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Oh boy, this resonates a lot with me. As for the "everything has been done before" topic, it has. I try to think of movies and books, though. There are probably fewer than ten true plots when it comes to movies and books. Overcoming a monster, quests, tragedy, etc., etc. The real meat comes from making it your own. Everyone is different. Everyone has a different process. Give two true photographers the same basic outline, and they will make two different bodies of work. With your other point about a body of work, I still think it is possible to have a few images that can get you far. You might not think you have certain images that people remember, but you do. Houston's Liquor and that big ass tree in front of the house are two that immediately stick out with you. While making a body of work, I think you should strive to make images that people will remember. Maybe you will, maybe you won't, but the mindset needs to be there. If all else fails, then just follow the advice and philosophy of Andy Warhol. He says, "Sometimes people let the same problem make them miserable for years when they could just say," "So what." I think you are there, Nick. I'm still trying to find my way. Cheers 🍻
Bryan, the theme is Redemption. Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, Lord of The Rings etc. What Tacobells has to do with it is unclear. That is the beauty of this project. ps loving your stuff too.
You're spot on with the connection between Japanese whiskey and scotch. The early Japanese distillers in the late 1800's actually learned to make whiskey in Scotland, and were attempting to recreate the style in Japan. Japanese whiskey developed its own take on the style over time, but is still fairly similar to scotch in flavor.
Hi Nick. I just wanted to say that this is one of the absolutely best videoes you've ever put out. I'll stick with Bulleit, when it comes to whisky, but thanks again for a great video. You put words to many of my own thoughts concerning photography, even though I only shoot digital. Have a great weekend🍻
The feeling it's difficult to do something truly new - let alone groundbreaking - is something I struggle with too. I'm sure a lot of photographers feel the same way. It's nice to hear your thoughts on this. I don't agree per se that it's all about the body of work, but I understand what you're saying.
I have had a lot of inspiration come from your on-location videos over the years. They will be missed. However I gotta appreciate your respect for the art and sense of integrity. This platform is saturated in social media/content creator bulsh*t that it's nice to see someone based in reality ;) (funny as that applies to what you're trying to create). love your work and for being a real guy that responds to insta messages and emails. cheers Nick
Of course. Make something that evokes emotion. Pictures don't fix a kids broken leg or the broken boiler on a winters day. We're suckers for nostalgia and why not. Make people feel with shape, form and colour. hit me
Everything may have been done before, but not by you, or me. Our unique interpretations are worthy of exploring. Keep on truckin'!! Thanks for this discussion Nick! I enjoyed it very much.
I agree with the idea of dealing with either too easy or difficult problems. I used to study 3D animation and CG graphics but now I enjoy the most taking photos of hand made stop motion puppets out in the Nordic nature. My "Ansel Adams" were the ILM pioneers who shot the first Star Wars movies using hand made miniature space ships.
In this always ‘on’ techy instantaneous world, which is buried away inside an electronic box… I take pictures for me, where film and mechanical cameras are my escape and yearn for the tangible. A good rant, Mr Carver. For Volume II, come to the UK and photograph all the old Little Chef restaurants.
Don't worry about other people's opinion or whether they like the work. Don't care if anybody would but a book, because in the end they won't really care. All that matters is yyour absorbsion into the work and doing it for yourself and stories you want to tell. This is the only route to achievement and if someone likes what you do, they'll come to you, not the pressure of the other way round. If they come to you, you will have their loyalty, its genuine and long lasting. It's what your work deserves Nick and thank you for your film...
I love the idea of photographing these old converted restaurants. I was actually just talking about this with someone the other day, but about a different fast food place called Hot 'n Now that we had in Michigan. The restaurants were drive-through only and all of the locations used the same distinctive style of building. The chain seemed to be everywhere in the early 90s, then just as suddenly, most locations closed. Surprisingly, even though they were all cheap, ugly, stucco-and-tin things, the buildings became home to new restaurants and stuck around for ten or twenty years afterwards. There's something kind of melancholy about driving past the converted restaurants. It should feel like the building is enjoying a second life, but it feels more like a slow death, like watching a still-standing tree decompose after being it has been struck by lightning. (I just read up on the history of Hot 'n Now and it turns out the chain was purchased by Pepsi in 1990 and operated by... Taco Bell!)
Thanks Nick, that was a lot of very interesting ideas to consider! I’m 68yo, i just enjoy the photographic process, even though i shoot digital now. In my teens in the 1960’s B&W film was king, developed & printed my own photographs…. a joyous memory! Life interrupted, now after 4 children, 10 grandchildren later, i now just enjoy photography as much but using a different medium. Yep I agree, it takes a body of work, i’ve seen it in other photographers & musicians, painters, sculptors, architects. Just keep going with your project 👍🏻🇦🇺👍🏻
Whoa. Okay, this was an interesting one. I love the new project topic, regardless from anything else, first off. I am looking forward to some "at the shoot" videos for one or more of those former Taco Bells. My thought regarding the suggestion that all hard yet solvable problems have already been resolved -- that is total BS. In advanced mathematics alone, astonishingly hard problems have been solved in very recent years, some that have puzzled mathematicians for decades, even 100 years, and they turned out to be solvable. The practical applications of those solutions are incredibly satisfying too, in many cases. Same thing in theoretical physics research. Kazinsky was a certified nut case, and in my view, so has become Peter Thiel. The optimistic views at the end of your video make so much more sense. I'm really glad you've settled on that positive approach to thinking about your photography, because I really enjoy both your work and your teaching. Great video. Thanks for putting these thoughts out there for us.
Your motivation is image-making through photography. That is what you are compelled to do, what you wake up for every day. Please keep doing that! The benefit for us viewers is having you present your work and the on-location trips to gain some insight into the workings of a motivated photographer. Always interesting. And inspirational. Keep on truckin' Nick!
I don’t think there’s a simple answer. I’m 70 and I’ve been dogged by a sense that everything had been done since I was in my 20’s. It’s a self-defeating illusion. Marcel Duchamp retired early from making art because he thought it was finished. Later he remarked that he’d watched people make whole careers out of ideas he’d rejected because he’d thought at the time, “what was the point” of realising them. A lot of what you said is correct but the thing is that now is always the right time to follow your passion. Wherever it leads you. There’s no guarantee of success, just a guarantee of missed opportunity to know if it would have worked.
One of your very best videos by far. Focusing on the artist and their art; inspiration and motivation. There is no past present or future; all mental constructs. I had this type of idea one; big donut shop buildings. ( I grew up in Bellflower…. Had a Big Donut building I thought was so goofy) Just an observation. You do have a distinct Southern California style to your subjects and photos. Sort of reminds me of the 60-70’s new topography photos, except they were large format black and white.
I often think that "History" and "the past" are not the same. The past is unprioritized detached events. History is an attempt to piece together a number of those events into a narrative we see with present eyes - and it changes all the time. I would like to figure out what photographs is needed for the future to understand our time.
I was recently visiting San Francisco for work and stayed in Japan Town at Hotel Kabuki, where they serve a lot of Japanese Whiskey. I wanted to have a Toki Manhattan but they were out so after chatting with the bartender we landed on Hibiki Harmony. It was delicious. Less tame and bolder than Toki but still went down smoothly. Good choice.
You´re reaching new heights. God, I´ve longed for another BGWG vid. Thanks, man. You made my weekend. Let´s take some photos just because it feels so damn good.
Dude, a Nick Carver Book, edition of 1000 for 100 bucks would sell out within 24h. Just a reaction to "if i would make a book, would anybody wanna buy it?"
See Kyle McDougall and how quickly his aim on Kickstarter or whichever he used was exceeded. There is a massive market for the right people. Nick is definitely one.
Greetings from Rio de Janeiro, I'm 54 years old, I worked professionally with photography in a portrait studio, analog and digital, I got tired, I worked on other things, and I'm back to photography now (analog only now). My profile is not same yours, but I feel exactly the same impressions about the world. So I believe that many thousands feel this way, or is it general in humanity...Big hug Nick!
I love all of your videos Nick especially your on locations and BGWG... but this one really resonated with me more than any of your others (I love them all though!). You're a huge inspiration to many many photographers and I hope you continue to grow your body of work for us all to enjoy and appreciate. Thanks for the motivation with videos like this too. So sage, I love them. Thank you
I shoot digital photography through a vintage lens because that's what I perceive for my vision of photography I do not have to send my film out I can edit it freely on my own laptop through all things I can dodge burn and do phenomenal things that the Lightroom did but now digital does and I thank you God for that true vision
I deleted my social accounts for two main reasons, I didn’t want the pollution, and I didn’t want to see things before I could EXPERIENCE them. Love your videos, and I enjoy a whiskey while watching.
I know the "too easy or too difficult" problem very well. What I'll say about it from a photography perspective is that the comeback from analog photography is the response to digital photography often offering 0 challenge to the more experienced photographers, and what you also mention about the impossibility of creating original work out of something that's been photographed a thousand times already. I think we look for a way of creating photographs in a more technically challenging way, that makes us feel that even if we are photographing a subject that everyone has already seen, we're adding s bit of s twist to it. Also on a similar note, just because something has been photographed before, it doesn't mean you can't strive to photograph it better. Or differently. I often like photographers not for the originality of their work, but for the personality they instill in their work. Thank you so much for this video!
Your right it is the larger body of work , sometimes you don’t know what your creating until it’s built. Small projects are good like PTB , this project might become a series of projects. Who knows though ? You just have to do what your driven to do . I feel like all the big hit or wow Photography locations have been done, but the more people do them the more watered down it all becomes. What you said about Ansel Adams is true to an extent and all the others of that time. You just have to do you. We all get lost along the way and get derailed, by others or your own self doubt. You just have to keep on keeping on. Share your own vision. Loved your little ( what are you trying to say ) thing , perfect. Sorry fir the rant 😊 I print out photos as I go along and put them n a visual diary , it’s a good way to see what happening .
Acknowledge that you have accumulated throughout your years of photography combined with digital photography is a great acknowledgment of all things that are photographers and don't let nobody not even yourself change it
Very interesting episode. I was just surprised that you read a book by Peter Thiel. The most famous German journalist and political satirist jan böhmermann once made a video about him. Very entertaining. He makes a really good James Bond villain. I just say palantier. His strong support to the alt right and trump are also very questionable.
My two cents on the topic of “everything has been shot” is that not every photographer has the same audience, as long as one keeps being true to themselves and we believe we have something to offer either to us or our audience is what matters to me. Keep the good work man, you are one of my faves, cheers!
What a refreshing topic! You hit a nerve for sure, you managed to put in to words a sensation a lot of us felt but could express or even explain to others! Now I’ll be able to put it in to words by saying : “As Nick Carver said…”. Thanks for for taking out that Pin in my foot, Take care !
I do so enjoy your therapy sessions. As someone wanting to improve in photography, as an amateurs, I'm often struck by the hopelessness of trying to bring something new into the world. There are no new ideas but there's plenty of people who haven't seen the old ones, so keep pressing on :)
I have a lot of respect for your work and the way you approach projects and subjects! Really inspiring. The finished photographs really show your determination and skill. Best wishes, Todd Cobelle.
I had a photo teacher once that questioned everything I shot and now 10 years later I still have a complex about it. Sometimes I just want to take a photo for the hell of it but my inner voice makes me second guess it.
Hi Nick, thanks for the content as always. Glad to spend Sunday morning watching this ! To add food for thought, journalism also deals with the problem of "everything has been done before". But "not by you" as a teacher once pointed out.
Nick, what a timing..this really resonates with me ..three days ago I got the question what I was trying to say with my latest pictures. My first reflex was to defend my choice of subject by trying to articulate the meaning.......this did not sit right with me and the conversation ended with me saying that this is what attracts and inspires me at the moment without knowing where it would lead me in time. Some time ago a read an article about the " beauty of uselessness", if you can't let go of the notion that everything you do has to have purpose and meaning modern and conceptual art would not exist...and the world would be boring.....I must say this insight created a lot of space in my head and heart to go out and just create...let my passion, inspire and guide me.
Awesome Nick!!. Great whisky as well by the way. 1/2 an hour of excellent, amusing and thought provoking content. And I thought it was just me that didn't know what I was trying to say. I completely get your journey and what you are showing me. and yep that buzz of excitement when you find something that resonates with you even when you think nobody else will hear it or feel it. I put it down to " take images for yourself and show other people what you saw ( and felt and smelled and heard )" if they don't get it ........try again but don't try to hard ....it's your vision !
Yes, we have quite a few old and current Taco Bell's here in Oklahoma . If there's an intersection, there's probably one. :-) Check in if you think you're headed this way. As a photographer, the over-saturation of some images (Maroon Bells, Clingmon's Dome, etc) and the repeated same framing of the same subject can make one feel like its all been done. But, I think great images that define you come from using your personal creativity and applying it to what interests you - and doing it repeatedly so your style appears within the mix of your photography.
Nick I recently photographed the most complete Arena in Italy , The Arena in Verona Italy unlike the Colosseum in Rome this one is still in use . It was a amazing opportunity I could not pass up. The Colosseum in L. A. Is a historic landmark the Arena Iin Verona is hundreds of years older. You bring a unique perspective to your pictures just as the Verona Arena gave me a unique opportunity to see how long sporting arenas have been in existence. As the L.A Colosseum s a youngster in time.
The world where all the pictures been taking, where all the paintings been painted, where all the ideas been thought of, where all the music been written. Where is the originality, the one compelling thought. I think your Taco Bell photo might be it...good video, thank for inspiration.
Never has a wink felt so special! Happy you enjoyed the whiskey and im stoked to have you back making these videos. Finally got out use the precison method and its been working great for me. Cheers Nick!
Yes, the Japanese are very good at replicating scotch though I understand they are not able to market their finished product as scotch. From Google entry: Japanese whisky is modeled after the scotch tradition-double distilling malted and/or peated barley-before it's aged in wood barrels. As opposed to the sweeter American bourbons and ryes, they tend to be drier, smokier, and peatier, and come as single malts or blends.
You are totally right that most places, buildings, and events are already displayed all over the world. However, these wonderful images are not photographed by me!!! So it's new for me and my analog images are important to me.
You are right on sir! For me the excitement comes from what photo might come across my frame. I currently get satisfied by one photo that comes out accidentally
Nick, my man, I am following you for quite some time and you have always struck me as a genuine artist who actually knows what the hell he is talking about. No bullshit about gear and SeNsOr CoMpArIsOnS, but the real stuff that matters. And when I heard the section at 30:22 "If I could say it, I wouldn't be a photographer, I would be a writer!" I am even more assured that you are in fact know what the hell you are talking about. Art is a language 100%. When people asked Rimsky-Korsakov what the hell did his new symphony meant, he just told them "Listen the damn symphony, I've already told everything I wanted with it". What really puts me off in many contemporary artists is the need to EXPLAIN every single thing about their art. I've been to some "contemporary art" exhibitions, and oftentimes the artist just goes out and tells like a 50-page essay on the reason behind the exhibition and what he was trying to do with it and what symbolises which yada yada. What is the point behind the exhibition then? Why shoot yourself in the leg by putting your visual art to WORDS? You're only restraining the spectra of meaning behind your non-verbal message in the form of art. And you made me finally formulate that feeling in a concrete thought. Art is a language. It doesn't need a translation. So, to those pesky "what did you mean" critiques -- "Look at the damn photo. That's what I meant."
everything may be displayed in this day and age....in a way. what is so enticing about photography is the endless possibilities to display the familiar in a different and new way. its a medium that allows for individuality to come through. 30 years ago when i first got into photography, it was this notion that was really enticing to me. i think the the deluge of imagery that we are exposed to in the current day makes it seem like there is nothing new possible. but then pick up a roll of film and a holga and see what happens. pick up a polaroid camera and some old stock and see what happens. take your lens off your dslr and reverse it by handholding it in front of the lens mount and see what happens. for me? i learned Tintyping and reinvigorated the love and wonder i had for this art form that i had when i was a teen. human beings are infinately unique and original even if it appears that we are familiar. for this reason alone any form of expression will continue to potentially be new and unique and thus a worthy pursuit
Excellent video Nick. Good point of view on the actual photograph. It is not easy to innovate, a lot similar pictures ( ex Iceland ). But at the end of the day the important thing is like our photos and the process. good luck with the new project. hug from Portugal.
Nick you're kinda retro/hailing back to the good old days reading a physical book. I'm an avid reader and thought I'd miss the tactile feeling of turning pages, but I'm all in on my kinda now!
A new episode of one of my favorite shows, this time featuring my favorite whiskey. I wanted to write some other thoughts, but then I read the other comments and saw all my thoughts was already represented in a better way than I feel I could represent them myself. So I guess I am a slow learner. But thanks for yet another interesting rambling session.
Missed the BGWG, it's been too long. it's always a lot of fun trying to catch the words you throw in my/our general direction. And you make a very good point (as you do more often). Might I add we live in a high pase world where everything seems to revolve around a goal, a result, an "end product" which we consume and toss away because it seems to have lost it's meaning once we have it. Society has become too direct, too simplistic in a way, and misses the point. I like to enjoy myself along the way - I don't care about bluntly running to the finish, I try to pick up something along the way. How we get there says so much more about us It kinda defines us. I give stuff meaning because I find that stuff important in my life. Because without meaning stuff gets real depressing, and that is just not why we're here.
Back in the day there were only a handful of professional photographers with only a handful of places to be able to show said work. And only so many outlets to sell there work too! In todays society there are many more photographers and 100 times more way to get the public to view it.
Well said and well explained Nick, I think you must photograph or create whatever projects/ reflects your feelings, besides if somebody else has made it already, and if it was, make it better and your own.that was the first thing my professor taught me in Photography school back in 1990, before internet or social media like we know today. Loved the whole video.
The way I see it is that we are exploring our own art for our own benefit and development - not for that of wider mankind. If others can subsequently recognise static long-lasting value in the output of that inquiry then that is fortunate - but not the initial purpose.
(quoting Graciela Iturbide) "The unconscious obsession that we photographers have is that wherever we go we want to find the theme that we carry inside ourselves" "What the eye sees is a synthesis of who you are and all you have learned. This is what I would call the language of photography"
Hey Nick, I know exactly how you feel and deal with this all the time. But then I remember this from the Old Testament "Nothing under the sun is new, neither is any man able to say: Behold this is new: for it hath already gone before in the ages that were before us." Eccl. 1:10 ... how does that help me? Well, I remember that my art is about me and how I interpret a scene or a project, not the thing I'm photographing. You touched on it, and I totally agree. We will be known for our body of work. Like musicians, there are many of us. We may land on a hit or two, but ultimately, we're judged on the collection of our work. Not a bad thing really. This is something Brooks Jensen speaks about all the time on his podcasts and in LensWork.
I think you should follow your instincts, not what anyone else has to think or say about it. If it brings to you joy, happiness, and satisfaction, then it was a success. I might say, nice video. I enjoyed every minute of it. One of your best, in my opinion. You are good on many levels. Continue to show-off your charisma.
Enjoyed the video very much. If you do make it to Oklahoma, for the Taco Bell project. I would suggest that you research the near ghost towns in the western part of the state and the pan handle. Some of the towns have amazing architecture along the main street. Capturing the feeling of a bygone era is pretty cool.
Previously Taco Bell sounds like a cool project. Please keep at it, and good luck. You have inspired me to photograph the unique post offices and country stores where I now live. In a few years I’ll send you a link. 😊.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode of behind the glass with a glass. Being the obsessive detail person that I am I couldn’t help but notice the wall hanging behind you was crooked. LOL
Wow, I had this same thought about Pizza Hut buildings. It seemed so original at the time. Now what…..I literally relived the premise of your video while watching.
All of this thoughts comes to me everyday and it is exhausting, but here we are, trying and trying, hoping to have some another idea to create or conquer, and for me, an book project are one good way to focus my photo endeavour, as you said, "the effort to achieve a body of work", I try to build one for every book I try to achieve, and that his the better way to focus my mind and soul with photography. Otherwise, it be unworthy maybe. Thanks for shared this thoughts.
Another great BGWG Video! You should not be deterred if someone else had already created a photo project similar to a project you are planning on doing....the projects finished result will not be exactly the same since two different minds curated it and the projects journey will advance your creative thinking for the next project....which could be entirely unique! Even if someone else had already completed a project, I still want to see the Nick Carver version of it...... ignore the external crap and just do it! Look "internally" and act upon "internally" unknown secretes....too bad Ted didn't do this.
![Baby Kia - GLOVES & DRACS (BLACK AF1s) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ajm8LeB0qQk/mqdefault.jpg)
NOTICE: I will never reply to a comment with an offer for a “free prize” or some other nonsense. Any account leaving a reply comment with my picture but a name even slightly different than “Nick Carver” is a scammer. Please do not message them. Report the account as spam.
I figured as such. Thanks Nick!
I reported it.
Reported the account.
Also reported.
Likewise reported !
Oh boy, this resonates a lot with me. As for the "everything has been done before" topic, it has. I try to think of movies and books, though. There are probably fewer than ten true plots when it comes to movies and books. Overcoming a monster, quests, tragedy, etc., etc. The real meat comes from making it your own. Everyone is different. Everyone has a different process. Give two true photographers the same basic outline, and they will make two different bodies of work.
With your other point about a body of work, I still think it is possible to have a few images that can get you far. You might not think you have certain images that people remember, but you do. Houston's Liquor and that big ass tree in front of the house are two that immediately stick out with you. While making a body of work, I think you should strive to make images that people will remember. Maybe you will, maybe you won't, but the mindset needs to be there.
If all else fails, then just follow the advice and philosophy of Andy Warhol. He says, "Sometimes people let the same problem make them miserable for years when they could just say," "So what." I think you are there, Nick. I'm still trying to find my way.
Cheers
🍻
Bryan, the theme is Redemption. Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile, Lord of The Rings etc. What Tacobells has to do with it is unclear. That is the beauty of this project. ps loving your stuff too.
You're spot on with the connection between Japanese whiskey and scotch. The early Japanese distillers in the late 1800's actually learned to make whiskey in Scotland, and were attempting to recreate the style in Japan. Japanese whiskey developed its own take on the style over time, but is still fairly similar to scotch in flavor.
Hi Nick. I just wanted to say that this is one of the absolutely best videoes you've ever put out. I'll stick with Bulleit, when it comes to whisky, but thanks again for a great video. You put words to many of my own thoughts concerning photography, even though I only shoot digital. Have a great weekend🍻
Whiskey talk, photo projects and a bit of Nick Carver sass is what we all need! Great sit and chat Nick.
The feeling it's difficult to do something truly new - let alone groundbreaking - is something I struggle with too. I'm sure a lot of photographers feel the same way. It's nice to hear your thoughts on this. I don't agree per se that it's all about the body of work, but I understand what you're saying.
I have had a lot of inspiration come from your on-location videos over the years. They will be missed. However I gotta appreciate your respect for the art and sense of integrity. This platform is saturated in social media/content creator bulsh*t that it's nice to see someone based in reality ;) (funny as that applies to what you're trying to create). love your work and for being a real guy that responds to insta messages and emails. cheers Nick
Of course. Make something that evokes emotion. Pictures don't fix a kids broken leg or the broken boiler on a winters day. We're suckers for nostalgia and why not. Make people feel with shape, form and colour. hit me
Salient AF. Thanks Nick, once again you nailed what a lot of us are thinking. So glad I saved this to watch on my day off from the money-making gig.
Yes! A new Behind the Glass with a Glass! Perfect watch while scanning film this afternoon
Stop scanning, grab a glass and give this man your full attention! :)
Everything may have been done before, but not by you, or me. Our unique interpretations are worthy of exploring. Keep on truckin'!! Thanks for this discussion Nick! I enjoyed it very much.
I agree with the idea of dealing with either too easy or difficult problems. I used to study 3D animation and CG graphics but now I enjoy the most taking photos of hand made stop motion puppets out in the Nordic nature. My "Ansel Adams" were the ILM pioneers who shot the first Star Wars movies using hand made miniature space ships.
In this always ‘on’ techy instantaneous world, which is buried away inside an electronic box… I take pictures for me, where film and mechanical cameras are my escape and yearn for the tangible. A good rant, Mr Carver. For Volume II, come to the UK and photograph all the old Little Chef restaurants.
Don't worry about other people's opinion or whether they like the work. Don't care if anybody would but a book, because in the end they won't really care. All that matters is yyour absorbsion into the work and doing it for yourself and stories you want to tell. This is the only route to achievement and if someone likes what you do, they'll come to you, not the pressure of the other way round. If they come to you, you will have their loyalty, its genuine and long lasting. It's what your work deserves Nick and thank you for your film...
I love the idea of photographing these old converted restaurants. I was actually just talking about this with someone the other day, but about a different fast food place called Hot 'n Now that we had in Michigan. The restaurants were drive-through only and all of the locations used the same distinctive style of building. The chain seemed to be everywhere in the early 90s, then just as suddenly, most locations closed. Surprisingly, even though they were all cheap, ugly, stucco-and-tin things, the buildings became home to new restaurants and stuck around for ten or twenty years afterwards. There's something kind of melancholy about driving past the converted restaurants. It should feel like the building is enjoying a second life, but it feels more like a slow death, like watching a still-standing tree decompose after being it has been struck by lightning. (I just read up on the history of Hot 'n Now and it turns out the chain was purchased by Pepsi in 1990 and operated by... Taco Bell!)
Thanks Nick, that was a lot of very interesting ideas to consider! I’m 68yo, i just enjoy the photographic process, even though i shoot digital now. In my teens in the 1960’s B&W film was king, developed & printed my own photographs…. a joyous memory!
Life interrupted, now after 4 children, 10 grandchildren later, i now just enjoy photography as much but using a different medium. Yep I agree, it takes a body of work, i’ve seen it in other photographers & musicians, painters, sculptors, architects. Just keep going with your project 👍🏻🇦🇺👍🏻
Whoa. Okay, this was an interesting one. I love the new project topic, regardless from anything else, first off. I am looking forward to some "at the shoot" videos for one or more of those former Taco Bells. My thought regarding the suggestion that all hard yet solvable problems have already been resolved -- that is total BS. In advanced mathematics alone, astonishingly hard problems have been solved in very recent years, some that have puzzled mathematicians for decades, even 100 years, and they turned out to be solvable. The practical applications of those solutions are incredibly satisfying too, in many cases. Same thing in theoretical physics research. Kazinsky was a certified nut case, and in my view, so has become Peter Thiel. The optimistic views at the end of your video make so much more sense. I'm really glad you've settled on that positive approach to thinking about your photography, because I really enjoy both your work and your teaching. Great video. Thanks for putting these thoughts out there for us.
Your motivation is image-making through photography. That is what you are compelled to do, what you wake up for every day. Please keep doing that! The benefit for us viewers is having you present your work and the on-location trips to gain some insight into the workings of a motivated photographer. Always interesting. And inspirational. Keep on truckin' Nick!
I don’t think there’s a simple answer. I’m 70 and I’ve been dogged by a sense that everything had been done since I was in my 20’s. It’s a self-defeating illusion. Marcel Duchamp retired early from making art because he thought it was finished. Later he remarked that he’d watched people make whole careers out of ideas he’d rejected because he’d thought at the time, “what was the point” of realising them. A lot of what you said is correct but the thing is that now is always the right time to follow your passion. Wherever it leads you. There’s no guarantee of success, just a guarantee of missed opportunity to know if it would have worked.
One of your very best videos by far. Focusing on the artist and their art; inspiration and motivation.
There is no past present or future; all mental constructs.
I had this type of idea one; big donut shop buildings. ( I grew up in Bellflower…. Had a Big Donut building I thought was so goofy)
Just an observation. You do have a distinct Southern California style to your subjects and photos. Sort of reminds me of the 60-70’s new topography photos, except they were large format black and white.
I often think that "History" and "the past" are not the same.
The past is unprioritized detached events.
History is an attempt to piece together a number of those events into a narrative we see with present eyes - and it changes all the time.
I would like to figure out what photographs is needed for the future to understand our time.
I was recently visiting San Francisco for work and stayed in Japan Town at Hotel Kabuki, where they serve a lot of Japanese Whiskey. I wanted to have a Toki Manhattan but they were out so after chatting with the bartender we landed on Hibiki Harmony. It was delicious. Less tame and bolder than Toki but still went down smoothly. Good choice.
You´re reaching new heights. God, I´ve longed for another BGWG vid. Thanks, man. You made my weekend. Let´s take some photos just because it feels so damn good.
Dude, a Nick Carver Book, edition of 1000 for 100 bucks would sell out within 24h.
Just a reaction to "if i would make a book, would anybody wanna buy it?"
See Kyle McDougall and how quickly his aim on Kickstarter or whichever he used was exceeded. There is a massive market for the right people. Nick is definitely one.
YEP !!!!
Greetings from Rio de Janeiro, I'm 54 years old, I worked professionally with photography in a portrait studio, analog and digital, I got tired, I worked on other things, and I'm back to photography now (analog only now).
My profile is not same yours, but I feel exactly the same impressions about the world. So I believe that many thousands feel this way, or is it general in humanity...Big hug Nick!
Nick carver is the best photographer on RUclips
I love all of your videos Nick especially your on locations and BGWG... but this one really resonated with me more than any of your others (I love them all though!). You're a huge inspiration to many many photographers and I hope you continue to grow your body of work for us all to enjoy and appreciate. Thanks for the motivation with videos like this too. So sage, I love them. Thank you
Yes, I would definitely be interested in a Nick Carver book..
I shoot digital photography through a vintage lens because that's what I perceive for my vision of photography I do not have to send my film out I can edit it freely on my own laptop through all things I can dodge burn and do phenomenal things that the Lightroom did but now digital does and I thank you God for that true vision
I deleted my social accounts for two main reasons, I didn’t want the pollution, and I didn’t want to see things before I could EXPERIENCE them.
Love your videos, and I enjoy a whiskey while watching.
I know the "too easy or too difficult" problem very well. What I'll say about it from a photography perspective is that the comeback from analog photography is the response to digital photography often offering 0 challenge to the more experienced photographers, and what you also mention about the impossibility of creating original work out of something that's been photographed a thousand times already. I think we look for a way of creating photographs in a more technically challenging way, that makes us feel that even if we are photographing a subject that everyone has already seen, we're adding s bit of s twist to it.
Also on a similar note, just because something has been photographed before, it doesn't mean you can't strive to photograph it better. Or differently. I often like photographers not for the originality of their work, but for the personality they instill in their work.
Thank you so much for this video!
Excellent reflection! And Hibiki vibes!
Your video resonates with your community, which is high praise. Made me think.
Your right it is the larger body of work , sometimes you don’t know what your creating until it’s built. Small projects are good like PTB , this project might become a series of projects. Who knows though ? You just have to do what your driven to do . I feel like all the big hit or wow Photography locations have been done, but the more people do them the more watered down it all becomes. What you said about Ansel Adams is true to an extent and all the others of that time. You just have to do you. We all get lost along the way and get derailed, by others or your own self doubt. You just have to keep on keeping on. Share your own vision. Loved your little ( what are you trying to say ) thing , perfect. Sorry fir the rant 😊 I print out photos as I go along and put them n a visual diary , it’s a good way to see what happening .
Acknowledge that you have accumulated throughout your years of photography combined with digital photography is a great acknowledgment of all things that are photographers and don't let nobody not even yourself change it
A really entertaining yet impactful reminder that I should get off my butt and do something. Thank you Nick.
Very interesting episode. I was just surprised that you read a book by Peter Thiel. The most famous German journalist and political satirist jan böhmermann once made a video about him. Very entertaining.
He makes a really good James Bond villain. I just say palantier. His strong support to the alt right and trump are also very questionable.
My two cents on the topic of “everything has been shot” is that not every photographer has the same audience, as long as one keeps being true to themselves and we believe we have something to offer either to us or our audience is what matters to me.
Keep the good work man, you are one of my faves, cheers!
What a refreshing topic! You hit a nerve for sure, you managed to put in to words a sensation a lot of us felt but could express or even explain to others! Now I’ll be able to put it in to words by saying : “As Nick Carver said…”.
Thanks for for taking out that Pin in my foot, Take care !
I do so enjoy your therapy sessions. As someone wanting to improve in photography, as an amateurs, I'm often struck by the hopelessness of trying to bring something new into the world. There are no new ideas but there's plenty of people who haven't seen the old ones, so keep pressing on :)
The photograph is saying everything I want to say. That’s a good answer.
I have a lot of respect for your work and the way you approach projects and subjects! Really inspiring.
The finished photographs really show your determination and skill.
Best wishes, Todd Cobelle.
I had a photo teacher once that questioned everything I shot and now 10 years later I still have a complex about it. Sometimes I just want to take a photo for the hell of it but my inner voice makes me second guess it.
Great project! Maybe you can find former locations using an old phone book from the library?
Hi Nick, thanks for the content as always. Glad to spend Sunday morning watching this ! To add food for thought, journalism also deals with the problem of "everything has been done before". But "not by you" as a teacher once pointed out.
Yup, I concur.
Nick, what a timing..this really resonates with me ..three days ago I got the question what I was trying to say with my latest pictures. My first reflex was to defend my choice of subject by trying to articulate the meaning.......this did not sit right with me and the conversation ended with me saying that this is what attracts and inspires me at the moment without knowing where it would lead me in time.
Some time ago a read an article about the " beauty of uselessness", if you can't let go of the notion that everything you do has to have purpose and meaning modern and conceptual art would not exist...and the world would be boring.....I must say this insight created a lot of space in my head and heart to go out and just create...let my passion, inspire and guide me.
Every photographer has a unique vision of the world. That’s the “secret”. Thanks for the video.
Love it. Nice to see you back with, BGWG. We always enjoy these.
Awesome Nick!!. Great whisky as well by the way. 1/2 an hour of excellent, amusing and thought provoking content. And I thought it was just me that didn't know what I was trying to say. I completely get your journey and what you are showing me. and yep that buzz of excitement when you find something that resonates with you even when you think nobody else will hear it or feel it. I put it down to " take images for yourself and show other people what you saw ( and felt and smelled and heard )" if they don't get it ........try again but don't try to hard ....it's your vision !
Yes, we have quite a few old and current Taco Bell's here in Oklahoma . If there's an intersection, there's probably one. :-) Check in if you think you're headed this way. As a photographer, the over-saturation of some images (Maroon Bells, Clingmon's Dome, etc) and the repeated same framing of the same subject can make one feel like its all been done. But, I think great images that define you come from using your personal creativity and applying it to what interests you - and doing it repeatedly so your style appears within the mix of your photography.
Nick
I recently photographed the most complete Arena in Italy , The Arena in Verona Italy unlike the Colosseum in Rome this one is still in use . It was a amazing opportunity I could not pass up. The Colosseum in L. A. Is a historic landmark the Arena Iin Verona is hundreds of years older. You bring a unique perspective to your pictures just as the Verona Arena gave me a unique opportunity to see how long sporting arenas have been in existence. As the L.A Colosseum s a youngster in time.
The world where all the pictures been taking, where all the paintings been painted, where all the ideas been thought of, where all the music been written. Where is the originality, the one compelling thought. I think your Taco Bell photo might be it...good video, thank for inspiration.
Love this series, this video in particular is really talking to me and to a lot of us out there I’m sure. Thanks Nick, keep on trucking my man !
We all just need a little Wes Anderson in us to bring our pastel toned dreams to life
Never has a wink felt so special! Happy you enjoyed the whiskey and im stoked to have you back making these videos. Finally got out use the precison method and its been working great for me. Cheers Nick!
Oh man, this was so good. Classic Nick Carver. It’s been too long since the last BGWG.
Japanese whisky was created to imitate Scotch. The original Japanese distillers went to great lengths to replicate it. You’re not wrong.
Yes, the Japanese are very good at replicating scotch though I understand they are not able to market their finished product as scotch.
From Google entry: Japanese whisky is modeled after the scotch tradition-double distilling malted and/or peated barley-before it's aged in wood barrels. As opposed to the sweeter American bourbons and ryes, they tend to be drier, smokier, and peatier, and come as single malts or blends.
brilliant brilliant brilliant
You are totally right that most places, buildings, and events are already displayed all over the world. However, these wonderful images are not photographed by me!!! So it's new for me and my analog images are important to me.
Keep the faith Nick
You read my mind, as many people have commented here on this video. So, I say, great job as usual Nick! This is good medicine.
That was great to hear!
You are right on sir! For me the excitement comes from what photo might come across my frame. I currently get satisfied by one photo that comes out accidentally
Nick, my man, I am following you for quite some time and you have always struck me as a genuine artist who actually knows what the hell he is talking about. No bullshit about gear and SeNsOr CoMpArIsOnS, but the real stuff that matters.
And when I heard the section at 30:22 "If I could say it, I wouldn't be a photographer, I would be a writer!" I am even more assured that you are in fact know what the hell you are talking about.
Art is a language 100%. When people asked Rimsky-Korsakov what the hell did his new symphony meant, he just told them "Listen the damn symphony, I've already told everything I wanted with it".
What really puts me off in many contemporary artists is the need to EXPLAIN every single thing about their art. I've been to some "contemporary art" exhibitions, and oftentimes the artist just goes out and tells like a 50-page essay on the reason behind the exhibition and what he was trying to do with it and what symbolises which yada yada. What is the point behind the exhibition then? Why shoot yourself in the leg by putting your visual art to WORDS? You're only restraining the spectra of meaning behind your non-verbal message in the form of art.
And you made me finally formulate that feeling in a concrete thought. Art is a language. It doesn't need a translation.
So, to those pesky "what did you mean" critiques -- "Look at the damn photo. That's what I meant."
everything may be displayed in this day and age....in a way. what is so enticing about photography is the endless possibilities to display the familiar in a different and new way. its a medium that allows for individuality to come through. 30 years ago when i first got into photography, it was this notion that was really enticing to me.
i think the the deluge of imagery that we are exposed to in the current day makes it seem like there is nothing new possible. but then pick up a roll of film and a holga and see what happens. pick up a polaroid camera and some old stock and see what happens. take your lens off your dslr and reverse it by handholding it in front of the lens mount and see what happens. for me? i learned Tintyping and reinvigorated the love and wonder i had for this art form that i had when i was a teen.
human beings are infinately unique and original even if it appears that we are familiar. for this reason alone any form of expression will continue to potentially be new and unique and thus a worthy pursuit
I totally agree about being excited and equally terrified of having a new good idea that the idea is done
Great video, lots of take away arse kicks, some of which really resonated. Thanks man!!
Glad to see you’re a fellow Nick Carver-enjoyer 😄
@@allanroney aye it's good chat in this one. Been following him for a good while. If anyone could talk me into shooting film again, Nick could.
Strangely enough, that did all makes sense (to me anyway) - thanks for a thought-provoking, interesting and entertaining 33 minutes!
Great video, I can't wait to see this body of work grow. I will also NOT be opening any packages I may receive from you, LOL, LOL.
looking forward to the manifesto! (and seriously, to the project). Thanks for the ramble.
"Previously Taco Bell" - Brilliant!
Excellent video Nick. Good point of view on the actual photograph. It is not easy to innovate, a lot similar pictures ( ex Iceland ). But at the end of the day the important thing is like our photos and the process. good luck with the new project. hug from Portugal.
Nick you're kinda retro/hailing back to the good old days reading a physical book. I'm an avid reader and thought I'd miss the tactile feeling of turning pages, but I'm all in on my kinda now!
A new episode of one of my favorite shows, this time featuring my favorite whiskey. I wanted to write some other thoughts, but then I read the other comments and saw all my thoughts was already represented in a better way than I feel I could represent them myself. So I guess I am a slow learner.
But thanks for yet another interesting rambling session.
Great insights! "the one letter of the one word" vs. the whole story - thanks for that! Inside looking out vs. outside looking in!
Very ejoyable! Nick you are always spot on.
Just convinced my girlfriend to watch Manhunt: Unabomber and now he's showing up on a film photography RUclips channel. He's everywhere.
You will become famous for this format. Great story 👍
Missed the BGWG, it's been too long. it's always a lot of fun trying to catch the words you throw in my/our general direction. And you make a very good point (as you do more often). Might I add we live in a high pase world where everything seems to revolve around a goal, a result, an "end product" which we consume and toss away because it seems to have lost it's meaning once we have it. Society has become too direct, too simplistic in a way, and misses the point. I like to enjoy myself along the way - I don't care about bluntly running to the finish, I try to pick up something along the way. How we get there says so much more about us It kinda defines us. I give stuff meaning because I find that stuff important in my life. Because without meaning stuff gets real depressing, and that is just not why we're here.
Great food for thought here!
Try Nikka next, the "From the Barrel" range is a good introduction.
Back in the day there were only a handful of professional photographers with only a handful of places to be able to show said work. And only so many outlets to sell there work too!
In todays society there are many more photographers and 100 times more way to get the public to view it.
Well done. You've outdone yourself with this one Nick.
Well said and well explained Nick, I think you must photograph or create whatever projects/ reflects your feelings, besides if somebody else has made it already, and if it was, make it better and your own.that was the first thing my professor taught me in Photography school back in 1990, before internet or social media like we know today. Loved the whole video.
The way I see it is that we are exploring our own art for our own benefit and development - not for that of wider mankind. If others can subsequently recognise static long-lasting value in the output of that inquiry then that is fortunate - but not the initial purpose.
(quoting Graciela Iturbide)
"The unconscious obsession that we photographers have is that wherever we go we want to find the theme that we carry inside ourselves"
"What the eye sees is a synthesis of who you are and all you have learned. This is what I would call the language of photography"
Hey Nick, I know exactly how you feel and deal with this all the time. But then I remember this from the Old Testament "Nothing under the sun is new, neither is any man able to say: Behold this is new: for it hath already gone before in the ages that were before us." Eccl. 1:10 ... how does that help me? Well, I remember that my art is about me and how I interpret a scene or a project, not the thing I'm photographing. You touched on it, and I totally agree. We will be known for our body of work. Like musicians, there are many of us. We may land on a hit or two, but ultimately, we're judged on the collection of our work. Not a bad thing really. This is something Brooks Jensen speaks about all the time on his podcasts and in LensWork.
I think you should follow your instincts, not what anyone else has to think or say about it. If it brings to you joy, happiness, and satisfaction, then it was a success. I might say, nice video. I enjoyed every minute of it. One of your best, in my opinion. You are good on many levels. Continue to show-off your charisma.
Enjoyed the video very much. If you do make it to Oklahoma, for the Taco Bell project. I would suggest that you research the near ghost towns in the western part of the state and the pan handle. Some of the towns have amazing architecture along the main street. Capturing the feeling of a bygone era is pretty cool.
Previously Taco Bell sounds like a cool project. Please keep at it, and good luck. You have inspired me to photograph the unique post offices and country stores where I now live. In a few years I’ll send you a link. 😊.
I've said it before but this is my favorite thing on RUclips. This was a good one.
I thoroughly enjoyed this episode of behind the glass with a glass. Being the obsessive detail person that I am I couldn’t help but notice the wall hanging behind you was crooked. LOL
Wow, I had this same thought about Pizza Hut buildings. It seemed so original at the time. Now what…..I literally relived the premise of your video while watching.
As usual, great stuff.
Great topic Nick. Real food for thought. As I get older, I find myself looking back to a simpler time too. Going to chew on this one for awhile.
All of this thoughts comes to me everyday and it is exhausting, but here we are, trying and trying, hoping to have some another idea to create or conquer, and for me, an book project are one good way to focus my photo endeavour, as you said, "the effort to achieve a body of work", I try to build one for every book I try to achieve, and that his the better way to focus my mind and soul with photography.
Otherwise, it be unworthy maybe.
Thanks for shared this thoughts.
awesome, as always. thanks
Another great BGWG Video!
You should not be deterred if someone else had already created a photo project similar to a project you are planning on doing....the projects finished result will not be exactly the same since two different minds curated it and the projects journey will advance your creative thinking for the next project....which could be entirely unique!
Even if someone else had already completed a project, I still want to see the Nick Carver version of it...... ignore the external crap and just do it!
Look "internally" and act upon "internally" unknown secretes....too bad Ted didn't do this.
That Taco Bell shop is the same as in "once apon a time in hollywood". The power poles are the same!