lately. Search for your local area and you might be surprised at what you find. There is a guy near me “Photos on the Bay”. He does LIVE streams in any and all conditions. Some days are no cloud, some overcast, his latest was Epic. He shows how to deal with the conditions as it changes. All the BIG RUclipsrs go to Epic locations, use the best gear, cover the same editing processes. There are so many small channels out there that are doing something new and different. Watching the same content all the time sends me into zombie mode. I love Mads, but I’m also looking for new content all the time. Fototripper is my current favorite ( after Mads 😉 ).
Totally agree. I came here to comment that I have been mostly turned off from landscape photography because every seemingly interesting and "unique" scene in the entire world has been photographed to death by pretty much anybody with a camera, a suitcase, and the desire to trek to the various locations. You can only see so many photos of Yosemite or Patagonia or the Faro Islands and Iceland, etc. For me it comes down to "why bother?"
Mads Who can those landscape and wildlife photographers learn from the street photographers? People want and need inspiration to shoot locally! This is the thing to be learnt from street photographers. Iceland, Antarctica, Namib, ... is great, but it is not the photographic reality for 99.9% of the audience! I really love your vids when you go local in Denmark and around the Baltic Sea! I really love you mastering our daily weather light & conditions to create stunning photography. Those are the one the audience can learn from as they are learning from the street photographers on YT etc.
I prefer your videos where you just go out in the field and shoot. You have a wonderful eye and talent for making a beautiful scene out of seemingly nothing. I personally hope you keep doing them.
I love your In The Field videos, no matter where they are but especially Denmark, where you excel at teaching us how to find an image from somewhere that is not normally thought of as Epic. That is where I get the most value.
I personally appreciate your field videos more than the studio because it helps me to understand your thought process in taking photos. For example, an explanation as to why you are using a certain F-stop in a particular situation is very helpful in comparison to information on how to operate the camera. The studio sessions are helpful to, I just find more value with the real world situations and challenges. Please keep them coming!
I live in Australia and whilst the majority of landscspe photographers I follow are from overseas, I love watching in the field videos as it gives me ideas when I go out doing my own landscape photography. I also do wildlife photography, and I watch both videos equally.
Just imagine how cool it would be to see all the big names on RUclips come to Australia one day. It would be fantastic to see what they can come up with - and they would share new perspectives that I'm sure us Aussie landscape photographers have never seen before.
It would be great if that could happen. I've travelled all of Australia except for WA, there are so many beautiful places here, we are spoilt for choice
I stopped caring for Landscape content because most of it felt too "methodical" for my personal taste. I love spontaneous, unplanned photography. Going out and just seeing what might happen, capturing the moment. Most Landscape content felt like the antithesis to that. Traveling to a specific place, at a specific time to capture a specific motive, pretty much knowing what the finished photo will look like before they're even there (In an exaggerated sense but that's how it feels to me). It's just not my thing. That's why I also gravitate more towards channels like James Popsys or Olle Nilsson. Videos in mid-day conditions at a local forest or the town nearby, not caring about golden hour or specific weather conditions I'll never be able to care for myself. It feels spontaneous and relatable which motivates me to grab my cam and go out myself.
True... "youtube" landscape photography is more about golden hour when actually, you cannot always get to catch the golden hour...there has to be something else to landscape photography than only golden hour... that is the frustration I think...
For me, after a time of seeing beautiful landscape photography videos it became depressing because I will never be able to go to these places. What I have found more interesting are the channels which focus on intimate nature photography, such as Riding the Edge Photography by David Patton. He walks along woods and trails, something I can do where I live, as most folks can do. One of my recent photos which really appealed to me was raindrops on the thorns of a rose bush. That's the type of nature photography which is in my surroundings.
I absolutely agree! That's why I also gravitate more towards channels like James Popsys or Olle Nilsson. Videos in mid-day conditions at a local forest or the town nearby, not caring about golden hour or specific weather conditions I'll never be able to care for myself. It feels spontaneous and relatable which motivates me to grab my cam and go out myself.
Desde que todo el mundo accedio a la fotografia al tenerla al alcance de su mano a traves del smartphone, la actividad perdio toda su originalidad. Antes se hacia fotografia para los demas, ahora solo se hace para uno, que es el unico que la ve.
I can relate. I am also fed up with all the fake/unrealistic looking images taken with a UWA of telephoto lens. This is why i enjoy the RUclips channel of James Popsys the most.
A great deal of food for thought. I watch a lot of landscape photography videos on RUclips and recognise that you have the skill to produce brilliant images in just about any situation. The videos that really attract my attention, however, are not the spectaculars from an 'exotic' location but the ones where you use your skills to demonstrate that stunning photos can be captured in the more mundane of environments that many of us are familiar with. These are so much more relatable and therefore inspirational.
Merry Christmas! One factor you didn’t mention is the improvement in mobile phone cameras, which I think has affected landscape, street and travel photography more than wildlife photography. Although I’m a photography enthusiast, I find I’m often happy with what I can get with a phone for travel, and it’s lightweight and inconspicuous. Mirrorless cameras for wildlife photography are undergoing rapid improvement, however, which generates a lot of interest on RUclips regarding the new gear and how to use it. I can’t do wildlife photography with a phone. That said, I still subscribe to and watch all my favorite landscape photographers on RUclips for the instruction, gear, and travel to places with beautiful scenery. I’m hoping to do more actual landscape photography in the new year.
Cell phones and their advancement. Anyone can now take great photos without worrying about aperture, shutter speed, iso, and especially dynamic range. It does it all automatically, and everyone has one already in their pocket. Its good enough for them and they don't have to learn to use a camera and all its features. Cell phones dont work so well with wildlife photography and getting up close shots from far away.
I do watch all your videos, but the ones of you in the field are the ones I enjoy the most. I am out at least once every weekend, enjoying nature and taking photos when I feel inspired, which is often. I am finding though that many landscape photographers / youtubers seem to be getting burned out; either posting less frequently or the content quality is no longer there, or their channels are becoming overly commercialized, so I am losing interest in those channels.
We are only watching the videos on location, out in the field, hope you never stop doing those! I work 12 hours a day, going to work in the dark and going home in the dark, your videos bring lots of pleasure watching sunrises and sunsets and beautiful landscapes I would never see otherwise. Please go on doing videos out there in nature🌳
Perhaps searches have declined as people have found the channels they like and no longer use Google to search. I follow a few different channels on RUclips. That means that additional channels get into my feed because of the algorithm. I don’t need to go searching because I have the opportunity to browse different content without doing a search. Once I find the channels I like, I don’t need to keep looking. Just a thought.
Interesting analysis. I have a small YT channel focused on nightscape photography. For the past 15 months I have only made in-the-field adventure films as that’s what I most enjoy making and watching. They take a huge amount of effort and time to produce, but they have never done as well as a few kit-based iPhone-shot videos I made early on. It’s tempting to be infuriated about that! But I enjoy the interaction I have with the niche-within-a-niche community I’ve built up, so I’ll keep doing what I enjoy, whether the trends work in my favour or not! Happy new year. 😊
I have been watching landscape photography youtube videos for almost 10 years now and until 2020 it was interesting, but then I felt like everyone was shooting the same places(Iceland for example) And the fact that I will never have enough money to go to the same places also made me lose a bit of interest in this subject. Which is funny because I am a landscape photography youtuber myself, trying to make content every week.
I feel the same. If I have to see one more pic of that skogafoss waterfall ( or however it is called) I am going to scream. Seeing the same thing all over again doesn’t inspire me., it makes me tired.
Here on YT many landscape photographers became youtubers. And that is a shame. I like your videos because you go out and speak about landscape photography. I don`t need to watch 20 min. video how someone is making coffee in van. Or clickbait titles like "do this and you`ll be geat" or "I wish i knew that before" BS.
I can relate to this response. Especially the "clickbait titles" part. Theres so many "Lean to shoot in manual mode in 30 seconds and you'll be a great photogarpher". I've unsuscribed to many YT sites because its just "too much crapola". Mads, your one of the few i've continued to enjoy.
I can only speak for myself, but when I am searching for information related to photography, I am almost always focused on solving a specific problem. I enjoy your images, but I usually don't have the time to watch a 20 minute video that records the process of making a landscape photograph. I know what the process is like. I would much rather spend my time taking a photograph than watching someone else take a photograph.
This channel is still my favorite channel on RUclips and I like your videos the most where you are outdoors, somewhere in Danmark. Those videos I prefer over gear videos and so on. Here are my thoughts on why landscape photography has lost some of its magic. 1. It seems as every landscape photographer takes the same pictures over and over again. Iceland, the Dolomites... If you have the opportunity (the time, the money) you go to these fascinating places and the your shot. Than you will see the same pics on all social media platforms. That's kind of boring. 2. If you have less time, not sufficient money for traveling to all those places, it can get boring very quickly when taking pictures always in your own hood. I have to travel at least 1 hour or more to see something like landscape and since photography isn't my profession, it always lacks time. 3. Taking wildlife pictures can be more interesting, more adventure, more thrill. It's not just depending on the right light. You also have to be sneaky, quiet, patient, maybe need some camouflage... It can be enough to go to the nearest park or a nearby forest. There you can find foxes, raccoons and so many different birds. These pictures need more effort and skill than just taking a picture od the nearby pond, field or flower. Of course I am not saying that a simple picture of a flower (straight from above) has the same qualities like a picture of a forest during fog, with different layers and an interesting foreground. But many people don't see the difference there but see the difference between a blurry bird picture and a sharp photo of a flying swallow, so your pictures receive more appreciation.
Mads - I’ll use my photography experience to address what you’re seeing. I started my photography a little over ten years ago and as such I was into landscape photography. As my skills progressed I slowly went away from landscape and went to different genres. I continue watching the same vloggers as they continue to put out basic photography tips which I use to continue my advancement. With the advancement of cellphone photography, I don’t think people take the time to actually seek out vloggers to get their inspiration or to learn new techniques - just point and shoot. Mads, keep up your good work and we’ll keep watching!
I can only speak for myself, but I enjoy videos that tech me something technical about editing or camera operation. Those are things that are more specific and difficult to master for me. I feel like framing a composition on location is more of an intuitive talent that I can teach myself more easily than I can teach myself to focus blend with an editing program. I enjoy all types of photography videos but like to have more technically oriented ones to look for.
I absolutely love your ‘out in the field’ videos! Personally I prefer to learn in the environment. You are so inspirational and a fab teacher. I can relate more to your local videos, which I can then take that back to my local area, however I do love big EPIC Iceland videos etc, because it’s out of reach for me and I can enjoy it and see the world through you! Thanks for all you do and Merry Christmas! Keep going if you’re enjoying it too!✨🤩
Mads the hell with Google trends seeing videos of you out in the field is inspiring to visit different places in the world. Videos of you in the studio are also great when it comes to learning editing skills, hopefully you will continue putting up a mix of both.
I am so surprised those are the videos that perform the worst. I’ve learned so much from your videos describing your thought process and mechanics in the field. I am surprised there is not a spike in landscape photography during the pandemic, when there certainly was a spike in National Park visits.
Great subject of discussion Mads! Also it is very interesting to read through the comments. I would definitely agree that saturation is a component, but also, I think we all have gone to see which creators are the ones that we liked, and then your search is over, you go to the same spots all the time. A second thought is why people go to the “studio” vs “field” contents, and tanking my own journey in photography in the last 10 years, it is related on where you see the most progress in your craft. I would assume that there is always people picking up photography, and making progress in your pictures at the beginning, it is easier to see how you can edit your pics, learn the tools and techniques, This will be specially emphasized by people that does photography either sporadically or temporarily (pick up photography for a few years). However, when you stick to the craft for long, composition, looking for locations, (a.k.a. field oriented videos) is the area to make progress… This is harder and requires more time also to see a difference in what is created, thus, searching for lots of content at once, does not help as much, it is more steady progress needed. I am wondering if this is just me; what others think? Thanks for the discussion!
Interesting info, but it’s just that! Period! If I were you, I wouldn’t change a thing! Wildlife may be growing because of the gear that’s been developed makes it more accessible! Cheaper telephoto lenses and better focus systems have made a huge difference! Personally, I do wildlife and landscape photography! And I love your videos from the field! Thanks for always taking me along!
I think there is a fatigue with landscape photography in amazing places which are costly to get to, both environmentally and for the pocket. All the best photos have already been captured! Showing people how to get the most from their neighbourhood is maybe the way forward for now? Originality rather than paint (or snap) by numbers possibly?
Ah I love your out and about videos and look forward to each piece of new content, decline could correlate to the advancement in mobile phones which is suffice a lot of the time for posting on social platforms but tbh as you'e pointed out I rarely google anything regarding landscape photography I just go straight to RUclips. Looking forward to your adventures and further inspiration in 2025, have a great xmas!
I was obsessed with everything landscapes since 2019 but have to admit, I've pulled back a bit. The more I got into it, the more I felt like I had seen a lot of the big landmark places everyone captures.. My own photography has shifted to 35mm film and watching channels like grainy days ect. I still prefer sharp, digital images for landscapes but I'm more interested in capturing that nostalgic feeling of simpler times.
What you present is amazing! The videos you produce I like the most are, precisely, those where you show how you take a picture, how to look for the best composition, how to approach, for example, a minimalist picture. Can it be that landscape photography is not sufficiently flashy, bold, as it seems to be the taste of these days, with media, like X, proposing louder and louder screams?
I loved your landscape photography videos out in the field and I subscribed specifically for those videos! So please do not be controlled by an algorithm or trends and just keep making those videos! They are very inspiring and we have learned a lot from them. Keep up the good work! Happy Holidays! 🎉 and a Happy new year!🎉
Fascinating topic that deserves some real consideration. I, for one, have had a life long love affair with photography as an art form, particularly with landscape photography, and that passion isn’t likely to wane. But I’ve definitely noticed the change in the landscape, so to speak. Obviously, based on many of the comments, a definite weariness is growing. A weariness of the “perfect” color, the oversaturated colors, AI, iconic locations and all the rest. Almost every landscape photographer whose work I follow has not become tired of it, though. I think it may be more a reduction of the consumption of it rather than of the doing of it, which may even be growing. The demand for tutorials, workshops, photo tours seems to be growing like crazy. But the searching for it and consumption of it may be. As a photo nut I find nothing more satisfying than finding and capturing a mesmerizing photo with a captivating composition. Will people like enough to buy it? That is the question. Is that the goal or not? I think my 2025 goals deserve some tweaking. But I can tell you one thing. I’ll never stop chasing those iconic locations and iconic images. They are iconic for a reason.
I can understand why, but some of the best technique and seeing photograph learning, outside of going into the field myself, that i have had are the videos in the field with you and others sharing their technique.
I think it may be because most people stay in their local environment when they photograph. Photo tours are expensive and time consuming. People like the familiar and envy the esoteric which most of us cannot achieve. I suspect drone photography has gone way up - a new way at looking at landscape.
Good point. Probably the restriction of movement during the pandemic and then lack of affordability to travel has put a lot of people off. Yet, still even going for short cheap breaks you can visit great places to photograph, and there is a trend on YT of appreciating your local areas and perceiving them from a different point of view. Not to look far, just here on this channel, Mads has some good content on that subject. Yet again, a lot of people might find that boring, so I guess the landscape genre is getting a bit more niche, which results in less popularity, but better, more refined content?
I think you're on to something with the reference to drone photography. I suspect some of the interest in traditional landscape photography has migrated to drone photography. A few years ago I started seeing folks for the first time take drones on landscape photography workshops, so I think it's definitely a factor.
Hi Mads, landscape is possible by everyone its there, your standing on it. wildlife has become a set up, lakes being fed with fish for the ospreys, a line of trucks for wildlife, boring to the extreme, you show that getting out there is possible if you want the shot. thanks Mads.
Also remember that it's not what some statistical category is doing that's important, it's how YOU are doing that's important. Social Blade shows you've gained about 25,000 subscribers this year, and predicts steady growth, so you're doing something right!
I really like when you are out and about and shooting some very nice pictures. I have both your ebooks and watch your videos to help me learn more about landscape photography. You are a fantastic photographer my friend. Just EPIC!😊 I do not use Google if I don’t have to. I found you on RUclips a couple of years ago and now follow you on Instagram.
It's also about time. These days it appears almost everyone is constantly rushing to be somewhere else, which doesn't fit landscape photography too well.
If I was trying to explain landscape vs wildlife I'd start with the fact wildlife is a lot harder. You need reliable autofocus, you need a big expensive lens, you need to know your settings backwards, you need to get all the detail from your edits etc. so there's more need for research on the topic to get it right. You're never going to capture a close up of a sea eagle plucking a fish from the ocean with your phone, but it can do a pretty decent job of a mountain or sunset, and automatically enhance it for you. And then oversaturation of the market due to this low barrier to entry leads to less excitement from the masses. This sounds good in theory but it doesn't explain how street photography is beating them both. I'd never have suspected that.
I never thought I'd see a stats discussion on here! But it's thought provoking. These macro trends are certainly driven by multiple factors, so finding one lever is nigh on impossible . One additional element to consider is that the YT algorithm itself may have changed such that people no longer need to search explicitly for landscape in contrast to wildlife. Ok my head is now hurting - I need to go for a walk with my camera. Keep posting your mix of subjects - they're really informative. Merry Christmas!
Thanks Mads, Merry Xmas still and hope for a good new year fot you. I do hope your workshops still are fully booked and have sufficient interest ? Maybe covid had something to do with a shift of interest. Due to Covid I had to cancel a holiday to Ireland and from the refund money I bought a tele lens. I enjoyed it a lot photographing kingfishers in the local park. I have a broader interest in photography now than before Covid. Maybe the searches do not tell the whole story too, people who already follow you get notifications to view your content and do not fill those statistics. I appreciate the 'in the field' videos most to see how you approach photography there and especially how to stay somewhat comfortable in miserable conditions
Merry Christmas Mads. Been a long time fan. Love your content. I personally think we are oversaturated with Landscape photography, especially on RUclips. And most of the channels cover very similar locations, information, techniques etc. I would LOVE to see you try some “Live, on location” RUclips videos. I have been doing a lot over the past few months and it can be a challenge when conditions don’t do what you hope for. This is Landscape photography. It’s not always Epic. I would LOVE to see yourself and more photographers give this a try. It adds an element of “real” . Anyway, love what you do and always enjoy your videos 👍🏼
I love watching your landscape photography videos where you're out in the field. I love to travel and so I would say that I have some interest in street and wildlife photography, but landscape is my favourite. Personally, I have zero interest in gear videos. I have my gear and I can't afford to switch every moment a new product comes out. I also feel like I have the basics of photography covered...what does inspire me is seeing new places, locations, scenes and views and how to react in the moment to compose and capture what you are seeing. When I can't actually be travelling, landscape photography videos are close. Still, after many searches I feel like I have a small cohort of photographers that I follow and subscribe to their channel - I don't have to search anymore as I know where to go to see artists that I respect pursuing their craft. Please keep the field videos coming! Merry Christmas!!
Thanks for your thoughts. I believe that in the long term, colonizing Mars will lead to an increased interest in landscape photography there - but probably not to wildlife photography or street photography (due to the lack of roads and wild animals on the surface of Mars).
Smart phones. Instant social media posting. Covid, restrictions, then lifted. Economy. Ideas/attitude change in every generation. Quantity of utube channels per subject. Too many 'experts' with barely any years behind them. Any number of things can cause ups and downs. I watch more for the 'venturing out, tips in the field, and those absolutely gorgeous final images travel along' vids, not so much for the gear, I watch the gear too for ideas. Places I'll never get to, but learn to see my own places differently. I say just keep doing what you want to do, those who love you will love tagging along no matter what. :) It's been fun seeing how you have changed since I started watching you and a few others who you have traveled with. As long as I have internet, I'll be watching :) Btw, LOVE that '......... EPIC!' shirt! lol
I agree with the 'saturation' mentioned by most people; there simply is only so much you can tell about shooting landscape photographs until reaching a point where it has all been said before. For example, I saw a Mark Denny video claiming to have something novel, so I watched it, and it turned out to be something I saw years ago on Nigel Danson''s channel.
Quite a bit of the lack of landscape photography reduction is because of the lack of light dew to geoengineering cloud forming .When every time you go out you have very flat light it doesn`t encourage you to go out with your camera
Think we have just reached a saturation point in landscape photography. After the umpteenth photo of a French lavender field, Icelandic waterfall, twisty road in Tuscany, tulip field in the Netherlands, wintery seaside town in the Lofoten, foggy mountain top on Madeira, etcetera... most people have seen it all by now, and multiple times as well. There will still be a market for landscape photography, hence why Google Trends is showing a more flattened graph in recent years, but the masses have just moved on to other roads that aren't as well travelled yet
Yes, exactly! There are so many places in the world that have barely been looked at by mainstream photographers. As an Australian, we have so many incredible world-class landscape photo opportunies yet the international community would have no clue about. We need variety.
It's ironic that studio videos do better than out in the field, because I have unfollowed a few people because all they do now is studio. I prefer to see what the world has to offer.
Happy Holidays! I think that after all the amazing educational and inspirational content you have created we are out taking better photographs and finding more interesting adventures. Your content got me to Iceland. I’ve upgraded my gear to the Hasselblad H2d and I’ve hiked hundreds of miles with my gear. I’m a retired studio photographer that is learning new skills from every outing. Please keep creating content. You are an extraordinary teacher and artist. I hope to share a photo adventure in the future. Until then I’ll stay tuned!!
Mads I was advid hiker and landscape photographer the pandemic had a major effect on me the trails became jammed with non hikers I had to start walking the beach to isolate my self from other people at the beach I started doing wildlife photography. I still hike and photograph landscapes but as much as I used too as I now split my photography between landscapes and wildlife. Happy holidays to you Mads
I do all kinds of photography as I find I learn a lot of different skills from different types photography. These can then be mixed up in the different genres. But at the end of the day for me photography is just an excuse to get outside in nature and enjoy the day. I think you are very good at creating that feeling of pure joy over some "epic" ;) light, weather or what ever. So I really hope you keep doing things like always. I am a big fan :)
I search less now that I have discovered, liked and subscribed to many landscapes photographers. Now I scan my subscriptions for updates and new content. This is me getting stagnant in my content choices. I need to discover new landscape photographers in 2025!
May be the 'decline' of lanscape photgraphy is due to the mobile industry booming and youtube videos can be repetitive like mountains, fog, woodland etc. And that some places are not accessible to some people. Widlife, there is not much you can do with a mobile other than a faraway snapshot, so people use a camera and a good long range lens and may be people feel that they can try what they have learned? May be...
Interesting data from one source. Comparing different data bases and providers will provide a more accurate trend rate. I have found using different search engines has resulted in a wider range of results. Yes, if I specifically want to see a video of a specific topic I would search RUclips. I tend to follow photographers, such as yourself, as I have found that their content matches my photographic interest. Saturation of the same topic and with little to no variety can result in less interest in a topic. Impacting all of this is the worldwide social unrest that impacts one's attitude and mental state. Thank you for your channel and Happy New Year!
Maybe it's a good thing that interest in landscape photography is declining. Perhaps it's because people are already saturated with such images, or because they are often presented in a very utopian way that no longer resonates with viewers. People might relate more to realism and want to see this reflected in photos-images that are more open to interpretation or align better with the viewer's own perspective. I've been watching your channel for a long time, and I enjoyed the topics that were really within your reach or just 30 km from your home the most. The Faroe Islands masterclass was okay, but it doesn't really resonate with the community that watches you, and for a simple reason-we're ordinary people, enthusiasts, who want to take great photos in every possible situation. We want to learn to spot every opportunity for a shot and make the most of it. Cheers
Maybe it is the search criteria? If I am looking for anything landscape related I will do a very specific search on RUclips for subjects like focus or exposure bracketing. Widening the search criteria to include subjects that are landscape related might give you a better picture. It took me around 3 years to learn the basics of photography. After that I was not really interested in watching tutorial videos and I narrowed down who I subscribed to. Personally I love the videos you do when you are in the field. I hope you have great Christmas and a happy New Year.
Some very interesting points Mads, one thing that might be influencing the search engine results is the data you were looking at started around the time that digital cameras started to become mainstream so as people have become familiar with the technology and is now the mainstream.....everyone has a camera......the need to search it has declined. Another thing to consider is that just about every popular.....honeypot photography location has been photographed to death. Personally I prefer the out in the field videos the most followed by videos that start with on location and end with a print...... Great video.......and more out in the field please.
I reckon it's all about that people are fed up with photos on different social medias and perhaps seeing for example your photos, they think that they wouldn't ever take such a shot. This way, they won't try and give up. Another possible reason is that phones have developed over the years and now many photographers (mostly doing many genres of photography) are showing that you can take the same landscape photos with your phone over the camera. Furthermore, new features in phones may have a considerable impact on them as well, since they can think that they don't need any knowledge to take especially good landscape photos. That can be the case in my opinion.
Hi Mads. Interesting discussion. As others have said, it is number of landscape you tube channels that feature similar locations etc. The title of your video is "the decline in Lanscape photography", but I think landscape and other photography, whether a camera or phone, is increasing. But it is the saturation of similar youtube content that is turning people away. It could also be the need to keep producing content if that is the main income. You mention a lot of social media channels, but Flickr to me seems to be the best for photographers. Have a safe and happy new year. Ross
I think you are correct in the end comments you make- it's perhaps a reflection of the changing trend in how people (perhaps of a certain age) search up more information. Less google searches (of text) and more RUclips /In stagram searches , or in fact algorithms that push content to you so you no longer even have to search. I only tend to do searches for NEW topic areas- I still watch landscape photography a lot but no longer search for it anywhere.
100% correct..I search on YT not on Google. As many have said here, there is saturation. Everyone capturing the same images of the same landscapes…with the other genres there is more variety. I used to shoot landscapes, but it such an effort….especially when my wife refuses to shoot landscapes😂..the other genres are so much easier to do and offer variety
People’s financial situation and freedom have changed greatly with the cost of living expenses so many cannot afford to travel and photograph great locations for landscape photography.
Alot of people just dont photograph outside a city/town, most are just interested in what other people are doing, and most is done on a phone. If it dosent get likes on social media then they dont take photos. I dont do social media ( only facebook ) but that is mainly down to friends whom i dont see all the time and its our/my way of staying in touch.
I think we all get much more landscape related content PUSHED by the media today so I would never come to the idea to search for even more landscape photos explicitly.
First of, happy holidays! I personally think social media hasn't helped alot. It gave us a place where we can all see these incredible pictures eventually sparkling interest to try it ourselves, only to discover that those epic landscapes aren't just up for grabs anywhere. I live in the Netherlands and I think its pretty tough to create something interesting here when you constantly see epic photos of Iceland or the Dolomites for example. Creating a good landscape photo takes time and practice. When I look at wildlife it also takes practice but its also somewhat more accessible, not to mention its less composition heavy orientated. Weve grown used to seeing fantastic images on Instagram, making it practically feel out of reach for many of us.
In my case, I have stopped searching for "landscape" and have narrowed down to sub-genres such as beach, flower, macro, tree, etc. In my photography, I am not looking for the grand landscapes but more intimate scenes. A huge inspiration to me is Eliot Porter.
The ‘problem’ with landscape photography started way back with the introduction of Fuji Velvia and everybody could adopt a distinctive landscape style of warm saturated colours. Up until then you kind of had to create your own landscape style. And the saturation continued with digital photography with everybody shooting the style, until ramped up with ten stop filters and everybody photographing the same pier or stick sticking up out of the sea. And there are RUclipsrs who call themselves ‘Professionals’ promoting the copy cat cut and paste style. Landscape photography looked at via social media is on a downward spiral because images are stylistically copied without having any reason to do it, like a project to work on, a statement to make, etc. so photography becomes like stamp collecting as a passive exercise of filling voids.
I have a very small nature photography channel. I prefer to focus on the art of photography in the field. But my most-viewed videos are those focused on a particular piece of kit. Except for one in-the-field video which blew up for reasons I've never figured out. I also found that my bird photography videos do better than my landscape videos. I intend to keep doing both genres because I shoot mainly for myself anyway.
There is also the fact that landscape photography is actually quite inconvenient. It’s best done at golden hour, when people would rather be in bed or having breakfast, or at blue hour, when most people are, or would like to be, having dinner. In summer these time windows are squeezed into even more unsociable hours of the night, and the length of the time window itself is even shorter - but in winter, it’s so much colder.
I quit trying for golden hour or early morning light and just shoot mid day now. I’ve definitely learned to adapt and work with light and can get good photos in any light almost. I really could care less about sunrise or sunset photos for my personal style tbh.
Maybe many people started landscape photography inspired by epic Instagram pictures and then stopped after they realised which effort it really needs to take such an epic photo. Regarding wildlife the camera technology gets better and better and thus makes the genre more accessible to more people.
I'm also a content creator on RUclips about landscape photography. In Vietnam, I see that images are now easily captured from phones and they have many apps that automatically transform photos. It's easy to flatter their eyes and they are drawn to the photos from those apps, even if they just sit in one place, leading to a decrease in the realistic natural landscape.
Landscape photography as a process is something I find quite relaxing and almost meditative. I enjoy it for that as well as nature photography. Street photography whilst I admire some of the images I would personally find too stressful to do myself. Each to their own I suppose.
I find it incredibly frustrating on RUclips you type in "subject" and you get the same 5or 6 people or constant poo not even related. So after 10 min I do something else. I feel so SORRY for any new comer trying to start a new channel up. Like all social media what started out out as fabulous format is now corporate BS. MERRY CHRISTMAS and keep the good work up.
Photography has also changed in the way it is displayed. Every photo most be so epic, I miss simple minimalistic landscape photos but they are not getting likes in instagram. It’s only the highly saturated epic ones.
The important metric isn't Internet searches but instead camera, tripod, backpack sales. While Internet searches may correlate, actual equipment sales is going to be a better indicator of this subject.
This a very interesting set of insights, Mads. I think saturation (and the inevitable boredom that follows) is a big factor. I’ve recently rediscovered my love of car photography (I used to shoot for car magazines), and have rekindled my interest in all things midlife-something I used to write a lot about on various blogs. In 2025, I’m going to lean more into these topics on RUclips, while encouraging people my age (I’m 56) to invest more time and money into whatever brings them joy in their third chapter. All the best to you in 2025, Mads. Thanks for all your generous content over the last year. 👍🦘
Not dying Mads. Getting expensive for many and unless retired never easy to go out when the urge happens. Also many see the you tube vids and try to copy and many fail and give up. Then there is the biggie. Mobile phones. Not photography as we know but is a force. We all have been local and desire new location challenges all which take time and money to experience. I and my friends are lucky that we are retired so have time and have built our kits up over years and now just enjoy the time outdoors. Challenge for you , Come try the light in Australia so different to Europe but still EPIC.
Thanks for the insight. I wonder in the stats is there a number for subscribers per person posted. Is that going up say on your end? If searches are declining but subscribers are going up then the field has become saturated. People have found what they are looking for and there is no need to broaden the search. I have peaked on m y searches a few months ago because there is such a proliferation of creators I just don’t have the time so I stay with the tried and true. I have been following you for about 5+ years now. So keep up the good work.
Most of the youtuber in photography started 10 years ago. It was authentic and everyone could relate to them. Now most youtubers have very expensive gear, travel to places unreachable for "normal" people.
Perhaps we are raising our own bar in landscape photography through photos posted by other photographers on social media, and "good photos" are often only perceived as such if they were taken in special places, such as Iceland or similar. Many landscape photographers who often have to photograph in their perhaps not so (perceivedly) epic homeland because, for example, they don't have enough free time or money for long trips, or family obligations or other personal restrictions make this impossible, turn away and do "their own thing" under the radar. I personally like the fact that your channel offers a good mix and also shows local photography, conveys inspiration and appreciation for it and thus shows possibilities. In addition, I'm also seeing more and more of a trend to integrate animals or wildlife into landscape photography. So the line here may be blurring a bit.
I have always enjoyed your channel, seeing the process and what you accomplish, even though into wildlife, flowers, and some macro myself. In a sense, I guess this can be said for any genre, but for me watching landscape photos, I just feel like I can't be sure if I'm looking at the ”real” thing or a computer miracle. Having seen on other channels how much is changed in editing sometimes - beatiful light perfectly hitting a valley was just a mask done in post processing etc. Tricky and some ppl probably don't even care, but for me personally I'd prefer photos to be fairly close to what was actually seen with the eye.
Great video - and an interesting look at the trends. I think your closing probably captures it pretty well, in that people seeking content these days probably lean away from web searches and more towards RUclips searches. I know I tend to start on RUclips, then head to the web, unless I am looking for a specific spec or technical detail of something - then I do a Google search, as I just want a fast text answer. I do find it interesting that in-the-field videos aren't as popular anymore. I know in some of the circles I hang out in, the vlog, in the field videos are the ones people are looking for. Great video!
Really interesting stats and observations. For me the answer is simple. We have been 'over saturated with the over saturated' for too long. Photographers are also getting disillusioned by 'franken-photos" being continuously rewarded in prestigious competitions with creations which look AI generated even if they are not. Time for a reality check. The future of photography especially with AI polluting outputs even more, is a return to authenticity. So minor edits to enhance reality and a good photo as opposed to grand gestures creating illusionary worlds. What is real and what is not is always the question for me. I am turned off traditional landscape photo efforts for that reason.
My issue with landscape photography is that according to many RUclipsrs and also magazines about the subject is that a) the photos are often too perfect because of all post processing taking away emotion and b) the overflow of the same ‘exotic places’ every influencer is going to with the same pictures. Maybe that’s why I prefer your video’s from Denmark over those from Iceland and other famous places. I also ignore videos from places like Antarctica because imo those places are too vulnerable to be visited by tourists. Nowadays I prefer channels which give good information about making good (landscape) photos, be it in the field or a mix of field and desk presentation. Most important for me is the quality of information.
How many golden hour photos are enough-I gag on them now. How many Iceland, Faroe island or Antarctica will every You Tuber all run to within two weeks of each other. I really don’t need to see 4 RUclipsrs all reporting on their trip to Iceland -all within a week or so of each other. I enjoy your Denmark photos because they are unique. I enjoy seeing how landscape photographers deal with poor or less than ideal conditions. I enjoy seeing photographers handling non-‘IN’ sites. I think this is part of the reason for decline.
Bingo. My two favorite RUclipsrs are Mark Denny and Simon d'Entremont. They mostly film from their homes, but they put a heavy emphasis on instructing. With so much content on social media and so little time, I have to make priority calls on what I watch and what I don't. I do enjoy watching some of the field work, but it's all kind of the same. And I never will watch a 30 minute video about a photographer's van.
I very much prefer the videos where the photographer is in the field creating photos but you bring up good points. They are always somewhere exotic and with 'AMAZING' conditions. It's basically the same videos over and over again. Thomas Heaton did a video several years ago where he intentionally went out into the most mundane boring landscape and tried to make photos. It was much more relatable and educational watching him try to pick something out of nothing. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only photographer who cannot afford to fly off to the Dolomites or Iceland to get our images. I think a lot of us are out there in our local landscapes trying to make something out of nothing.
And the “backcountry” Alaskan types that aren’t as backcountry as we’re suppose to believe. We’re being sold lifestyles rather than sheer photography. Being dropped off by a bush pilot does not constitute a full blown expedition. If I sound bitter, it’s because I am LOL. I’m only mad because I can’t do it myself.
Correct. Every YT landscape photographer this year has made a trip to Svalbard at least once. Ok fine, but let's take a break. Try somewhere more challenging or different, maybe a desert area.
I agree. Namibia is soooo last year.
Well, I'd go in a heartbeat, but it's out of my range.
I still go out a lot doing landscape photography I have never posted it on social media only do it for my own satisfaction
I’ve always done it for myself and never shared it but recently felt the need to
@@annaheya2109 I went and got myself a website, filled it with beautiful photos and nobody ever visits! like 1 person every 2 weeks according o the stats..
Same here.
Same thing here. Nowadays, I'm even shooting more film (again) - as you said, it's all about own satisfaction.
Same here, as an old 3d artist that got burnt out by the machine i the mid 2000 I see me photography as my grounding tool from our fantasy society.
I wonder if it has matured on RUclips. Meaning that it is not searched for as much because viewers have found their favorites and watch them regularly without looking for new channels. You’re one of my favorites! 😀
I was thinking something similar. In the beginning, I searched for information about different genres of photography and RUclips served up creatives that I then subscribed to. Since I was getting the information I wanted through subscriptions, there was no need to do further searches. The metrics that you are referencing are searches rather than specific content being consummed.
Very good point. Plus at a certain point the algorithm replaces manual searching, and the same goes for AI. One day the searches from the search box will be zero but that doesn't mean the interest is gone.
632 people, including me, taking time out on Christmas Day to watch your work! That says something 🙂 Have a lovely Christmas everyone! 🎄
I think this is partly due to saturation of contents. Particularly on platforms like Instagram has seen an explosion of landscape photography. The abundance of similar images has reduced the perceived uniqueness and value of the genre.
Secondly, there’s a shift in trends. People are gravitating towards contemporary photography that tells stories or evokes personal connections, feelings which often resonate more with viewers compared to scenic landscapes. Photography with a message, where the meaning holds greater weight than the subject matter.
Exactly! You phrased my thoughts so eloquently. I've also realised that I'm starting to become fatigued by the saturation of the content and I'm considering simplifying and lightening my camera gear and moving from landscapes to "adventure" photography to capture memories as I do hikes, mountain bike trips and splitboarding.
Anecdotally my photos/carousels from some hikes to epic mountains, lakes etc. get half the likes of a simple self-portrait from my bedroom.
Please continue what you do so well Mads - your videos from the field are definitely the best. Your enthusiasm is contagious
Saturation, pure and simple. There were a handful of photographers on RUclips, but now everyone is a landscape photographer - plus there is saturation of content, deciding on gear/editing/composition etc there is only so far you can go before it's all the same repeating cycle. I watch your channel because I like your style and presentation, but I'm not looking for any further content from others and I certainly don't search for it any more. Maybe we have got to the stage where we all know what we like?
I'd agree and add YT algorithms encourage excess content too.
Yup
Saturated of any and all genre has occurred. Landscape, birds in flight, long exposure, weddings, etc. have all reached saturation.
I’ve found some really good new content lately. Search for your local area and you might be surprised at what you find. There is a guy near me “Photos on the Bay”. He does LIVE streams in any and all conditions. Some days are no cloud, some overcast, his latest was Epic. He shows how to deal with the conditions as it changes.
All the BIG RUclipsrs go to Epic locations, use the best gear, cover the same editing processes.
There are so many small channels out there that are doing something new and different.
Watching the same content all the time sends me into zombie mode. I love Mads, but I’m also looking for new content all the time.
Fototripper is my current favorite ( after Mads 😉 ).
Totally agree. I came here to comment that I have been mostly turned off from landscape photography because every seemingly interesting and "unique" scene in the entire world has been photographed to death by pretty much anybody with a camera, a suitcase, and the desire to trek to the various locations. You can only see so many photos of Yosemite or Patagonia or the Faro Islands and Iceland, etc. For me it comes down to "why bother?"
Mads
Who can those landscape and wildlife photographers learn from the street photographers?
People want and need inspiration to shoot locally!
This is the thing to be learnt from street photographers.
Iceland, Antarctica, Namib, ... is great, but it is not the photographic reality for 99.9% of the audience!
I really love your vids when you go local in Denmark and around the Baltic Sea!
I really love you mastering our daily weather light & conditions to create stunning photography.
Those are the one the audience can learn from as they are learning from the street photographers on YT etc.
I prefer your videos where you just go out in the field and shoot. You have a wonderful eye and talent for making a beautiful scene out of seemingly nothing. I personally hope you keep doing them.
I love your In The Field videos, no matter where they are but especially Denmark, where you excel at teaching us how to find an image from somewhere that is not normally thought of as Epic. That is where I get the most value.
I personally appreciate your field videos more than the studio because it helps me to understand your thought process in taking photos. For example, an explanation as to why you are using a certain F-stop in a particular situation is very helpful in comparison to information on how to operate the camera. The studio sessions are helpful to, I just find more value with the real world situations and challenges. Please keep them coming!
I live in Australia and whilst the majority of landscspe photographers I follow are from overseas, I love watching in the field videos as it gives me ideas when I go out doing my own landscape photography. I also do wildlife photography, and I watch both videos equally.
Just imagine how cool it would be to see all the big names on RUclips come to Australia one day. It would be fantastic to see what they can come up with - and they would share new perspectives that I'm sure us Aussie landscape photographers have never seen before.
It would be great if that could happen. I've travelled all of Australia except for WA, there are so many beautiful places here, we are spoilt for choice
I stopped caring for Landscape content because most of it felt too "methodical" for my personal taste. I love spontaneous, unplanned photography. Going out and just seeing what might happen, capturing the moment. Most Landscape content felt like the antithesis to that. Traveling to a specific place, at a specific time to capture a specific motive, pretty much knowing what the finished photo will look like before they're even there (In an exaggerated sense but that's how it feels to me). It's just not my thing.
That's why I also gravitate more towards channels like James Popsys or Olle Nilsson. Videos in mid-day conditions at a local forest or the town nearby, not caring about golden hour or specific weather conditions I'll never be able to care for myself. It feels spontaneous and relatable which motivates me to grab my cam and go out myself.
You described my thoughts on the issue and my approach to style- flightography- an escape from the norm towards just rambling a specific landscape.
True... "youtube" landscape photography is more about golden hour when actually, you cannot always get to catch the golden hour...there has to be something else to landscape photography than only golden hour... that is the frustration I think...
For me, after a time of seeing beautiful landscape photography videos it became depressing because I will never be able to go to these places. What I have found more interesting are the channels which focus on intimate nature photography, such as Riding the Edge Photography by David Patton. He walks along woods and trails, something I can do where I live, as most folks can do. One of my recent photos which really appealed to me was raindrops on the thorns of a rose bush. That's the type of nature photography which is in my surroundings.
I absolutely agree! That's why I also gravitate more towards channels like James Popsys or Olle Nilsson. Videos in mid-day conditions at a local forest or the town nearby, not caring about golden hour or specific weather conditions I'll never be able to care for myself. It feels spontaneous and relatable which motivates me to grab my cam and go out myself.
Desde que todo el mundo accedio a la fotografia al tenerla al alcance de su mano a traves del smartphone, la actividad perdio toda su originalidad. Antes se hacia fotografia para los demas, ahora solo se hace para uno, que es el unico que la ve.
I can relate. I am also fed up with all the fake/unrealistic looking images taken with a UWA of telephoto lens.
This is why i enjoy the RUclips channel of James Popsys the most.
A great deal of food for thought. I watch a lot of landscape photography videos on RUclips and recognise that you have the skill to produce brilliant images in just about any situation. The videos that really attract my attention, however, are not the spectaculars from an 'exotic' location but the ones where you use your skills to demonstrate that stunning photos can be captured in the more mundane of environments that many of us are familiar with. These are so much more relatable and therefore inspirational.
Merry Christmas! One factor you didn’t mention is the improvement in mobile phone cameras, which I think has affected landscape, street and travel photography more than wildlife photography. Although I’m a photography enthusiast, I find I’m often happy with what I can get with a phone for travel, and it’s lightweight and inconspicuous. Mirrorless cameras for wildlife photography are undergoing rapid improvement, however, which generates a lot of interest on RUclips regarding the new gear and how to use it. I can’t do wildlife photography with a phone. That said, I still subscribe to and watch all my favorite landscape photographers on RUclips for the instruction, gear, and travel to places with beautiful scenery. I’m hoping to do more actual landscape photography in the new year.
For last 3years i'm shooting ONLY with my iPhone and getting even A1 good quality prints for selling...
Cell phones and their advancement. Anyone can now take great photos without worrying about aperture, shutter speed, iso, and especially dynamic range. It does it all automatically, and everyone has one already in their pocket. Its good enough for them and they don't have to learn to use a camera and all its features. Cell phones dont work so well with wildlife photography and getting up close shots from far away.
@@NickG65 I like the convenience of the phone, but I definitely enjoy the experience of a camera with a viewfinder more.
I do watch all your videos, but the ones of you in the field are the ones I enjoy the most. I am out at least once every weekend, enjoying nature and taking photos when I feel inspired, which is often. I am finding though that many landscape photographers / youtubers seem to be getting burned out; either posting less frequently or the content quality is no longer there, or their channels are becoming overly commercialized, so I am losing interest in those channels.
We are only watching the videos on location, out in the field, hope you never stop doing those!
I work 12 hours a day, going to work in the dark and going home in the dark, your videos bring lots of pleasure watching sunrises and sunsets and beautiful landscapes I would never see otherwise. Please go on doing videos out there in nature🌳
Perhaps searches have declined as people have found the channels they like and no longer use Google to search. I follow a few different channels on RUclips. That means that additional channels get into my feed because of the algorithm. I don’t need to go searching because I have the opportunity to browse different content without doing a search. Once I find the channels I like, I don’t need to keep looking. Just a thought.
👍
Interesting analysis. I have a small YT channel focused on nightscape photography. For the past 15 months I have only made in-the-field adventure films as that’s what I most enjoy making and watching. They take a huge amount of effort and time to produce, but they have never done as well as a few kit-based iPhone-shot videos I made early on. It’s tempting to be infuriated about that! But I enjoy the interaction I have with the niche-within-a-niche community I’ve built up, so I’ll keep doing what I enjoy, whether the trends work in my favour or not! Happy new year. 😊
I have been watching landscape photography youtube videos for almost 10 years now and until 2020 it was interesting, but then I felt like everyone was shooting the same places(Iceland for example) And the fact that I will never have enough money to go to the same places also made me lose a bit of interest in this subject. Which is funny because I am a landscape photography youtuber myself, trying to make content every week.
I feel the same. If I have to see one more pic of that skogafoss waterfall ( or however it is called) I am going to scream. Seeing the same thing all over again doesn’t inspire me., it makes me tired.
Here on YT many landscape photographers became youtubers. And that is a shame. I like your videos because you go out and speak about landscape photography. I don`t need to watch 20 min. video how someone is making coffee in van. Or clickbait titles like "do this and you`ll be geat" or "I wish i knew that before" BS.
Good point
I can relate to this response. Especially the "clickbait titles" part. Theres so many "Lean to shoot in manual mode in 30 seconds and you'll be a great photogarpher". I've unsuscribed to many YT sites because its just "too much crapola". Mads, your one of the few i've continued to enjoy.
My favorite videos of yours are the ones where you're out in the field taking photos, so I'll always appreciate those.
I can only speak for myself, but when I am searching for information related to photography, I am almost always focused on solving a specific problem. I enjoy your images, but I usually don't have the time to watch a 20 minute video that records the process of making a landscape photograph. I know what the process is like. I would much rather spend my time taking a photograph than watching someone else take a photograph.
I love your videos that you go out in the field i learnt so much from you and those videos. ❤❤
This channel is still my favorite channel on RUclips and I like your videos the most where you are outdoors, somewhere in Danmark. Those videos I prefer over gear videos and so on.
Here are my thoughts on why landscape photography has lost some of its magic.
1. It seems as every landscape photographer takes the same pictures over and over again. Iceland, the Dolomites... If you have the opportunity (the time, the money) you go to these fascinating places and the your shot. Than you will see the same pics on all social media platforms. That's kind of boring.
2. If you have less time, not sufficient money for traveling to all those places, it can get boring very quickly when taking pictures always in your own hood. I have to travel at least 1 hour or more to see something like landscape and since photography isn't my profession, it always lacks time.
3. Taking wildlife pictures can be more interesting, more adventure, more thrill. It's not just depending on the right light. You also have to be sneaky, quiet, patient, maybe need some camouflage...
It can be enough to go to the nearest park or a nearby forest. There you can find foxes, raccoons and so many different birds. These pictures need more effort and skill than just taking a picture od the nearby pond, field or flower. Of course I am not saying that a simple picture of a flower (straight from above) has the same qualities like a picture of a forest during fog, with different layers and an interesting foreground. But many people don't see the difference there but see the difference between a blurry bird picture and a sharp photo of a flying swallow, so your pictures receive more appreciation.
Mads - I’ll use my photography experience to address what you’re seeing. I started my photography a little over ten years ago and as such I was into landscape photography. As my skills progressed I slowly went away from landscape and went to different genres. I continue watching the same vloggers as they continue to put out basic photography tips which I use to continue my advancement. With the advancement of cellphone photography, I don’t think people take the time to actually seek out vloggers to get their inspiration or to learn new techniques - just point and shoot. Mads, keep up your good work and we’ll keep watching!
I can only speak for myself, but I enjoy videos that tech me something technical about editing or camera operation. Those are things that are more specific and difficult to master for me. I feel like framing a composition on location is more of an intuitive talent that I can teach myself more easily than I can teach myself to focus blend with an editing program. I enjoy all types of photography videos but like to have more technically oriented ones to look for.
just subscribed for landscape photography tips and inspiration 👍 well done playing the algorithmn sir.
I absolutely love your ‘out in the field’ videos! Personally I prefer to learn in the environment. You are so inspirational and a fab teacher. I can relate more to your local videos, which I can then take that back to my local area, however I do love big EPIC Iceland videos etc, because it’s out of reach for me and I can enjoy it and see the world through you! Thanks for all you do and Merry Christmas! Keep going if you’re enjoying it too!✨🤩
Mads the hell with Google trends seeing videos of you out in the field is inspiring to visit different places in the world. Videos of you in the studio are also great when it comes to learning editing skills, hopefully you will continue putting up a mix of both.
I am so surprised those are the videos that perform the worst. I’ve learned so much from your videos describing your thought process and mechanics in the field. I am surprised there is not a spike in landscape photography during the pandemic, when there certainly was a spike in National Park visits.
Really interesting information, thanks for sharing. There are still surprisingly few Finnish nature photographers on RUclips.
Great subject of discussion Mads! Also it is very interesting to read through the comments. I would definitely agree that saturation is a component, but also, I think we all have gone to see which creators are the ones that we liked, and then your search is over, you go to the same spots all the time.
A second thought is why people go to the “studio” vs “field” contents, and tanking my own journey in photography in the last 10 years, it is related on where you see the most progress in your craft. I would assume that there is always people picking up photography, and making progress in your pictures at the beginning, it is easier to see how you can edit your pics, learn the tools and techniques, This will be specially emphasized by people that does photography either sporadically or temporarily (pick up photography for a few years). However, when you stick to the craft for long, composition, looking for locations, (a.k.a. field oriented videos) is the area to make progress… This is harder and requires more time also to see a difference in what is created, thus, searching for lots of content at once, does not help as much, it is more steady progress needed.
I am wondering if this is just me; what others think?
Thanks for the discussion!
Interesting info, but it’s just that! Period! If I were you, I wouldn’t change a thing! Wildlife may be growing because of the gear that’s been developed makes it more accessible! Cheaper telephoto lenses and better focus systems have made a huge difference! Personally, I do wildlife and landscape photography! And I love your videos from the field! Thanks for always taking me along!
I think there is a fatigue with landscape photography in amazing places which are costly to get to, both environmentally and for the pocket. All the best photos have already been captured! Showing people how to get the most from their neighbourhood is maybe the way forward for now? Originality rather than paint (or snap) by numbers possibly?
Ah I love your out and about videos and look forward to each piece of new content, decline could correlate to the advancement in mobile phones which is suffice a lot of the time for posting on social platforms but tbh as you'e pointed out I rarely google anything regarding landscape photography I just go straight to RUclips. Looking forward to your adventures and further inspiration in 2025, have a great xmas!
I was obsessed with everything landscapes since 2019 but have to admit, I've pulled back a bit. The more I got into it, the more I felt like I had seen a lot of the big landmark places everyone captures.. My own photography has shifted to 35mm film and watching channels like grainy days ect. I still prefer sharp, digital images for landscapes but I'm more interested in capturing that nostalgic feeling of simpler times.
What you present is amazing! The videos you produce I like the most are, precisely, those where you show how you take a picture, how to look for the best composition, how to approach, for example, a minimalist picture. Can it be that landscape photography is not sufficiently flashy, bold, as it seems to be the taste of these days, with media, like X, proposing louder and louder screams?
I loved your landscape photography videos out in the field and I subscribed specifically for those videos! So please do not be controlled by an algorithm or trends and just keep making those videos! They are very inspiring and we have learned a lot from them. Keep up the good work! Happy Holidays! 🎉 and a Happy new year!🎉
Fascinating topic that deserves some real consideration.
I, for one, have had a life long love affair with photography as an art form, particularly with landscape photography, and that passion isn’t likely to wane. But I’ve definitely noticed the change in the landscape, so to speak.
Obviously, based on many of the comments, a definite weariness is growing. A weariness of the “perfect” color, the oversaturated colors, AI, iconic locations and all the rest. Almost every landscape photographer whose work I follow has not become tired of it, though. I think it may be more a reduction of the consumption of it rather than of the doing of it, which may even be growing. The demand for tutorials, workshops, photo tours seems to be growing like crazy. But the searching for it and consumption of it may be.
As a photo nut I find nothing more satisfying than finding and capturing a mesmerizing photo with a captivating composition. Will people like enough to buy it? That is the question. Is that the goal or not?
I think my 2025 goals deserve some tweaking. But I can tell you one thing. I’ll never stop chasing those iconic locations and iconic images. They are iconic for a reason.
I can understand why, but some of the best technique and seeing photograph learning, outside of going into the field myself, that i have had are the videos in the field with you and others sharing their technique.
I think it may be because most people stay in their local environment when they photograph. Photo tours are expensive and time consuming. People like the familiar and envy the esoteric which most of us cannot achieve. I suspect drone photography has gone way up - a new way at looking at landscape.
Good point. Probably the restriction of movement during the pandemic and then lack of affordability to travel has put a lot of people off.
Yet, still even going for short cheap breaks you can visit great places to photograph, and there is a trend on YT of appreciating your local areas and perceiving them from a different point of view.
Not to look far, just here on this channel, Mads has some good content on that subject.
Yet again, a lot of people might find that boring, so I guess the landscape genre is getting a bit more niche, which results in less popularity, but better, more refined content?
I think you're on to something with the reference to drone photography. I suspect some of the interest in traditional landscape photography has migrated to drone photography. A few years ago I started seeing folks for the first time take drones on landscape photography workshops, so I think it's definitely a factor.
Hi Mads, landscape is possible by everyone its there, your standing on it. wildlife has become a set up, lakes being fed with fish for the ospreys, a line of trucks for wildlife, boring to the extreme, you show that getting out there is possible if you want the shot. thanks Mads.
Also remember that it's not what some statistical category is doing that's important, it's how YOU are doing that's important. Social Blade shows you've gained about 25,000 subscribers this year, and predicts steady growth, so you're doing something right!
I really like when you are out and about and shooting some very nice pictures. I have both your ebooks and watch your videos to help me learn more about landscape photography. You are a fantastic photographer my friend. Just EPIC!😊 I do not use Google if I don’t have to. I found you on RUclips a couple of years ago and now follow you on Instagram.
It's also about time. These days it appears almost everyone is constantly rushing to be somewhere else, which doesn't fit landscape photography too well.
An excellent summary on the impact of social media and photography!
In the field videos are awesome. love seeing you final images from these trips.
If I was trying to explain landscape vs wildlife I'd start with the fact wildlife is a lot harder. You need reliable autofocus, you need a big expensive lens, you need to know your settings backwards, you need to get all the detail from your edits etc. so there's more need for research on the topic to get it right. You're never going to capture a close up of a sea eagle plucking a fish from the ocean with your phone, but it can do a pretty decent job of a mountain or sunset, and automatically enhance it for you.
And then oversaturation of the market due to this low barrier to entry leads to less excitement from the masses.
This sounds good in theory but it doesn't explain how street photography is beating them both. I'd never have suspected that.
I never thought I'd see a stats discussion on here! But it's thought provoking.
These macro trends are certainly driven by multiple factors, so finding one lever is nigh on impossible .
One additional element to consider is that the YT algorithm itself may have changed such that people no longer need to search explicitly for landscape in contrast to wildlife.
Ok my head is now hurting - I need to go for a walk with my camera. Keep posting your mix of subjects - they're really informative.
Merry Christmas!
Thanks Mads, Merry Xmas still and hope for a good new year fot you. I do hope your workshops still are fully booked and have sufficient interest ? Maybe covid had something to do with a shift of interest. Due to Covid I had to cancel a holiday to Ireland and from the refund money I bought a tele lens. I enjoyed it a lot photographing kingfishers in the local park. I have a broader interest in photography now than before Covid. Maybe the searches do not tell the whole story too, people who already follow you get notifications to view your content and do not fill those statistics. I appreciate the 'in the field' videos most to see how you approach photography there and especially how to stay somewhat comfortable in miserable conditions
Merry Christmas Mads. Been a long time fan. Love your content. I personally think we are oversaturated with Landscape photography, especially on RUclips. And most of the channels cover very similar locations, information, techniques etc.
I would LOVE to see you try some “Live, on location” RUclips videos. I have been doing a lot over the past few months and it can be a challenge when conditions don’t do what you hope for. This is Landscape photography. It’s not always Epic. I would LOVE to see yourself and more photographers give this a try. It adds an element of “real” . Anyway, love what you do and always enjoy your videos 👍🏼
I love watching your landscape photography videos where you're out in the field. I love to travel and so I would say that I have some interest in street and wildlife photography, but landscape is my favourite. Personally, I have zero interest in gear videos. I have my gear and I can't afford to switch every moment a new product comes out. I also feel like I have the basics of photography covered...what does inspire me is seeing new places, locations, scenes and views and how to react in the moment to compose and capture what you are seeing. When I can't actually be travelling, landscape photography videos are close. Still, after many searches I feel like I have a small cohort of photographers that I follow and subscribe to their channel - I don't have to search anymore as I know where to go to see artists that I respect pursuing their craft. Please keep the field videos coming! Merry Christmas!!
Thanks for your thoughts. I believe that in the long term, colonizing Mars will lead to an increased interest in landscape photography there - but probably not to wildlife photography or street photography (due to the lack of roads and wild animals on the surface of Mars).
Smart phones. Instant social media posting. Covid, restrictions, then lifted. Economy. Ideas/attitude change in every generation. Quantity of utube channels per subject. Too many 'experts' with barely any years behind them. Any number of things can cause ups and downs. I watch more for the 'venturing out, tips in the field, and those absolutely gorgeous final images travel along' vids, not so much for the gear, I watch the gear too for ideas. Places I'll never get to, but learn to see my own places differently.
I say just keep doing what you want to do, those who love you will love tagging along no matter what. :) It's been fun seeing how you have changed since I started watching you and a few others who you have traveled with. As long as I have internet, I'll be watching :)
Btw, LOVE that '......... EPIC!' shirt! lol
I agree with the 'saturation' mentioned by most people; there simply is only so much you can tell about shooting landscape photographs until reaching a point where it has all been said before. For example, I saw a Mark Denny video claiming to have something novel, so I watched it, and it turned out to be something I saw years ago on Nigel Danson''s channel.
Quite a bit of the lack of landscape photography reduction is because of the lack of light dew to geoengineering cloud forming .When every time you go out you have very flat light it doesn`t encourage you to go out with your camera
Glædelig jul og tak for dine inspirerende billeder og stærke indlæg i 2024😊
Good analysis and good insights ! It‘d just be great to be very precise in regards to what the graph and the scale really mean.
Glædelig Jul Mads elsker dine videoer fra ude i marken og især fra Danmark meget inspirerende og lærerige.
Think we have just reached a saturation point in landscape photography.
After the umpteenth photo of a French lavender field, Icelandic waterfall, twisty road in Tuscany, tulip field in the Netherlands, wintery seaside town in the Lofoten, foggy mountain top on Madeira, etcetera... most people have seen it all by now, and multiple times as well.
There will still be a market for landscape photography, hence why Google Trends is showing a more flattened graph in recent years, but the masses have just moved on to other roads that aren't as well travelled yet
Yes, exactly! There are so many places in the world that have barely been looked at by mainstream photographers. As an Australian, we have so many incredible world-class landscape photo opportunies yet the international community would have no clue about. We need variety.
It's ironic that studio videos do better than out in the field, because I have unfollowed a few people because all they do now is studio. I prefer to see what the world has to offer.
Happy Holidays! I think that after all the amazing educational and inspirational content you have created we are out taking better photographs and finding more interesting adventures. Your content got me to Iceland. I’ve upgraded my gear to the Hasselblad H2d and I’ve hiked hundreds of miles with my gear. I’m a retired studio photographer that is learning new skills from every outing. Please keep creating content. You are an extraordinary teacher and artist. I hope to share a photo adventure in the future. Until then I’ll stay tuned!!
Mads
I was advid hiker and landscape photographer the pandemic had a major effect on me the trails became jammed with non hikers I had to start walking the beach to isolate my self from other people at the beach I started doing wildlife photography. I still hike and photograph landscapes but as much as I used too as I now split my photography between landscapes and wildlife.
Happy holidays to you Mads
I do all kinds of photography as I find I learn a lot of different skills from different types photography. These can then be mixed up in the different genres. But at the end of the day for me photography is just an excuse to get outside in nature and enjoy the day. I think you are very good at creating that feeling of pure joy over some "epic" ;) light, weather or what ever. So I really hope you keep doing things like always. I am a big fan :)
I search less now that I have discovered, liked and subscribed to many landscapes photographers. Now I scan my subscriptions for updates and new content. This is me getting stagnant in my content choices. I need to discover new landscape photographers in 2025!
May be the 'decline' of lanscape photgraphy is due to the mobile industry booming and youtube videos can be repetitive like mountains, fog, woodland etc. And that some places are not accessible to some people. Widlife, there is not much you can do with a mobile other than a faraway snapshot, so people use a camera and a good long range lens and may be people feel that they can try what they have learned? May be...
Interesting data from one source. Comparing different data bases and providers will provide a more accurate trend rate. I have found using different search engines has resulted in a wider range of results. Yes, if I specifically want to see a video of a specific topic I would search RUclips. I tend to follow photographers, such as yourself, as I have found that their content matches my photographic interest. Saturation of the same topic and with little to no variety can result in less interest in a topic. Impacting all of this is the worldwide social unrest that impacts one's attitude and mental state. Thank you for your channel and Happy New Year!
Maybe it's a good thing that interest in landscape photography is declining. Perhaps it's because people are already saturated with such images, or because they are often presented in a very utopian way that no longer resonates with viewers. People might relate more to realism and want to see this reflected in photos-images that are more open to interpretation or align better with the viewer's own perspective.
I've been watching your channel for a long time, and I enjoyed the topics that were really within your reach or just 30 km from your home the most. The Faroe Islands masterclass was okay, but it doesn't really resonate with the community that watches you, and for a simple reason-we're ordinary people, enthusiasts, who want to take great photos in every possible situation. We want to learn to spot every opportunity for a shot and make the most of it.
Cheers
Maybe it is the search criteria? If I am looking for anything landscape related I will do a very specific search on RUclips for subjects like focus or exposure bracketing. Widening the search criteria to include subjects that are landscape related might give you a better picture. It took me around 3 years to learn the basics of photography. After that I was not really interested in watching tutorial videos and I narrowed down who I subscribed to. Personally I love the videos you do when you are in the field. I hope you have great Christmas and a happy New Year.
Some very interesting points Mads, one thing that might be influencing the search engine results is the data you were looking at started around the time that digital cameras started to become mainstream so as people have become familiar with the technology and is now the mainstream.....everyone has a camera......the need to search it has declined. Another thing to consider is that just about every popular.....honeypot photography location has been photographed to death. Personally I prefer the out in the field videos the most followed by videos that start with on location and end with a print......
Great video.......and more out in the field please.
I reckon it's all about that people are fed up with photos on different social medias and perhaps seeing for example your photos, they think that they wouldn't ever take such a shot. This way, they won't try and give up.
Another possible reason is that phones have developed over the years and now many photographers (mostly doing many genres of photography) are showing that you can take the same landscape photos with your phone over the camera. Furthermore, new features in phones may have a considerable impact on them as well, since they can think that they don't need any knowledge to take especially good landscape photos.
That can be the case in my opinion.
Hi Mads. Interesting discussion. As others have said, it is number of landscape you tube channels that feature similar locations etc. The title of your video is "the decline in Lanscape photography", but I think landscape and other photography, whether a camera or phone, is increasing.
But it is the saturation of similar youtube content that is turning people away. It could also be the need to keep producing content if that is the main income. You mention a lot of social media channels, but Flickr to me seems to be the best for photographers.
Have a safe and happy new year. Ross
eep up the outings, Mads, your enthusiasm makes even mundane places interesting. The comet and aurora videos were wonderful. One might say epic.
😇
I think you are correct in the end comments you make- it's perhaps a reflection of the changing trend in how people (perhaps of a certain age) search up more information. Less google searches (of text) and more RUclips /In
stagram searches , or in fact algorithms that push content to you so you no longer even have to search. I only tend to do searches for NEW topic areas- I still watch landscape photography a lot but no longer search for it anywhere.
100% correct..I search on YT not on Google.
As many have said here, there is saturation. Everyone capturing the same images of the same landscapes…with the other genres there is more variety.
I used to shoot landscapes, but it such an effort….especially when my wife refuses to shoot landscapes😂..the other genres are so much easier to do and offer variety
People’s financial situation and freedom have changed greatly with the cost of living expenses so many cannot afford to travel and photograph great locations for landscape photography.
Alot of people just dont photograph outside a city/town, most are just interested in what other people are doing, and most is done on a phone. If it dosent get likes on social media then they dont take photos. I dont do social media ( only facebook ) but that is mainly down to friends whom i dont see all the time and its our/my way of staying in touch.
I think we all get much more landscape related content PUSHED by the media today so I would never come to the idea to search for even more landscape photos explicitly.
First of, happy holidays!
I personally think social media hasn't helped alot. It gave us a place where we can all see these incredible pictures eventually sparkling interest to try it ourselves, only to discover that those epic landscapes aren't just up for grabs anywhere. I live in the Netherlands and I think its pretty tough to create something interesting here when you constantly see epic photos of Iceland or the Dolomites for example.
Creating a good landscape photo takes time and practice.
When I look at wildlife it also takes practice but its also somewhat more accessible, not to mention its less composition heavy orientated.
Weve grown used to seeing fantastic images on Instagram, making it practically feel out of reach for many of us.
In my case, I have stopped searching for "landscape" and have narrowed down to sub-genres such as beach, flower, macro, tree, etc. In my photography, I am not looking for the grand landscapes but more intimate scenes. A huge inspiration to me is Eliot Porter.
The ‘problem’ with landscape photography started way back with the introduction of Fuji Velvia and everybody could adopt a distinctive landscape style of warm saturated colours. Up until then you kind of had to create your own landscape style. And the saturation continued with digital photography with everybody shooting the style, until ramped up with ten stop filters and everybody photographing the same pier or stick sticking up out of the sea. And there are RUclipsrs who call themselves ‘Professionals’ promoting the copy cat cut and paste style. Landscape photography looked at via social media is on a downward spiral because images are stylistically copied without having any reason to do it, like a project to work on, a statement to make, etc. so photography becomes like stamp collecting as a passive exercise of filling voids.
I have a very small nature photography channel. I prefer to focus on the art of photography in the field. But my most-viewed videos are those focused on a particular piece of kit. Except for one in-the-field video which blew up for reasons I've never figured out. I also found that my bird photography videos do better than my landscape videos. I intend to keep doing both genres because I shoot mainly for myself anyway.
There is also the fact that landscape photography is actually quite inconvenient.
It’s best done at golden hour, when people would rather be in bed or having breakfast, or at blue hour, when most people are, or would like to be, having dinner.
In summer these time windows are squeezed into even more unsociable hours of the night, and the length of the time window itself is even shorter - but in winter, it’s so much colder.
I quit trying for golden hour or early morning light and just shoot mid day now. I’ve definitely learned to adapt and work with light and can get good photos in any light almost. I really could care less about sunrise or sunset photos for my personal style tbh.
Maybe many people started landscape photography inspired by epic Instagram pictures and then stopped after they realised which effort it really needs to take such an epic photo. Regarding wildlife the camera technology gets better and better and thus makes the genre more accessible to more people.
I'm also a content creator on RUclips about landscape photography. In Vietnam, I see that images are now easily captured from phones and they have many apps that automatically transform photos. It's easy to flatter their eyes and they are drawn to the photos from those apps, even if they just sit in one place, leading to a decrease in the realistic natural landscape.
Landscape photography as a process is something I find quite relaxing and almost meditative. I enjoy it for that as well as nature photography. Street photography whilst I admire some of the images I would personally find too stressful to do myself. Each to their own I suppose.
I find it incredibly frustrating on RUclips you type in "subject" and you get the same 5or 6 people or constant poo not even related. So after 10 min I do something else. I feel so SORRY for any new comer trying to start a new channel up. Like all social media what started out out as fabulous format is now corporate BS.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and keep the good work up.
Photography has also changed in the way it is displayed. Every photo most be so epic, I miss simple minimalistic landscape photos but they are not getting likes in instagram. It’s only the highly saturated epic ones.
The important metric isn't Internet searches but instead camera, tripod, backpack sales. While Internet searches may correlate, actual equipment sales is going to be a better indicator of this subject.
This a very interesting set of insights, Mads. I think saturation (and the inevitable boredom that follows) is a big factor. I’ve recently rediscovered my love of car photography (I used to shoot for car magazines), and have rekindled my interest in all things midlife-something I used to write a lot about on various blogs. In 2025, I’m going to lean more into these topics on RUclips, while encouraging people my age (I’m 56) to invest more time and money into whatever brings them joy in their third chapter. All the best to you in 2025, Mads. Thanks for all your generous content over the last year. 👍🦘
Not dying Mads. Getting expensive for many and unless retired never easy to go out when the urge happens. Also many see the you tube vids and try to copy and many fail and give up. Then there is the biggie. Mobile phones. Not photography as we know but is a force. We all have been local and desire new location challenges all which take time and money to experience. I and my friends are lucky that we are retired so have time and have built our kits up over years and now just enjoy the time outdoors. Challenge for you , Come try the light in Australia so different to Europe but still EPIC.
Thanks for the insight. I wonder in the stats is there a number for subscribers per person posted. Is that going up say on your end? If searches are declining but subscribers are going up then the field has become saturated. People have found what they are looking for and there is no need to broaden the search. I have peaked on m y searches a few months ago because there is such a proliferation of creators I just don’t have the time so I stay with the tried and true. I have been following you for about 5+ years now. So keep up the good work.
Most of the youtuber in photography started 10 years ago. It was authentic and everyone could relate to them. Now most youtubers have very expensive gear, travel to places unreachable for "normal" people.
Perhaps we are raising our own bar in landscape photography through photos posted by other photographers on social media, and "good photos" are often only perceived as such if they were taken in special places, such as Iceland or similar.
Many landscape photographers who often have to photograph in their perhaps not so (perceivedly) epic homeland because, for example, they don't have enough free time or money for long trips, or family obligations or other personal restrictions make this impossible, turn away and do "their own thing" under the radar.
I personally like the fact that your channel offers a good mix and also shows local photography, conveys inspiration and appreciation for it and thus shows possibilities.
In addition, I'm also seeing more and more of a trend to integrate animals or wildlife into landscape photography. So the line here may be blurring a bit.
I have always enjoyed your channel, seeing the process and what you accomplish, even though into wildlife, flowers, and some macro myself. In a sense, I guess this can be said for any genre, but for me watching landscape photos, I just feel like I can't be sure if I'm looking at the ”real” thing or a computer miracle. Having seen on other channels how much is changed in editing sometimes - beatiful light perfectly hitting a valley was just a mask done in post processing etc. Tricky and some ppl probably don't even care, but for me personally I'd prefer photos to be fairly close to what was actually seen with the eye.
Great video - and an interesting look at the trends. I think your closing probably captures it pretty well, in that people seeking content these days probably lean away from web searches and more towards RUclips searches. I know I tend to start on RUclips, then head to the web, unless I am looking for a specific spec or technical detail of something - then I do a Google search, as I just want a fast text answer.
I do find it interesting that in-the-field videos aren't as popular anymore. I know in some of the circles I hang out in, the vlog, in the field videos are the ones people are looking for.
Great video!
Really interesting stats and observations. For me the answer is simple. We have been 'over saturated with the over saturated' for too long. Photographers are also getting disillusioned by 'franken-photos" being continuously rewarded in prestigious competitions with creations which look AI generated even if they are not. Time for a reality check. The future of photography especially with AI polluting outputs even more, is a return to authenticity. So minor edits to enhance reality and a good photo as opposed to grand gestures creating illusionary worlds. What is real and what is not is always the question for me. I am turned off traditional landscape photo efforts for that reason.
My issue with landscape photography is that according to many RUclipsrs and also magazines about the subject is that a) the photos are often too perfect because of all post processing taking away emotion and b) the overflow of the same ‘exotic places’ every influencer is going to with the same pictures.
Maybe that’s why I prefer your video’s from Denmark over those from Iceland and other famous places. I also ignore videos from places like Antarctica because imo those places are too vulnerable to be visited by tourists.
Nowadays I prefer channels which give good information about making good (landscape) photos, be it in the field or a mix of field and desk presentation. Most important for me is the quality of information.