Spend enough time on the internet, and you might begin to think that landscape photography is all about traveling to beautiful locations and creating jaw-dropping images while basking in the best light. And while there can certainly be a lot of adventure in the genre, it can also be quite a slog at times. This honest video takes a look at the reality of landscape photography.
Coming to you from Photo Tom, this great video takes a look at the reality of being a landscape photographer. I think it is important to consider this for two reasons. First, if you are thinking of getting into landscape photography at a serious level, it is important to have an accurate idea of what the life is like. Second, if you are already in the genre, I think it helps to see that others have days where things go wrong or they struggle as well, as the well-pruned lives we are shown on the internet can be a bit discouraging sometimes. Check out the video above for a refreshingly honest look at the pursuit.
And if you want to dive into learning landscape photography, check out "Photographing the World 1: Landscape Photography and Post-Processing With Elia Locardi!"
I’d like to preface my comment with the fact that this isn’t meant as criticism to the points he did make. It’s a genuine inquiry regarding a point he didn’t make.
This video has been shot a thousand times before. “Landscape photographer grapples with the hand he’s dealt, not the one he hoped for”. I’m totally with you so far. Prime conditions are rare and getting a specific shot can be largely about persistence, not luck. But all of these videos are restricted to the same theme: when you can’t get the shot you hoped for, learn to find, and settle for, a different shot. Unfortunately, they fail to answer two burning questions: What do you plan to do with the image, and were you successful in doing it?
Yes, it’s somewhat challenging to improvise under unexpected (I refrain from saying “poor”) conditions. In the end, he came out with a few pictures. But you can’t call him successful until you know how he measures success.
If you want to talk about “the reality of being a landscape photographer”, that has to extend to how the images are used as well. If your success as a landscape photographer is simply tied to “did I take a picture”, that is not the same as “did I take a picture that I can sell, use to successfully market my services, or generally do something productive with”.
If you’re “thinking of getting into landscape photography at a serious level”, this is a very real question that you need to start working out for yourself, and this video doesn’t even remotely address it. If you’re “already in the genre”, then you ALREADY KNOW that there are days where things go wrong and the struggles are real. This video (and others like it) do nothing to support the idea that sticking it out for an average photo is in any way more productive than knowing when to pack it in and use those extra hours for something else, like editing or marketing.
It’s important to keep in mind that YouTube videos are one-sided conversations… just because they show some pictures at the end doesn’t mean it was worth their time. Have a purpose for the photos you take. Otherwise, was it really a success? Food for thought if you’re pursuing a similar path.
Another corker here Alex. Where do you find them all?