I think he meant the absolute opposite ... one picture of a situation can tell you more than thousand words that describe it. So this underlines, how simple photography is compared to texts/words. You have the ability to create strong feelings with only one photograph. And that is what you should aim for ... tell a story in only one picture. 🤔
I think that guy was just too... language-challenged... to say that your picture should tell a story. Dumbness makes many people mess up teachable moments by ignoring the precise formulation. They rely on a falsifying approximation that sounds "about right" to their minds.
Honestly, watching you do your thing as you take photos is immensly comforting for a beginner like me. I always feel so awkward and somewhat stressed when trying to take pictures, as if there is a line of people impatiently waiting for me to get done. Don't know why as I'm always alone when going out to take photos...
I totally understand. I don't even bother trying to take anything other than snapshots when I'm hiking with my family 😊. I always feel rushed. Gotta work on that.
It's only you putting pressure on yourself. If you have an idea in mind, think about how to capture it before you start trying to take the photo. Taking your time becomes one of the more relaxing parts of being out with the camera. :)
From my point of view the best advice is: “don’t walk up to photographers and start giving them advice”. Maybe I should just get a sign saying “leave me alone” when I’m out though... :)
LOL funny you said this, I was just shooting WRC in Croatia last weekend and there was a guy at one of the a hairpin corners, taking all the space with his 4 tripod setups, while wearing a black polo shirt with huge, red ''FUCK OFF'' written on the back.
Not everyone is gifted with the skill of clear and concise communication. He was most likely attempting to be profound, but missed the target. What a stunning location. Beautiful!
Best advice I ever got about photography is shoot what makes you happy, photography should be about your own personal view of the world. If you get really lucky you get to take others along for the ride through your images.
Hi James. I’m a field engineer, which is great cause I get to bring my camera on trips all over the world. In my field, I have to write a lot of reports that include pictures and in that scenario, pictures of what I’m describing in my reports speak louder than anything I could write on paper, or iPad, in my case. It’s possible that the ‘alleged’ pro photographer in your story may be alluding to this, “you could describe what you see in 1000 words or take the picture instead.”
I didn't take that to mean complexity. He meant you can say something simply in an image that might otherwise take a thousand words to say. It's a very sound, but somewhat trite gently philosophical comment.
Have to agree. I wouldn't have taken that advice to mean take a complex image. I find that even a minimalist type photo can also tell a story. My takeaway would be to just tell a story. Far too many photos (even if they're beautiful) don't necessarily tell much of a story. However, your videos DO tell a story and are much appreciated.
Yes. It’s actually NOT photography advice, it’s communication advice. An illustration (photo, sketch, computer graphic) can replace lots of text in a description or instruction. I deal with this issue nearly every day in my engineering work.
As someone who's only been into serious photography for about 1.5 years, I can say that the advice that guy gave means little to nothing to a new photographer. The first couple of months for me was just about learning how the camera operates, the settings and how to get the shot I want via the camera settings. I remember watching tutorials and hearing them talk about story telling and how a scene should complement the subject...etc. I never understood this back then. How could I understand something as complex as telling a story within a photo when I barely had a grasp of what I was doing with my camera, let alone think even deeper into my photos. I'm barely starting to look into videos on how to tell a story with photography after having taken thousands of pictures and know how to set my camera to get the shot I want now and have a good grasp of what I'm doing, I have taken a decent amount of photos that have "story" in them, but now I'm finally able to understand what that truly means and am looking to refine that area of my photography.
I imagine the advice meant, that you should rather takes images about things rather than just of them. If you take an image about something, it tells a story (a thousand words) but when you just take an image of something you only photographed this something (one word). Though this is a mantra to definitely think about, I also think it's flawed in that you need to take images of something to learn how you take the images in the first place. So to take an image about something and to tell the story, you first need to understand what an image "of something" is missing to make it tell those "thousand words". I don't think it meant taking a complex image, but rather one that makes you invested in it when looking at it - so to say, telling you a thousand words in your mind. An image that manages to keep you attracted to its content even after already telling you a thousand words... Which is often quite hard even with text. Anyway, still a great video. Makes me want to travel again and just go outy but life's busy and the situation still ravaging the area. So all the good advice here sadly will have to wait a bit longer...
Hey James. I just found your channel recently and I think it’s pretty great. I love how ambivalent and uncertain you are with your advice & opinions, because it is so much more relatable and honest than these strongly opinionated, black & white, absolutist photographers you see on RUclips. It is more difficult to hear for beginners, but it’s more helpful in the long-run. Anyway, thanks for the great videos.
I think the best picture is one that can almost be put into words but not quite. Where when you've described what is actually in the picture, there is something about it left that you can't put into words but that makes you feel, and where people know the feeling right away when looking at it. Like words between the lines, the image between the pixels.
My frivolous take on it is that a photographic print should take the same amount of space as a thousand words printed in 12pt Times New Roman. One quick Google search later and it turns out that a thousand words is about four pages. So the advice is "always print at A2". ;)
I love these videos that just show the real process. It’s too easy to watch YT and see an edit of nothing but absolute bangers and wonder what you might be doing wrong. My process looks a lot more like this, midges included (we call them no-see-ums) and these are still beautiful shots.
I like that you dont stretch out your videos and just start talking about the subject in the title in the last minute. Very sympathetic the way you do it, thanks a lot:)
James, if you doubted, this kind of video is really interesting actually! Gives me your perspective of views, crops, F-stops to blur and so on out in the field - truly helpful!
Beautiful place! At 6:15 I could see nice flat stones sticking out diagonally from the ground forming V-shapes. I wonder if that could make nice foreground.
I don't ask anybody for advise anymore on my photography because what do they know about my likes and dislikes, i don't like rules either, when you get your head full of photographic rules you are not making your own photos you are making photos according to somebody else rules, i am happier making my own rules. When i decided to propel with force all the photographic rules that i had read out the window i felt a big weight had been lifted from my existence, i have been very happy since and enjoy my freedom very much. My photos are not good or bad , i am satisfied with them just being.
The most important thing I learned from watching this video is tripod management, I'm a newbie and so far I've been extending one part at a time of each leg which takes forever. :D I imagine it will be a huge time saver doing all parts at once!
I usually say that a picture should tell a story. Even a portrait can tell a story about the subject, if they look happy, sad, relaxed, uptight etc. Or a landscape tells a story of what was happening when the shot was taken, the weather, the atmosphere etc. Even a commercial shot tells a story of the subject. The message may equate to 1000+ words or only one word but a good photo tells a story. Even if it’s just “beautiful”
That adage is usually used to describe an image that is a concise synopsis of a scenario. “It’s too complicated to explain, but I can show you a picture and it will become clear.” I don’t think you’re meant to be able to write 1000 words about an image, but that image should be so powerful it can convey 1000 words. The same can be said of great cinematography: The top of a page of screenplay will usually have a long paragraph about the scene, the characters in it, how they look and feel etc. It’s then the cinematographer’s job to convey that in a few shots that last only a couple of seconds. And that is why we watch films and do read screenplays. I still don’t think it’s great advice, because it’s clearly a bit ambiguous and he might not be considering the statement the same way I am. Better advice, if you really must approach a stranger, would just be to ask them, “are you getting what you want out of the shot? Do you want any help?”
That's a well known saying. It about not having to describe something elaborately when the simplicity of a picture can be self evident and more emotive. Also can be just about having a bit of a story in your pictures to make them more engaging. E.g. Leading lines to a focal point and having something in the shot that makes you wonder about how they came to be - like an abandoned burnt out car or a hut, castle ruins, standing stones, stack of stones, a lone bird, a well worn trail or a little boat on a lake at the bottom of the valley etc? By having something like that the viewer can make their own story up about how things got there, their history or what they could be doing next.
Many photographers try to tell a story with their images. An image worth a 1000 words doesn't necessarily have to be complex or cluttered. Many of the simplest images can tell the most complex story while I have many cluttered/complex images that say absolutely nothing other than "what the hell was I thinking"
Hi James, Thanks for sharing this location. I hope to be in that neighborhood very soon ! The advice could mean a lot of things. Best to let the scene work on you when you arrive before taking the camera. Then scout a bit to find the best composition
My perspective, i've seen some epic sunsets that i could try describe with a 1000 words but the words wont even come close to doing it justice, where as other scenes aren't even worth wasting a 1000 words on, ultimately it's inconsequential as we photographers don't deal in words, we deal in light, so just go out in the world, find beauty, capture it the best you can and share it.
For me, any advice that’s unsolicited is less helpful…. Mind you, always good to learn. Simplicity in photos is an aim for me - I tend to make them too busy. Great (solicited) advice as always. Cheers James!
"A picture is worth a thousand words" to me really means that the Photo tells a story by itself that you would have to say 1000 words to tell word by word
Seemed to me that the advice was saying, 'every image should be equivalent to a blithering spray of platitudes', which might well be true, since there appears to be a lot of images that fit that bill around the place, including some of my own optical drivel.
That´s a popular common saying, nothing related with essays or reports.When you see the beauty of a painting or a photo there are no words to describe it - that´s the meaning of that.
A bit of a heat stopper as you ran along that narrow trip hazard elevation! I love the resulting shots though, my favourite being the one at 9.23 taken with your lens at 70mm.
In my opinion, this saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" it only means that it CAN apply, to some scenarios, where indeed a photo is worth a thousand words. But it doesn't mean that every photo is connected to words per se. Artistic photos aren't really connected to words at all. When I look at a photo of a landscape, if anything it makes my internal dialogue to shut up, and enjoy the view. Not make me think of how to describe it with words (what, why?). But when a photo of a picture shows people, people's reaction, some action, historical photos, world war photos, etc. or say somebody punched someone, or say it shows how somebody crashed into your car (one picture, or a picture in form of a video) - that's when the saying "one picture is worth a thousand words" - is supposed to be used.
James, perhaps he might not necessarily have implied the need for a “complex picture”. Usually when someone says that it means a simple image can be a substitute for 1000 words. And that saying, is usually used to convey that you just need a simple image. One interpretation that person wanted to make was that the simplest of images do evoke many emotions. And the complex one do drive people away.
I think I would rather strive for an image that leaves people speechless. One that draws them in so they feel no need to use words. Just feel whatever the image evokes and feel it strongly.
Thanks for another great video James, coming to Wales on the 7th May unfortunately about 100 miles south of Snowdonia still should be good for a few photographic outings from our base at Pentcastell Views near Lampeter.
I was allway,s taught, the art of photography was keep it simple, knowing what to exclude is more important than what to include. Not minimalist as such, just less "busy/cluttered".
To those giving their interpretation of the thousand words thing: That's basically the problem. It can be taken in enough ways that unless someone explains what it means to THEM, it risks either landing the wrong way or being completely useless. No one explained it to me when I was a kid and never tried to even when I asked what they meant because I knew I wasn't very artistic. It took a decade for someone to finally say their version of it meant "Try to tell a story with the photo." And no one said it doesn't matter as much as people act like it does given the differing opinions on what counted as a story or a strong enough one, though I figured that out on my own real fast. And that's ignoring that photos don't often stand on their own or need to. Which finally led me to realize that it's just the most memorable sentence people use to tie photography to more traditional artforms because it can be done so much faster. Is it useful advice? Yeah. When it includes the explanation. Otherwise, I'd say give the advice everyone's favorite RUclips photography scapegoats gave, which was "Don't be afraid to suck." Tell them it's okay if they're not amazing right out of the gate, because it's almost impossible to be. That's _WAY_ more useful in my opinion than risking telling someone to go for greatness or don't bother with it or confusing them even more.
can't wait to see the sunrise video next week! I hope... but another fantastic video. Did you do something different with the color grading in the video?don't know if it's just me to but it looked greta today.
On my Instagram I often write one, or a couple words. And I think sometimes that's all it needs, I don't need it to be worth a thousand words. I care more about eliciting an emotional response, and that's going to vary from person to person. In the end, I just want make great photos, and not everyone is going to feel that way about them, but if I feel I'm doing my best, then that's all that's needed.
9:36 "have that removed". Thought I was the only one who used that! Obviously then had to Google where it comes from ..as I'm old. Stripes, apparently...
In finland we have that same saying but we use it in a not photography realted context.. for example you can describe in 1000 words something complex but just showing one picture can do the same
I think art is subjective…a piece of art may evoke a “wow that’s a pos” out of one critic and then the 100th passerby could be filled with such over flowing emotion it’s worth 1000 words 💕
I've always thought the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" referred to our ability to capture instantly with our eyes that which would take paragraphs to describe in words.
3am here and couldn’t sleep. Great video! like 30 pictures per second at a thousand words per picture... That’s lots of maths and I don’t know that many words. Thank you for making things that make us smile. That’s worth more than numbers of words
when ever i see amazing footage like in the intro, i immediately go into google maps & try to find the exact places seen in the video. since the trails of Snowdonia are in street view - sometimes i can find them. i found where you were standing when the drone went over your head :)
The advice is trite because it has been said so many times that it means nothing. The best advice I ever got was to photograph what interested me as I would naturally try to bring out what caught my eye. Also, I find myself knowing more about shooting certain subjects well.
Not a bad playground. Glad I'm not the only one who takes sweets (Tangfastics in my case) up the hill. If you want a early / late of the Glyders you can always start by ascending Carnedd y Filiast and walking south, you get some stunning views with a straightforward walk in.
Nicely done James. Definitely could be the place for a sunrise, if those bloody clouds play the game. At least you seem to have dry footwear this week. Stay safe 😷🇦🇺
That's not how I understand "a picture is worth a thousand words" but even as I understand it, I don't think it's very good advice. Helping someone make a photograph that actually is worth making sounds, to me, like better advice than telling them they should make something worth making. But I've tried giving helpful advice and I know how difficult it is. I have no problem helping with the technical stuff. But beyond that? That's VERY difficult indeed. And it's probably because it's difficult I want to be good at it ;-)
yeah it just means that the photo/image/graphic can tell a story more effectively than words could, for example, the graphic picture on the side of cigarette packets tells a better story than words would
Another great video James. My lazy Thursday has been spent so far watching a ton of your work. Great stuff. Really enjoyable content. Thank you for sharing 😊
4:05 As a fellow jelly baby addict, the best advice you can give to any photographer is to stock up on the jelly babies. You NEVER get such useful quality advice from any other photography youtube channel.
opening scenes were stunning...... can I ask you James would you ever think of organising a group or "hikers' or friends to make sure you got that photo?
I have always tried to capture images that make the viewer think Wow!! or What?!? The emotional hook makes someone want to stop and look longer and deeper.
I do think a picture being worth a thousand words does apply to news photographers (at least it did when I was a news photographer). Photographic art is a different matter.
Are gummy bears really a good replacement for cycling/running gels tho? I would rather not have to chew something before riding really hard… I just bought like 50 gels and TBH that’s like a half a year supply for me because I don’t have a gel every ride, just when I’m within bonk range or before a wicked segment run.
I think the "A picture is worth a thousand words" quote is more applicable when you're talking about the amount of data you can extract from a picture. Instead of saying "I was standing on a mountain, roughly 2000 meters up, looking down at a valley. In the valley were three small lakes, placed sort of in a triangle pattern around each other, but the rightmost lake was slightly offset away from the mountain. One lake was kidney shaped." and on and on. You could just show a picture and convey all the information in an instant that would have taken easily a thousand words to do. A picture as a work of art should be done as to best realize the artists intent, no matter how simple of complex that might be.
James, you should try those dried fruits. And with all those sensor sizes you have migrated through, those settings have lost all meaning for me as I don't know the equivalency this particular one has.
Hey at least you didnt get attacked by the sheep. Or perhaps a yeti. Seriously to use a cliche quote as advice instead of something more serious or focused seems so unhelpful. For me, I need technical help like post processing, maybe some compositional tips. Its a journey, and every trip I take I learn from. I lookat every shot and ask myself what do I like and could I have taken this shot differently. The first advice I ever got was shoot what you like and dont let critics sway you. Photography is the art of shooting something that no one else got to see. That has always stuck with me. And....its the ability to remember to remove the lens cap BEFORE the shot.🤣🤣 great video!
Well ... perhaps he meant something that you've said (and I) would agree with ... the highest goal of photography is story-telling (ie photos like words can tell a story).
Thanks James, you’ve certainly picked an extraordinarily beautiful part of the world to base yourself there in Wales. I echo Mike Parker’s call for a series of images of you running into the drop off shot, or maybe a multiple exposure perhaps,😀 Hope all is well with Emily..
I think that advice came from someone who was showing the truth, while the bad person was denying it. Like in court. A photo of the Crime, can always say more than the words used in defense. But every photo has a story. Is what I follow more than the crime advice you mentioned 😅
2:42 The reason you clicked. I agree that's pretty dumb. Also, I kind of cringe when I watch photography videos where the person says "a good photo should tell a story". Rubbish. Photography is art and good art invokes feelings. A photo that makes you smile or simply captures a moment in time that has a powerful image is a great photo. No need to run around asking yourself "what story am I trying to tell with this picture?" nonsense.
Maybe the "1000 words" was not about a complex scene but a scene with ambiguity or nuance that sparks discussions about the artistic intent? Maybe just 1000 "wows"? In the wide vertical with the lake on the left and the mountain on the right, I don't think a model would have gone amiss...or a sheep, seemed to be some spares around. Maybe you need to take a border collie with you on your hikes, get those sheep where you want them. Were there ever trees on those hills? Or does the constant trampling by sheep keep it mostly grasses? Enjoyed seeing the techniques you use. Thanks!
You should definitely do the sunrise ones! Me and my boyfriend went up Moel Famau for sunrise the other day. Surprised that there were about 10 other people. It was freezing! And he was the only one taking camera photos, they were just there for the views I guess (they did take phone shots though). Got up there in 45 minutes, hard work and effort but it did look lovely ☺️
In A Great and Terrible King, about King Edward I, the author explains the difficulty of waging military campaigns in Wales. The terrain was a near-impossible obstacle to success. Now I see why. It is beautiful, though. 😀
A picture might be worth a thousand words, but if you constantly aiming for that you'll never be able to do so, because you always be thinking that "that" possible photo is not worth taking because it's not exactly what you're looking for. For me that ruins photography as a whole. You must always aim for "the photo" but until then you have to practice the way you see things.
I think he meant the absolute opposite ... one picture of a situation can tell you more than thousand words that describe it. So this underlines, how simple photography is compared to texts/words. You have the ability to create strong feelings with only one photograph.
And that is what you should aim for ... tell a story in only one picture. 🤔
Yes that's what people mean when they say it, generally in the context of journalistic photography.
I think that guy was just too... language-challenged... to say that your picture should tell a story. Dumbness makes many people mess up teachable moments by ignoring the precise formulation. They rely on a falsifying approximation that sounds "about right" to their minds.
Honestly, watching you do your thing as you take photos is immensly comforting for a beginner like me. I always feel so awkward and somewhat stressed when trying to take pictures, as if there is a line of people impatiently waiting for me to get done. Don't know why as I'm always alone when going out to take photos...
I totally understand. I don't even bother trying to take anything other than snapshots when I'm hiking with my family 😊. I always feel rushed. Gotta work on that.
It's only you putting pressure on yourself. If you have an idea in mind, think about how to capture it before you start trying to take the photo. Taking your time becomes one of the more relaxing parts of being out with the camera. :)
I feel like a giraffe trying to drink water at an oasis
From my point of view the best advice is: “don’t walk up to photographers and start giving them advice”. Maybe I should just get a sign saying “leave me alone” when I’m out though... :)
If someone attempted to start giving me unsolicited advice I would not be polite.
@@cocteaufan what are your thoughts on tripods and how do you feel about three extra legs?” 😂
@@ijclarkphoto I love tripods. If someone has three extra legs I'd urge them to consult a professional medical practitioner.
LOL funny you said this, I was just shooting WRC in Croatia last weekend and there was a guy at one of the a hairpin corners, taking all the space with his 4 tripod setups, while wearing a black polo shirt with huge, red ''FUCK OFF'' written on the back.
@@nogerboher5266 you should have come over and said “hi”, it’s only advice I take exception to ;)
Not everyone is gifted with the skill of clear and concise communication. He was most likely attempting to be profound, but missed the target.
What a stunning location. Beautiful!
Best advice I ever got about photography is shoot what makes you happy, photography should be about your own personal view of the world. If you get really lucky you get to take others along for the ride through your images.
Hi James. I’m a field engineer, which is great cause I get to bring my camera on trips all over the world. In my field, I have to write a lot of reports that include pictures and in that scenario, pictures of what I’m describing in my reports speak louder than anything I could write on paper, or iPad, in my case.
It’s possible that the ‘alleged’ pro photographer in your story may be alluding to this, “you could describe what you see in 1000 words or take the picture instead.”
I didn't take that to mean complexity. He meant you can say something simply in an image that might otherwise take a thousand words to say. It's a very sound, but somewhat trite gently philosophical comment.
Interesting! Every chance I’ve taken it the wrong way 🤔
Have to agree. I wouldn't have taken that advice to mean take a complex image. I find that even a minimalist type photo can also tell a story. My takeaway would be to just tell a story. Far too many photos (even if they're beautiful) don't necessarily tell much of a story.
However, your videos DO tell a story and are much appreciated.
Yes. It’s actually NOT photography advice, it’s communication advice. An illustration (photo, sketch, computer graphic) can replace lots of text in a description or instruction. I deal with this issue nearly every day in my engineering work.
This is the way i would interpret it, one picture can say what 1000 words would take.
As someone who's only been into serious photography for about 1.5 years, I can say that the advice that guy gave means little to nothing to a new photographer. The first couple of months for me was just about learning how the camera operates, the settings and how to get the shot I want via the camera settings. I remember watching tutorials and hearing them talk about story telling and how a scene should complement the subject...etc. I never understood this back then. How could I understand something as complex as telling a story within a photo when I barely had a grasp of what I was doing with my camera, let alone think even deeper into my photos.
I'm barely starting to look into videos on how to tell a story with photography after having taken thousands of pictures and know how to set my camera to get the shot I want now and have a good grasp of what I'm doing, I have taken a decent amount of photos that have "story" in them, but now I'm finally able to understand what that truly means and am looking to refine that area of my photography.
I imagine the advice meant, that you should rather takes images about things rather than just of them. If you take an image about something, it tells a story (a thousand words) but when you just take an image of something you only photographed this something (one word).
Though this is a mantra to definitely think about, I also think it's flawed in that you need to take images of something to learn how you take the images in the first place. So to take an image about something and to tell the story, you first need to understand what an image "of something" is missing to make it tell those "thousand words".
I don't think it meant taking a complex image, but rather one that makes you invested in it when looking at it - so to say, telling you a thousand words in your mind. An image that manages to keep you attracted to its content even after already telling you a thousand words... Which is often quite hard even with text.
Anyway, still a great video. Makes me want to travel again and just go outy but life's busy and the situation still ravaging the area. So all the good advice here sadly will have to wait a bit longer...
James said this "about vs. of" thing at least a year ago on the channel.
Hey James. I just found your channel recently and I think it’s pretty great. I love how ambivalent and uncertain you are with your advice & opinions, because it is so much more relatable and honest than these strongly opinionated, black & white, absolutist photographers you see on RUclips. It is more difficult to hear for beginners, but it’s more helpful in the long-run. Anyway, thanks for the great videos.
Instead of hikers in the scene, how about a Tardis materializing. The 4th Doctor comes out and offers you some more Jelly Babies
Sounds like someone has been giving the boxed sets a bashing during lockdown :)
“I stand out more than all of the mountains” bit of a God complex there James.. you’ll be looking for the infinity stones next..
I just think about the 1000 words as another way to say "every picture should tell a story to be interesting"
Yes That's what I am thinking well. Making Sure every picture is taken for a purpose.
I think the best picture is one that can almost be put into words but not quite. Where when you've described what is actually in the picture, there is something about it left that you can't put into words but that makes you feel, and where people know the feeling right away when looking at it. Like words between the lines, the image between the pixels.
@@SianaGearz agreed on this
Interesting to you or other people? What creates interest?
@@TheArtofKAS For what objective?
My frivolous take on it is that a photographic print should take the same amount of space as a thousand words printed in 12pt Times New Roman. One quick Google search later and it turns out that a thousand words is about four pages. So the advice is "always print at A2". ;)
That’s my favorite font and size! Love your take on the meaning.
The camera also got attacked by midges at 1:35 😂
Moody, cinematic and absolutely beautiful scenery you have there!
I love these videos that just show the real process. It’s too easy to watch YT and see an edit of nothing but absolute bangers and wonder what you might be doing wrong. My process looks a lot more like this, midges included (we call them no-see-ums) and these are still beautiful shots.
I'd like to see the photos of James legging it along the peak of the mountain to get himself in the shot 😂
A multiple exposure comp would be quite fun.
@@andyb_23 absolutely
I like that you dont stretch out your videos and just start talking about the subject in the title in the last minute. Very sympathetic the way you do it, thanks a lot:)
James, if you doubted, this kind of video is really interesting actually! Gives me your perspective of views, crops, F-stops to blur and so on out in the field - truly helpful!
Beautiful place! At 6:15 I could see nice flat stones sticking out diagonally from the ground forming V-shapes. I wonder if that could make nice foreground.
I don't ask anybody for advise anymore on my photography because what do they know about my likes and dislikes, i don't like rules either, when you get your head full of photographic rules you are not making your own photos you are making photos according to somebody else rules, i am happier making my own rules. When i decided to propel with force all the photographic rules that i had read out the window i felt a big weight had been lifted from my existence, i have been very happy since and enjoy my freedom very much. My photos are not good or bad , i am satisfied with them just being.
The most important thing I learned from watching this video is tripod management, I'm a newbie and so far I've been extending one part at a time of each leg which takes forever. :D I imagine it will be a huge time saver doing all parts at once!
A big brick of battenburg cake fits perfectly in a camera bag compartment, just saying 👍
Thanks for the great talk, about the midges of corse. Great video can’t wait to get over to Wales
You always film your videos in such beautiful and chill places, I love it
A thousand words are barely worth just one “wow”.
You still got some really beautiful images on this “bad day”.
You likely do not need you picture to be worth a thousand words. However having your picture say something at all is very important.
I usually say that a picture should tell a story. Even a portrait can tell a story about the subject, if they look happy, sad, relaxed, uptight etc. Or a landscape tells a story of what was happening when the shot was taken, the weather, the atmosphere etc. Even a commercial shot tells a story of the subject.
The message may equate to 1000+ words or only one word but a good photo tells a story. Even if it’s just “beautiful”
That adage is usually used to describe an image that is a concise synopsis of a scenario.
“It’s too complicated to explain, but I can show you a picture and it will become clear.”
I don’t think you’re meant to be able to write 1000 words about an image, but that image should be so powerful it can convey 1000 words.
The same can be said of great cinematography:
The top of a page of screenplay will usually have a long paragraph about the scene, the characters in it, how they look and feel etc.
It’s then the cinematographer’s job to convey that in a few shots that last only a couple of seconds.
And that is why we watch films and do read screenplays.
I still don’t think it’s great advice, because it’s clearly a bit ambiguous and he might not be considering the statement the same way I am.
Better advice, if you really must approach a stranger, would just be to ask them, “are you getting what you want out of the shot? Do you want any help?”
I am surprised at how much I enjoyed just watching your process and hearing your thoughts behind your actions and shots. Thanks!!
Appreciate identifying the settings you used for many of the shots
That's a well known saying. It about not having to describe something elaborately when the simplicity of a picture can be self evident and more emotive.
Also can be just about having a bit of a story in your pictures to make them more engaging. E.g. Leading lines to a focal point and having something in the shot that makes you wonder about how they came to be - like an abandoned burnt out car or a hut, castle ruins, standing stones, stack of stones, a lone bird, a well worn trail or a little boat on a lake at the bottom of the valley etc? By having something like that the viewer can make their own story up about how things got there, their history or what they could be doing next.
Many photographers try to tell a story with their images. An image worth a 1000 words doesn't necessarily have to be complex or cluttered. Many of the simplest images can tell the most complex story while I have many cluttered/complex images that say absolutely nothing other than "what the hell was I thinking"
Hi James, Thanks for sharing this location. I hope to be in that neighborhood very soon !
The advice could mean a lot of things. Best to let the scene work on you when you arrive before taking the camera. Then scout a bit to find the best composition
My perspective, i've seen some epic sunsets that i could try describe with a 1000 words but the words wont even come close to doing it justice, where as other scenes aren't even worth wasting a 1000 words on, ultimately it's inconsequential as we photographers don't deal in words, we deal in light, so just go out in the world, find beauty, capture it the best you can and share it.
For me, any advice that’s unsolicited is less helpful…. Mind you, always good to learn. Simplicity in photos is an aim for me - I tend to make them too busy. Great (solicited) advice as always. Cheers James!
"A picture is worth a thousand words" to me really means that the Photo tells a story by itself that you would have to say 1000 words to tell word by word
Right! And If you have to write about it then it wasn't speaking very clearly for itself
Seemed to me that the advice was saying, 'every image should be equivalent to a blithering spray of platitudes', which might well be true, since there appears to be a lot of images that fit that bill around the place, including some of my own optical drivel.
I think he meant that good photos generally have some kind of story.
That´s a popular common saying, nothing related with essays or reports.When you see the beauty of a painting or a photo there are no words to describe it - that´s the meaning of that.
A bit of a heat stopper as you ran along that narrow trip hazard elevation! I love the resulting shots though, my favourite being the one at 9.23 taken with your lens at 70mm.
A person can take a photo. If everyone hates it and the photographer likes it its not done wrong.
David Griffiths told us the other day that there's no F in Tryfan 😀
In my opinion, this saying "a picture is worth a thousand words" it only means that it CAN apply, to some scenarios, where indeed a photo is worth a thousand words. But it doesn't mean that every photo is connected to words per se.
Artistic photos aren't really connected to words at all. When I look at a photo of a landscape, if anything it makes my internal dialogue to shut up, and enjoy the view. Not make me think of how to describe it with words (what, why?).
But when a photo of a picture shows people, people's reaction, some action, historical photos, world war photos, etc. or say somebody punched someone, or say it shows how somebody crashed into your car (one picture, or a picture in form of a video) - that's when the saying "one picture is worth a thousand words" - is supposed to be used.
A picture CAN be worth a thousand words, not "IS worth".
James, perhaps he might not necessarily have implied the need for a “complex picture”. Usually when someone says that it means a simple image can be a substitute for 1000 words. And that saying, is usually used to convey that you just need a simple image. One interpretation that person wanted to make was that the simplest of images do evoke many emotions. And the complex one do drive people away.
I think I would rather strive for an image that leaves people speechless. One that draws them in so they feel no need to use words. Just feel whatever the image evokes and feel it strongly.
Thanks for another great video James, coming to Wales on the 7th May unfortunately about 100 miles south of Snowdonia still should be good for a few photographic outings from our base at Pentcastell Views near Lampeter.
I was allway,s taught, the art of photography was keep it simple, knowing what to exclude is more important than what to include. Not minimalist as such, just less "busy/cluttered".
Great video! I like it when I can see what other photographers are looking at. Its helped my own photos.
You're video narration is quite interesting. Could you do a video about editing for prints? Some tips for using any online service for printing.
To those giving their interpretation of the thousand words thing: That's basically the problem. It can be taken in enough ways that unless someone explains what it means to THEM, it risks either landing the wrong way or being completely useless. No one explained it to me when I was a kid and never tried to even when I asked what they meant because I knew I wasn't very artistic. It took a decade for someone to finally say their version of it meant "Try to tell a story with the photo." And no one said it doesn't matter as much as people act like it does given the differing opinions on what counted as a story or a strong enough one, though I figured that out on my own real fast. And that's ignoring that photos don't often stand on their own or need to. Which finally led me to realize that it's just the most memorable sentence people use to tie photography to more traditional artforms because it can be done so much faster. Is it useful advice? Yeah. When it includes the explanation. Otherwise, I'd say give the advice everyone's favorite RUclips photography scapegoats gave, which was "Don't be afraid to suck." Tell them it's okay if they're not amazing right out of the gate, because it's almost impossible to be. That's _WAY_ more useful in my opinion than risking telling someone to go for greatness or don't bother with it or confusing them even more.
can't wait to see the sunrise video next week! I hope... but another fantastic video. Did you do something different with the color grading in the video?don't know if it's just me to but it looked greta today.
On my Instagram I often write one, or a couple words. And I think sometimes that's all it needs, I don't need it to be worth a thousand words. I care more about eliciting an emotional response, and that's going to vary from person to person. In the end, I just want make great photos, and not everyone is going to feel that way about them, but if I feel I'm doing my best, then that's all that's needed.
'A picture is worth a thousand words'? Which means that it is easier to show something in a picture than it is to describe it with words.
Such a lovely part of the British Isles! Thanks for sharing James
9:36 "have that removed". Thought I was the only one who used that! Obviously then had to Google where it comes from
..as I'm old. Stripes, apparently...
Another fantastic video James. Always a pleasure to watch :)
I done the same slog last Saturday for sunset and was greeted to the same thick haze.
In finland we have that same saying but we use it in a not photography realted context.. for example you can describe in 1000 words something complex but just showing one picture can do the same
I think art is subjective…a piece of art may evoke a “wow that’s a pos” out of one critic and then the 100th passerby could be filled with such over flowing emotion it’s worth 1000 words 💕
I've always thought the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" referred to our ability to capture instantly with our eyes that which would take paragraphs to describe in words.
3am here and couldn’t sleep. Great video! like 30 pictures per second at a thousand words per picture... That’s lots of maths and I don’t know that many words. Thank you for making things that make us smile. That’s worth more than numbers of words
when ever i see amazing footage like in the intro, i immediately go into google maps & try to find the exact places seen in the video. since the trails of Snowdonia are in street view - sometimes i can find them. i found where you were standing when the drone went over your head :)
The advice is trite because it has been said so many times that it means nothing. The best advice I ever got was to photograph what interested me as I would naturally try to bring out what caught my eye. Also, I find myself knowing more about shooting certain subjects well.
Not a bad playground. Glad I'm not the only one who takes sweets (Tangfastics in my case) up the hill. If you want a early / late of the Glyders you can always start by ascending Carnedd y Filiast and walking south, you get some stunning views with a straightforward walk in.
Nice and good discussion. Perhaps it was a warning to not make pictures complex. Anyway love the comments here. Good discussions going on.
Nicely done James. Definitely could be the place for a sunrise, if those bloody clouds play the game.
At least you seem to have dry footwear this week.
Stay safe 😷🇦🇺
That's not how I understand "a picture is worth a thousand words" but even as I understand it, I don't think it's very good advice. Helping someone make a photograph that actually is worth making sounds, to me, like better advice than telling them they should make something worth making. But I've tried giving helpful advice and I know how difficult it is. I have no problem helping with the technical stuff. But beyond that? That's VERY difficult indeed. And it's probably because it's difficult I want to be good at it ;-)
yeah it just means that the photo/image/graphic can tell a story more effectively than words could, for example, the graphic picture on the side of cigarette packets tells a better story than words would
Another great video James. My lazy Thursday has been spent so far watching a ton of your work. Great stuff. Really enjoyable content. Thank you for sharing 😊
“Jellied babies.”
Ok, never thought of them as creepy before but...
Wait until someone tells him about the joys of eating jaffacakes for keeping your energy up!
4:05 As a fellow jelly baby addict, the best advice you can give to any photographer is to stock up on the jelly babies. You NEVER get such useful quality advice from any other photography youtube channel.
Two things. I hate midges and glad your knee has healed from the driving injury 💪🏼
opening scenes were stunning...... can I ask you James would you ever think of organising a group or "hikers' or friends to make sure you got that photo?
I have always tried to capture images that make the viewer think Wow!! or What?!? The emotional hook makes someone want to stop and look longer and deeper.
A really good picture usually says ONE word for me... WOW!
damn those mountains are stripped, completely naked
I'm missing trees already
I do think a picture being worth a thousand words does apply to news photographers (at least it did when I was a news photographer). Photographic art is a different matter.
Are gummy bears really a good replacement for cycling/running gels tho? I would rather not have to chew something before riding really hard…
I just bought like 50 gels and TBH that’s like a half a year supply for me because I don’t have a gel every ride, just when I’m within bonk range or before a wicked segment run.
I think the "A picture is worth a thousand words" quote is more applicable when you're talking about the amount of data you can extract from a picture. Instead of saying "I was standing on a mountain, roughly 2000 meters up, looking down at a valley. In the valley were three small lakes, placed sort of in a triangle pattern around each other, but the rightmost lake was slightly offset away from the mountain. One lake was kidney shaped." and on and on. You could just show a picture and convey all the information in an instant that would have taken easily a thousand words to do.
A picture as a work of art should be done as to best realize the artists intent, no matter how simple of complex that might be.
James, you should try those dried fruits.
And with all those sensor sizes you have migrated through, those settings have lost all meaning for me as I don't know the equivalency this particular one has.
Hey at least you didnt get attacked by the sheep. Or perhaps a yeti. Seriously to use a cliche quote as advice instead of something more serious or focused seems so unhelpful. For me, I need technical help like post processing, maybe some compositional tips. Its a journey, and every trip I take I learn from. I lookat every shot and ask myself what do I like and could I have taken this shot differently. The first advice I ever got was shoot what you like and dont let critics sway you. Photography is the art of shooting something that no one else got to see. That has always stuck with me. And....its the ability to remember to remove the lens cap BEFORE the shot.🤣🤣 great video!
Well ... perhaps he meant something that you've said (and I) would agree with ... the highest goal of photography is story-telling (ie photos like words can tell a story).
Loved the hoorah sound you made when you stood up from taken a shot while kneeling.....lol...I make the same sound making the same move...lol
I can see why you moved to there.. It's so beautiful there!
I mostly do wildlife (bird, I live in a city) photography. I think the best advice for that is the same as for kids, "be ready to not be ready."
Thanks James, you’ve certainly picked an extraordinarily beautiful part of the world to base yourself there in Wales.
I echo Mike Parker’s call for a series of images of you running into the drop off shot, or maybe a multiple exposure perhaps,😀
Hope all is well with Emily..
I think that advice came from someone who was showing the truth, while the bad person was denying it. Like in court. A photo of the Crime, can always say more than the words used in defense.
But every photo has a story. Is what I follow more than the crime advice you mentioned 😅
Glad I'm not the only one who forgets to take my lens cap off when I start taking pictures lol.
The Roy’s Peak photos in Wanaka.... what you don’t see is the huge queue lining up to get their Instagram shots at that one point..... 🧐
2:42 The reason you clicked. I agree that's pretty dumb. Also, I kind of cringe when I watch photography videos where the person says "a good photo should tell a story". Rubbish. Photography is art and good art invokes feelings. A photo that makes you smile or simply captures a moment in time that has a powerful image is a great photo. No need to run around asking yourself "what story am I trying to tell with this picture?" nonsense.
I wish I could get away with shooting handheld in such low light... no way my gear can make that look good!
Hi James, do you carry handgel with you? I've found wiping it on my face keeps the midges from biting.
Maybe the "1000 words" was not about a complex scene but a scene with ambiguity or nuance that sparks discussions about the artistic intent? Maybe just 1000 "wows"? In the wide vertical with the lake on the left and the mountain on the right, I don't think a model would have gone amiss...or a sheep, seemed to be some spares around. Maybe you need to take a border collie with you on your hikes, get those sheep where you want them. Were there ever trees on those hills? Or does the constant trampling by sheep keep it mostly grasses? Enjoyed seeing the techniques you use. Thanks!
Good weather for a steady tripod is bad weather for midges. "Jelly babies", Tom Baker Dr. Who. :)
You should definitely do the sunrise ones! Me and my boyfriend went up Moel Famau for sunrise the other day. Surprised that there were about 10 other people. It was freezing! And he was the only one taking camera photos, they were just there for the views I guess (they did take phone shots though). Got up there in 45 minutes, hard work and effort but it did look lovely ☺️
In A Great and Terrible King, about King Edward I, the author explains the difficulty of waging military campaigns in Wales. The terrain was a near-impossible obstacle to success. Now I see why. It is beautiful, though. 😀
A picture might be worth a thousand words, but if you constantly aiming for that you'll never be able to do so, because you always be thinking that "that" possible photo is not worth taking because it's not exactly what you're looking for. For me that ruins photography as a whole. You must always aim for "the photo" but until then you have to practice the way you see things.
I thought you were complaining about being attacked by midgets at first 🙃 fantastic location over there!