Man this is gold. Thank you for making this. Unlike a lot of the other people commenting on this, I find your outlook quite positive, almost a relief, as it takes off the pressures of the popularity contest that a lot of find ourselves in.
It forces us to be creative with our art and find and refine your artistry! I do agree with the others, however because if you are working for the love the art, then you'll put the effort to grow!
I actually only became a photographer to do photo projects for friends and family. That's it. I know the world doesn't care about my photos. But the people in my life do.
***** Yeah! I took my best friend's engagement photo and I did it for free because there's no way in hell they're paying someone $300 for 1 photo when I can do it for the simple low price of a dinner at my favorite restaurant. I'm not against someone paying $300 and I think that's a fair price to charge for walking around the park with a couple and taking photos, but I can do it for free (or the cost of dinner and an extra side)
Yes the world does not need more photographers, hell it does not need more teachers,cops ,doctors. What the world needs are better photographers, better teachers, better cops and yes, better doctors. Great video !
Which was MY Defence against be caught masturbating in the Park ! Unfortunately the Cops said "No !", MY Lawyer said "No !", the Prosecution said "No !" - The Judge Said " YES ! You're ..Guilty as Hell, you dirty little Freak ! Bert, get over there and see what he's got that he wants the World to see ?" Bert said "Judge he's awready bin foun 'Guilty', So why do I gotta go check his weiner too ?" Judge Judy said "Cause it's My Goddam Show Bert ! And you make Easy Money working fah me ! Gottit ? Good ! Now, take my phone and go get Grammah a pitcher pulease !" Moral of the Story - That all started off with me 'n' Bert Happy in our Own ways, - And ended up with him tryin' to Get a 'Dick Pic'! Of my "liddel flaccid fren !" "Badges !? IT was Too Scared of Dirty, Stinkin' Baddgez !!" So, at least That Show didn't Air !! 😉 📽🍄🖓📯📱📹❄
+1 . I'm trying to get away from social media in general and I realise how ingrained it was that if you make something and you like it, you have to share it on there, for people to see, and you'd get likes, pats on the shoulder and approval from people who don't really matter in your life. And if you think about it, there is something obscene in this need for validation and for broadcasting what we do on social media, that we've been trained to have. So I reached a place where I don't NEED to show my work to anyone. The question is, if taking photos (or anything else, really) makes you happy in and of itself, without needing to show it to someone, does it matter if anyone cares about your work? You care, and it makes you happy, and this is the most important.
No one cares AND no justification needed. Put the two together. Enough for what? No one cares remember--an approval rating of people with trivial interests? . Sometimes that's liberating. It doesn't need to be enough for anything really.
Fully agree with that. If I come back from a day shooting and I have one great image that I would have printed to put on my wall I’m happy. That’s the main reason to photograph.
I live Asia in a poor country where the minimum wage is $8 per day. They cannot afford a decent camera, let alone to get them printed. When I photograph orphans or children or old people and go and give them the print, it matters so I disagree with you. Oftentimes that is the only photo they will have of a loved one. Are they the most amazing images? No but they would not understand the difference between and amazing image and a snapshot that someone was willing to have printed for them. They do not care about composition rules -- they just want memories of people who may die soon.
I saw the same in Morocco Peter. I photographed the children of a remote, remote as you could only access the small village of 25 families by trail, each time I visited annually... I photographed the same children and each year brought back prints of the children from the previous year... so in essence for five years the families had a photographic record of their children maturing. No one in that village ever had a photograph made of themselves. I was one of the few "westerners" to ever hike into their village. It was so overwhelming satisfying to me and extremely grateful of the village people. and you know what... I don't speak Arabic or Berber or they English... and it didn't matter... we communicated.
Peter, great point and I would define what you do as photography "that matters". Great job. The definition of "what matters" doesn't have to be some grand, earth shattering vision, just something that makes a true difference on peoples lives or views of life. Your photography certainly fits that definition.
I think he means the world is well develop country. Where creative contents are overload. Photography does matter if the photo itself is rare to the environment. Both of you have the same point I think.
In a round about way I came to grips with this, years ago and it's true, Nobody Cares About My Work. Nobody but me. In the past I made photos for textbooks that have helped others learn to save lives and that matters, to me. Will any of that work ever win an award, no. Will any of that work ever hang in a gallery, no. I imagine that it's work that people learning from those textbooks don't even care about. For the vast majority of those photos no one will ever say "Wow, that's an amazing photo." I agree, Nobody Cares About My Work. But that has never stopped me and it should not stop anyone else. You are absolutely right, our culture depends on work that matters. How will we know our work matters, we won't. That's not for us to decide. That is up to someone else. You will never get to create the work that matters if you don't produce work that you think doesn't matter. Create what you want, follow the path that means something to you and one day, to someone, your work will mean something.
The truth is always brutal. This video has changed the way I show my own work, making prints. It seems like viral photography is more about the photographer and less about the photos. Most people know who contemporary photographers are but couldn't identify their work.
Clarence Laboranti yes, but who determines what is meaningful? with the advent of digital photography everyone is calling themselves a photographer, but photos of this nature tend to be basic and lacking expression, so that is perhaps part of what he's getting at. but still, if a person feels passionate about photography, they ought to pursue it, regardless.
you are right and you posed a very good question. it may be that natural selection (lol) will filter all the mediocre work and only the masterpieces which wake up that or those feeling in people (something true art is famous for) will remain as the standard of either the profession & art merely as human expression. Im guessing it does beyond what tool you are using to achieve said expression.
Clarence Laboranti like with most any art form, these seems to be a lot of variation of opinion on what is considered a masterpiece. i personally find is exciting that digital photography has woken so many people up to capturing imagery, but a lot of it, it seems, is kind of blase. i've noticed a lot more people calling themselves photographers who are offering general type photography, family portraits, and such. because they are charging considerably less, i think it's hurt those who are more experienced and talented.
People do care about looks now. I think there has never been an era where fitting within the universal stereotype of beauty and sexyness has ever been so important... and that bores me as hell.
'Art' - Many have struggled to define it. For me, 'Art' is the portrayal of the ordinary as extraordinary, the stripping away of all that is accessory, capturing the 'essence'. In short, 'Truth'.
There will always be someone who cares about the photographs that you, or I, or anyone else takes. People love to look at photographs. I will say my priority, the past couple of years, has just been about documenting the day. Some defining moment that changed my day. If I take a photo the moment will not be forgotten. I appreciate your words. Yesterday someone told me to keep drawing. Sometimes I let go of things purposely. I loss my energy with it. Words of encouragement always help. Thank you!
I love your work Ted. This video is spot on and very relevant. Today, everybody thinks they are "photographers" because they have a camera and they can press the shutter button. Unfortunately, there aren't many people who would be prepared to work hard, shoot the same scene over and over; improvising with easy--accessible tools (rather than spending big bugs); exploring different lighting and mood. I feel very lucky to be surrounded by the wise generation of photographers who always ask me "is there anything else you could have done differently?" And I always get some new ideas about lighting, set-up or composition which I could try next time. I know I'll be never satisfied with my photography and the most important is that I'll keep trying new things every time.
I love wildlife photography. It's my hobby and I spend many hours photographing and editing. I even pay allot of money to travel to different places around the world to photograph exotic wildlife and my attitude has always been... "I do it for me." I never go round asking people is they want to see my photos. Very occasionally someone will ask if they can see them.
Ok quick story...I've been taking pictures for a while. Recently I was asked to do an engagement shoot and a senior portrait shoot. Both were surprisingly nerve wracking and made me fall out of love with photography. So much that my wife noticed I didn't touch my camera for almost a month. It scared me. Anyway, I lost my original vision and that's something I think Ted is touching on here. When I finally broke down and confessed to my wife I didn't want to do a style of photography that's oversaturated with weekend moms that want to rely on weddings/engagement shoots with the crutch of presets with sun flare...she told me "stay with what you love and what your original vision was. Street and Landscape and apparel. She brought back down when she suggested my work belonged in galleries and books, not 11x14 portraits of people in a field or vineyard. Anyway, thank you Ted for bringing this to the forefront. Do good work and the rest will follow.
I'm 55, just recently purchased an Oly OM-1, and just took up film photography. I've watched about 8 of your videos so far. I'm learning a ton and am inspired to get out develop my "eye" and skills. And love this message!
To understand that nobody cares about your work is the first step to actually doing something that it is not meant to be accepted or liked. I guess that we all can agree with just doing your thing and make the best out of it.
It's sad but true. You have to MAKE people care about your work or style. It's also gotten to the point to where people are not just sharing their work, they are doing it for self gratification; for the likes or hearts on instagram.
I take a lot of photos (like a lot) and I do post some of them on instagram of pure pleasure. My friend thinks I only take instagram photos and every time I need to explain to her that photography, is more than just instagram
Precisely why you have a bunch of luddites still messing with film. If they shoot film the content of their images don't matter because other film shooters will thumbs up any crap taken with film. I work my ass off fine the fine art images I sell and my clients aren't impressed if I 'scan' my 35mm film with a macro lens on my dSLRs. They have standards. Photography is a communicative art form. If you aren't sharing..you aren't a photographer but a consumer.
I thought the same thing until I found the right avenue to share my work. In the past year, I've been approached by a book publisher, the New York Times, the Detroit Free Press, a large shipping company, and currently the channel PBS. Keep your chin up and keep moving forward. Find something you love and share it.
In your opening sentence you stated "I feel like this is an important video.....". I have to say that to me it is. Over our journey we sometimes need to redefine our focal point, find some clarity of our progress. For me, this has gone a long way to do that. As I sit at the computer and go through images shot just recently I realise I have became a little jaded in my own work. So this was a little jolt. Thank you.
I'm not a photographer; I'm a musician, and I must say that this really made me think about my work. You might have just pushed me into a different direction. Thank you.
I saw this video again after such a long time and the line "create work that matters" had kind of been a motto for me. I would say that so often that I started hating my work and it took me a while to get over it. But now after watching this again and reading the comments, I feel like this statement can also be take with a different perspective that creating work that mattered to you or the client or someone. We don't need people pleasing, pretentious, people who call themselves photographers who click "snapshots" for Instagram and cheapen the meaning of the art. I agree with you, the world does not need more photographers.
Not many people care about anything in these times.....it is way the world is,...whether it is photography or anything else. What matters in regard to photography is.... your enjoyment in doing something worthwhile.
Well, I believe this should be apparent or revealed to everyone. "Nobody cares about your photography", works exactly the same way as "nobody cares about you in general". This is just a perception. It is neither wrong nor right or it is both wrong and right. You as a separate person and whatever you produce or create are insignificant in the vast ocean of existence. And yet, your impact can create ripples in this ocean that will travel to the end of the universe and back. We are not separate cogs in a physical, deterministic, cosmic machine. We are interconnected, interrelated and interdependent. Connect with the creative force within you and start creating and expressing yourself. Create for the sheer joy of it. The result is always secondary. This is your fundamental responsibility. You don't have to worry about the impact. If the connection is true, there will be one. Simply because your manifested Truth will be recognized inevitably by the truth in others. We share the same truth, the same core consciousness. In this life or the next... Don't be concerned with that. Ego wants, craves recognition. That's the obstacle. Go through it.
Not truly concerned about who likes or dislikes my work. What I focus on is clarifying on what I want to say through my images. History will weed out the good and the not so good. I love feedback and discussing the history of art, and how all imagery is related so as a photographer all I can do is keep working and state what I want to portray visually.
People do by buying your service. If they don't buy then that work doesn't matter to the world. Only 1% of photographers will make some money. That 1% matters to the world. Only 1%.
@@-XRP- maybe your work is not the problem, but who you are selling to. For every painter there is a subject. Just find a niche where people will see buying value in your work. I wanted to do portraits but no one cared. Then i got hired for loads of music events. Then no one cared more about thise. Now i masstered off camera flashes and people want my portraits. Photography is a very evolving matter, evolve with it.
Photography is my mediation time, I shoot in Manual mode , slow things down, become one with the image im trying to capture, and move on to the next subject. When im out shooting all day, it involves at maximum 110 photos, prey and spray is to easy and a lazy way to photograph (unless you do sport's photography of course ). I shoot only raw , come home and edit, Instagram ,facebook etc, maximum 46 likes on a single photo im happy.
RUclips proves that there isn't enough. Every day I find someone new creating things I've never seen before. The saturation comes from those that always have their stuff shoved in our face by major media production outlets.
And who cares about what other people care or think?? I do care about my photography, I don't take photographs to please anybody or to be accepted by anybody, I do it because I love it
I care about my photography, which is why I try to improve it. On some occasions, something's good enough to print out for my portfolio, which slowly grows over the years. Last week, I showed my 18 year old my portfolio for the first time and she really loved some of the pictures, and asked if she could have them to frame for her dorm room. She said if anybody notices them, she'll be proud to say they're her mom's artwork. That's enough for me.
I concur with you. Being an amateur , there is so much joy in making a good photo. It is interesting to post on social media and await comments. But at the end, the pure delight of photography comes from the pleasure and creativity that it brings to your busy life. In a way , it enriches ones life. I guess for professionals , legacy is important. For me , days of my life and family memories matter more. I love your videos and first time commenting on one of them.
The significance of this video is that it makes the photographer question what they are doing. And that questioning is good for everything one does. What am I doing? What am I? Who am I? And if you don't want to get deep like that, fine. No one says you have to. But what I like about Ted is that he goes there and still manages to keep a large audience.
I think the people who hate on this video 1) missed the point, and 2) probably don't create meaningful work and just whip out the old iPhone for the easy shot. Well said Ted and John Free... No more easy shots.
Years back, I was on a road trip and I kept posting pictures on social media. A high school friend that I really never talk to sent me a direct message thanking me for sharing my adventures. I hike, I bike, I drive to other cities - if I make only one person smile then I've done good works. You don't need to change the world, just make the people around you better
I agree. I gave up the idea of being a professional years ago. I'm fairly good at it, but like you said- no one really cares. One criticism, that I've had, is that 'anyone can take a picture like that... my child can'. To me, of course, it was real work and I always felt a little sad about the effort being ignored. So I shoot for me. I love color and texture and go nuts around flowers and do extreme close-up work. Bugs are also cool. It's funny that my digital point and shoot Nikon surpasses two bags full of Canon 'film' gear I sold 8 years ago. (Except for the 70-300mm IS lens). My sister, a working artist, likes my work and that's good enough for me. Besides- am retired and would be bored silly without a camera.
This is a GREAT point you make, and very honest. Mainly because its exactly what I'm going through, and echoes exactly the conclusion I've (finally) arrived at. BE OF YOUR TIME AND MAKE WORK THAT MATTERS. For me that's all I can do. I don't even use social media - the moment I start thinking about getting popular or liked or out there, I lose it. All I can do is make photography that matters to me - maybe someone else will see it maybe not. Everything else has been done already. Thanks!
So true! I have such a passion for photography but it hit me also...when I die all my photos/memories will go in the trash. I switched my passion into volunteering my photography at a local animal shelter in a small town. The most rewarding and self fulfilling thing I have ever done🐶❤️
This video speaks truth. One of the cold, hard truths is that most people don't care about your work. I know that outside of my home town nobody knows who I am and nobody could care less about anything I do. That is no reason to give up though. The world is vast.
I was a pro photographer for my main income for a number of years, and I have to say this is generally a true and important realization. I felt like the only way to immerse myself in photography the way I wanted to was to make a living doing it. So I made a web portfolio, put up 50 bucks worth of Google ads, called my local newspapers and guess what... it worked. Somewhat. But it wasn't what I expected at all. I, too, had to realize that no one really cares about my photos. The wedding couple mostly cared about whether I was wearing a suit and showing up on time, smiling and pretending to be happy for their bullshit wedding. They did not care that I dug out some rare film cameras for their wedding, shot on film, developed, scanned and retouched each image by hand... that I had to drive all night through the winter in my crappy car to get there, that I almost got a lung infection because they partied all night outside and wanted me to shoot it. The next guy with a DSLR would have happily done it for half the price. My portrait customers didn't care that I maxed my credit card to buy a few strobes, stands and umbrellas. That I paid the hair and makeup girls from my own paycheck. They also didn't care about the result. They wanted the experience of a photoshoot as they see on World's New Top Model or whatever. They wanted to forget that they were ugly and expected me to do voodoo. The newspaper didn't care about my artistic style or other such bullcrap. They wanted the shot on time, in focus, in color, and cheap. Because I have to be cheaper than the stock photo agency.
I think that's the important part, your memories, and perhaps your families. That's the only reason to take photo's, it's a saturated hobby/profession for anything else.
I love photography because it can tell a story, just like filmmaking. I like what you said, we need more work that is meaningful. Most of the pictures people take are of their friends, experiences, etc.. And that’s great! But then come the meaningless stock photographers. They just take pictures because they like it and/or the money. They aren’t trying to tell a story. And that’s ok too. But yes, we need photography that matters.
Rather strangely, each time I feel a little bit down about my images, I revisit this video. I started taking photographs about 5 years ago after a guide, who is also pro photographer, made some less than encouraging comments about my snaps. It motivated me and I wanted to prove him wrong, as well as embarking on a journey of discovery about myself. I know that there are millions of people out there who take far better images than I can or ever will. So what. Thanks to you, I now keep a journal of my work and ideas, the progress is there for all to see. Loving it. I'm able to capture moments that I am unable to do in any other art form. Just re-visiting this vlog to boost my self-confidence. Thanks.
I know this video is specifically about photography but I believe it really rings true for all the art forms you mentioned and some more (film, comedy, acting, dance..etc..) One has to work with passion and let everything else fall where it will. Good Vid!
I know this video was posted back in 2016, but it is outstanding. Thank you for doing it. Yes, people have probably seen my style of photography (portraits & weddings) a million of times, but when my clients/friends see their photos it means so much to them. They do not care about the camera settings etc. but they will remember that moment forever. Thanks again.
This has just set me off thinking that when you take a photograph that may seem quite normal you can never be sure that it may at some time in the future become highly significant. I'm now 75 . I have a photograph on my landing wall that is 70 years old. When it was taken, I'm presuming by my mother, I'm sure she thought nothing of it. It's a simple picture of myself as probably a 4 year old sat on a wall with my father at Cleethorpes in the UK. I can actually remember sitting there for it. Several months later when I was 4 years and 10 months old my father unfortunately passed away. That was the last photo taken of him. I look at that photo every day. Photos do matter and they don't always need to be great photos. They may not matter now but they may matter in the future.
You sir have earned my respect and my following with this video. I am in complete agreement with your view about "creating work that matters". As a fine art photographer myself I have seen the general lack of respect for the image maker over the years so can actually relate to your friends statement that nobody cares about your work. What I have found however is that you must first and foremost do your art for no other reason other than it is an outlet for your creative expression. Becoming famous as a result of your vision is largely out of your control and is a matter of others simply finding what you do appealing. The world absolutely needs people with creative vision and these people are simply known as artists. Love your channel btw.
Thanks for this eye opening video! Over the years, I have slowly realized that no one cares. It's nice to hear it from an outside perspective. I love the point you make about making work that matters! Now that I have been in photography for years, I have the urge to do use my photography to make a difference. If I can take one photo and change someone's life for the better, I would be utterly thrilled. Thank you for the motivational push onto the other side!
love the paraphrase "can't rely on people to know what they want you have to be able to show them what they want"...Kind of picked that up later in life and still am creating using photography and drones...
The Art of Photography Its been the third time I've watched this over the past month (every time when I need to find courage and slow down to think) and it always does have the incredible power to change my mind to a positive mood. Thanks Ted!
I agree with you, i jsut think this vid is depressing. People who can only see over-abundance and think there is no room for them in the market place think like failures. Being innovative is and has always been the only way. It's not easily accomplished but it's extremely rewarding when you learn to think outside of the box.
I'm an artist, a former TV director, and a photographer. . .I've done all three of those things because I really enjoyed doing them. And I believe that because I have enjoyed all three, I've done all three pretty well. I also believe I can be better than I am, and so I continue to try to improve. And if along the way someone notices my work and enjoys it or compliments me on it, then I feel encouraged to continue striving to improve. And that's enough to make me happy since I'm not trying to be "popular".
THANKS Ted. I had recently contemplated putting up a website, promoting my work, etc. and had a conversation with a guy who was extremely knowledgeable about photography. He'd been associated with a number of Magnum photographers and had even worked with Penn and Avedon. I asked him about my own work and how much I should be charging for it. He looked at me as though I didn't yet know that there was no Santa Claus and said, "No one is going to "buy" images anymore" "Not today." His clarification and your video took the blindfold off of me and made me aware that I'd been in a kind of trance (I'm a baby boomer in my late 60's) about photography and was only deluding myself. THANK YOU for your straightforward piece. I find photography personally rewarding. I meet a lot of people with it and it's a wonderful form of therapy in this insane world. Thank God for it. Living without it would be way too harsh. It's like TDCatTech stated below: Enjoying what you do is all that matters. If someone else likes it, that's good too.
"work that matters".....that is such an open ended comment, and unfortuneatly its also meaningless. Any photo in any format from any quality camera can matter, it only has to matter to one person, it only has to touch one person....if youre looking for commercial success and branding your style then perhaps some cliche like "work that matters" is relevent, otherwise just enjoy your photography, explore it, develop it for its own sake. Whatever comes or doesnt come from it is really inconsequential.
Ever since I hit upon your channel l am convinced that I had stroked gold and you have been proving that since then. Thanks that you come up with a video that tells the right direction which is gonna be the best way to make one's photography stand the test of time. Like a short story you are so marvelous and pithy in this particular video, yet there's so much remains and we really proceed to touch you and say hey, you must lengthen your insights on this matter and we are so eager to know more as to what kinda work and in what direction. But you you know these and many more questions a photographer must be asking and analysing within himself to get to the point of becoming timeless. All the same one mustn't put his love for photography off thinking that no one will rack the brain about what he has been doing for the sake of his love for photography. God keep you in good shape all the time and give you all the strength to deliver the stellar shows one after another another.
Value is subjective. 'Better' is subjective. Cares or matters to whom? Those famous artists you named...most people didn't care about their work in their own lifetime either. If you're a hobbyist, you shoot for you. If someone else down the track uses it or if you can sell the odd piece, great. If you're a professional taking money for your photos, it matters your clients who are spending money, and they care about the results.
I am making art with photography and i think it matters otherwise i would not do it. Its hard, isolating at times, frustrating, and costly, but one day i have to believe i will find that audience. Step by small step. Thanks for the positive reminder.
You know, I hit the dislike button on this video pretty quickly, but then I watched the whole thing and unclicked my dislike because instead of just leaving you with the impression that I didn't like anything about this in general, I have to leave here with my thoughts even if nobody reads them because my reaction was more complex than one single button can reflect. After all, the world does not need more RUclips commenters, but here we are. You talk about work that matters, but really, you only spoke as if the work that mattered in the world was work that was culturally groundbreaking and revolutionary that have the potential to, or has been, seen and reflected upon by significant numbers of people. I like to think there are works that matter, as broad of a statement as that is, that no one has seen yet, or may never be seen by anyone. What about context? Who does the work matter for? I have tried to proceed in my work with the quality over quantity mindset. Sure, I'd love for my work to be seen by a lot of people, but I'd much rather have my work be seriously critiqued and admired by a few than just being seen and forgotten by many. If I can make something that really connects with just one person, then I have made a work that mattered, in my mind. It seems an impossible task to make something every single person can attach themselves to for a moment. I believe you make art knowing you have specific audiences with their own set of expectations. I know not everyone loves astrophotography and timelapses with the passion that I drive my work with, but I make it because it matters to me. Maybe I missed something, because certainly it didn't feel like you were attacking any viewpoints, but I fail to see where exactly your idea of "work that matters" begins to take effect and where it never comes to fruition. I don't see that hard line. If I'm talking in circles, then just pass right on by this comment and forget about it, but if anyone would like to continue this discussion, I'd love to hear further thoughts.
I read your comment and I do care, even it‘s eight years later. I understood the video in a very different way. It felt like - because the origin of the idea was a guy that photographed solely for himself - he was talking exclusively about beeing a competetive / professional photographer. I think the essence is to not let your work beeing influenced by the opinion of others. Do what you love and do it for you. And if you do so you will get work done that really matters because it matters to you.
I just came to your video through Alex Kilbee's channel and I find this video VERY inspirational! I'm an amateur photographer, digital artist, sculptor and guitarist (I retired a long time ago, from a very technical field in aviation and am enjoying discovering some creative bones) and feel even more emboldened by your comments. So, kudos to you and many thanks!
There are photos that are important to you, and only you, there are photos that are important to groups of others that you know, and then there are photos that are important to large segments of society, or even the whole world. I have a friend that is an excellent shooter, and he is passionate about his local home town high school sports programs. He shoots great stuff at every football game, and so forth, then makes it freely available to everyone. His work is extremely important to those kids, their families, and beyond. His stuff is world class but will likely never be noticed beyond a limited universe, but to a few hundred people, his work is priceless.
"Work that matters" is a pretty vague statement, matters to who? You? rich people? Poor people? Society in general? Art is for the artist, it doesn't matter if the whole world dislikes it as long as the artist is satisfied with it. Also steve jobs excelled at marketing and being ruthless, that is not admirable behavior.
I too started shooting and learning photography as an adult. Not just as an adult, but as an adult who according to many around me, was of the age when I should have figured things out. Coming to grips with the fact that nobody within my inner circle and beyond really care about my work has been frustrating and discouraging. However, I do pride myself on the effort to create meaningful photographs and so much satisfaction comes from those who find meaning in them as well. Meaningful photographs are why we shoot. If I can make someone's day better with a photograph, worth it.
It's presumptuous to assume that nobody cares about your photographs. It's more accurate to say that there's always somebody who likes your photographs.
Having always been a technical person, I really didn't understand art. A little while back I started doing some drawing and it sort of came to me, it wasn't being able to accurately reproduce the visual it was being able to reproduce the feeling of the image. Its the same with photography you can reproduce the image you see but the true art of photography is reproducing the feeling that the image made you feel.
I very much agree. Which is why I film what I want and what I think will matter to me and perhaps to others years from now. I really don't care about cameras at all. I only care about what they can do for me. Thanks for this video.
Hey Ted, thanks for sharing this video. Yes it's true, there are so many artists all around. But what is the problem with it? I mean in the end you mostly do it for yourself and if others like your work that's a bonus. Sometimes l'll come across for example a band that pretty much no one listens to. But for me the song is meaningful or somehow touches me. I think it goes the same as with photography. Sometimes someone comes across your images and projects and it means something to them. I don't care if it is one person or more.
Hello. Now that you mentioned your friend from NYC. I remember going to this school and this teacher called me a compulsive photographer. I felt like quitting photography all together, because of her comment, but then I thought of other things. I'm still into photography. I kept thinking that if you don't value what you like no one will value it. Never listen to anyone that puts your work down. They don't know what it means to be an artist. You do. I like your video very much.
EXACTLY ! You put just the right words on what I had been more or less aware of for a long time. I am not able to produce photos that matter to the world, not yet anyway, but your video has definitely added a new dimension to my work! Thank you. My next personal assignment : I will soon be traveling to a foreign country. For pleasure. One week, one camera, an Olympus OM1 and one single roll of film. 36 exposures. EXCITING !
Ted, a strong, thought-provoking commentary and Richard Selamack's remarks below amplify your point beautifully. What we desperately need is "better". I've been a filmmaker for 45 years and have watched the evolution of photography for longer than that. From this experience, I understand what your friend meant when he said "Nobody cares about...". Today, EVERYONE is a photographer, a filmmaker, a videographer .... at least, anyone who owns a cell phone is. But how many of these modern practitioners look around the subject rather straight at it? We need to understand more about the contribution and value of what we do and create results that cause people to stop and say "wow ... look at that". I love it when that happens. Thank you for your clips; they are both insightful and stimulating.
The world needs a lot more pictures of rusty tractors/pickup trucks in fields, rail road tracks, dilapidated barns, slow exposure streams, and antique signs.
Thanks, Ted, for this video! My takeaway is to produce the work, enjoy the craft! I find great joy knowing that somewhere, someone will see our work and be moved, and to them, it matters.
So, who determines the "work that matters"? Is there a governing group that says, "Oh my this photograph speaks to my soul so it matters?" Steve Jobs sold a product to the general populous and it is now popular but does my MacBook Pro really matter? It's overpriced and falls apart aft 5 years and is designed to fall apart after five years so I have to get a new one which keeps Apple in business. Apple is selling a brand not a product that matters. Photography and art in general is a subjective. To make pics that matter or give them mass appeal would dilute their power and just make them another throw away item of western pop culture. If you have to put hours of time and thought into a into a taking a pic then your just trying to create something for the masses to consume which defeats the purpose. Bottom line, it doesn't matter if our pictures matter to anyone.
Hi Ted... Thank you. This video really hit home for me. As a photographer for over 20 years your comments make a great deal of sense. I am of the mind that people do actually care - it's our job to find them & make work that sticks - like you said. "Make work that matters, it's not a popularity contest, push yourself to go further, make the time to invest in a project. What is the intelligence behind the project? What is it saying? We need work that makes difference." All of the afore mentioned really resonated with me. Keep it coming!
Ted, you’ve said in a little over 7 minutes what most people will never know. And to your point, while that is a pity, those that grasp that essence - what grabs one deep inside when truly FEELING and SEEING this odd joy in creativity, a gnawing curiosity both experienced and created, remains one of the deepest and mysterious human reckonings - no more and no less..
Idek what to say haha. I guess I'm confused as to who you're directing this video towards. Someone who wants to become a famous known photographer? I know for many of us, we don't care what others think. We do photography Bc we enjoy it, not for anything else at least not in the beginning. I totally agree with you though but in a less extreme and less pessimistic way. That's how most things work though, nobody cares what you do whether that's photography, becoming a lawyer, a model, or anything. Only people who care about you, will care about your work which is all that matters to most of us. But I enjoyed this video!! I love truth and honesty!!!👍🏻👍🏻
Wabi Sabi Savannah what he said is not true. people care bout your photography atleast some do. just like in business where there tons of product out there and most of them actually same but just in different brand but some people still bought your brand.
I saw this video's title months ago, and I saw the video being share on Facebook over and over. I was taken aback by the title, and I am just now viewing the video for the first time. I'm glad the title was misleading. I enjoy photography because it joins together many interests of mine, and it allows me to record people, events, and things that I care about. To that end, I care, and my family cares - not much else matters.
I had a professor in art school tell me this story once and it has always stuck with me: He said: "I called up an old friend about a year ago just to chat. He told me he was going to quit painting for good. So I asked him why after 20 years of painting is he just going to give up? He said because "i've been painting for 20 years and no one cares." I called him again just a few days ago to see what he was doing now. He told me he was painting again and better than ever. I asked him what changed his mind and he said "because I quit painting after 20 years and no one cared.""
Man this is gold. Thank you for making this. Unlike a lot of the other people commenting on this, I find your outlook quite positive, almost a relief, as it takes off the pressures of the popularity contest that a lot of find ourselves in.
I blame Instagram for that...well that and human nature to always want to be better.
It forces us to be creative with our art and find and refine your artistry! I do agree with the others, however because if you are working for the love the art, then you'll put the effort to grow!
I want to thank you for this video respect!
great comment!
I think this video really impacted Nathan's work, he made some of the most meaningful content out there
I actually only became a photographer to do photo projects for friends and family. That's it. I know the world doesn't care about my photos. But the people in my life do.
Very well said mate, me too.
Amen.
***** Yeah! I took my best friend's engagement photo and I did it for free because there's no way in hell they're paying someone $300 for 1 photo when I can do it for the simple low price of a dinner at my favorite restaurant. I'm not against someone paying $300 and I think that's a fair price to charge for walking around the park with a couple and taking photos, but I can do it for free (or the cost of dinner and an extra side)
Good one.
And I know the world doesn't care, but I care. :)
Yes the world does not need more photographers, hell it does not need more teachers,cops ,doctors. What the world needs are
better photographers, better teachers, better cops and yes, better doctors. Great video !
this is so true
Spot on!
Agree!
Great point! Although, we do need more teachers
+++
The world definitely doesn't need any more Vloggers 😉
savage
The world doesn't need more O'Keeffe's Seriously I can barely understand what you people say half the time, darn corks lol xD
You mean bloggers.
pretty much in the same manner it doesn't need more commenters perhaps?
Vloggers = Video Bloggers
Enjoying what you do is all that matters. Do it for yourself. If someone else enjoys it, that's good too.
TDCatTech amen brother ,
Thanks for stating that. Sometimes people forget.
That's right!
Thats right
but what will pay the bill when not enough people like your work? Reaching people positively is important for many reasons
Which was MY Defence against be caught masturbating in the Park ! Unfortunately the Cops said "No !", MY Lawyer said "No !", the Prosecution said "No !" - The Judge Said " YES ! You're
..Guilty as Hell, you dirty little Freak ! Bert, get over there and see what he's got that he wants the World to see ?"
Bert said "Judge he's awready bin foun 'Guilty', So why do I gotta go check his weiner too ?"
Judge Judy said "Cause it's My Goddam Show Bert ! And you make Easy Money working fah me ! Gottit ? Good ! Now, take my phone and go get Grammah a pitcher pulease !"
Moral of the Story - That all started off with me 'n' Bert Happy in our Own ways, - And ended up with him tryin' to Get a 'Dick Pic'! Of my "liddel flaccid fren !"
"Badges !? IT was Too Scared of Dirty, Stinkin' Baddgez !!"
So, at least That Show didn't Air !! 😉 📽🍄🖓📯📱📹❄
I think if a person gets satisfaction and enjoyment from their own work, then that's good enough.
Ah, you're saying you don't care if anyone sees your work?
+1 . I'm trying to get away from social media in general and I realise how ingrained it was that if you make something and you like it, you have to share it on there, for people to see, and you'd get likes, pats on the shoulder and approval from people who don't really matter in your life. And if you think about it, there is something obscene in this need for validation and for broadcasting what we do on social media, that we've been trained to have. So I reached a place where I don't NEED to show my work to anyone. The question is, if taking photos (or anything else, really) makes you happy in and of itself, without needing to show it to someone, does it matter if anyone cares about your work? You care, and it makes you happy, and this is the most important.
No one cares AND no justification needed. Put the two together. Enough for what? No one cares remember--an approval rating of people with trivial interests? . Sometimes that's liberating. It doesn't need to be enough for anything really.
Fully agree with that. If I come back from a day shooting and I have one great image that I would have printed to put on my wall I’m happy. That’s the main reason to photograph.
As a hobby, I don't care what people say about my photos, as long as I'm happy with what I do..
Albert Garcia I just started it and this is what I think
I agree. I'm a beginner young photographer. Even if people did or don't care, photography alone made me happy
cool. I hope it isnt a business if you feel that way.
How the he'll u wouldn't care if you do photography u have to care and this video is making it worse
Albert Garcia well then you’ll never go anywhere with photography if you don’t care what people say about your work
I live Asia in a poor country where the minimum wage is $8 per day. They cannot afford a decent camera, let alone to get them printed. When I photograph orphans or children or old people and go and give them the print, it matters so I disagree with you. Oftentimes that is the only photo they will have of a loved one. Are they the most amazing images? No but they would not understand the difference between and amazing image and a snapshot that someone was willing to have printed for them. They do not care about composition rules -- they just want memories of people who may die soon.
You Peter are ,what I would call a great photographer.
You deserve more likes 5 fold. If this is what you do out of the goodness of your heart, you sir deserve the best life could offer.
I saw the same in Morocco Peter. I photographed the children of a remote, remote as you could only access the small village of 25 families by trail, each time I visited annually... I photographed the same children and each year brought back prints of the children from the previous year... so in essence for five years the families had a photographic record of their children maturing. No one in that village ever had a photograph made of themselves.
I was one of the few "westerners" to ever hike into their village. It was so overwhelming satisfying to me and extremely grateful of the village people. and you know what... I don't speak Arabic or Berber or they English...
and it didn't matter... we communicated.
Peter, great point and I would define what you do as photography "that matters". Great job. The definition of "what matters" doesn't have to be some grand, earth shattering vision, just something that makes a true difference on peoples lives or views of life. Your photography certainly fits that definition.
I think he means the world is well develop country. Where creative contents are overload. Photography does matter if the photo itself is rare to the environment. Both of you have the same point I think.
In a round about way I came to grips with this, years ago and it's true, Nobody Cares About My Work. Nobody but me. In the past I made photos for textbooks that have helped others learn to save lives and that matters, to me. Will any of that work ever win an award, no. Will any of that work ever hang in a gallery, no. I imagine that it's work that people learning from those textbooks don't even care about. For the vast majority of those photos no one will ever say "Wow, that's an amazing photo." I agree, Nobody Cares About My Work. But that has never stopped me and it should not stop anyone else. You are absolutely right, our culture depends on work that matters. How will we know our work matters, we won't. That's not for us to decide. That is up to someone else. You will never get to create the work that matters if you don't produce work that you think doesn't matter. Create what you want, follow the path that means something to you and one day, to someone, your work will mean something.
Agree with you
That's how I also think. Thanks for your good comment!
Better than the video itself.. and a whole lot shorter
❤️
The truth is always brutal. This video has changed the way I show my own work, making prints. It seems like viral photography is more about the photographer and less about the photos. Most people know who contemporary photographers are but couldn't identify their work.
the world needs art. the world needs creativity. the world needs people passionate about all forms of art.
well you're right, I think his point however is that only the work deemed "meaningful" will be taken into consideration.
Clarence Laboranti
yes, but who determines what is meaningful? with the advent of digital photography everyone is calling themselves a photographer, but photos of this nature tend to be basic and lacking expression, so that is perhaps part of what he's getting at. but still, if a person feels passionate about photography, they ought to pursue it, regardless.
you are right and you posed a very good question. it may be that natural selection (lol) will filter all the mediocre work and only the masterpieces which wake up that or those feeling in people (something true art is famous for) will remain as the standard of either the profession & art merely as human expression. Im guessing it does beyond what tool you are using to achieve said expression.
in other words, it's not that there are too many photographers, it's that we're counting too many people as such.
Clarence Laboranti like with most any art form, these seems to be a lot of variation of opinion on what is considered a masterpiece. i personally find is exciting that digital photography has woken so many people up to capturing imagery, but a lot of it, it seems, is kind of blase. i've noticed a lot more people calling themselves photographers who are offering general type photography, family portraits, and such. because they are charging considerably less, i think it's hurt those who are more experienced and talented.
It's much worse. Nobody cares about anything.
It's much worse. Nobody have the capacity to care about anything anymore.
They they do...food. So they can get fatter and fatter
I don't care about your laughs.
Except themselves.
People do care about looks now. I think there has never been an era where fitting within the universal stereotype of beauty and sexyness has ever been so important... and that bores me as hell.
'Art' - Many have struggled to define it.
For me, 'Art' is the portrayal of the ordinary as extraordinary, the stripping away of all that is accessory, capturing the 'essence'.
In short, 'Truth'.
I wholeheartedly agree.
As long as YOU care about YOUR OWN photography - that's what is most important. That should be the reason that you "do photography".
exactly
Amen!
There will always be someone who cares about the photographs that you, or I, or anyone else takes. People love to look at photographs. I will say my priority, the past couple of years, has just been about documenting the day. Some defining moment that changed my day. If I take a photo the moment will not be forgotten. I appreciate your words. Yesterday someone told me to keep drawing. Sometimes I let go of things purposely. I loss my energy with it. Words of encouragement always help. Thank you!
I love your work Ted. This video is spot on and very relevant. Today, everybody thinks they are "photographers" because they have a camera and they can press the shutter button. Unfortunately, there aren't many people who would be prepared to work hard, shoot the same scene over and over; improvising with easy--accessible tools (rather than spending big bugs); exploring different lighting and mood. I feel very lucky to be surrounded by the wise generation of photographers who always ask me "is there anything else you could have done differently?" And I always get some new ideas about lighting, set-up or composition which I could try next time. I know I'll be never satisfied with my photography and the most important is that I'll keep trying new things every time.
I love wildlife photography. It's my hobby and I spend many hours photographing and editing. I even pay allot of money to travel to different places around the world to photograph exotic wildlife and my attitude has always been... "I do it for me." I never go round asking people is they want to see my photos. Very occasionally someone will ask if they can see them.
Brilliany reply and reason to do photography.
Ok quick story...I've been taking pictures for a while. Recently I was asked to do an engagement shoot and a senior portrait shoot. Both were surprisingly nerve wracking and made me fall out of love with photography. So much that my wife noticed I didn't touch my camera for almost a month. It scared me. Anyway, I lost my original vision and that's something I think Ted is touching on here.
When I finally broke down and confessed to my wife I didn't want to do a style of photography that's oversaturated with weekend moms that want to rely on weddings/engagement shoots with the crutch of presets with sun flare...she told me "stay with what you love and what your original vision was. Street and Landscape and apparel. She brought back down when she suggested my work belonged in galleries and books, not 11x14 portraits of people in a field or vineyard. Anyway, thank you Ted for bringing this to the forefront. Do good work and the rest will follow.
Express yourself. The world will decide where to put you.
Very true...I hope I m not a suppository then.
I'm 55, just recently purchased an Oly OM-1, and just took up film photography. I've watched about 8 of your videos so far. I'm learning a ton and am inspired to get out develop my "eye" and skills. And love this message!
To understand that nobody cares about your work is the first step to actually doing something that it is not meant to be accepted or liked. I guess that we all can agree with just doing your thing and make the best out of it.
It's sad but true. You have to MAKE people care about your work or style. It's also gotten to the point to where people are not just sharing their work, they are doing it for self gratification; for the likes or hearts on instagram.
Don't forget about the ones who buy followers for Instagram and Twitter. haha.
You have to make people Hype your work. And that's something I hate to do.
+Jonathan Sosa well said
I take a lot of photos (like a lot) and I do post some of them on instagram of pure pleasure. My friend thinks I only take instagram photos and every time I need to explain to her that photography, is more than just instagram
Precisely why you have a bunch of luddites still messing with film. If they shoot film the content of their images don't matter because other film shooters will thumbs up any crap taken with film. I work my ass off fine the fine art images I sell and my clients aren't impressed if I 'scan' my 35mm film with a macro lens on my dSLRs. They have standards. Photography is a communicative art form. If you aren't sharing..you aren't a photographer but a consumer.
I thought the same thing until I found the right avenue to share my work. In the past year, I've been approached by a book publisher, the New York Times, the Detroit Free Press, a large shipping company, and currently the channel PBS. Keep your chin up and keep moving forward. Find something you love and share it.
Dan Vaught Thank you. I really appreciate this comment.
Preach
Dan Vaught thank you. Its what you do with photography that mattets.
In your opening sentence you stated "I feel like this is an important video.....". I have to say that to me it is. Over our journey we sometimes need to redefine our focal point, find some clarity of our progress. For me, this has gone a long way to do that. As I sit at the computer and go through images shot just recently I realise I have became a little jaded in my own work. So this was a little jolt. Thank you.
Its hard to translate photography that has meaning to you be meaningful to someone else but when it does happen its magical.
I'm not a photographer; I'm a musician, and I must say that this really made me think about my work. You might have just pushed me into a different direction. Thank you.
I saw this video again after such a long time and the line "create work that matters" had kind of been a motto for me. I would say that so often that I started hating my work and it took me a while to get over it. But now after watching this again and reading the comments, I feel like this statement can also be take with a different perspective that creating work that mattered to you or the client or someone. We don't need people pleasing, pretentious, people who call themselves photographers who click "snapshots" for Instagram and cheapen the meaning of the art. I agree with you, the world does not need more photographers.
Not many people care about anything in these times.....it is way the world is,...whether it is photography or anything else. What matters in regard to photography is.... your enjoyment in doing something worthwhile.
The world may not need another photographer but I need me to be a photographer. All the best !
Well, I believe this should be apparent or revealed to everyone. "Nobody cares about your photography", works exactly the same way as "nobody cares about you in general". This is just a perception. It is neither wrong nor right or it is both wrong and right. You as a separate person and whatever you produce or create are insignificant in the vast ocean of existence. And yet, your impact can create ripples in this ocean that will travel to the end of the universe and back. We are not separate cogs in a physical, deterministic, cosmic machine. We are interconnected, interrelated and interdependent. Connect with the creative force within you and start creating and expressing yourself. Create for the sheer joy of it. The result is always secondary. This is your fundamental responsibility. You don't have to worry about the impact. If the connection is true, there will be one. Simply because your manifested Truth will be recognized inevitably by the truth in others. We share the same truth, the same core consciousness. In this life or the next... Don't be concerned with that. Ego wants, craves recognition. That's the obstacle. Go through it.
Not truly concerned about who likes or dislikes my work. What I focus on is clarifying on what I want to say through my images. History will weed out the good and the not so good. I love feedback and discussing the history of art, and how all imagery is related so as a photographer all I can do is keep working and state what I want to portray visually.
I think this is your best video and I've watched most of them.
Thanks Barbara!
True
I find this video motivational. thanks!
"The world needs work that matters." And who decides what "matters?"
You do.
Exactly! Glad someone else got there. This dolt is speaking subjectively, thinking he is speaking objectively. I cant stand this clowns work.
People do by buying your service. If they don't buy then that work doesn't matter to the world. Only 1% of photographers will make some money. That 1% matters to the world. Only 1%.
@@-XRP- maybe your work is not the problem, but who you are selling to. For every painter there is a subject. Just find a niche where people will see buying value in your work.
I wanted to do portraits but no one cared. Then i got hired for loads of music events. Then no one cared more about thise. Now i masstered off camera flashes and people want my portraits. Photography is a very evolving matter, evolve with it.
usually my mom
Photography is my mediation time, I shoot in Manual mode , slow things down, become one with the image im trying to capture, and move on to the next subject. When im out shooting all day, it involves at maximum 110 photos, prey and spray is to easy and a lazy way to photograph (unless you do sport's photography of course ). I shoot only raw , come home and edit, Instagram ,facebook etc, maximum 46 likes on a single photo im happy.
And I shoot with a D810 and D800E , ill have these cameras for at least another 7-10 years.
Good for you David. No more easy shots.
RUclips proves that there isn't enough. Every day I find someone new creating things I've never seen before. The saturation comes from those that always have their stuff shoved in our face by major media production outlets.
And who cares about what other people care or think?? I do care about my photography, I don't take photographs to please anybody or to be accepted by anybody, I do it because I love it
That's the point of the video. 🙄
I care about my photography, which is why I try to improve it. On some occasions, something's good enough to print out for my portfolio, which slowly grows over the years.
Last week, I showed my 18 year old my portfolio for the first time and she really loved some of the pictures, and asked if she could have them to frame for her dorm room. She said if anybody notices them, she'll be proud to say they're her mom's artwork.
That's enough for me.
I concur with you. Being an amateur , there is so much joy in making a good photo. It is interesting to post on social media and await comments. But at the end, the pure delight of photography comes from the pleasure and creativity that it brings to your busy life. In a way , it enriches ones life. I guess for professionals , legacy is important. For me , days of my life and family memories matter more. I love your videos and first time commenting on one of them.
The significance of this video is that it makes the photographer question what they are doing. And that questioning is good for everything one does. What am I doing? What am I? Who am I? And if you don't want to get deep like that, fine. No one says you have to. But what I like about Ted is that he goes there and still manages to keep a large audience.
I think the people who hate on this video 1) missed the point, and 2) probably don't create meaningful work and just whip out the old iPhone for the easy shot. Well said Ted and John Free... No more easy shots.
Years back, I was on a road trip and I kept posting pictures on social media. A high school friend that I really never talk to sent me a direct message thanking me for sharing my adventures. I hike, I bike, I drive to other cities - if I make only one person smile then I've done good works. You don't need to change the world, just make the people around you better
I agree. I gave up the idea of being a professional years ago. I'm fairly good at it, but like you said- no one really cares. One criticism, that I've had, is that 'anyone can take a picture like that... my child can'. To me, of course, it was real work and I always felt a little sad about the effort being ignored. So I shoot for me. I love color and texture and go nuts around flowers and do extreme close-up work. Bugs are also cool. It's funny that my digital point and shoot Nikon surpasses two bags full of Canon 'film' gear I sold 8 years ago. (Except for the 70-300mm IS lens). My sister, a working artist, likes my work and that's good enough for me. Besides- am retired and would be bored silly without a camera.
right on Rick, I too shoot for me, screw everyone else. My sisters like my simple images, that's what matters. Keep on keeping on~
This is a GREAT point you make, and very honest. Mainly because its exactly what I'm going through, and echoes exactly the conclusion I've (finally) arrived at. BE OF YOUR TIME AND MAKE WORK THAT MATTERS. For me that's all I can do. I don't even use social media - the moment I start thinking about getting popular or liked or out there, I lose it. All I can do is make photography that matters to me - maybe someone else will see it maybe not. Everything else has been done already. Thanks!
Never say Never and Never take No for an answer. Use your creativity and innovate it
So true! I have such a passion for photography but it hit me also...when I die all my photos/memories will go in the trash. I switched my passion into volunteering my photography at a local animal shelter in a small town. The most rewarding and self fulfilling thing I have ever done🐶❤️
I take photos to satisfy me. If someone likes it wow. If they don't who cares.
Who cares? Honestly, you do.
If u get satisfaction when people like your photos then the inverse must also be true.
This video speaks truth. One of the cold, hard truths is that most people don't care about your work. I know that outside of my home town nobody knows who I am and nobody could care less about anything I do. That is no reason to give up though. The world is vast.
My photography does matter to the person that counts, me.
I was a pro photographer for my main income for a number of years, and I have to say this is generally a true and important realization. I felt like the only way to immerse myself in photography the way I wanted to was to make a living doing it. So I made a web portfolio, put up 50 bucks worth of Google ads, called my local newspapers and guess what... it worked. Somewhat. But it wasn't what I expected at all. I, too, had to realize that no one really cares about my photos.
The wedding couple mostly cared about whether I was wearing a suit and showing up on time, smiling and pretending to be happy for their bullshit wedding. They did not care that I dug out some rare film cameras for their wedding, shot on film, developed, scanned and retouched each image by hand... that I had to drive all night through the winter in my crappy car to get there, that I almost got a lung infection because they partied all night outside and wanted me to shoot it. The next guy with a DSLR would have happily done it for half the price. My portrait customers didn't care that I maxed my credit card to buy a few strobes, stands and umbrellas. That I paid the hair and makeup girls from my own paycheck. They also didn't care about the result. They wanted the experience of a photoshoot as they see on World's New Top Model or whatever. They wanted to forget that they were ugly and expected me to do voodoo. The newspaper didn't care about my artistic style or other such bullcrap. They wanted the shot on time, in focus, in color, and cheap. Because I have to be cheaper than the stock photo agency.
I shoot for my memories not for the world. Thank you for having the courage to make this.
I think that's the important part, your memories, and perhaps your families. That's the only reason to take photo's, it's a saturated hobby/profession for anything else.
I love photography because it can tell a story, just like filmmaking. I like what you said, we need more work that is meaningful. Most of the pictures people take are of their friends, experiences, etc.. And that’s great! But then come the meaningless stock photographers. They just take pictures because they like it and/or the money. They aren’t trying to tell a story. And that’s ok too. But yes, we need photography that matters.
You matter. Your work matters. Dont settle for what your critics say. You need to be doing what you are.
D.A. La Ghetto yeap, for once, no critics have helpd finacially. And dont know what we do or how we do it. Hahahaha
the problem is that people very often dont do 'what they are'. people do what can be sold.
Rather strangely, each time I feel a little bit down about my images, I revisit this video. I started taking photographs about 5 years ago after a guide, who is also pro photographer, made some less than encouraging comments about my snaps. It motivated me and I wanted to prove him wrong, as well as embarking on a journey of discovery about myself. I know that there are millions of people out there who take far better images than I can or ever will. So what. Thanks to you, I now keep a journal of my work and ideas, the progress is there for all to see. Loving it. I'm able to capture moments that I am unable to do in any other art form. Just re-visiting this vlog to boost my self-confidence. Thanks.
I like taking pictures. It's fun, I don't really care if anyone cares.
I know this video is specifically about photography but I believe it really rings true for all the art forms you mentioned and some more (film, comedy, acting, dance..etc..) One has to work with passion and let everything else fall where it will. Good Vid!
I think you drop the level of enthusiasm through the bucket on this video. Plain and simple!
I know this video was posted back in 2016, but it is outstanding. Thank you for doing it. Yes, people have probably seen my style of photography (portraits & weddings) a million of times, but when my clients/friends see their photos it means so much to them. They do not care about the camera settings etc. but they will remember that moment forever. Thanks again.
This is very inspiring to me. Thank you Ted.
This has just set me off thinking that when you take a photograph that may seem quite normal you can never be sure that it may at some time in the future become highly significant. I'm now 75 . I have a photograph on my landing wall that is 70 years old. When it was taken, I'm presuming by my mother, I'm sure she thought nothing of it. It's a simple picture of myself as probably a 4 year old sat on a wall with my father at Cleethorpes in the UK. I can actually remember sitting there for it. Several months later when I was 4 years and 10 months old my father unfortunately passed away. That was the last photo taken of him. I look at that photo every day. Photos do matter and they don't always need to be great photos. They may not matter now but they may matter in the future.
rule #1 there are no rules.
***** special rules ?
That's what Paul McCartney said about song writing.
rule #1 don't talk about photo club
You sir have earned my respect and my following with this video. I am in complete agreement with your view about "creating work that matters". As a fine art photographer myself I have seen the general lack of respect for the image maker over the years so can actually relate to your friends statement that nobody cares about your work. What I have found however is that you must first and foremost do your art for no other reason other than it is an outlet for your creative expression. Becoming famous as a result of your vision is largely out of your control and is a matter of others simply finding what you do appealing. The world absolutely needs people with creative vision and these people are simply known as artists. Love your channel btw.
Thanks for this eye opening video! Over the years, I have slowly realized that no one cares. It's nice to hear it from an outside perspective. I love the point you make about making work that matters! Now that I have been in photography for years, I have the urge to do use my photography to make a difference. If I can take one photo and change someone's life for the better, I would be utterly thrilled. Thank you for the motivational push onto the other side!
love the paraphrase "can't rely on people to know what they want you have to be able to show them what they want"...Kind of picked that up later in life and still am creating using photography and drones...
Thank you for this video, Vlad, just what I needed to hear. No matter how big is the ocean, we still need rain :)
Liza!!!!!!
The Art of Photography Its been the third time I've watched this over the past month (every time when I need to find courage and slow down to think) and it always does have the incredible power to change my mind to a positive mood. Thanks Ted!
I agree with you, i jsut think this vid is depressing. People who can only see over-abundance and think there is no room for them in the market place think like failures. Being innovative is and has always been the only way. It's not easily accomplished but it's extremely rewarding when you learn to think outside of the box.
Liza Salish-Sea I like that metaphor, we can always use quality and not everybody produces it..
Liza Salish-Sea uhh it evaporates
I'm an artist, a former TV director, and a photographer. . .I've done all three of those things because I really enjoyed doing them. And I believe that because I have enjoyed all three, I've done all three pretty well. I also believe I can be better than I am, and so I continue to try to improve. And if along the way someone notices my work and enjoys it or compliments me on it, then I feel encouraged to continue striving to improve. And that's enough to make me happy since I'm not trying to be "popular".
Nailed it.
Yes!!! Thank You!!!
"The world needs work that matters."
My mantra for 2017
THANKS Ted. I had recently contemplated putting up a website, promoting my work, etc. and had a conversation with a guy who was extremely knowledgeable about photography. He'd been associated with a number of Magnum photographers and had even worked with Penn and Avedon. I asked him about my own work and how much I should be charging for it. He looked at me as though I didn't yet know that there was no Santa Claus and said, "No one is going to "buy" images anymore" "Not today."
His clarification and your video took the blindfold off of me and made me aware that I'd been in a kind of trance (I'm a baby boomer in my late 60's) about photography and was only deluding myself. THANK YOU for your straightforward piece.
I find photography personally rewarding. I meet a lot of people with it and it's a wonderful form of therapy in this insane world. Thank God for it. Living without it would be way too harsh. It's like TDCatTech stated below: Enjoying what you do is all that matters. If someone else likes it, that's good too.
"work that matters".....that is such an open ended comment, and unfortuneatly its also meaningless. Any photo in any format from any quality camera can matter, it only has to matter to one person, it only has to touch one person....if youre looking for commercial success and branding your style then perhaps some cliche like "work that matters" is relevent, otherwise just enjoy your photography, explore it, develop it for its own sake. Whatever comes or doesnt come from it is really inconsequential.
Ever since I hit upon your channel l am convinced that I had stroked gold and you have been proving that since then. Thanks that you come up with a video that tells the right direction which is gonna be the best way to make one's photography stand the test of time. Like a short story you are so marvelous and pithy in this particular video, yet there's so much remains and we really proceed to touch you and say hey, you must lengthen your insights on this matter and we are so eager to know more as to what kinda work and in what direction. But you you know these and many more questions a photographer must be asking and analysing within himself to get to the point of becoming timeless. All the same one mustn't put his love for photography off thinking that no one will rack the brain about what he has been doing for the sake of his love for photography. God keep you in good shape all the time and give you all the strength to deliver the stellar shows one after another another.
Value is subjective. 'Better' is subjective. Cares or matters to whom?
Those famous artists you named...most people didn't care about their work in their own lifetime either.
If you're a hobbyist, you shoot for you. If someone else down the track uses it or if you can sell the odd piece, great.
If you're a professional taking money for your photos, it matters your clients who are spending money, and they care about the results.
I am making art with photography and i think it matters otherwise i would not do it. Its hard, isolating at times, frustrating, and costly, but one day i have to believe i will find that audience. Step by small step. Thanks for the positive reminder.
You know, I hit the dislike button on this video pretty quickly, but then I watched the whole thing and unclicked my dislike because instead of just leaving you with the impression that I didn't like anything about this in general, I have to leave here with my thoughts even if nobody reads them because my reaction was more complex than one single button can reflect. After all, the world does not need more RUclips commenters, but here we are.
You talk about work that matters, but really, you only spoke as if the work that mattered in the world was work that was culturally groundbreaking and revolutionary that have the potential to, or has been, seen and reflected upon by significant numbers of people. I like to think there are works that matter, as broad of a statement as that is, that no one has seen yet, or may never be seen by anyone. What about context? Who does the work matter for? I have tried to proceed in my work with the quality over quantity mindset. Sure, I'd love for my work to be seen by a lot of people, but I'd much rather have my work be seriously critiqued and admired by a few than just being seen and forgotten by many. If I can make something that really connects with just one person, then I have made a work that mattered, in my mind. It seems an impossible task to make something every single person can attach themselves to for a moment. I believe you make art knowing you have specific audiences with their own set of expectations. I know not everyone loves astrophotography and timelapses with the passion that I drive my work with, but I make it because it matters to me.
Maybe I missed something, because certainly it didn't feel like you were attacking any viewpoints, but I fail to see where exactly your idea of "work that matters" begins to take effect and where it never comes to fruition. I don't see that hard line.
If I'm talking in circles, then just pass right on by this comment and forget about it, but if anyone would like to continue this discussion, I'd love to hear further thoughts.
I read your comment and I do care, even it‘s eight years later.
I understood the video in a very different way. It felt like - because the origin of the idea was a guy that photographed solely for himself - he was talking exclusively about beeing a competetive / professional photographer. I think the essence is to not let your work beeing influenced by the opinion of others. Do what you love and do it for you. And if you do so you will get work done that really matters because it matters to you.
I just came to your video through Alex Kilbee's channel and I find this video VERY inspirational! I'm an amateur photographer, digital artist, sculptor and guitarist (I retired a long time ago, from a very technical field in aviation and am enjoying discovering some creative bones) and feel even more emboldened by your comments. So, kudos to you and many thanks!
Thank you so much for this video! That's exactly why I am involved in photography.
There are photos that are important to you, and only you, there are photos that are important to groups of others that you know, and then there are photos that are important to large segments of society, or even the whole world. I have a friend that is an excellent shooter, and he is passionate about his local home town high school sports programs. He shoots great stuff at every football game, and so forth, then makes it freely available to everyone. His work is extremely important to those kids, their families, and beyond. His stuff is world class but will likely never be noticed beyond a limited universe, but to a few hundred people, his work is priceless.
"Work that matters" is a pretty vague statement, matters to who? You? rich people? Poor people? Society in general? Art is for the artist, it doesn't matter if the whole world dislikes it as long as the artist is satisfied with it. Also steve jobs excelled at marketing and being ruthless, that is not admirable behavior.
I too started shooting and learning photography as an adult. Not just as an adult, but as an adult who according to many around me, was of the age when I should have figured things out. Coming to grips with the fact that nobody within my inner circle and beyond really care about my work has been frustrating and discouraging. However, I do pride myself on the effort to create meaningful photographs and so much satisfaction comes from those who find meaning in them as well. Meaningful photographs are why we shoot. If I can make someone's day better with a photograph, worth it.
It's presumptuous to assume that nobody cares about your photographs.
It's more accurate to say that there's always somebody who likes your photographs.
Having always been a technical person, I really didn't understand art. A little while back I started doing some drawing and it sort of came to me, it wasn't being able to accurately reproduce the visual it was being able to reproduce the feeling of the image. Its the same with photography you can reproduce the image you see but the true art of photography is reproducing the feeling that the image made you feel.
Great video Ted!
I very much agree. Which is why I film what I want and what I think will matter to me and perhaps to others years from now. I really don't care about cameras at all. I only care about what they can do for me. Thanks for this video.
Hey Ted, thanks for sharing this video. Yes it's true, there are so many artists all around. But what is the problem with it? I mean in the end you mostly do it for yourself and if others like your work that's a bonus. Sometimes l'll come across for example a band that pretty much no one listens to. But for me the song is meaningful or somehow touches me. I think it goes the same as with photography. Sometimes someone comes across your images and projects and it means something to them. I don't care if it is one person or more.
Hello. Now that you mentioned your friend from NYC. I remember going to this school and this teacher called me a compulsive photographer. I felt like quitting photography all together, because of her comment, but then I thought of other things. I'm still into photography. I kept thinking that if you don't value what you like no one will value it. Never listen to anyone that puts your work down. They don't know what it means to be an artist. You do. I like your video very much.
In my world compulsive photographer is a compliment ;-)
Not true. People care about my photography. I care. My mom cares.
EXACTLY ! You put just the right words on what I had been more or less aware of for a long time. I am not able to produce photos that matter to the world, not yet anyway, but your video has definitely added a new dimension to my work! Thank you.
My next personal assignment : I will soon be traveling to a foreign country. For pleasure. One week, one camera, an Olympus OM1 and one single roll of film. 36 exposures. EXCITING !
"If you want to get rich in real estate, sell things to Realtors." Applies to photographers.
And your point is? Who said anything about selling anything.
Ted, a strong, thought-provoking commentary and Richard Selamack's remarks below amplify your point beautifully. What we desperately need is "better". I've been a filmmaker for 45 years and have watched the evolution of photography for longer than that. From this experience, I understand what your friend meant when he said "Nobody cares about...". Today, EVERYONE is a photographer, a filmmaker, a videographer .... at least, anyone who owns a cell phone is. But how many of these modern practitioners look around the subject rather straight at it? We need to understand more about the contribution and value of what we do and create results that cause people to stop and say "wow ... look at that". I love it when that happens. Thank you for your clips; they are both insightful and stimulating.
The world needs a lot more pictures of rusty tractors/pickup trucks in fields, rail road tracks, dilapidated barns, slow exposure streams, and antique signs.
ssk this made me laugh , and the comment below this one is the opposite of you and so naive haha
Preach!
Thanks, Ted, for this video! My takeaway is to produce the work, enjoy the craft! I find great joy knowing that somewhere, someone will see our work and be moved, and to them, it matters.
I agree with you, great video!
"be creative and you will be successful" thats what i think every day when i shoot and edit. its working very well for me.
So, who determines the "work that matters"? Is there a governing group that says, "Oh my this photograph speaks to my soul so it matters?" Steve Jobs sold a product to the general populous and it is now popular but does my MacBook Pro really matter? It's overpriced and falls apart aft 5 years and is designed to fall apart after five years so I have to get a new one which keeps Apple in business. Apple is selling a brand not a product that matters. Photography and art in general is a subjective. To make pics that matter or give them mass appeal would dilute their power and just make them another throw away item of western pop culture. If you have to put hours of time and thought into a into a taking a pic then your just trying to create something for the masses to consume which defeats the purpose. Bottom line, it doesn't matter if our pictures matter to anyone.
Hi Ted... Thank you. This video really hit home for me. As a photographer for over 20 years your comments make a great deal of sense. I am of the mind that people do actually care - it's our job to find them & make work that sticks - like you said. "Make work that matters, it's not a popularity contest, push yourself to go further, make the time to invest in a project. What is the intelligence behind the project? What is it saying? We need work that makes difference." All of the afore mentioned really resonated with me. Keep it coming!
I am so glad the people that created wonderful things did not have that attitude.
Ted, you’ve said in a little over 7 minutes what most people will never know. And to your point, while that is a pity, those that grasp that essence - what grabs one deep inside when truly FEELING and SEEING this odd joy in creativity, a gnawing curiosity both experienced and created, remains one of the deepest and mysterious human reckonings - no more and no less..
Idek what to say haha. I guess I'm confused as to who you're directing this video towards. Someone who wants to become a famous known photographer? I know for many of us, we don't care what others think. We do photography Bc we enjoy it, not for anything else at least not in the beginning. I totally agree with you though but in a less extreme and less pessimistic way. That's how most things work though, nobody cares what you do whether that's photography, becoming a lawyer, a model, or anything. Only people who care about you, will care about your work which is all that matters to most of us. But I enjoyed this video!! I love truth and honesty!!!👍🏻👍🏻
Wabi Sabi Savannah what he said is not true. people care bout your photography atleast some do. just like in business where there tons of product out there and most of them actually same but just in different brand but some people still bought your brand.
I saw this video's title months ago, and I saw the video being share on Facebook over and over. I was taken aback by the title, and I am just now viewing the video for the first time. I'm glad the title was misleading. I enjoy photography because it joins together many interests of mine, and it allows me to record people, events, and things that I care about. To that end, I care, and my family cares - not much else matters.
A deeper discussion on what real meaningful work actually is would be helpful. Your point is well taken but "meaningful work" is still pretty vague.
I had a professor in art school tell me this story once and it has always stuck with me:
He said:
"I called up an old friend about a year ago just to chat. He told me he was going to quit painting for good. So I asked him why after 20 years of painting is he just going to give up? He said because "i've been painting for 20 years and no one cares." I called him again just a few days ago to see what he was doing now. He told me he was painting again and better than ever. I asked him what changed his mind and he said "because I quit painting after 20 years and no one cared.""
We know this but that should not stop you from doing it! I am a photographer not because I am any good but because I enjoy doing it....ha! :D
thanx for the amazing work you do. Videos like these are very important to get me going when I feel like giving up.