How to find creativity - Start Living...

[@patorico_8879]

Your passion for photography and how you talk about it is highly contagious. It is nice to see someone embracing life through photography and not just running a KZbin channel for the sake of attention.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for that, I really appreciate that. I could do without the attention, butunfortxnately have to make a living! It's the classic paradox!

[@JHurrenPhotography]

You're absolutely right Alister. There is a childlike abandon to photographing creeks and small falls. As I'm shooting intimate scenes in these locations I also often lose myself in the sounds as I work. My hippy may be showing, but I swear the negative ions released by churning water does wonders for ones mental state. Your videos are of such a quality, thank you ever so much for continuing to broadcast your work.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks James. So much rubbish is spoken about landscape photography by people churning out the tired old mantras. Thanks for listening to this old hippie :-)

[@kris_tin_photography9922]

Speakes totaly out of my heart! How can this be? It is absolutely the viedeo I just needed 🙏 I really enjoy your videos, not for entertainment, but I get a lot from them for my own path leading into my way of photography. Its a process where I open fascinating doors. This video definately opened another door, encouraging me to stick to my long lens. my favorite lens is the 70-300mm! Thanks so much!

[@bobdot1000]

Thank you Alister - a "quiet voice" in a sea of noise to me is so powerful. A really thought provoking video ...thank you so much.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks to you too, always appreciate the positive feedback.

[@ajhertel]

"Freaking out because they don't have the right filter on"..... funny but true. I used to be one of those that had to have all the right "gear" on before I'd even look at what I wanted to photograph. It's a long, slow but very satisfying journey to find my own creativity. I've got a long way to go but I'm really enjoying the process. Keep on inspiring and teaching the art of art, not gear!!

[@Alister_Benn]

Yip, been there, done that. Creativity is like enlightenment, the moment of awakening is when you realize you already have it.

[@spousessellinghouse1]

Live your life with quiet, passion & engagement...I love this!

[@Alister_Benn]

I appreciate that! - Optimal living I call it...

[@Alastair6]

Thanks, Alister. Your comments make me pause and think about what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. Being aware of each moment in time is the way I feel when I'm playing music.

[@Alister_Benn]

Wonderful! - That's a big part of what I am trying to do with this channel. I really appreciate your comment.

[@mauriceprokaziuk337]

Great lesson here. Beauty is all around us, we just have to stop and see it, not only the large stuff, but also the small and tiny things.

[@Alister_Benn]

Really pleased that works for you - it's a strong message I am trying to promote.

[@RussWeymouthPhotography]

I resonate so much with the 'quiet voice'. Photography and KZbin for me is a way to be heard and to share my Photography.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for that, really appreciate your great comment.

[@HIWalkerPhoto]

I love the idea of using your quiet voice. I find that most of my portfolio are these little vignettes of nature that speak so much more to me than the grand vista landscapes. Thank You.

[@Alister_Benn]

Wonderful! It's pretty much the best way to ensure a unique and personal portfolio. Hopefully quite will become the new loud :-)

[@craigmarvil8856]

Thanks Alister. I look forward to your "video chats" each week. Your style of instruction has always worked well for me. I look forward to your new video.

[@Alister_Benn]

Great, I really appreciate that, and it's good to hear that the content is welcome.

[@verlenelewis9866]

Wow, what you said about luminosity and contrast telling you where to look. The highlights and shadows compared to melody and bass just resonated with me. Watched that section about 6 times, just never really got it until you said that!!

[@Alister_Benn]

That's awesome. I really enjoy hearing this...

[@patrickstebbings4748]

Hi Alister very informative and full of impact great watch thanks

[@Alister_Benn]

Glad you enjoyed it - thank you so much. Will reply to your email directly.

[@gr8_22-15]

You have quickly become one of my new favs. Excellent advice.

[@Alister_Benn]

Delighted to hear that

[@iansimpson888]

seems like every time i listen/watch, you manage to hit a chord or two with me. intelligent, articulate and sympathetic. indeed, the world needs more of this and less of the demanding shouty voices. thankyou.

[@Alister_Benn]

Very humbling feedback - I really appreciate it, thank you.

[@keithpinn152]

Hi Alister: Thank you for sharing your passion for photography. I find your approach to intimate landscapes very refreshing. You are absolutely correct that many photographers are seeking the loud. . . over the edge grand vistas and they want to impress the viewer with how long and hard they worked in order to create the image. To me, the most impact-full images are those that you can't recognize where the image was created but rather the intimate view is the star of the show. I am looking forward to your release of your next training videos tomorrow. Maybe I will treat myself of my birthday. Keep safe! Cheers, Keith Pinn (Canada) P.S. I would love to see a collaboration of videos between you and Adam Gibbs. Your styles are very complementary!

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks again Keith, I really appreciate your great and thoughtful feedback. Your support is much appreciated. I think Adam and I will do some sort of collaboration in the future, we're good friends and it's just a shame we live so far apart.

[@nickshepherd8377]

Fantastic video...one of your best. You are so right...when excitement rises and the spirits soar, you are at your most creative. And yes it is often the simple things that capture our minds. I suspect that the cascade you photographed generated the same sense of excitement as if you were photographing the Niagra Falls (possibly more!). Just great...👍👏👏👏

[@Alister_Benn]

Hi Nick. Thanks for the kind and encouraging comment. Yes, you're right. I get the same sense of wonder in the small and intimate, as I do in the grand landscape. I think this fascination with luminosity and contrast in any form is a key driver for creativity.

[@ErikSpaan]

Another inspiring video, thanks. I can agree for sure with the quiet voice and living the life with passion. More of that would indeed be great :-)

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for the kind words

[@derricksansome236]

Thanks Alister, as ever your quiet voice cuts through and quells the noise created by the many, and draws me in. Yours is one of the very few channels where I actually stay to the end. Lovely images created in this presentation demonstrated perfectly your thinking and again validate my own thoughts and push me to look closer and harder. Thanks again, Derrick.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you so much - in future I may leave print give away's and discount codes until the end :-)

[@ChristineWilsonPhotography]

Great video , the square and 8x10 crops really suit the intimate landscape.

[@Alister_Benn]

Yes, I think so, taller or wider crops tend to emphasize expansiveness, taking us out of the scene. Thanks for your comment.

[@bethrobsonphotography]

Hello Alister, I Just stumbled across your channel and so happy I did. I really resonate with your thoughts and style of and on photography. 60 years on, I am just starting out on my photography journey and loving every moment. Never been to Scotland but hope to one day soon, till then, I look forward to your next video.

[@Alister_Benn]

Awesome, thank you! - enjoy, remember it should be fun :-)

[@esanford]

Yes Alister, you do have a quiet voice and it is much needed in this time of vitriol in the world. That was an excellent video, and it takes me back to time when I was exploring shapes, shadows and abstract objects. When I left film and went to digital, I allowed myself to be lured into the big world of broad landscapes. Your points are so relevant to me at this time. It will motivate me into living more in the moment and to start noticing what gives me passion. I look forward to Sundays for these short visionary lectures. It is becoming my "church". All the best.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you so much, this makes me smile :-)

[@johnscratchley3288]

Wonderful insight, nicely presented. The West Coast of Scotland has so many wonderful opportunities.

[@Alister_Benn]

Many thanks again. Yes, we're really fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world. I could run a workshop in an anonymous glen filled with fabulous opportunities, no other photographers and have a blast :-)

[@sandyweir9692]

One of your best Alister, thanks again for sharing your inspirational images and thoughts.

[@Alister_Benn]

Hi Sandy. I hope you're doing ok during these strange times. Thanks again for the kind words :-)

[@tomdriftwood3674]

Hi, Alister. I found your channel via the conversation with Mads. I am impressed by your profound thoughts and reflections, this is in complete contrast to the mainstream photo channels. Keep up the good work!

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you for that, I really appreciate it. As with everything I do, I don't see the point in doing the same as everyone else, so putting out this content is very true to my nature and creative output. Thanks again.

[@susanfirth2279]

New sub. Saw your interview on Mads's channel. I really liked your analogy of the highlights and shadows. Makes so much sense. I'm starting to understand how the intimate landscapes have much more impact and feeling to them. Although the big vistas are good to have as well. Really enjoyed this video. Quiet voice....love that.

[@Alister_Benn]

Awesome! Thank you! - delighted to hear that, I really appreciate your comment.

[@pasadenapsych44]

Very nice. A little shouty, indeed!

[@Alister_Benn]

Indeed it is! - with little to say :-)

[@rickwilliamsphotography]

Another great presentation with many words of wisdom. The intimacy of the smaller scene is so appealing, and imparts so much emotion. I love term “quiet voice”, just as I love Adam Gibbs’ term “quiet light”. Thanks again for the weekly dose of inspiration.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for that, very much appreciated.

[@fabi.k584]

Really speaks to me! I fear I'm on the edge of a serious Alister Benn binge... great content!

[@Alister_Benn]

LOL - That sounds torture! :-)

[@howardallen5390]

Another well thought out and thought provoking video. The approach to photography that you are advocating certainly resonates with me. I made some similar, more intimate, images of a waterfall back in February this year after watching one of your videos. Thanks for giving me the inspiration then and your images today were superb.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks so much Howard. As always, I really appreciate your comments and support. Very encouraging, when it can sometimes be a struggle to summon energy for the quiet voice swamped in noise! :-)

[@TimTrim]

Inspirational stuff, easy to get lost in the bigger picture when the intimate is accessible to everyone, everywhere at any time. Love the water image, looks like a seal poking his head over the drop. Sublime.

[@Alister_Benn]

haha, yes, it does doesn't it :-) Many thanks for your kind and supportive comment.

[@alancoligado8540]

Thank you for another inspiring and enlightening video, Alister. Yours might be a "quiet voice", but it certainly is one worth listening to.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that very much.

[@lenasteiner7188]

Alister, it´s a really amazing video you´ve produced there! I really appreciate the thoughtfullness in your videos. The thought that it´s only you and not the landscape that is suboptimal is really great. Have an incredible sunday!

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you so much for your kind words, very much appreciated.

[@johannesp1422]

Another beautiful episode Alister. It gives us a lot of inspiration to look at the landscape differently. Thanks for that. But you can certainly be happy to live in such a fantastically beautiful country. When I am in Scotland I also "see" many possibilities to take an intimate photo. The waterfalls in particular are an inexhaustible source. This winter I hope I can go to Scotland with my son again. We're looking forward to it. Best regards.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for the message. Yes, I hear you, we are very fortunate. When I lived in Oslo last year I found lots of good intimate scenes just in the city parks, botanical gardens and along the river that flows through the city. I do love my countryside living though :-)

[@lukebrouwersphotography]

Once again Alister an honest and thought-provoking video. Thank you.

[@Alister_Benn]

Much appreciated - I am really pleased to hear your great feedback.

[@singingexpertspg]

Fascinating

[@brucehyman]

As always, photography from the right side of the brain. Thanks!

[@Alister_Benn]

:-) Now, that it something I could go on about :-) Many thanks for your feedback as always.

[@geoffdickinson5903]

Thanks for this insight. I agree with what you say about the big vistas and the famous locations. I find if I manage my expectations about what I can achieve on a random visit and instead go with the flow (pun intended) I can come away with much more satisfying images. I have just found your channel and the artistic insights are proving incredibly helpful and inspiring.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you, that means a lot. As these places come under increasing pressure, I am really trying to promote the benefits of anonymous personal landscapes.

[@babdoc1]

This is an absolutely wonderful perspective, Alister. I thoroughly enjoy that you step away from the all too common gear or processing videos on KZbin and provide a reminder that images become all the more compelling creativity and introspection is the heart of the process. And I truly look forward to the day (🤞🏻) when you speak with Simon Baxter on Vision & Light-what a deep discussion that would be!

[@Alister_Benn]

Many thanks, I appreciate that. Yes, that may well happen. We've exchanged a few messages.

[@chrisalmerini3284]

I am in that conflict today- the large big vista shot and then morph to the small intimate scenes...I find that my mood or current state of being often drives which one I focus on...You are so right in saying the big vista needs all kinds of elements to come together for it to be effective or non-homogenous...These small intimate scenes are all around us and we fail to notice them- we have the chance to show them...2nd vote for the Nikon 80-400 mm lens...always in the bag!

[@Alister_Benn]

Cheers Chris, thanks for that. It's all good, but as we've said, the big vistas get saturated with people and also require "magic" for them to be wow! Give me small and intimate any day.

[@douglasritchie2836]

As a lover of Rivers and Waterfalls, you just summed it all up for me Alister, it may be the Negative Ions coupled with the sounds and surroundings but there is something wonderful photographing in and around Rivers and Falls. Love your channel and the detail you delve into.

[@Alister_Benn]

Massively appreciated comment, thanks so much. I'm a big fan of the negative ion :-)

[@ChrisSmith-gf3ge]

Lovely!

[@krisweyers6248]

It is always such a joy to watch you videos. You personality certainly shine through your word and your photography!!

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks so much 😊 I just want to be honest about life...

[@blivieriphoto]

Another gem! Love pulling out the smaller scenes in nature. Looking forward to your video companion to Luminosity & Contrast. 🤗

[@Alister_Benn]

:-) Thanks Barb, it's been a lot of fun putting them together.

[@juliangreaves4727]

Thoroughly enjoyable as ever Alister..

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks so much, appreciated.

[@justkerry173]

Stunning images and I like your quiet voice. I love the more intimate scenes but struggle to pick them out of the big picture. I think I need to quiet my mind first. Thanks again.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks very much for your comment. That's actually worth a video, how to see small scenes in the big picture. Maybe I need to go out locally and do a vlog.

[@justkerry173]

@@Alister_BennThat would be great and very much appreciated. I look forward to whatever you come up with.

[@jonkers2007]

Excellent video Alister👍.

[@Alister_Benn]

Glad you enjoyed it - I really appreciate your comment.

[@BrettOssman]

Great video. Easy to get caught up in the typical approach. I liked your different perspective on the scene. I try to apply that myself, but probably not enough. :-)

[@Alister_Benn]

Glad it was helpful! - thanks for your great feedback

[@terryolsen4244]

Wonderful! Love the video and images and, especially, your message. I'm looking forward to your video series.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate your lovely comment and support.

[@tonyb2760]

Very informative video with great words of wisdom. Thanks for sharing

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you, I really appreciate your encouraging comment.

[@jorgkluber7011]

Thanks Alister - the small things in the woods are the most powerful! Still silence is roaring! ;-)

[@Alister_Benn]

So true! Thanks you very much for your support.

[@timwootton4649]

Hi Alister, one of my favourite images is of a small cascade with a drop of about 6 - 8 inches, lit by the last rays of a setting sun that lasted just long enough for me to notice it, re-assemble my gear and shoot 2 frames! I need to print it one day. Great video!

[@Alister_Benn]

It's amazing how often it is intimate scenes that we choose to hang on the wall..

[@jefftrapp5407]

A bit shouty out there? I'll say. Great video Alister!

[@Alister_Benn]

Ha, yes, just a bit!! Nice to see you stopping by :-)

[@actiaint]

A quote often shortened and misquoted from Leonard Cohen: "Poetry is the evidence of a life and not the life itself. Its the ashes of something that is burning well... sometimes you confuse yourself and try to create ashes instead of fire".

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you so much for that - a truly excellent piece of advice on how to live a life...

[@MaliDaviesPhotography]

Once again great insight into your thoughts and creativity. All about seeing and the edit can make a huge difference. Thank you.

[@Alister_Benn]

Much appreciated! Thanks for that.

[@nailsenkal58]

Quiet, soft and intimate... thanks.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks again :-)

[@shamcarz]

Thanks for the video, it was an eye opener for me. The music in the end reminds me of Artificial Paradise OST Brazil.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for that, very much appreciated. I had to look up the music you refer to. I compose all our music for the videos myself, but I am still learning.

[@mitymous1]

​You really articulate so much of what's in my head, and that I often find hard to express.

[@Alister_Benn]

It's a pleasure, I'm just pleased people like it, cos' it's all I got :-)

[@mitymous1]

@@Alister_Benn It's good!

[@allankvetch]

You made my day.

[@Alister_Benn]

Really happy to hear that, thank you.