Just call youself a photographer and take the photos you like. Then when you are 80 and are going through all your photos you can conclude what your style was. 😄
@@robertlevinson9188 I’m getting use that philosophy. I got my scans back from my trip to Puerto Rico and I repeated the same mistake of under exposing some of my images. I was disappointed but I also got like 5-8 amazing photos, so I’m cool with that.
I began doing "photography" with a Kodak Instamatic when I was ~10. I'm now 71 with health and balance challenges, so these days I use a walking stick and mostly do "shoot from the hip street photography" with a wide angle lens - something I'd never done before. The way I look at it, I'll always be "in the middle" of my photographic journey.
Gosh I am the same. 71 years. I enjoy taking landscapes, pets, wildlife, old buildings and some street photos even though I live in a small town. Harder and harder to get around. I can not decide what camera system to use. I shot Nikon for decades from film to DSLR. I then picked up a Canon ML, RF system. Now I am missing my old Nikon gear and debating to sell all of my new mirrorless gear. I know it is not all about the gear. Just trying to figure out still what is comfortable and makes me want to go out and shoot more. No one cares but me about my photos anymore so I am shooting for myself and like a good pair of shoes I want to enjoy the photos I make and the enjoyment of making them. Style, what style and who really cares.
@@chesterjohnson4504 I got a Canon EOS M (the first one) in a kit with a 22mm 18-55mm and a 90ex flash that was barely used at a bargain price in about 2014. Nice set up if you aren't in a hurry. I'm 73 now, so I appreciate the relatively light weight.
I don't know that you purposefully intend them to be, but your videos are a form of therapy to me. The relaxing meditative quality of seeing someone go through their creative process and share their philosophy, their highs and their struggles; it all just gives me a happy and warm feeling, and a deep desire to get out into the world and view it through the lens of my camera and capture moments. People will always be negative and even mean sometimes, it is sadly the world we live in, but I hope you know that your work effects a lot of people in ways that are deeper and more inspirational than the negative commenters realize. So thank you Faizal and please keep up the amazing work!
wow, that's one of the nicest things I've read on here in a long time. It really means a lot to me that you find so much value in what I make. Thank you so so much!
Well put. As I watched this video, my first thought was "WTF would he ask the Internet for constructive criticism?" because there are too many with no basis who will be so negative for reasons unknown to me. Most of the "criticism" offered will not be constructive. Then I thought "I really like Faizal's work and his videos are such a gentle path along his way and he shares that with us." I'm right there with you, Brandon.
It's still your style, even if it's so different, it's yours, it's really what we see is life, and it's also as different as our photos, life doesn't have the same genre or style, it's always different, every second. Thank you Faizal, you just do what you love, we artists do what we love!
Hey! I’m 67, I’ve just closed forty years of commercial photography and I’m STILL trying to figure it out! That’s the fun part. Don’t let it frustrate you, embrace it :D
To be brutally honest from a photographer myself.... your content, voiceovers and photographs are extremely inspiring to myself and my family. I can't speak of others inhumane comments, other than being extremely humorous that people that hide behind a screen that do not put themselves out in the world as you do on RUclips, they find it ultimately fearless to dictate a response through their unhinged comments that most probably they know nothing about which is photography. Your sense of sensibility and feelings dictated through your photography, your videos and voiceovers are a blessing in disguise which I believe truly motivates 99% of us in being better photographers. Me and my family are proud of your work, your photography, your direction, and your help in pushing us in our own direction in finding ourselves and our own voice in our own photographic journey. Keep up the honest and obsessively artistic work you do that inspires us all. Great work and keep it up!!
Just found your channel and loved this video. I’m much older and still exploring. I too feel as if I’m in the middle of my journey. Your discussion of documentary versus fine art has me pondering….
Great topic to cover and continue to explore and talk about. I find it especially relevant here in the NYC community that a lot of our peers are "struggling" with the same questions of style and perception from other photographers. I think about how much my photography style and interest have changed over the last 8 or so years of shooting but the thing that remained consistent is my love for it. So I think coming to terms with being in the middle of the journey and not the end is the best perspective to have. Sorry for the rant lol
❤I feel the same way, all the time - constantly trying to figure out what "my thing" is, but this helped me feel like my thing is just creating, and it doesn't need to be any more specific than that.
I was just having this conversation with myself the other day! "What is my style?"... Thank you for sharing this video with us as I am sure it resonates with so many photographers.
Just started my journey in photography. I’m grateful for the confirmation that I don’t need to worry about it and just shoot anything and everything for a while. That’s what I’m doing and I’ve been learning so much. Great video. Thanks for mentioning it!
I'm a hobbyst and photography makes me feel so so good but, sometimes, I feel insecure about it or forget about why i do it at all. Your essays videos always help me to reconect and rediscover this "medicine" that we call photography. thanks ✨
Beautiful, love how you describe photography as medicine. It is truly my medicine, or a very addictive drug that frees my mind from stress and gives me a chance to create, discover and document life as I see it. I’m 54 and just discovered the world of photography. Sometimes I don’t know whether I love learning about photography or actually doing photography. All I can say is that I’m very proud of being part of this beautiful community of artists… young, and not so young ☮️🌵
Thank you for this video! I read the article that it was featured in and thought I needed to pay attention to this. I'm new here and will continue to take photos for myself. 💜
Woah, I was taken aback by that photo at 7:15. Just listening, thinking about focal length choices, and then that popped up and shook me. Such a great amount of mystery and confusion about what's happening and how the shot was even taken (I still don't know). If you had that as a print, I would buy it.
Look, since i am not a professional photographer (i actually don't make any money from my camera, just spending...) i never asked myself about my photographic style. In my first steps i did that as a hobby (or better, a pastime). I used to take my big old DSLR with its big old lenses, my big old tripod and went out for the weekend shooting golden and blue hour landscapes. The pandemic years (and other personal matters like marriage and parenthood in the meantime) had a transformative impact on my "style" though. I started to get interested for the mundane things and the common daily activities of people. I sold my old big camera stuff and made the transition to Sony mirrorless system (an a7C and an a6000) with basically two prime lenses a 50mm on the full frame and a 23mm (aka 35mm equivalent) on my APS-C. Image quality doesn't matter for me, both are great cameras, and the only reason i picked a full frame body is for some night time shooting (generally my main camera is the a6000 because its smaller). I love to shoot and edit a "documentary" way or "vernacular". Even my landscape captures nowadays have a documentarian character rather than a visual oriented composition. And i am happy! The last touch of happiness is the printing. Every month, i am picking one of my favorite photos and send it for print i A3 size on fine art paper, so i have a selection of 12 good quality prints every year.
I always love your videos. You were one of the initial inspirations that got me into photography as a hobby. Thank you for what you do to encourage us all.
As someone who is educated in art and art history I think it’s safe to say that photographers really don’t have styles. This has a lot to do with the medium itself, photographers just don’t have control over enough variables to create a distinctive method that sets them apart from others. (Photographers who heavily edit their images are a possible exception to this, and there are a tiny number of straight photographers that people think of as having “a style” but looking at their bodies of work critically tends to reveal that they don’t) if you were to show me your images and the images of 10 other RUclips street photographers and asked me to group them by style I could study line, space, shape, lighting, subject matter, etc all day long but I would still be totally unable to say that some images were created by one person and so on with any accuracy. Photographers tend to think their images look far more different than they actually do. What would be great is if photographers stopped all the navel gazing around style and started asking pragmatic questions about how we can best represent / engage with the subject matter we create images of. Instead of thinking “it’s all about me” we should be asking, for example, how can we or should we best represent the people in our images, what makes them unique or important or meaningful? Of course so called “street photography” is a horrible genre for asking such questions because in street people are most often reduced to props used by the photographer, but maybe there are other questions that street can ask and come up with interesting answers to without needing the cliché of style to describe what is happening.
A photographer's true style is subtle, even if they try to keep the same environments and composition for their socials. Sure there aren't many variables that can be controlled but in a photographers hobby shots, (that is anything that was not commissioned to shoot or asked to do) there is SOMETHING that drives them to take that shot. and if you ask the photographer why they took it, they will explain. Ask that question across multiple images and you'll notice a pattern. THAT is where the style is. This is not to say there is one reason that goes for for every image, but multiple reasons, and those reasons describe who the photographer is. If these reasons appear in different environments, they will still capture it, maybe not post it if they have a themed social. Without a personal connection, though, the feelings one gets from a specific photographer is the style. it may be hard to pick out a specific one from a lineup, but if you follow one of them closely, or know them personally, it may prove easier than you think. You're looking at it through a lens of paintbrush and canvas; trying to make people feel a certain way about the final product and capture of what is going on in the image. As a painter, one can control what vibe their creations give off. one creates what they want to project. Photos capture a moment in time as it happens, and photographers want to preserve that moment to share in the feeling of it, not to create something specifically to make people feel a certain way. (excluding photographers who enjoy the deep editing process, these use photographs as their canvas, and their edits as paintbrush and thus can control the vibe their images give off) Enjoying photographs is done very similarly, you are an observer of the product, not the reason for it's creation like with other art forms.
Thank you for this video. I found out if I put photos on Instagram, there is a desire to see positive reaction. But in the end, you really making photos for yourself and for those you love. It’s an expression of art and that expression may be loved or maybe ignored. I love that this video resonates that we are all in the middle and we can never know when the end of our journey will be. As someone who is much older, but very new to photography, my hope is you always feel free to explore new formats, medium, locations, etc.
Thank you this video, I am in the same predicament.. went from macro to abstract to street to candied family shoots, now I figure I’ll just do whatever catches my attention for the moment, and hopefully something sticks. Thanks for your insight.
I love your artwork Faizel, you are the reason I decided to pick up a camera and try photography. It is now a new love of mine and I thank you for that. You have an incredible perspective, keep up the good work.
You think you're stuck in the middle at 27? Look at me, stuck at the bottom at 55 😂 Now seriously, your videos and photos are a huge inspiration for me to take my camera and create images. And your channel is not in the middle, is at the TOP, number 1 of my RUclips subscription list. Thank you Faizal
Thank you for doing what you do (and to continue doing it), your videos have never ceased to be an inspiration or a therapeutic break from the chaos of the world. After a while, it's the feeling that you photos and videos evoke, and my God it's peacefully amazing.
I'm 28 and hearing that you don't need everything figured out at 27 made me feel much more comfortable with what I don't know. I needed that. Your photography is great and your videos are the ones I enjoy the most when covering photography, thank you!
Well done, Faizal! I'm 58 this week and ive been photographing seriously for now for 35 years and I cant tell you what my style is... only that it makes sense to me and it remains open enough to still allow me to discover where it is I'm headed to. I've been based in Japan since 1983, so the next time you're in country do please reach out! Keep putting one foot in front of the other... All the very best to you!
Bro ... I did the ChatGPT trend a week ago and it roasted my feed pretty hard and it got me a little insecure about my "style" of photography (as an amateur photographer), which I didn't expect to feel. It got me thinking about whether I should "pick a lane" and stick with that instead of being a "jack of all trades" styled photographer. This video is so helpful and relieving for a guy like me...thanks for making it and sharing your thoughts so openly Faizal! You're a gem to the photography community.
I’m 70 & have felt “in the middle” most of my life. My photography evolves/devolves all the time. Sometimes I feel like I’m progressing; most of the time I feel pretty haphazard. But learning & experimenting is what Life is all about- even in this love/hate relationship with photography. Keep doing what you’re doing. I always learn something every time I watch your videos. Your honesty about the journey of your Life in Protography is precious to hold onto.
I have 100+ subscriptions on RUclips, and you, and perhaps two others, are the ones that I'm genuinely happy to find the blue dot that signals a new video. Maybe you shouldn't be fully satisfied with your work, given that you're 27 and building a career, but your journey is well worth taking for your subscribers, whether old or young. Thank you for your work.
I'm 41 and have been working as a photographer for the last 15 years. Had a tough professional setback, and thus currently in a "sh*t I'm still average and uninspired" phase. I'm in Tokyo right now, supposedly to travel for fun and to get away from it all for a while, but I'm too focused on getting my shots in, and as a result I've not been enjoying myself the last couple of days. RUclips suggested this video at the exact right time. Tomorrow I'm going to chill and just do what I like. Thanks man.
Good for you, that you feel that way. I'm happy not to be a pro with a distinctive style. I don't want photography to be my main income. I don't desire fame or finding the style that defines me. I find it restrictive. Everyone expecting you to do this one specific thing they know you for, and you having to follow it. Doing different kinds of photography, always playing and trying new things is what keeps it being fun for me. I'm in my fourties, had been playing with cameras since I can remember. Never had a burnout and still do it purely for the love of it. If someone is willing to pay me to do it on my terms, I'm more than happy to accept the job, and it's a pure joy to work that way. Be yourself and don't care about people's expectations. You'll never please them all, no matter how famous or unique you'll become.
Ok I just found your video an I’m starting photography class and I’m very excited, I like your style and how you do you , your not doing it for attention. Very inspired THANK YOU !
So beautifully raw and very well articulated, thank you. I have similar feelings about my own work, and you have definitely helped me to gain more perspective. The statement you made at the end about being only 27 hit me the hardest, yet gave me even more perspective. I have been shooting for 11 years, yet didn’t start street until about 2020. I am now 59 and your comments have allowed me to double down on my own thoughts, and they are to relax and enjoy my processes, no matter which way they lead, because whilst I’m not super old, I ain’t young, and life just needs to be appreciated for what it is. ✌️
Great video! I've also wrestled with sticking to one subject vs just photographing what I find interesting so it was super encouraging to see your video.
Thanks for making a video like this. There are times I look at my photos and feel like I am not displaying myself as a photographer with a specific style. I go back and forth trying to change it and ultimately end up getting put back in the middle of two styles. I’ve just gone ahead and rolled with it since it seems there’s no point in fighting it, if I’m actually enjoying what I capture. ❤
As a retired senior, I have no "genre". Just got back from a brief vacation where I shot landscape, vineyards, tried my hand at sunsets & crashing waves (surprisingly turned out better than I planned) my trip on a ferry boat both ways to & from an island in the middle of Lake Erie, birds, small cafes ,photographed a lighthouse that I used to land on every 2 weeks in my coast guard (Canadian) younger years (many decades ago )& so on. Rekindled many fond memories.It's just great to get out with the camera, therapy in a sense i suppose. Keep the videos coming Faisal !
Art is as much about the process as it is about the product. it is as much about individual expression as it is about communal appreciation. Keep being you!
i’m a beginner photographer but have been passionate about it for many years now. school isn’t for me so i’m taking the step to educate myself through youtube and this is the first video i have seen of yours. and may i just say, keep doing this. your words and mindset are very similar to mine and i just i found my next inspiration for my passion and that is you. Keep doing you Faizal, i would love to hear more tips and suggestions for new photographers!!
This perfectly encapsulates my feelings. I am not "art-trained" or a professional by any means, and only picked up photography 6 months ago. The pressure to consistenly upload good photos and having an aesthetic theme paralyses me sometimes, and I was hopping between so many "styles", cause I find myself stuck in the middle too. Recently bought a 50mm lens and shot it on my first day, but was so discouraged by the shots, I wondered if it was even the right decision. But then I happened to chance upon this video immediately after, which gave me the encouragement and advice I needed to hear, and I can't wait to see where my camera and lens takes me.
Thanks for sharing your journey. It's inspirational. When I feel stuck, I just try my best to get myself out the door with my camera and know (hopefully) something good will come of it.
Just wanna leave a bit of my comment here: The phrase: "what interest you today, may not be same as what interest you a year ago, and there's a good chance it won't be the same a year from now" reallt struck me. It make me realize i'm not a constant variable, that i still, will be, and always changing, for the rest of my life. It relieves me.
I've been following your photography and your channel for quite a while now and honestly, i feel somewhat opposite in regards of you not having a particular style. I've always had this impression that you have a certain style that i recognize whenever your post pops up in my instagram feed. The way you play with reflections, that abstract feel with human elements in them. I really love them. You inspire me a lot. Thank you for the all the good work!
Commenting for the algorithm and to say thanks for always inspiring me to get out and shoot! I have become a lot more experimental in my street shooting thanks in large part to your videos, and that’s been a lot of fun to explore. Keep making amazing photos and amazing content. Cheers.
This was quite enjoyable. My social media photography profiles refer to myself as - “A devoted anti-stylist”. It is accurate and true to how I see my purpose for owning cameras and walking the streets and alleys. Thank you, Faisal.
Always love watching your videos. It’s a form of relaxation after a long days work. Thank you. You deserve to hear great things. Like your photographs.
Your videos are always so inspiring and relatable. I can really connect with the feelings you describe in this video, and it's so refreshing to see someone being so open and honest. Keep creating and sharing your insights, I look forward to seeing more from you in the future!
I think that everyone has their own personal style that adds depth and soul to photos. You have defined the chaotic, messy, wonderful way to capture the world around you, exactly as you see it. Keep going❤
20 years don’t have one and never wanted one. Having a style for me is just restrictive. And having your work recognized by your style seems horrifying for me. Doesn’t mean it’s bad, just bad for me.
Faizal you were one of the first youtubers that inspired me to take photos. After watching your videos, I've always felt I've learned a little bit more about myself and photography. This video made me question "do i even have a style?"... maybe I do, or maybe I'm trying to hard to fit into one category, but when It comes down to it, I just enjoy capturing and documenting what I like regardless of anyone's input. Keep doing what you're doing, you are an inspiration mate.
You taught me so much about photography over the years, and it empowered me to teach myself how to shoot different styles. So grateful to you and this channel ❤
I’ve been shooting for almost 10 years, and I would like to say I still don’t have a style. But as of recent, it’s eating at me. But, I’m grateful to feel a way about because now, I can DO SOMETHING about it. I’ve always appreciated your work but this may be my favorite video of yours yet. Thank you sir.
There are not only different styles in photography, but also in youtubers.. you are the social kind that likes to introduce himself in the videos and a lot of people are not looking for informative vids but for exactly that. So please keep on doing what you do. You are on the right track! Also almost 250k subscibers are nothing to complain about ;) Keep shooting!
For some reason, you just know when to post what, according to where i am in my life. Your yt videos and photography is something that to me is therapeutic. Be it the visuals, voice overs, music, everything as a whole is beautiful. You keep inspiring and keeping me sane and hopeful that it is possible. Thank you Faizal, for keeping people’s hopes alive around the world, specially mine.
For this reason, is why I call my photography urban I think that covers all bases. If I photograph a building that think has character, urban decay & renewal or repurposing or if I'm lucky to get a face with character. it all falls under the same umbrella! That is why I choose B&W most fo the time.
Great video man! Joel Mayerwitz was always a huge inspiration in this way. 35mm street, large format black and white portraits, beach landscapes, documentary (Sept 11th)…he did it all and he did it well and it it looks like him because it came from his heart.
This video was immensely inspiring. Inspiring to shoot, to have ideas, to fail and to try again. I've found myself trying to "force" out a style out of me in an attempt to match the people I admire on YT/IG. but, as your video reminds me, It's a journey and I'm not there yet. A style is not something we can really force, it will be something that flows through your work when you've matured as a photographer. Even if it's "your style" you're merely a passenger along the story/style that will be conveyed through you. Thank you for the reminder to be patient, and to spend this time learning and loving the art. For when the time comes and your style calls upon you, you will be ready. Cheers mate.
i think social media def took a hard hit on being a photographer and just enjoying what you do, i got off social media and its been very freeing to just shoot and share with my other photography friends without the likes or comments. ive been told i dont have a style either but i think thats what makes things more special. your videos always inspire me and theres always something to take away from them. thank you for that.
This video was so relatable. In addition, your photography, videography, and most of all storytelling is truly encapsulating. Been subscribed to you for quite some time and watching your growth not just in art but in life (perceptions and wisdom) without articulating the hardships of your journey you eloquently deliver master pieces that which is Faizal. Thank you so much for your courage and sharing your gift. Truly truly magnificent work.
I feel this so much however, landscape/nature photography adds to the peace and tranquility photography brings me, and I definitely relate to the longing for criticism, despite being able to be my own critic with each passing year I continue to shoot. Thank you for posting.
Thanks for making this video. I can really relate to your journey. Like you, I feel like I'm in the middle, but I lean more towards the documentary side since I primarily use the GR III. I didn’t go to art school either, and I used to care more about what people at work said. But now, I don’t let it bother me much-just enough to keep me thinking. Keep doing what you’re doing!
I love your work, Fizal. Haters are insecure about people doing things differently because they thought they figured it all out. Don't let them dissuade you from your own journey. I have been following this channel for over two years, and it has always been inspiring. Keep doing what your heart and feelings bring you to. Thank you for the love and work you put out there!
I feel that i am where you are now, at my 40´s, but i even don´t take photography as a job but only as a hobby. I think photography is a way of expression, a way to see life, a way to show others how you see the world. We, as photographers, shouldn´t explain ourselves, that's the beauty of it and you only get better by shooting, there is no loses. Keep up with your passion, and keep on share it if you want, people like me will appreciate it. Thank you in advance Faizal for inspiring us to take the camera out!!
Subscribed and tuning in brother. I'm in with your journey. Love your works and I get it- people will always have something unpleasant to say. I get that a lot too. People taking criticism often see that as an end point (or at least just a point) where you kind of like pause and evaluate yourself. As instinctive as it may be, I always embrace it and take it as I continue and I use it not to ever doubt myself but to give myself a better reflection of which way to go. Cheers!
Been following you for quite some time, and since the beginning I've always had the same thought "This is the standard where I wanna be" your works are amazing & will always support you brother. You do you
Your photography work aside, I can definitely tell a Faizal RUclips video when I see and hear one, and they always inspire, enlighten, calm, and teach. Keep experimenting, trying new cameras, and breaking your own rules. The only people who are stuck in the middle are those trapped by their own style, dogmatically devoted to a single camera brand, hating on anyone who deviates from their narrow definition of a genre.
Lovely video and amazing shots. You're leagues above me! That last scene resonated with me as someone also 27... we should enjoy the journey and enjoy being in the middle! As long as we take decent photos that's all that matters!
Honestly, your channel is something I constantly come back to when in need of some artistic therapy. I've worked as a graphic designer for 10 years and take photos as a hobby, and this feels all too familiar in both realms. I thinks the artists struggle is constantly batteling imposter syndrome and trying to figure out who you are. Happy to see other comments where people have seasoned a lot more and still struggle with the same things. Guess it doesn't get any better with time.
WTF did I just watch? The color grading, the style. All was so beautifully retro but still had the modern quality. I. Just. Love. it. Also I think your pictures are absolutely fantastic and I hope I can someday shoot ones that are just half as good. For the haters: Its OK to not like things, it's OK to share criticism but why the rude tone and the hate? Keep going man, you're doing strong! Greetings from Germany.
Really great video, don't let the negative comments affect you too much, just carry on doing what you enjoy doing. I started photography because I wanted to get outside of the house, and DRTV videos showed how much fun it can be. Some people suggested to me to make living out of it, but I do it for the fun for the enjoyment. I don't want pressure on myself for doing my hobby. To be honest I think your videos are quite therapeutic and helps to slow things down. You don't try to sell things or being overly excited over something you are trying to sell. You are sharing your experiences with the world. Keep it up.
Thank you for sharing. Your thoughts and feelings are relatable. I've been photographing since I was a teenager a very long time ago. I left photography for a while after letting a bad experience drive me away. I couldn't stay away forever and returned. I told myself I'm back on the journey and looking to rediscover my eye. It took me some time being dissatisfied until I had a bit of an epiphany. I realised that maybe my "eye" has evolved and moved on. Maybe I should stop trying to force rediscovering my eye and let my life and interests take me where it's going. It kind of feels like this is where you are as well. Maybe that's why I like your art so much.
I'm almost 34 and feel miles away from figuring out everything :) I've been an amateur photographer for almost 15 years now and this journey evolves and inspires me even more each year. Your thoughts in this video reminded me the Conan O'Brien's Dartmouth commencement speech from 2011. Aside from the brilliant idea of everchanging goals and interests there is also a phrase "Be kind, work hard and amazing things will happen". This channel is one of the most pleasant discoveries for me, thank you so much for the inspiration
Bravo!!! I find your videos very inspiring from both a photographic and a personal point of view. If you are in the middle you can evolve. This is what matters most. Keep going!!
Shoot for the joy of shooting! Photography is the way we artistically express ourselves. My photos are awful because I have no talent and I’m somewhat red-green colorblind, but no one is going to stop my photography and I can’t imagine not making photos nearly every day! Thank you for the videos!
Dear Faizal, thank you for your clear thoughts about this "problem", I feel very similar nowadays, and it is good to know I am not alone. Keep going! 👍👏
Really great topic and speaks to everything I’m feeling about my own work. Thanks for the reminder that we aren’t alone in this and that it’s ok to be “in the middle” (even though I’m 50, I was a late starter). Keep it up and don’t worry about the haters 👌🏻👌🏻
Great vid. A real open heart view on photography. I've been an (amateur) photographer for about 40 years but, after a hiatus of a few years, have been reinvigorated. I used to do a lot of travel photography concentrating on places rather than people and interesting objects. I am trying to reinvent my journey as a photographer with "street photography". Your candid views on your own journey are very helpful. The world is full of competitive arseholes. Ignore the negativity. Big hugs and carry on the good work.
Really enjoyed this video! It’s so reassuring to know that not having a defined style is totally normal, especially when you’re still exploring your creative journey. I also don’t have a particular photography style-I just enjoy taking photos. What is photography anyway? It's art, and everyone should be free to express themselves however they want! Thanks for the insight and encouragement! Keep doing what you love, your passion shines through your work. Don’t let the negativity get you down-your creativity is inspiring!
Just call youself a photographer and take the photos you like. Then when you are 80 and are going through all your photos you can conclude what your style was. 😄
@@theronsan lmao! I agree!
I’m now 80, still on the streets, very happy with 1 or 2 meaningful shots per roll. Good enough.
@@robertlevinson9188 I’m getting use that philosophy. I got my scans back from my trip to Puerto Rico and I repeated the same mistake of under exposing some of my images. I was disappointed but I also got like 5-8 amazing photos, so I’m cool with that.
@@robertlevinson9188 per roll? i'd love that ratio!
Agreed
I began doing "photography" with a Kodak Instamatic when I was ~10. I'm now 71 with health and balance challenges, so these days I use a walking stick and mostly do "shoot from the hip street photography" with a wide angle lens - something I'd never done before. The way I look at it, I'll always be "in the middle" of my photographic journey.
Gosh I am the same. 71 years. I enjoy taking landscapes, pets, wildlife, old buildings and some street photos even though I live in a small town. Harder and harder to get around. I can not decide what camera system to use. I shot Nikon for decades from film to DSLR. I then picked up a Canon ML, RF system. Now I am missing my old Nikon gear and debating to sell all of my new mirrorless gear. I know it is not all about the gear. Just trying to figure out still what is comfortable and makes me want to go out and shoot more. No one cares but me about my photos anymore so I am shooting for myself and like a good pair of shoes I want to enjoy the photos I make and the enjoyment of making them. Style, what style and who really cares.
@@chesterjohnson4504 I got a Canon EOS M (the first one) in a kit with a 22mm 18-55mm and a 90ex flash that was barely used at a bargain price in about 2014. Nice set up if you aren't in a hurry. I'm 73 now, so I appreciate the relatively light weight.
I don't know that you purposefully intend them to be, but your videos are a form of therapy to me. The relaxing meditative quality of seeing someone go through their creative process and share their philosophy, their highs and their struggles; it all just gives me a happy and warm feeling, and a deep desire to get out into the world and view it through the lens of my camera and capture moments. People will always be negative and even mean sometimes, it is sadly the world we live in, but I hope you know that your work effects a lot of people in ways that are deeper and more inspirational than the negative commenters realize. So thank you Faizal and please keep up the amazing work!
What he said!
wow, that's one of the nicest things I've read on here in a long time. It really means a lot to me that you find so much value in what I make. Thank you so so much!
Well put. As I watched this video, my first thought was "WTF would he ask the Internet for constructive criticism?" because there are too many with no basis who will be so negative for reasons unknown to me. Most of the "criticism" offered will not be constructive.
Then I thought "I really like Faizal's work and his videos are such a gentle path along his way and he shares that with us."
I'm right there with you, Brandon.
Amen
on the same page here. Keep going Faizal ✌
It's still your style, even if it's so different, it's yours, it's really what we see is life, and it's also as different as our photos, life doesn't have the same genre or style, it's always different, every second. Thank you Faizal, you just do what you love, we artists do what we love!
Hey! I’m 67, I’ve just closed forty years of commercial photography and I’m STILL trying to figure it out! That’s the fun part. Don’t let it frustrate you, embrace it :D
To be brutally honest from a photographer myself.... your content, voiceovers and photographs are extremely inspiring to myself and my family. I can't speak of others inhumane comments, other than being extremely humorous that people that hide behind a screen that do not put themselves out in the world as you do on RUclips, they find it ultimately fearless to dictate a response through their unhinged comments that most probably they know nothing about which is photography. Your sense of sensibility and feelings dictated through your photography, your videos and voiceovers are a blessing in disguise which I believe truly motivates 99% of us in being better photographers. Me and my family are proud of your work, your photography, your direction, and your help in pushing us in our own direction in finding ourselves and our own voice in our own photographic journey. Keep up the honest and obsessively artistic work you do that inspires us all. Great work and keep it up!!
Thank you so much for your kind words !!
I’m 63 and I still haven’t worked things out, welcome to no man’s land, I send you my greetings…
Just found your channel and loved this video. I’m much older and still exploring. I too feel as if I’m in the middle of my journey. Your discussion of documentary versus fine art has me pondering….
Great topic to cover and continue to explore and talk about. I find it especially relevant here in the NYC community that a lot of our peers are "struggling" with the same questions of style and perception from other photographers. I think about how much my photography style and interest have changed over the last 8 or so years of shooting but the thing that remained consistent is my love for it. So I think coming to terms with being in the middle of the journey and not the end is the best perspective to have. Sorry for the rant lol
❤I feel the same way, all the time - constantly trying to figure out what "my thing" is, but this helped me feel like my thing is just creating, and it doesn't need to be any more specific than that.
I was just having this conversation with myself the other day! "What is my style?"... Thank you for sharing this video with us as I am sure it resonates with so many photographers.
I just photograph what I deem strikes me. Love you channel and photographic philosophy. Keep up the inspiring work.
Just started my journey in photography. I’m grateful for the confirmation that I don’t need to worry about it and just shoot anything and everything for a while. That’s what I’m doing and I’ve been learning so much. Great video. Thanks for mentioning it!
I'm a hobbyst and photography makes me feel so so good but, sometimes, I feel insecure about it or forget about why i do it at all. Your essays videos always help me to reconect and rediscover this "medicine" that we call photography. thanks ✨
Beautiful, love how you describe photography as medicine. It is truly my medicine, or a very addictive drug that frees my mind from stress and gives me a chance to create, discover and document life as I see it. I’m 54 and just discovered the world of photography.
Sometimes I don’t know whether I love learning about photography or actually doing photography. All I can say is that I’m very proud of being part of this beautiful community of artists… young, and not so young ☮️🌵
@@patrickminor8541 Welcome, thank you for being part of the great photography comunity ;)
Thank you for this video! I read the article that it was featured in and thought I needed to pay attention to this. I'm new here and will continue to take photos for myself. 💜
You are a great story teller and extremely talented photographer as well as videographer. Looking forward to follow you grow and watch your work.
Thank you for this. Currently struggling with this but now ima just do me!
Woah, I was taken aback by that photo at 7:15. Just listening, thinking about focal length choices, and then that popped up and shook me. Such a great amount of mystery and confusion about what's happening and how the shot was even taken (I still don't know). If you had that as a print, I would buy it.
Look, since i am not a professional photographer (i actually don't make any money from my camera, just spending...) i never asked myself about my photographic style. In my first steps i did that as a hobby (or better, a pastime). I used to take my big old DSLR with its big old lenses, my big old tripod and went out for the weekend shooting golden and blue hour landscapes. The pandemic years (and other personal matters like marriage and parenthood in the meantime) had a transformative impact on my "style" though. I started to get interested for the mundane things and the common daily activities of people. I sold my old big camera stuff and made the transition to Sony mirrorless system (an a7C and an a6000) with basically two prime lenses a 50mm on the full frame and a 23mm (aka 35mm equivalent) on my APS-C. Image quality doesn't matter for me, both are great cameras, and the only reason i picked a full frame body is for some night time shooting (generally my main camera is the a6000 because its smaller). I love to shoot and edit a "documentary" way or "vernacular". Even my landscape captures nowadays have a documentarian character rather than a visual oriented composition. And i am happy! The last touch of happiness is the printing. Every month, i am picking one of my favorite photos and send it for print i A3 size on fine art paper, so i have a selection of 12 good quality prints every year.
I always love your videos. You were one of the initial inspirations that got me into photography as a hobby. Thank you for what you do to encourage us all.
As someone who is educated in art and art history I think it’s safe to say that photographers really don’t have styles. This has a lot to do with the medium itself, photographers just don’t have control over enough variables to create a distinctive method that sets them apart from others. (Photographers who heavily edit their images are a possible exception to this, and there are a tiny number of straight photographers that people think of as having “a style” but looking at their bodies of work critically tends to reveal that they don’t) if you were to show me your images and the images of 10 other RUclips street photographers and asked me to group them by style I could study line, space, shape, lighting, subject matter, etc all day long but I would still be totally unable to say that some images were created by one person and so on with any accuracy. Photographers tend to think their images look far more different than they actually do.
What would be great is if photographers stopped all the navel gazing around style and started asking pragmatic questions about how we can best represent / engage with the subject matter we create images of. Instead of thinking “it’s all about me” we should be asking, for example, how can we or should we best represent the people in our images, what makes them unique or important or meaningful? Of course so called “street photography” is a horrible genre for asking such questions because in street people are most often reduced to props used by the photographer, but maybe there are other questions that street can ask and come up with interesting answers to without needing the cliché of style to describe what is happening.
A photographer's true style is subtle, even if they try to keep the same environments and composition for their socials. Sure there aren't many variables that can be controlled but in a photographers hobby shots, (that is anything that was not commissioned to shoot or asked to do) there is SOMETHING that drives them to take that shot. and if you ask the photographer why they took it, they will explain. Ask that question across multiple images and you'll notice a pattern. THAT is where the style is. This is not to say there is one reason that goes for for every image, but multiple reasons, and those reasons describe who the photographer is. If these reasons appear in different environments, they will still capture it, maybe not post it if they have a themed social. Without a personal connection, though, the feelings one gets from a specific photographer is the style. it may be hard to pick out a specific one from a lineup, but if you follow one of them closely, or know them personally, it may prove easier than you think.
You're looking at it through a lens of paintbrush and canvas; trying to make people feel a certain way about the final product and capture of what is going on in the image. As a painter, one can control what vibe their creations give off. one creates what they want to project. Photos capture a moment in time as it happens, and photographers want to preserve that moment to share in the feeling of it, not to create something specifically to make people feel a certain way. (excluding photographers who enjoy the deep editing process, these use photographs as their canvas, and their edits as paintbrush and thus can control the vibe their images give off) Enjoying photographs is done very similarly, you are an observer of the product, not the reason for it's creation like with other art forms.
such a sweet video. perspective is everything & that last shot displays that very well.
At this point in time, this is the video i needed to see the most. Thanks Faizal
Thank you for this video. I found out if I put photos on Instagram, there is a desire to see positive reaction. But in the end, you really making photos for yourself and for those you love. It’s an expression of art and that expression may be loved or maybe ignored. I love that this video resonates that we are all in the middle and we can never know when the end of our journey will be. As someone who is much older, but very new to photography, my hope is you always feel free to explore new formats, medium, locations, etc.
Thank you this video, I am in the same predicament.. went from macro to abstract to street to candied family shoots, now I figure I’ll just do whatever catches my attention for the moment, and hopefully something sticks. Thanks for your insight.
I love your artwork Faizel, you are the reason I decided to pick up a camera and try photography. It is now a new love of mine and I thank you for that. You have an incredible perspective, keep up the good work.
After watching a number of photos over the years, I can say you are both an artist in the truest sense and a beautiful person.
You think you're stuck in the middle at 27? Look at me, stuck at the bottom at 55 😂 Now seriously, your videos and photos are a huge inspiration for me to take my camera and create images. And your channel is not in the middle, is at the TOP, number 1 of my RUclips subscription list. Thank you Faizal
Thank you for doing what you do (and to continue doing it), your videos have never ceased to be an inspiration or a therapeutic break from the chaos of the world. After a while, it's the feeling that you photos and videos evoke, and my God it's peacefully amazing.
I'm 28 and hearing that you don't need everything figured out at 27 made me feel much more comfortable with what I don't know. I needed that. Your photography is great and your videos are the ones I enjoy the most when covering photography, thank you!
Well done, Faizal! I'm 58 this week and ive been photographing seriously for now for 35 years and I cant tell you what my style is... only that it makes sense to me and it remains open enough to still allow me to discover where it is I'm headed to. I've been based in Japan since 1983, so the next time you're in country do please reach out! Keep putting one foot in front of the other... All the very best to you!
I truly agree with other reviewers. Your photography is like a therapy and also inspiring. Keep posting more
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your thought on your photography. I really like your channel - so real, so sincere. Keep up the great work!
I love more and more your videos dude ! Thank you for sharing your thoughts of your journey
Bro ...
I did the ChatGPT trend a week ago and it roasted my feed pretty hard and it got me a little insecure about my "style" of photography (as an amateur photographer), which I didn't expect to feel. It got me thinking about whether I should "pick a lane" and stick with that instead of being a "jack of all trades" styled photographer.
This video is so helpful and relieving for a guy like me...thanks for making it and sharing your thoughts so openly Faizal! You're a gem to the photography community.
At 27, you will realize that you are at the beginning and not in the middle. Keep on inspiring, learning and discovering! Love your work!
I’m 70 & have felt “in the middle” most of my life. My photography evolves/devolves all the time. Sometimes I feel like I’m progressing; most of the time I feel pretty haphazard. But learning & experimenting is what Life is all about- even in this love/hate relationship with photography. Keep doing what you’re doing. I always learn something every time I watch your videos. Your honesty about the journey of your Life in Protography is precious to hold onto.
I have 100+ subscriptions on RUclips, and you, and perhaps two others, are the ones that I'm genuinely happy to find the blue dot that signals a new video. Maybe you shouldn't be fully satisfied with your work, given that you're 27 and building a career, but your journey is well worth taking for your subscribers, whether old or young. Thank you for your work.
Such a great video mate ! I love the idea of the journey, I feels like a good artist will never end his journey, always evolving, creating new things.
I'm 41 and have been working as a photographer for the last 15 years. Had a tough professional setback, and thus currently in a "sh*t I'm still average and uninspired" phase. I'm in Tokyo right now, supposedly to travel for fun and to get away from it all for a while, but I'm too focused on getting my shots in, and as a result I've not been enjoying myself the last couple of days. RUclips suggested this video at the exact right time. Tomorrow I'm going to chill and just do what I like. Thanks man.
Good for you, that you feel that way.
I'm happy not to be a pro with a distinctive style.
I don't want photography to be my main income. I don't desire fame or finding the style that defines me.
I find it restrictive. Everyone expecting you to do this one specific thing they know you for, and you having to follow it.
Doing different kinds of photography, always playing and trying new things is what keeps it being fun for me.
I'm in my fourties, had been playing with cameras since I can remember. Never had a burnout and still do it purely for the love of it.
If someone is willing to pay me to do it on my terms, I'm more than happy to accept the job, and it's a pure joy to work that way.
Be yourself and don't care about people's expectations. You'll never please them all, no matter how famous or unique you'll become.
Ok I just found your video an I’m starting photography class and I’m very excited, I like your style and how you do you , your not doing it for attention. Very inspired THANK YOU !
So beautifully raw and very well articulated, thank you.
I have similar feelings about my own work, and you have definitely helped me to gain more perspective.
The statement you made at the end about being only 27 hit me the hardest, yet gave me even more perspective.
I have been shooting for 11 years, yet didn’t start street until about 2020.
I am now 59 and your comments have allowed me to double down on my own thoughts, and they are to relax and enjoy my processes, no matter which way they lead, because whilst I’m not super old, I ain’t young, and life just needs to be appreciated for what it is. ✌️
Great video! I've also wrestled with sticking to one subject vs just photographing what I find interesting so it was super encouraging to see your video.
Awesome message, fantastic journey. Keep doing your thing. You’re doing great!
Thanks for making a video like this. There are times I look at my photos and feel like I am not displaying myself as a photographer with a specific style. I go back and forth trying to change it and ultimately end up getting put back in the middle of two styles. I’ve just gone ahead and rolled with it since it seems there’s no point in fighting it, if I’m actually enjoying what I capture. ❤
As a retired senior, I have no "genre". Just got back from a brief vacation where I shot landscape, vineyards, tried my hand at sunsets & crashing waves (surprisingly turned out better than I planned) my trip on a ferry boat both ways to & from an island in the middle of Lake Erie, birds, small cafes ,photographed a lighthouse that I used to land on every 2 weeks in my coast guard (Canadian) younger years (many decades ago )& so on. Rekindled many fond memories.It's just great to get out with the camera, therapy in a sense i suppose. Keep the videos coming Faisal !
Art is as much about the process as it is about the product. it is as much about individual expression as it is about communal appreciation. Keep being you!
i’m a beginner photographer but have been passionate about it for many years now. school isn’t for me so i’m taking the step to educate myself through youtube and this is the first video i have seen of yours. and may i just say, keep doing this. your words and mindset are very similar to mine and i just i found my next inspiration for my passion and that is you. Keep doing you Faizal, i would love to hear more tips and suggestions for new photographers!!
This perfectly encapsulates my feelings.
I am not "art-trained" or a professional by any means, and only picked up photography 6 months ago. The pressure to consistenly upload good photos and having an aesthetic theme paralyses me sometimes, and I was hopping between so many "styles", cause I find myself stuck in the middle too.
Recently bought a 50mm lens and shot it on my first day, but was so discouraged by the shots, I wondered if it was even the right decision. But then I happened to chance upon this video immediately after, which gave me the encouragement and advice I needed to hear, and I can't wait to see where my camera and lens takes me.
Thanks man.. I needed this. Not just the photography aspect of it but life as well.
Thanks for sharing your journey. It's inspirational. When I feel stuck, I just try my best to get myself out the door with my camera and know (hopefully) something good will come of it.
wonderful video, an amazing feeling go for a walk take photos, trying to show everyone how you look at the world. it's the therapy that we enjoy.
Just wanna leave a bit of my comment here:
The phrase: "what interest you today, may not be same as what interest you a year ago, and there's a good chance it won't be the same a year from now" reallt struck me. It make me realize i'm not a constant variable, that i still, will be, and always changing, for the rest of my life. It relieves me.
Always glad to be reminded that there's a mutually shared pain that all RUclips creators go through in regard to haters. F*** 'em!
I've been following your photography and your channel for quite a while now and honestly, i feel somewhat opposite in regards of you not having a particular style. I've always had this impression that you have a certain style that i recognize whenever your post pops up in my instagram feed. The way you play with reflections, that abstract feel with human elements in them. I really love them. You inspire me a lot. Thank you for the all the good work!
Commenting for the algorithm and to say thanks for always inspiring me to get out and shoot! I have become a lot more experimental in my street shooting thanks in large part to your videos, and that’s been a lot of fun to explore. Keep making amazing photos and amazing content. Cheers.
This was quite enjoyable. My social media photography profiles refer to myself as - “A devoted anti-stylist”. It is accurate and true to how I see my purpose for owning cameras and walking the streets and alleys. Thank you, Faisal.
Always love watching your videos. It’s a form of relaxation after a long days work. Thank you. You deserve to hear great things. Like your photographs.
Your videos are always so inspiring and relatable. I can really connect with the feelings you describe in this video, and it's so refreshing to see someone being so open and honest. Keep creating and sharing your insights, I look forward to seeing more from you in the future!
I think that everyone has their own personal style that adds depth and soul to photos. You have defined the chaotic, messy, wonderful way to capture the world around you, exactly as you see it. Keep going❤
Feel the same way, this topic sometimes takes all my thoughts! Thank you for this video!
20 years don’t have one and never wanted one. Having a style for me is just restrictive. And having your work recognized by your style seems horrifying for me. Doesn’t mean it’s bad, just bad for me.
I totally agree, then it just becomes “predictable” 🤔 when people can recognize ur work.
Faizal you were one of the first youtubers that inspired me to take photos. After watching your videos, I've always felt I've learned a little bit more about myself and photography. This video made me question "do i even have a style?"... maybe I do, or maybe I'm trying to hard to fit into one category, but when It comes down to it, I just enjoy capturing and documenting what I like regardless of anyone's input. Keep doing what you're doing, you are an inspiration mate.
You taught me so much about photography over the years, and it empowered me to teach myself how to shoot different styles. So grateful to you and this channel ❤
I’ve been shooting for almost 10 years, and I would like to say I still don’t have a style. But as of recent, it’s eating at me. But, I’m grateful to feel a way about because now, I can DO SOMETHING about it. I’ve always appreciated your work but this may be my favorite video of yours yet. Thank you sir.
There are not only different styles in photography, but also in youtubers.. you are the social kind that likes to introduce himself in the videos and a lot of people are not looking for informative vids but for exactly that. So please keep on doing what you do. You are on the right track! Also almost 250k subscibers are nothing to complain about ;)
Keep shooting!
For some reason, you just know when to post what, according to where i am in my life. Your yt videos and photography is something that to me is therapeutic. Be it the visuals, voice overs, music, everything as a whole is beautiful. You keep inspiring and keeping me sane and hopeful that it is possible. Thank you Faizal, for keeping people’s hopes alive around the world, specially mine.
For this reason, is why I call my photography urban I think that covers all bases. If I photograph a building that think has character, urban decay & renewal or repurposing or if I'm lucky to get a face with character. it all falls under the same umbrella! That is why I choose B&W most fo the time.
Great video man! Joel Mayerwitz was always a huge inspiration in this way. 35mm street, large format black and white portraits, beach landscapes, documentary (Sept 11th)…he did it all and he did it well and it it looks like him because it came from his heart.
This video was immensely inspiring. Inspiring to shoot, to have ideas, to fail and to try again. I've found myself trying to "force" out a style out of me in an attempt to match the people I admire on YT/IG. but, as your video reminds me, It's a journey and I'm not there yet. A style is not something we can really force, it will be something that flows through your work when you've matured as a photographer. Even if it's "your style" you're merely a passenger along the story/style that will be conveyed through you. Thank you for the reminder to be patient, and to spend this time learning and loving the art. For when the time comes and your style calls upon you, you will be ready. Cheers mate.
i think social media def took a hard hit on being a photographer and just enjoying what you do, i got off social media and its been very freeing to just shoot and share with my other photography friends without the likes or comments. ive been told i dont have a style either but i think thats what makes things more special. your videos always inspire me and theres always something to take away from them. thank you for that.
I love your work! Please keep going!
This video was so relatable. In addition, your photography, videography, and most of all storytelling is truly encapsulating. Been subscribed to you for quite some time and watching your growth not just in art but in life (perceptions and wisdom) without articulating the hardships of your journey you eloquently deliver master pieces that which is Faizal. Thank you so much for your courage and sharing your gift. Truly truly magnificent work.
I feel this so much however, landscape/nature photography adds to the peace and tranquility photography brings me, and I definitely relate to the longing for criticism, despite being able to be my own critic with each passing year I continue to shoot. Thank you for posting.
Thanks for making this video. I can really relate to your journey. Like you, I feel like I'm in the middle, but I lean more towards the documentary side since I primarily use the GR III. I didn’t go to art school either, and I used to care more about what people at work said. But now, I don’t let it bother me much-just enough to keep me thinking. Keep doing what you’re doing!
I love your work, Fizal. Haters are insecure about people doing things differently because they thought they figured it all out. Don't let them dissuade you from your own journey. I have been following this channel for over two years, and it has always been inspiring. Keep doing what your heart and feelings bring you to. Thank you for the love and work you put out there!
I feel that i am where you are now, at my 40´s, but i even don´t take photography as a job but only as a hobby. I think photography is a way of expression, a way to see life, a way to show others how you see the world. We, as photographers, shouldn´t explain ourselves, that's the beauty of it and you only get better by shooting, there is no loses. Keep up with your passion, and keep on share it if you want, people like me will appreciate it. Thank you in advance Faizal for inspiring us to take the camera out!!
THE LAST PART HIT DIFFERENT, DUDE! THANKS! ❤
Subscribed and tuning in brother. I'm in with your journey. Love your works and I get it- people will always have something unpleasant to say. I get that a lot too. People taking criticism often see that as an end point (or at least just a point) where you kind of like pause and evaluate yourself. As instinctive as it may be, I always embrace it and take it as I continue and I use it not to ever doubt myself but to give myself a better reflection of which way to go. Cheers!
Been following you for quite some time, and since the beginning I've always had the same thought "This is the standard where I wanna be" your works are amazing & will always support you brother. You do you
Your photography work aside, I can definitely tell a Faizal RUclips video when I see and hear one, and they always inspire, enlighten, calm, and teach. Keep experimenting, trying new cameras, and breaking your own rules. The only people who are stuck in the middle are those trapped by their own style, dogmatically devoted to a single camera brand, hating on anyone who deviates from their narrow definition of a genre.
Lovely video and amazing shots. You're leagues above me! That last scene resonated with me as someone also 27... we should enjoy the journey and enjoy being in the middle! As long as we take decent photos that's all that matters!
Honestly, your channel is something I constantly come back to when in need of some artistic therapy. I've worked as a graphic designer for 10 years and take photos as a hobby, and this feels all too familiar in both realms. I thinks the artists struggle is constantly batteling imposter syndrome and trying to figure out who you are. Happy to see other comments where people have seasoned a lot more and still struggle with the same things. Guess it doesn't get any better with time.
This ending gave me literal tears in my eyes because it's not only photography what this is about
Thank you so much for this video!
WTF did I just watch? The color grading, the style. All was so beautifully retro but still had the modern quality. I. Just. Love. it. Also I think your pictures are absolutely fantastic and I hope I can someday shoot ones that are just half as good. For the haters: Its OK to not like things, it's OK to share criticism but why the rude tone and the hate? Keep going man, you're doing strong! Greetings from Germany.
Really great video, don't let the negative comments affect you too much, just carry on doing what you enjoy doing. I started photography because I wanted to get outside of the house, and DRTV videos showed how much fun it can be. Some people suggested to me to make living out of it, but I do it for the fun for the enjoyment. I don't want pressure on myself for doing my hobby. To be honest I think your videos are quite therapeutic and helps to slow things down. You don't try to sell things or being overly excited over something you are trying to sell. You are sharing your experiences with the world. Keep it up.
Thank you for sharing. Your thoughts and feelings are relatable. I've been photographing since I was a teenager a very long time ago. I left photography for a while after letting a bad experience drive me away. I couldn't stay away forever and returned. I told myself I'm back on the journey and looking to rediscover my eye. It took me some time being dissatisfied until I had a bit of an epiphany. I realised that maybe my "eye" has evolved and moved on. Maybe I should stop trying to force rediscovering my eye and let my life and interests take me where it's going. It kind of feels like this is where you are as well. Maybe that's why I like your art so much.
I just watched the most beautiful video I have seen in a long time. Thanks.
I'm almost 34 and feel miles away from figuring out everything :) I've been an amateur photographer for almost 15 years now and this journey evolves and inspires me even more each year. Your thoughts in this video reminded me the Conan O'Brien's Dartmouth commencement speech from 2011. Aside from the brilliant idea of everchanging
goals and interests there is also a phrase "Be kind, work hard and amazing things will happen". This channel is one of the most pleasant discoveries for me, thank you so much for the inspiration
Bravo!!! I find your videos very inspiring from both a photographic and a personal point of view. If you are in the middle you can evolve. This is what matters most. Keep going!!
Shoot for the joy of shooting! Photography is the way we artistically express ourselves. My photos are awful because I have no talent and I’m somewhat red-green colorblind, but no one is going to stop my photography and I can’t imagine not making photos nearly every day!
Thank you for the videos!
Wow amazing words and perspective on this. Thank you, this honestly changed my outlook on my photos as well.
Dear Faizal, thank you for your clear thoughts about this "problem", I feel very similar nowadays, and it is good to know I am not alone. Keep going! 👍👏
Really great topic and speaks to everything I’m feeling about my own work. Thanks for the reminder that we aren’t alone in this and that it’s ok to be “in the middle” (even though I’m 50, I was a late starter). Keep it up and don’t worry about the haters 👌🏻👌🏻
Loved this video Faizal. Great to hear your opinion on this topic with honesty and vulnerability. Very inspiring and motivating as usual. Thank you.
I subscribed to your channel because you had a really unique blend of abstract and documentary style in your photography
Great vid. A real open heart view on photography. I've been an (amateur) photographer for about 40 years but, after a hiatus of a few years, have been reinvigorated. I used to do a lot of travel photography concentrating on places rather than people and interesting objects. I am trying to reinvent my journey as a photographer with "street photography". Your candid views on your own journey are very helpful. The world is full of competitive arseholes. Ignore the negativity. Big hugs and carry on the good work.
your videos give such huge inspiration for my photogty path, thank you!!
Really enjoyed this video! It’s so reassuring to know that not having a defined style is totally normal, especially when you’re still exploring your creative journey. I also don’t have a particular photography style-I just enjoy taking photos. What is photography anyway? It's art, and everyone should be free to express themselves however they want!
Thanks for the insight and encouragement!
Keep doing what you love, your passion shines through your work. Don’t let the negativity get you down-your creativity is inspiring!