YouTube channels dedicated to photography and videography are a big business, with some creatives boasting hundreds of thousands or even millions of subscribers. There is a lot of money flowing around, and as such, there can be a lot of controversy about what may or may not go on behind the scenes. This great video features one of photography's biggest YouTubers pulling back the curtain and revealing some insightful truths about the industry.
Coming to you from Taylor Jackson, this excellent video discusses some of what goes on behind the scenes in the photo industry. I have to admit that I sometimes laugh when I see a comment accusing Fstoppers of being paid by some brand to surreptitiously give good reviews of their products. We have a very strict policy of producing fair, honest reviews; after all, without your reputation, you are nothing. If a company wants specific attention brought to a product, they pay for sponsored content, and it is clearly marked as such per the FTC's rules, and even then, we advocate for honesty and accuracy in the content. Of course, it is important to note that yes, there are people out there who may try to skirt the ethics and the rules when it comes to this sort of thing, but I can also tell you that most creatives you will find in the space are honest, (extremely) hard-working people who take a lot of pride both in their product and in their honesty. Check out the video above for the full rundown from Jackson.
Going out on limb here and saying that if you are uploading videos at the rate he does, I'm thinking he's more about YouTube than being a photographer. A more accurate title is: "The Truth About Being a YouTube Personality."
Taylor is a busier wedding photographer than 90% of people in the industry. The last time we were at an industry event, he had to leave early so he could photograph a wedding.
This video has some degree of interest for sure, but there's not a lot that isn't already known and been done by other YouTubers before. What the video really is - and it's as clear as daylight - is an extended advert for his new "Make money on YouTube course", or whatever it's called.
Give enough information to intrigue people and hint at a few extra secrets only in the paid course - that's very traditional marketing tactics.
Taylor may well be busier than most wedding photographers, but I'd guess he's not doing the YouTube gig just for fun. That's clearly evidenced by the skilful way he wove a pitch for his course into this video. And no, I have no complaints about someone offering their wares for money!
Good for him for using YouTube as an effective advertising medium and a secondary source of income. I suspect many of us would like to do the same, if we had the same skill levels.