‘Pain is temporary, film is forever’ Stanley Kubrick said that, and it’s encouraged me before and I hope it does the same to you. I’m sorry you had to sell the Contax man, but we are here to help where we can and there’s no place to go but upwards and onwards from here. You literally beat cancer, I can count on 2 fingers the people I know who can say the same thing. Stay strong and keep your face to the sun ☀️
Ah thank you so much my guy! Had never actually heard that Kubrick quote before so it is simultaneously new and encouraging ahah! Shall be getting as much sun on my face as possible moving forward I reckon, and thank you as always for the kindness and encouragement you’ve shown throughout this
I cant imagine how u feel..im sorry u had to sell your camera that definitely sounds like no fun..hopefully with this fundraiser the financial burden of ur cancer battle is no more and you start to get better mentally..ur courage is something to admire n we will always support you mr sheepskin 🐑
Ah thank you so much Pain, I'm very hopeful on that front too, and I appreciate your level of enthusiasm and support of what I get up to immensely, I need to make like a Pain tribute at some point cus your first comment run has to be one of the greatest in youtube history now haha!
You've got this Will! Beyond your family you have a community of artists that are here for you in spirit and hopefully more. Keep photographing this journey my friend, cant wait in a few years to hear you are in the clear.
Thank you Aaron! I'm doing my best to keep making images relating to the body of work since it does feel important still, on a healing level especially since it helps me come to terms with things to be able to look back and see progress. I can't wait to hear those words in final official form too!
Easiest decision I’ve made is donating to your campaign. You’re a good man and shown such courage, humility and vulnerability. I wish you all the good things in the world on your recovery journey - wherever that takes you, and I hope you regain some mental and physical strength. All the very best to you.
Life will work to steal joy from you at every corner. Your role is never to stop it, or even understand it. Instead, it is to experience. Your are experiencing a tremendous period of loss, but your life is sacred and beautiful. I know things may never be the same, but that can also empower you to spread messages, and create an impact on souls you never could have before. I respect you a lot and wish I had the situation to donate currently. Keep on experiencing brother, it's all you can do!
I can’t give you financial support. But hopefully by saying that you will get throw it and that the older we get life gives us more challenges to deal with it will help. All the cameras I had to sell over the years, that’s making me cry too. But it gives you the opportunity to go out and get new cameras you would not have tried if you where useing your old ones. Good luck with everything, your getting there and life will give you throwbacks endlessly along your own life’s journey. Hopefully standing tall with a nice new camera around your neck when you have your energy back.
That's a decently worthy reason to send something on it's merry way! Somehow my G2 was the only camera I've used for that amount of time that never had any issues, it was probably a magic one haha!
I've been a casual viewer of this channel for some time, and I have to say I haven't been this touched in a while, your essence will always be intertwined with the those you've impacted with your art and photography and at the very least it will always be intertwined with me, I genuinely see you as an inspiration and as someone I strive to be. I genuinely hope you get better soon, best wishes ❤
Just came upon your videos in the last few days while researching the Contax G2. Then I saw the title of this one and it was a big wtf?! nooooo. In a short time, you've managed to positively affect my life through your informative and entertaining videos. I'm sure many, many others can attest the same and in MUCH deeper ways. Stay strong and know that in addition to the direct support you're receiving from loved ones, there is a whole community that wishes you the best as you make it through this character building fight!
Just landed on your channel from Bryan Birks. I am an ex wedding photographer turned youtuber this week. This RUclips is harder than shooting a 12 hour wedding :) Cheers, keep up the great videos
You got this Will! Don’t worry about perceptions people may or may not have. Everybody needs help sometimes and that’s perfectly fine! We’re all here for you!📸🎞
Thank you so much Reimann! I'm hoping I've learnt something about perceptions now that the response to this has been so wonderful, and knowing even though I haven't had time to be super active on here that so many folks are still here and willing to listen is wonderful. Thanks for always stopping by man!
Stay strong, brother. Absolutely no issue at all - people care about YOU, not simply their enjoyment from your content. We've gotten to know you through this medium and believe in your recovery.
So so proud of you Willy - you've held up like a trooper through this whole ordeal, and can't wait to see all the beautiful pictures that you make next! Lots and lots of love from Maddy and Jed. 💓💓💓
Money isn't great at the moment, but Will I'll happily sling a few dollars your way if it can help in any way. I hope you can heal and accept your new position, even if it is difficult and different from what you had.
Ah thank you so much kindest of chimneys, you don't need to feel obliged to at all, the last thing I'd want to do is put anyone else in a less ideal situation. Your kind words and the fact that you're here listening are plenty help already
Wishing love and healing to you and yours. Asking for help and offering help seem to be the hardest things to do - not sure why we're all hardwired that way! Thank you for letting us in.
Thank you kindly RJ! It really did seem impossibly hard, although I hope I've learnt something through doing this and seeing how wonderful the response has been. Thank you for listening!
I'm sorry that your wife is going through that Jose, I wish her a swift recovery and am sending much strength and kindness! Absolutely always doing my best to have a positive mindset, some days are harder than others but you're right that it makes a difference
Buddy, you have and will continue to be one of my favourite youtubers and an inspiration. Gonna head to the support page now. Stay strong my guy, better days 🤞
Hi William. Man, over the last 4 years I helped almost everyone in this world who cared about me die as comfortably as possible from the big C or Parkinsons. I know, the misery of that damned disease knows no boundaries, physically or mentally. As I'm just discovering your videos and enjoying your openness to share your work & journey with us, I'm immediately saddened to see you going through this, and yet very glad you survived and are coming up the other side of it. You take some heavy blows in the process, but every day you can get a little stronger, even if it doesn't feel like it. As is commonly prescribed, the best medicine I see people take in recovery is daily bicycle rides. They always start slow & short, but every day, the body steadily rebuilds your endurance, strength & stamina better than anything. And you can turn around any time & lazily coast & take photo breaks to plod home when you run out of energy. Bike & Camera = Health & Beauty. Anyway, thank you for sharing your life with us.
Thank you Loreo, it's been tough but whenever I get the chance to receive encouragement from folks such as yourself it feels like a huge step forward, I appreciate your words immensely!
ah, that's great to hear - i appreciate it! and all of these comments and support just goes to show that you're never really alone out there (obviously not, because your loved ones) But maybe also, because there's this big group of people rooting for you, from across the globe! :) Take care, man - i appreciate your stuff!!
I love how real you are in your photography videos, and you've inspired me to try my hand at it even if it means making a few mistakes along the way. I donated a small amount, if only to give you some small joy and hope for the future. Thank you for everything you do Will.
Thank you so so much Tomo! No amount is too small, I appreciate it immensely! I aspire to continue to be real, and I wish you much success in your photography! It's mainly failures with some small successes along the way I reckon, but the successes make it all worth it, especially once they start to build up!
Wanting to sell a camera and having to sell a camera are very different and I’ve been in both positions. It’s a shame that sometimes life pushes us to work when we should be healing, I’ve been there many times. The photo community has come together and shown you how much you’re valued, not (just) as a RUclipsr but as a person. I hope this relief of financial burden gives you space to heal, you deserve it.
The community has indeed rallied in a far more spectacular and grand way than I could ever have hoped for and it's been so humbling and encouraging to have received such kindness as a result of putting myself out there. Thank you so much Robbie, I wish all the best to you in life also!
Makes me happy to know you have people around you and o. The internet who support you, and it takes a lot of courage to ask for help. Hope you get through this as smoothly as possible, and thank you for all the great content you put out! You got this mate, you are strong as hell!! 💪💪💪
Thank you so much Pedro! The weight that's been lifted as a result of reaching out like this is immense and I'm so happy that others allowed me to build up the courage to do it. I look forward greatly to putting out many more exciting things, and thank you so much once more for your kind words.
Glad to see you again Will. This is growth. The strength within you is amazing. I know it doesn’t always feel like it, but it’s there. Resiliently face each new challenge. I admire your tenacity. You’ve got this and the support. Cheers to you!!!
Glad to see you again also Justin! I continually come back to your advice early on in this journey and it still rings true, even if I don't always manage to apply it. I really appreciate that your takeaway from all this is resilience, I sometimes don't see it that way but being told so by someone who's opinion I respect such as yourself means a lot. Thank you very much, and Cheers as always!
Just started doing freelance photo work in the last year or so. It's terrific finally getting paid for the thing I love so much. Yet, I would never have gotten to this point without a strong, passionate online community to show me the possibilities of where this medium can take you. I donated some of the payment I received today for a gig I just shot. Thanks for being an inspiration. The weight of dealing with something like this in front of an audience must be immense and I admire your frankness.
Congratulations!! That's amazing! I hope you continue to have great success and that the community continues to give back and inspire! Also I am so honored that you chose to donate some of that payment, I appreciate how special that is. Thank you so much for your support, I hope to continue inspiring, and for the next news I bring to be of the good variety!
I commend you for speaking your truth and sharing your unique experience Will. I can't possibly fathom what you're going through but please know you have a community of peers and artists that support your journey and we're here to do whatever we can for you mate. Terribly sorry you had to sell the Contax G2, that must have been difficult.
Thanks so much Shane, the level headed stances on the sale of the camera that have been presented around here have already done a bunch in helping me accept it, the main thing that's gonna sting for a while is the sentimental value of it but on a "thing" level sharing the experience has already helped a bunch haha. Plus I enjoy medium format more anyway really, LOGIC WILL WIN lol!
That’s a lovely attitude you’re putting forth my dude. I think your medium format work is absolutely spectacular so I’m definitely stoked to see you produce more of it!
Hey Willy, hope you start to feel a little better soon. Just sent over a little donation to your campaign - congratualtions on passing the goal! It's your talent and dedication that makes your photos so great, so you can mourn the loss of your G2, but you'll still be able to make amazing work. Cheers x
Thank you so much Matthew! You're definitely correct on the camera front, I reckon the amount of logical takes being provided here is going to help me speed up the mourning process haha, my RB has always been my main camera anyway so maybe this is a great excuse to just use it more often going forward, Cheers!
You are a real motivation Will. I love you. I can understand how hard was it is to record this video. More and more power to you. Prayers. Everything is going to be alright ❤
Thank you kindly Sreeku! It was very difficult to do indeed! Also youtube for some reason only shows me @handles now instead of usernames, so I saw your profile pic and was like wait thats Sreeku isn't it but the handle confused me for a sec lol! At least now I know going forward! Thanks for stopping by as always my friend!
Thank you Stealther! I try to look at things that way, I think I've just been impatient about what I expect from myself throughout all of this but hopefully being able to accept some new limitations will allow me to come to terms with things and better function in general.
Much love brother will. Took some serious bravery to be ablt to talk about your stuggles. You reached out into the universe and it will reach back without fail. If anything my opinion of you has been strengthed by your ability to show that you a real person with real struggles. #sheepsquadforever
Ah Asher man you're the greatest. Thank you so much for your advice through all this and for being there with your sage wisdom whenever I reach out. I really appreciate you, and you're a wonderful human being.
I'm so sorry that you've experienced this valley in life. Thank you for sharing your struggle and ensuring that folks your age can see how good health can be so fleeting. I have many thoughts and some questions - but instead, I'm going to seriously pray for your healing and your renewal - and not knowing your beliefs but having experienced some terrible and dark moments in my own life, I'm going to encourage you to cry out to the Lord for complete healing and a renewal of your mind and soul. Peace, brother.
Thank you so much for the kind words and advice Scott! I really hope that sharing the journey has encouraged a few folks to get checked out and that perhaps it saves someone from having to go through something too intense in the future. I appreciate your kindness and prayers immensely! Peace to you also!
That was a hard video to make man but we are all here with you. I hope things get better soon and just take your time, we know where to find you when you get back. Much love Will
Don't worry Will, we'll always be here, ready to watch your great content. Don't set back your recovery in the name of getting videos out there. As for the campaign, it takes a lot of courage to show vulnerability on the internet, and the least I could do is donate.
I have only participated to two fundraisings. 1 is for Wikipedia and 1 is for you (jk) but those are the two I whole heartedly meant and really would like to see you stay with photography!! When I first discovered you on RUclips, just fall in love with your images and your video style, coincidentally, I found out a person that means a lot to me got diagnosed with cancer as well…. He lives across country and did not want to talk about it. Later I found out you two have the same rare cancer… I was really shocked. You sharing your experience really helped me understand what he has been going through… You will get through this Will! Side note: I’ll gladly watch ads from your video 🫶🏻
Ahah I’m honored to be held in the same regard as the hallowed Wikipedia! Thank you so much for your kindness, I’m so sorry to hear about your friend but hope they’re doing well! I’m glad that my experience could help!!
Hey mate, I can't imagine how hard it was to make that video. I'm glad that you're working towards accepting that you don't have to maintain an internet persona. Everyone here is a fan of Will the person, not the RUclipsr. I am sincerely rooting for you, and please don't let this period in your life define you. You are a fabulous photographer and a genuine beacon of hope for all us other photographers. Cheering for you from all the way in Australia. Fuck cancer, you've got this.
Thanks so much Sean, my great aspiration is that this period doesn't define me, but I think I've been so focused on not letting it do so that it's overtaken some of the more logical steps I should've been taking in terms of healing. Hopefully trying to stay within my limits for a while will result in a stronger me going forward and that can be the defining aspect of all this. So rad to have support from all the way out there, this is the second comment in a row from Australia and I'm taking it as a sign to put Australia on the list of places to try visit sometime in the future haha, I have an uncle out there and the landscapes and wildness of a lot of it has an immense/scary appeal lol! Cheers!
Ahh I really miss some of the cameras I've sold due to more dubious circumstances... that being said with your level of talent and creative eye you could probably shoot better images than most using a pinhole lens 😆 Best of luck and hang in there - tough times don't last, just tough people :)
Ahah I’m glad that we can commiserate! To be honest I’m actually very into the idea of trying to make some really cool stuff with really basic cameras, will be looking into ways to go about it in the future since it’ll be a fun challenge plus the unpredictability that comes with equipment of dicey quality can sometimes add a lot to an image! I hope to be one of those tough people at the end of all this haha!
Thanks for sharing again some personal thoughts. Hey Will. I've got to tell you: this is a great channel and I've always liked how relaxed, smiling and optimistic you are on all of your videos. They are really fun to watch, because it's like watching a friend telling us what he's done recently. It doesn't look like you're acting for the camera and most probably you really aren't. But... you do not have to feel any need to share anything that you do not feel to share here. That said it must have feel awkward to pretend, for the camera, that the sale of the G2 was for entirely a matter of choice. But a camera - anything material really - can be bought again later (feel free to have another fundraising then ;-) Life is beautiful - even when it's a bitch - and that's one big reason why it is worth capturing it through photos (and... the temporary unavailability of a camera in your collection won't stop you from showing us how you do it, is it?) Big hug all the way from Italy! Stay positive, smiling and optimistic!
Thank you so much for your kind words of wisdom Phabio, you laying out things like this logically really does offer wonderful perspective on things. I’m really glad that the way I carry myself comes across like that to you since that’s always been my intent, to be honest I wasn’t pretending to the camera when I was making the argument for selling the G2 previously, I think I was pretending to myself. It’s been a huge relief to finally admit to myself that in spite of how hard I’ve been trying to believe that things were all good they really weren’t. It’s easier to try ignore issues than it is to deal with them and I guess this is me trying to deal with them now haha. Thank you so much again for your logical stance and kind words, I appreciate them more than I can express
@@Oldstockz Ahh and what a glorious collection it must be! I think I'm content with what I have for now though, once I get over the sentimentality relating to the G2 I'm sure the logical side of me will win out haha!
Will! I dunno if you've looked into it but the correlation of fasting timed prior to chemo has been shown to be very very effective. Heard it on Tim Ferriss' podcast. Worth looking into.
Thank you for the advice Abhishek! I fortunately am past the chemo stuff now and hopefully forever and am just dealing with the long term effects, but if (god forbid) I ever have to do anything of that nature again I'll for sure be looking into anything possible to mitigate the effects. Thank you again!
Hey Will it takes a lot of guts to not only to be honest with all of us , but also to be honest with yourself. There is power in that even if it feels otherwise. On another note, if you are able to get your hands on Pure Encapsulations supplements I would highly recommend. They are free from a lot of additives that other supplement companies throw in their products. Just sharing what has worked for me in the past. Take it day by day and you will feel improvement. God speed brother.
Thank you Degen! I've noted down Pure Encapsulations and shall be keeping an eye out, always very keen on recommendations as there are definitely some dicey brands out there lol! Day by day does seem to be the key, and I'm hoping I've learnt to accept that now
Thank you Pascal! The support I've received throughout this has been the most wonderful thing and has definitely got me through the darkest periods of it all, I appreciate it immensely
While I believe it’s natural for you to feel the way you feel about any sort of perception of you. I think you are worrying about the wrong thing (that sounds harsh, it’s not meant to.) You are loved man! This should never change how anyone sees you and if it does it’s not you, it’s them. So break up with them!! You need to focus on Will. The people that care about you will always be here, always. Rooting for you!
It doesn't sound harsh at all! I think I get lost inside my thoughts a bit more often these days and worry about the wrong things, but having someone approach it from the outside with a more logical perspective puts me back on the right track, so thanks for that! Thank you for sharing your wisdom Justin , it helps a bunch!
On top of medical, living in one of the most expensive cities in SA also doesn't help. Pretoria is R5000-R10,000 for a house/apartment depending on where you stay. But Cape Town is currently the photography center of SA, so moving also limits your access to infrastructure, locations, contacts, etc. Regardless, you can always buy/rebuy gear. You just need stability now. Don't be so precious with objects that are made to create. And don't fall into societies' current trap of fetishizing objects/tech over actual skill, which you have plenty of. Even without a G2, you still have at least 5 broken Nikonos's (you really have a problem) you can do something with. At the end of the day, even if you are limited to 1 camera and 2 lenses, you can still create your best work. Do what you have to. Once you stabilize your financial situation, then you can start looking at Leica's and Rollei's again.
That is an excellent outlook, thank you kind eagle! I concur wholeheartedly with your logic, I think the logic part just falls to the side a bit when it comes to things like that camera, I'm quite sentimental and it was the first camera I managed to get that ended up being a big step forward in my career at the time so it was more of an emotional thing than about the model of camera specifically. I think when I get over this I'm done with owning expensive cameras anyway, maybe faaaaaaar down the line if life lines up I'll consider those things again but what I have now in terms of cameras is definitely enough, outside of bricking a few more Nikonoses lolol. I appreciate your level headed outlook though, hopefully I can think about things more like that rather than letting emotions and sentimentality get in the way going forward
Yeah, as a 72 year old fighting metastatic colon cancer - surgery, chemo therapy, surgery - I can attest, CANCER SUCKS. Fatigue, nausea, diarrhea ... Camera gear sits idle ... It's the very real struggle of just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Don't let the bastard grind you down!
I’m so so sorry to hear that you’ve having to go through so much at your age😞 I hope with all my being that it comes to an end soon and that the camera gear can get back into rotation, don’t let it get you down either!!!! We can go foot for foot haha, I’ll do one you’ll do one and we can match each other out into the sunset 🫡✨
Thank you so much Tyler, no such thing as not much my friend every little bit is wonderful and amazing. It helps immensely, and I am eternally grateful
@@willysheepskin thanks Will! Hope the best for you and love what you create! Side note: I’ve always loved your bookcase you’ve had in the background. I’m going to try to recreate it after a few other woodworking projects
@@tylerhuttosmith ahah no way that’s awesome! It’s Mayas bookcase actually, she inherited it from her uncle I think but it’s a really cool thing, I like how it transitioned to being the kitchen cupboard when we moved too, although the current bookcase is now just a rusty old steel strut shelf thing we found that we covered in paper to try avoid getting the rust on the books lolol. I’d be very keen to see how your project goes!
Will!!¡! Sorry to hear about the predicament you're in. I'd love to contribute to your funds, on the off chance, did you sell the 16mm Hologon!? I'll purchase from you if you haven't!!
Ahoy! It’s all good plenty of excellent advice has been offered that’s gotten me back on the right perspective path already I reckon! Unfortunately I never owned that 16mm Hologon 🥲 I borrowed it from my mate Chris, pick one up if you can though that lens and camera combo really just are the absolute coolest thing, and the optics are ridiculous to boot!
Thank you Thomas, I reckon it most definitely shall! I'm already changing approaches to certain things now, and it feels most wonderful! Hoping it starts to reflect on this platform in due course, slow and steady wins the race lol!
We're all here to help you take the next steps. I'm sorry you had to sell your G2... but maybe it had to make way for something even better that HypeBeast Will would appreciate ❤❤❤
Sending love and money from Australia mate - stay strong. Cancer’s an absolute indiscriminate bitch. A good mate was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 24 - a real ‘wtf?’ moment for someone so young. Several years on he’s doing great but it has definitely been a fight all the way. A serious suggestion for you: turn on ads/monetisation for your channel. I know you’ve avoided ads etc. for our benefit and that’s awesome, but I think we’d all much prefer you get some extra income from all your hard work, and continue to feel inspired to make videos. I pay my RUclips Premium so the creators I watch get compensated for their efforts. Give it serious thought - I’m sure no one here will think less of you for monetising your work. Especially considering the circumstances. Keep healing…
Thanks for sharing that Ben, I'm so sorry that your friend had to go through that but am very glad to hear that he's doing great now. I'm hoping that being able to recognize in myself now that I'm not fully there yet makes the healing process a bit more fruitful in the end, not having to push myself as hard as I have been now is going to be an immense help. I really appreciate the advice regarding ads as well, I'll truly give it proper thought, it might be worth it for videos that I know are going to perform and reach a wider audience, like the ones about gear and such. Send my utmost respect and appreciation to your friend next time you see him, his story has inspired me and many others already I'm sure!
‘Pain is temporary, film is forever’
Stanley Kubrick said that, and it’s encouraged me before and I hope it does the same to you. I’m sorry you had to sell the Contax man, but we are here to help where we can and there’s no place to go but upwards and onwards from here. You literally beat cancer, I can count on 2 fingers the people I know who can say the same thing. Stay strong and keep your face to the sun ☀️
Ah thank you so much my guy! Had never actually heard that Kubrick quote before so it is simultaneously new and encouraging ahah!
Shall be getting as much sun on my face as possible moving forward I reckon, and thank you as always for the kindness and encouragement you’ve shown throughout this
hang in there! i bought your photo diary, which i still adore, and i will contribute to the fundraiser! please keep us updated, its very welcome
I cant imagine how u feel..im sorry u had to sell your camera that definitely sounds like no fun..hopefully with this fundraiser the financial burden of ur cancer battle is no more and you start to get better mentally..ur courage is something to admire n we will always support you mr sheepskin 🐑
Ah thank you so much Pain, I'm very hopeful on that front too, and I appreciate your level of enthusiasm and support of what I get up to immensely, I need to make like a Pain tribute at some point cus your first comment run has to be one of the greatest in youtube history now haha!
You've got this Will! Beyond your family you have a community of artists that are here for you in spirit and hopefully more. Keep photographing this journey my friend, cant wait in a few years to hear you are in the clear.
Thank you Aaron! I'm doing my best to keep making images relating to the body of work since it does feel important still, on a healing level especially since it helps me come to terms with things to be able to look back and see progress. I can't wait to hear those words in final official form too!
Easiest decision I’ve made is donating to your campaign. You’re a good man and shown such courage, humility and vulnerability. I wish you all the good things in the world on your recovery journey - wherever that takes you, and I hope you regain some mental and physical strength.
All the very best to you.
Thank you so much Martin, I really appreciate both the donation and your incredibly kind words, I wish all the good things for you in return!
Life will work to steal joy from you at every corner. Your role is never to stop it, or even understand it. Instead, it is to experience.
Your are experiencing a tremendous period of loss, but your life is sacred and beautiful. I know things may never be the same, but that can also empower you to spread messages, and create an impact on souls you never could have before.
I respect you a lot and wish I had the situation to donate currently. Keep on experiencing brother, it's all you can do!
I can’t give you financial support.
But hopefully by saying that you will get throw it and that the older we get life gives us more challenges to deal with it will help.
All the cameras I had to sell over the years, that’s making me cry too.
But it gives you the opportunity to go out and get new cameras you would not have tried if you where useing your old ones.
Good luck with everything, your getting there and life will give you throwbacks endlessly along your own life’s journey.
Hopefully standing tall with a nice new camera around your neck when you have your energy back.
Lots of love from Portugal William, you got this.
So much love dude, you got this
Thank you kind Trombone
i sold my Contax T2 after having to repair it twice. best wishes from my side, get well soon
That's a decently worthy reason to send something on it's merry way! Somehow my G2 was the only camera I've used for that amount of time that never had any issues, it was probably a magic one haha!
you gotta be one of the strongest people I never met. brighter days lay ahead. love to you and the people around you.
Ah thank you so much for such wonderfully kind words! Love to you and yours also!
I've been a casual viewer of this channel for some time, and I have to say I haven't been this touched in a while, your essence will always be intertwined with the those you've impacted with your art and photography and at the very least it will always be intertwined with me, I genuinely see you as an inspiration and as someone I strive to be. I genuinely hope you get better soon, best wishes ❤
We're here to support you Will, donated 😊
Thank you so so much Ali, I appreciate it more than I can describe!
Just came upon your videos in the last few days while researching the Contax G2. Then I saw the title of this one and it was a big wtf?! nooooo. In a short time, you've managed to positively affect my life through your informative and entertaining videos. I'm sure many, many others can attest the same and in MUCH deeper ways. Stay strong and know that in addition to the direct support you're receiving from loved ones, there is a whole community that wishes you the best as you make it through this character building fight!
Best wishes and many thoughts.
Thank you! And to you also!
Just landed on your channel from Bryan Birks. I am an ex wedding photographer turned youtuber this week. This RUclips is harder than shooting a 12 hour wedding :) Cheers, keep up the great videos
You got this Will! Don’t worry about perceptions people may or may not have. Everybody needs help sometimes and that’s perfectly fine! We’re all here for you!📸🎞
Thank you so much Reimann! I'm hoping I've learnt something about perceptions now that the response to this has been so wonderful, and knowing even though I haven't had time to be super active on here that so many folks are still here and willing to listen is wonderful. Thanks for always stopping by man!
Stay strong, brother. Absolutely no issue at all - people care about YOU, not simply their enjoyment from your content. We've gotten to know you through this medium and believe in your recovery.
Will, you got this!! Sending lots of love and positive vibes. Stay strong my guy! 💚💚
Done! Only too glad to help you both. Thanks for giving us the chance to assist!
Thank you so so much!
Stay strong Will!
I shall always endeavor!
So so proud of you Willy - you've held up like a trooper through this whole ordeal, and can't wait to see all the beautiful pictures that you make next! Lots and lots of love from Maddy and Jed. 💓💓💓
Thank you so so much Maddy, the encouragement from you and Jed was a large part of the reason I felt able to go ahead with this, you guys are the best
Money isn't great at the moment, but Will I'll happily sling a few dollars your way if it can help in any way.
I hope you can heal and accept your new position, even if it is difficult and different from what you had.
Ah thank you so much kindest of chimneys, you don't need to feel obliged to at all, the last thing I'd want to do is put anyone else in a less ideal situation. Your kind words and the fact that you're here listening are plenty help already
Love to you dude, get well soon ❤
Thank you so much Pierre! Appreciate the kind wishes!
Much Love.
Wishing love and healing to you and yours. Asking for help and offering help seem to be the hardest things to do - not sure why we're all hardwired that way! Thank you for letting us in.
Thank you kindly RJ! It really did seem impossibly hard, although I hope I've learnt something through doing this and seeing how wonderful the response has been. Thank you for listening!
Stay positive. It can always be worse. I been taking care of my wife and see first hand how much it can suck. Positive mindset helps.
I'm sorry that your wife is going through that Jose, I wish her a swift recovery and am sending much strength and kindness! Absolutely always doing my best to have a positive mindset, some days are harder than others but you're right that it makes a difference
Sending you a lot of love and support for this hard moment in life ❤❤❤
Thank you so much Corentin! I appreciate it immensely!
my heart goes out to you brother, wishing you nothing but wellness and contentment
Thank you so much Luzurio! I wish the same to you!
Buddy, you have and will continue to be one of my favourite youtubers and an inspiration. Gonna head to the support page now. Stay strong my guy, better days 🤞
Hi William. Man, over the last 4 years I helped almost everyone in this world who cared about me die as comfortably as possible from the big C or Parkinsons. I know, the misery of that damned disease knows no boundaries, physically or mentally. As I'm just discovering your videos and enjoying your openness to share your work & journey with us, I'm immediately saddened to see you going through this, and yet very glad you survived and are coming up the other side of it. You take some heavy blows in the process, but every day you can get a little stronger, even if it doesn't feel like it. As is commonly prescribed, the best medicine I see people take in recovery is daily bicycle rides. They always start slow & short, but every day, the body steadily rebuilds your endurance, strength & stamina better than anything. And you can turn around any time & lazily coast & take photo breaks to plod home when you run out of energy. Bike & Camera = Health & Beauty. Anyway, thank you for sharing your life with us.
i can't imagine how hard, going through this shit has to be, but i firmly hope that you will break through
so all the best to you, you got this
Thank you Loreo, it's been tough but whenever I get the chance to receive encouragement from folks such as yourself it feels like a huge step forward, I appreciate your words immensely!
ah, that's great to hear - i appreciate it!
and all of these comments and support
just goes to show that you're never really alone out there (obviously not, because your loved ones)
But maybe also, because there's this big group of people rooting for you, from across the globe! :)
Take care, man - i appreciate your stuff!!
Lots of love from australia man, you got this. Constantly in my thoughts, you’re such a beautiful person. ❤
Lots of love to you in return! Thank you so much for the kind words, hope all is well that side!
So sorry you're dealing with this William. Rooting for you!
Thank you so much Wesley!
Thank you for being so open and vulnerable Will. Im certain you got this in time.❤
Thank you for listening Nikolaus! It helps immensely being able to share and get feedback on things
I love how real you are in your photography videos, and you've inspired me to try my hand at it even if it means making a few mistakes along the way. I donated a small amount, if only to give you some small joy and hope for the future. Thank you for everything you do Will.
Thank you so so much Tomo! No amount is too small, I appreciate it immensely! I aspire to continue to be real, and I wish you much success in your photography! It's mainly failures with some small successes along the way I reckon, but the successes make it all worth it, especially once they start to build up!
Wanting to sell a camera and having to sell a camera are very different and I’ve been in both positions. It’s a shame that sometimes life pushes us to work when we should be healing, I’ve been there many times. The photo community has come together and shown you how much you’re valued, not (just) as a RUclipsr but as a person. I hope this relief of financial burden gives you space to heal, you deserve it.
The community has indeed rallied in a far more spectacular and grand way than I could ever have hoped for and it's been so humbling and encouraging to have received such kindness as a result of putting myself out there. Thank you so much Robbie, I wish all the best to you in life also!
I'm so sorry Will ❤Sending you love
The love has been received and is greatly appreciated! Thank you so much
Sending you love and prayers buddy - I am looking forward to hear when you are all in the clear from this. Keep Strong!
Thank you so much Ali!
Makes me happy to know you have people around you and o. The internet who support you, and it takes a lot of courage to ask for help. Hope you get through this as smoothly as possible, and thank you for all the great content you put out! You got this mate, you are strong as hell!! 💪💪💪
Thank you so much Pedro! The weight that's been lifted as a result of reaching out like this is immense and I'm so happy that others allowed me to build up the courage to do it. I look forward greatly to putting out many more exciting things, and thank you so much once more for your kind words.
Sorry man. Hope you feel better soon! You are strong!
Thank you so much Lente!
Glad to see you again Will. This is growth. The strength within you is amazing. I know it doesn’t always feel like it, but it’s there. Resiliently face each new challenge. I admire your tenacity. You’ve got this and the support. Cheers to you!!!
Glad to see you again also Justin! I continually come back to your advice early on in this journey and it still rings true, even if I don't always manage to apply it. I really appreciate that your takeaway from all this is resilience, I sometimes don't see it that way but being told so by someone who's opinion I respect such as yourself means a lot. Thank you very much, and Cheers as always!
Just started doing freelance photo work in the last year or so. It's terrific finally getting paid for the thing I love so much. Yet, I would never have gotten to this point without a strong, passionate online community to show me the possibilities of where this medium can take you. I donated some of the payment I received today for a gig I just shot. Thanks for being an inspiration. The weight of dealing with something like this in front of an audience must be immense and I admire your frankness.
Congratulations!! That's amazing! I hope you continue to have great success and that the community continues to give back and inspire! Also I am so honored that you chose to donate some of that payment, I appreciate how special that is. Thank you so much for your support, I hope to continue inspiring, and for the next news I bring to be of the good variety!
I commend you for speaking your truth and sharing your unique experience Will. I can't possibly fathom what you're going through but please know you have a community of peers and artists that support your journey and we're here to do whatever we can for you mate. Terribly sorry you had to sell the Contax G2, that must have been difficult.
Thanks so much Shane, the level headed stances on the sale of the camera that have been presented around here have already done a bunch in helping me accept it, the main thing that's gonna sting for a while is the sentimental value of it but on a "thing" level sharing the experience has already helped a bunch haha. Plus I enjoy medium format more anyway really, LOGIC WILL WIN lol!
That’s a lovely attitude you’re putting forth my dude.
I think your medium format work is absolutely spectacular so I’m definitely stoked to see you produce more of it!
Hey Willy, hope you start to feel a little better soon. Just sent over a little donation to your campaign - congratualtions on passing the goal! It's your talent and dedication that makes your photos so great, so you can mourn the loss of your G2, but you'll still be able to make amazing work. Cheers x
Thank you so much Matthew! You're definitely correct on the camera front, I reckon the amount of logical takes being provided here is going to help me speed up the mourning process haha, my RB has always been my main camera anyway so maybe this is a great excuse to just use it more often going forward, Cheers!
Happily helped!
Thank you so much!
You are a real motivation Will. I love you. I can understand how hard was it is to record this video. More and more power to you. Prayers. Everything is going to be alright ❤
Thank you kindly Sreeku! It was very difficult to do indeed! Also youtube for some reason only shows me @handles now instead of usernames, so I saw your profile pic and was like wait thats Sreeku isn't it but the handle confused me for a sec lol! At least now I know going forward! Thanks for stopping by as always my friend!
Brighter days are ahead, don’t lose sight of that! One day at a time will get you through this.
Thank you Stealther! I try to look at things that way, I think I've just been impatient about what I expect from myself throughout all of this but hopefully being able to accept some new limitations will allow me to come to terms with things and better function in general.
Much love brother will. Took some serious bravery to be ablt to talk about your stuggles. You reached out into the universe and it will reach back without fail. If anything my opinion of you has been strengthed by your ability to show that you a real person with real struggles. #sheepsquadforever
Ah Asher man you're the greatest. Thank you so much for your advice through all this and for being there with your sage wisdom whenever I reach out. I really appreciate you, and you're a wonderful human being.
I'm so sorry that you've experienced this valley in life. Thank you for sharing your struggle and ensuring that folks your age can see how good health can be so fleeting. I have many thoughts and some questions - but instead, I'm going to seriously pray for your healing and your renewal - and not knowing your beliefs but having experienced some terrible and dark moments in my own life, I'm going to encourage you to cry out to the Lord for complete healing and a renewal of your mind and soul. Peace, brother.
Thank you so much for the kind words and advice Scott! I really hope that sharing the journey has encouraged a few folks to get checked out and that perhaps it saves someone from having to go through something too intense in the future. I appreciate your kindness and prayers immensely! Peace to you also!
That was a hard video to make man but we are all here with you. I hope things get better soon and just take your time, we know where to find you when you get back. Much love Will
Thank you for such kind encouragement Tommo, much love to you in return!
Don't worry Will, we'll always be here, ready to watch your great content. Don't set back your recovery in the name of getting videos out there. As for the campaign, it takes a lot of courage to show vulnerability on the internet, and the least I could do is donate.
Thank you so much Eric! Both for the donation and your words of encouragement, hearing a different perspective from people has helped so much as well
Commenting so this hopefully gets more reach. Stay strong dude!
Thank you so much Higor!
: ( sending love and support from Australia 💖
Thank you so much Lewis!
Sorry to hear the recovery has taken longer than expected
Thanks Iain, hopefully being able to do this will be an improvement all around now!
I have only participated to two fundraisings. 1 is for Wikipedia and 1 is for you (jk) but those are the two I whole heartedly meant and really would like to see you stay with photography!!
When I first discovered you on RUclips, just fall in love with your images and your video style, coincidentally, I found out a person that means a lot to me got diagnosed with cancer as well…. He lives across country and did not want to talk about it. Later I found out you two have the same rare cancer… I was really shocked. You sharing your experience really helped me understand what he has been going through…
You will get through this Will!
Side note: I’ll gladly watch ads from your video 🫶🏻
Ahah I’m honored to be held in the same regard as the hallowed Wikipedia! Thank you so much for your kindness, I’m so sorry to hear about your friend but hope they’re doing well! I’m glad that my experience could help!!
Hey mate, I can't imagine how hard it was to make that video. I'm glad that you're working towards accepting that you don't have to maintain an internet persona. Everyone here is a fan of Will the person, not the RUclipsr. I am sincerely rooting for you, and please don't let this period in your life define you. You are a fabulous photographer and a genuine beacon of hope for all us other photographers. Cheering for you from all the way in Australia. Fuck cancer, you've got this.
Thanks so much Sean, my great aspiration is that this period doesn't define me, but I think I've been so focused on not letting it do so that it's overtaken some of the more logical steps I should've been taking in terms of healing. Hopefully trying to stay within my limits for a while will result in a stronger me going forward and that can be the defining aspect of all this. So rad to have support from all the way out there, this is the second comment in a row from Australia and I'm taking it as a sign to put Australia on the list of places to try visit sometime in the future haha, I have an uncle out there and the landscapes and wildness of a lot of it has an immense/scary appeal lol! Cheers!
Stay positive!
Hell yeah!
Screw the camera. Keep it pushing man. You got this.
Thank you Alex!
WILLYY!!
THE LEGEND OF PAIN CONTINUES ❤️✨
Stay strong chief!
Thanks man, shall always endeavor to do so!
Hang in there bud ❤
you are such a trooper, chom! miss you
Thanks so much my good friend, you're a legend as always and I very much hope we get to run into each other in the near future sometime!
Ahh I really miss some of the cameras I've sold due to more dubious circumstances... that being said with your level of talent and creative eye you could probably shoot better images than most using a pinhole lens 😆
Best of luck and hang in there - tough times don't last, just tough people :)
Ahah I’m glad that we can commiserate! To be honest I’m actually very into the idea of trying to make some really cool stuff with really basic cameras, will be looking into ways to go about it in the future since it’ll be a fun challenge plus the unpredictability that comes with equipment of dicey quality can sometimes add a lot to an image! I hope to be one of those tough people at the end of all this haha!
Thanks for sharing again some personal thoughts.
Hey Will. I've got to tell you: this is a great channel and I've always liked how relaxed, smiling and optimistic you are on all of your videos. They are really fun to watch, because it's like watching a friend telling us what he's done recently. It doesn't look like you're acting for the camera and most probably you really aren't. But... you do not have to feel any need to share anything that you do not feel to share here. That said it must have feel awkward to pretend, for the camera, that the sale of the G2 was for entirely a matter of choice. But a camera - anything material really - can be bought again later (feel free to have another fundraising then ;-)
Life is beautiful - even when it's a bitch - and that's one big reason why it is worth capturing it through photos (and... the temporary unavailability of a camera in your collection won't stop you from showing us how you do it, is it?)
Big hug all the way from Italy! Stay positive, smiling and optimistic!
Thank you so much for your kind words of wisdom Phabio, you laying out things like this logically really does offer wonderful perspective on things. I’m really glad that the way I carry myself comes across like that to you since that’s always been my intent, to be honest I wasn’t pretending to the camera when I was making the argument for selling the G2 previously, I think I was pretending to myself. It’s been a huge relief to finally admit to myself that in spite of how hard I’ve been trying to believe that things were all good they really weren’t. It’s easier to try ignore issues than it is to deal with them and I guess this is me trying to deal with them now haha.
Thank you so much again for your logical stance and kind words, I appreciate them more than I can express
🤍 Sending Big Love Bro!! Aloha.
Aloha Justin! Thank you so much!
There will always be another!
There will indeed! Cheers!
@@willysheepskin I said no more cameras and now I have 200+ 🤣
@@Oldstockz Ahh and what a glorious collection it must be! I think I'm content with what I have for now though, once I get over the sentimentality relating to the G2 I'm sure the logical side of me will win out haha!
@@willysheepskin don't worry if you ever see a good deal you'll get another hahah 🤣
Will! I dunno if you've looked into it but the correlation of fasting timed prior to chemo has been shown to be very very effective. Heard it on Tim Ferriss' podcast. Worth looking into.
Thank you for the advice Abhishek! I fortunately am past the chemo stuff now and hopefully forever and am just dealing with the long term effects, but if (god forbid) I ever have to do anything of that nature again I'll for sure be looking into anything possible to mitigate the effects. Thank you again!
You are a legend bro. You got this king
No you my friend are the legend for offering your encouragement when I was trying to figure out if this was something I wanted to do, thank you
@@willysheepskin always here for you pal just a message away (unless we get a SA/LDN link up in soon 😏)
❤❤❤
Hey Will it takes a lot of guts to not only to be honest with all of us , but also to be honest with yourself. There is power in that even if it feels otherwise. On another note, if you are able to get your hands on Pure Encapsulations supplements I would highly recommend. They are free from a lot of additives that other supplement companies throw in their products. Just sharing what has worked for me in the past. Take it day by day and you will feel improvement. God speed brother.
Thank you Degen! I've noted down Pure Encapsulations and shall be keeping an eye out, always very keen on recommendations as there are definitely some dicey brands out there lol! Day by day does seem to be the key, and I'm hoping I've learnt to accept that now
HANG IN THERE BUDDY… YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE SUPPORTING YOU.
Thank you Pascal! The support I've received throughout this has been the most wonderful thing and has definitely got me through the darkest periods of it all, I appreciate it immensely
damn hype beast Will was on fire in this one
Haha he always comes in when he's most needed!
While I believe it’s natural for you to feel the way you feel about any sort of perception of you. I think you are worrying about the wrong thing (that sounds harsh, it’s not meant to.) You are loved man! This should never change how anyone sees you and if it does it’s not you, it’s them. So break up with them!! You need to focus on Will. The people that care about you will always be here, always. Rooting for you!
It doesn't sound harsh at all! I think I get lost inside my thoughts a bit more often these days and worry about the wrong things, but having someone approach it from the outside with a more logical perspective puts me back on the right track, so thanks for that! Thank you for sharing your wisdom Justin , it helps a bunch!
On top of medical, living in one of the most expensive cities in SA also doesn't help. Pretoria is R5000-R10,000 for a house/apartment depending on where you stay. But Cape Town is currently the photography center of SA, so moving also limits your access to infrastructure, locations, contacts, etc. Regardless, you can always buy/rebuy gear. You just need stability now. Don't be so precious with objects that are made to create. And don't fall into societies' current trap of fetishizing objects/tech over actual skill, which you have plenty of.
Even without a G2, you still have at least 5 broken Nikonos's (you really have a problem) you can do something with. At the end of the day, even if you are limited to 1 camera and 2 lenses, you can still create your best work. Do what you have to. Once you stabilize your financial situation, then you can start looking at Leica's and Rollei's again.
That is an excellent outlook, thank you kind eagle! I concur wholeheartedly with your logic, I think the logic part just falls to the side a bit when it comes to things like that camera, I'm quite sentimental and it was the first camera I managed to get that ended up being a big step forward in my career at the time so it was more of an emotional thing than about the model of camera specifically.
I think when I get over this I'm done with owning expensive cameras anyway, maybe faaaaaaar down the line if life lines up I'll consider those things again but what I have now in terms of cameras is definitely enough, outside of bricking a few more Nikonoses lolol.
I appreciate your level headed outlook though, hopefully I can think about things more like that rather than letting emotions and sentimentality get in the way going forward
Don't know you men, but i love your work!, hang in there! You got this!
Thank you so much man! Hanging in for sure!
👍🙏
Yeah, as a 72 year old fighting metastatic colon cancer - surgery, chemo therapy, surgery - I can attest, CANCER SUCKS.
Fatigue, nausea, diarrhea ...
Camera gear sits idle ...
It's the very real struggle of just keep putting one foot in front of the other.
Don't let the bastard grind you down!
Sending you much love and healing ❤
I’m so so sorry to hear that you’ve having to go through so much at your age😞 I hope with all my being that it comes to an end soon and that the camera gear can get back into rotation, don’t let it get you down either!!!! We can go foot for foot haha, I’ll do one you’ll do one and we can match each other out into the sunset 🫡✨
Saw Bryan’s post and sent a little you way man. Not much, but hope it helps
Thank you so much Tyler, no such thing as not much my friend every little bit is wonderful and amazing. It helps immensely, and I am eternally grateful
@@willysheepskin thanks Will! Hope the best for you and love what you create! Side note: I’ve always loved your bookcase you’ve had in the background. I’m going to try to recreate it after a few other woodworking projects
@@tylerhuttosmith ahah no way that’s awesome! It’s Mayas bookcase actually, she inherited it from her uncle I think but it’s a really cool thing, I like how it transitioned to being the kitchen cupboard when we moved too, although the current bookcase is now just a rusty old steel strut shelf thing we found that we covered in paper to try avoid getting the rust on the books lolol. I’d be very keen to see how your project goes!
Will!!¡! Sorry to hear about the predicament you're in. I'd love to contribute to your funds, on the off chance, did you sell the 16mm Hologon!? I'll purchase from you if you haven't!!
Ahoy! It’s all good plenty of excellent advice has been offered that’s gotten me back on the right perspective path already I reckon! Unfortunately I never owned that 16mm Hologon 🥲 I borrowed it from my mate Chris, pick one up if you can though that lens and camera combo really just are the absolute coolest thing, and the optics are ridiculous to boot!
You've got this Willy! Hopefully the financial relief helps you to take some gas off the pedal so you can recover properly...
Thank you Thomas, I reckon it most definitely shall! I'm already changing approaches to certain things now, and it feels most wonderful! Hoping it starts to reflect on this platform in due course, slow and steady wins the race lol!
We're all here to help you take the next steps. I'm sorry you had to sell your G2... but maybe it had to make way for something even better that HypeBeast Will would appreciate ❤❤❤
Ahh thank you
You got this man. Fk that cancer up
Sending love and money from Australia mate - stay strong. Cancer’s an absolute indiscriminate bitch. A good mate was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the age of 24 - a real ‘wtf?’ moment for someone so young. Several years on he’s doing great but it has definitely been a fight all the way. A serious suggestion for you: turn on ads/monetisation for your channel. I know you’ve avoided ads etc. for our benefit and that’s awesome, but I think we’d all much prefer you get some extra income from all your hard work, and continue to feel inspired to make videos. I pay my RUclips Premium so the creators I watch get compensated for their efforts. Give it serious thought - I’m sure no one here will think less of you for monetising your work. Especially considering the circumstances. Keep healing…
Thanks for sharing that Ben, I'm so sorry that your friend had to go through that but am very glad to hear that he's doing great now. I'm hoping that being able to recognize in myself now that I'm not fully there yet makes the healing process a bit more fruitful in the end, not having to push myself as hard as I have been now is going to be an immense help. I really appreciate the advice regarding ads as well, I'll truly give it proper thought, it might be worth it for videos that I know are going to perform and reach a wider audience, like the ones about gear and such. Send my utmost respect and appreciation to your friend next time you see him, his story has inspired me and many others already I'm sure!
Nice hair.
Thank you kindly! Weirdly my hair got roasted in a comment on an older video a little while ago so nice to have this offset it now haha!