Improve your photography by UNDERSTANDING why a PHOTO is BAD (and GOOD)

It only really matters what you think of your photos. But do you know why a good photo is good and a bad photo is bad? Understanding this can massively help you improve your photography.
Instagram (follow my daily stories) - / nigel.danson
Useful photography resources:
Where I get my AWESOME MUSIC - goo.gl/7LWnFh
FREE photography newsletter - www.nigeldanson.com/newslette...
FREE 19 page eBOOK on composition - sellfy.com/nigeldanson/
All my gear (inc. clothes) is listed here - www.nigeldanson.com/nigeldans...
NIKON GEAR (Main STILLS camera)
Current landscape camera - Nikon Z7 - geni.us/nikonz7
Awesome telephoto lens - Nikon 70-200m f/2.8 - geni.us/nikon70200
Fav lens - Nikon 24-70mm Z f4 - geni.us/nikon2470
Great wide angle lens - Nikon 16-35mm f/4 -geni.us/MCglWI
Amazing Bokeh - Sigma 24mm f1.4 geni.us/Sigma24
FUJI GEAR (Main FILM camera)
Fujifilm X-T3 - geni.us/fujifilmxt3
Awesome Bokeh - Fuji XF35mm F2 - geni.us/fuji35f2
Sharpest long zoom - Fuji 50-140mm F2.8 geni.us/fuji50140
Killer wide angle lens - Fuji 10-24mm F4 - geni.us/fuji1024
OTHER PHOTO GEAR
Awesome sensor brush - geni.us/brush4sensor
GorillaPod - geni.us/Kb9mV
The great printer I use Canon P1000 - geni.us/cIIc
Clever camera strap (peak design) - geni.us/PDstrap
Great bag for hiking - Tenba 24L - geni.us/orPwh
Great bag for travel (carry on) - Tenba 32L - geni.us/tenba32l
Super light Benro Travel Tripod UK - geni.us/Benrotravel
A must have for tripod (L bracket) - geni.us/myLbracket
Lightweight tripod - Benro Mach3 Carbon Fiber Tripod - geni.us/benromach3
Paper I use for all my prints - Fotospeed - geni.us/fotospeed Use DANSON10 to get 10% off your paper.
Screw on ND filter - geni.us/polarproND
#photography #photographytips #tutorial

[@cmptrman]

Honestly, it's SUPER refreshing to see a vlogger actually share his images that aren't maybe super awesome so we can learn how to improve composition. So often vloggers are afraid to show anything except their best work because they're worried they might be seen as fallible. Good job m'friend! Awesome video!

[@MrCochise71]

" what makes a photo good is if you like it" .... Excellent quote. Great video.

[@vargavideo]

Surprised and delighted to hear you say what makes a photo good is the photographer liking it, and not necessary adherence to rigid guidelines.

[@NigelDanson]

100% is. Nobody else matters.

[@nothingrhymeswithorange7114]

"The only thing that makes a photo good is that you like it." I needed to hear that today. It's so easy to fall down a rabbit hole on instagram and start comparing yourself to everyone else.

[@amitchattopadhyay9367]

Hi Nigel, your videos stands out of the crowd because you concentrate on the most difficult and ignored part of photography - composition. However this is and will be the most important aspect in this trade. Great work, hope to see more like this

[@stephenmason4559]

Cartier Bresson said: " I take photos I like if you like it, it's a bonus "! Look it up.

[@Melissainsc]

This is so helpful. Not only is it good to articulate why something works well but also the act of writing it down helps with remembering each point. That in turn helps you to note these points when you are out in the field composing your shot. Simple but very effective.

[@michaelhayward6097]

As a newcomer to photography I am so encouraged by what you said - the best photo is the one like and put on my wall - thank you

[@proach3]

Thanks Nigel. I think I graduated as a photographer when I learned to strongly disagree with some critiques. Being able and willing to defend my images was totally liberating. Now I only look for critiques from phographers whose work I respect. The best thing about getting critiques can be to learn to critique yourself: honestly and brutally if necessary!

[@NigelDanson]

Sound advice!

[@gc2161]

Man well done. Sometimes people just waffle on about stupid stuff what makes or breaks an image. You just get the pen out, old school and say here, look at this, this is bad, and look at this, this is why it does not work. And why they work. Refreshing stuff. 10/10

[@ianbrowne9304]

I always like your videos Nigel -- simple, to point with no bs and there is always something new to consider or even reconsider . Yes; practical and personal experience is the better teacher --- here are a few things I would like to share that have taken me 40-50 years to collect . Get off face(less)book / you tube; take photos yourself . Emotions are very blinding when evaluating your photos. Don't hope to get a good picture by taking LOTS of similar photos. We learn more from our mistakes than just getting lucky with one great image. Learn photography and editing by photographing easy unimportant subjects so then the harder important subjects will be easier to photograph . Think lots click once . Identify your real subject in the overall scene -- see that tree inside the forest . Photography is about light; the quality of that light and shadows from that light --- the gear used makes very little difference to recording that light. A phone camera and a medium format camera work the same way to record that light . The first camera angel you decide to take a photo from is very often not the best . A tripod will usually give you better compositions as you are free to move around away from the camera to consider a different viewpoint --- a step either way; camera higher or lower can make ALL the difference between a good or bad photo. Before clicking: Visualise your subject as your framed picture displayed on your wall --- consider the cropping needed to make a better composition --- I often have a name for the subject in my mind and that often leads to the better composition . No matter how much gear you have; you will never get every photo you might see. There should not be any bad photos as cameras are so good --- I said that 30 odds years ago while shaking my head at **** photos falling out of our mini-lab!! . A lot has changed since then, yet people are still taking mostly bad photos . Yes, me too!! …... WHY??!! Not every subject is designed to fit perfectly inside the sensor being used . After the photography part; file cropping, and horizontal rotating is great for fine tuning your picture composition . Dodge and burn from the earliest dark rooms is still one of the simpler and easier ways to edit a photo. The layer way is better imo. (BTW; the days of having to have Photoshop are long over) Finally; too many “options” of anything make the final choice more confusing . Now put those “options” as beer/ cameras/ milk/ lenses/ gear/ shoes/ subjects/ photos to sort/ editing programs /acquired presets ............................ . More options = more confusion = more frustration = less satisfaction Nigel; you are welcome to freely use any of those thoughts as you wish in your videos

[@Bayerwaldler]

10:42 My first thought was: "It looks so painterly - I love it!" (15:42 among others surely also has this quality) You call it "overall mood" and I think this is one of the most important aspects for "grand" landscapes.

[@stevemozzie6497]

Totally agree. Took an image today which didn't quite work out composition wise, but the idea behind it was spot on.

[@JFW5358]

Your KZbin videos make Sunday mornings enjoyable and this was one of your best. So interesting to follow your thought process in analysing the photos. Love the prints too.

[@NigelDanson]

Many thanks Jeremy - that is kind of you to say.

[@keithpinn152]

I enjoyed seeing your thought process of what makes a 'good' image and what makes a 'bad' image. It has given me a lot to think about in my own photography. Cheers, Keith

[@giselesmith7795]

I really like your videos where you go through the process of determining what you find good and not so good about the photos. And there's Pebbles too...

[@izaklebanska5671]

I just started my photographic experience and I would be proud myself of the photos you criticized. I'm absolutely aware of the difference between our skills and knowledge about photography. The most important thing you said on the beginning: Good photo is when you like it. So I like all the photos you show although I understand why you prefer one of the other but I still like it. I wish to make some day such photos.

[@stephenmason4559]

Please don't fall into the trap of copying styles, create your own. Look at many photographs to guide what you like, experiment, and seek your own journey. Stephen M. LBIPP.

[@terryolsen4244]

Your videos are always worth watching, Nigel! Keep up the good work.

[@felixcomms]

This video has come along at just the right time for me. I have just analysed a few of my recent images and one in particular was not quite right. This has helped me pinpoint the reason why. Great Stuff Nigel.

[@markmangan8586]

Hi nigel, I'm just starting out in photography and channels like yours are very helpful and inspirational even to someone my age (50s), many thanks 👍

[@janblid3419]

Thank you Nigel for the inspiring video. What I like is all the wonderfully good tips and advices you give as well as the nice mood you create in in your videos. The advices you give in this video (analyzing and annotating your picture) I will certainly put to practice.

[@KarenBaker616263]

Your photos are "works of art" ~ Thank you for sharing your thought process and loved that little bird at the end!

[@agapyearish9982]

Genius - marking up the phots illustrates your points and is very easy to follow. I’ve never seen anyone else do it this way. Kudos

[@heguiluz]

Thanks for sharing the process of evaluating good and bad photos. I never thought of that.

[@tjsinva]

All good points, while taking care not to be overly critical.Important to keep the first quote in mind, "Good photos come from experience. Experience comes from bad photos." Rock on!

[@speedbird2064]

Hi Nigel, thanks for taking the time to explain the elements of a good and bad shot. Its a big learning curve for me on a personal basis as trying to get better and better not just with landscape but my other photography interests of architecture and preserved railways. Very best wishes!

[@alessiorosa92]

Hi Nigel, I’m an Italian guy who is at the beginning of his photography journey. Even if Landscape Photography is not my favorite genre, I love your pictures and I love watching your videos. Thanks for your tips and for your work, man. Keep it Up. A warm greeting from Italy.

[@NigelDanson]

Many thanks Alessio. Vi auguro una buona giornata

[@stevechilvers1322]

Great video as always Nigel. A really great way to improve your photography. We must ALL learn from our mistakes, that way our photo's WILL IMPROVE.

[@stevejarvis186]

Great video Nigel, thanks for all that you do to help guys like me improve our photography

[@djpotts2554]

Beautiful photos Nigel, thanks for the great insights.

[@ibrarkunri]

completely agree with your points Nigel. Thank you

[@PaulComptonPDphotography]

What a great way to show images I may try this myself one day.

[@butterflycam1052]

Nigel, I do follow most of the famous landscape photographers, but you are really standing out, for many reasons. I believe I can easily say I would recognize a Nigel Photo among others, and that is quite something. I absolutely love your work and I am saving to go ona workshop with you, it is one of my must do before i leave. Amazing, thanks for sharing such great inspiration

[@NigelDanson]

Many thanks - that means a lot to me... Appreciate your support and kind words

[@anniewiese6399]

Another very helpful video! Over time, you have changed the way I look at the landscapes of my life which has greatly improved my photography. Thank you!

[@NigelDanson]

So pleased to hear that Annie

[@stevenl.passalacqua3953]

Love videos like this. Talking about photographic composition is the thing that involves me the most. I can suggest that in order to learn the composition of the image, in addition to seeing videos like this, to look also at paintings. Well done Nigel

[@NigelDanson]

Agree

[@josephstanski5180]

One of your best instructional video for the us aspiring landscape photographers.

[@txpetbb]

Excellent video. I learned several things. I have never printed and marked why I either liked or disliked parts of a photo. I will definitely give it a try. Thanks for the good work.

[@sergevicaire2147]

Thanks a lot for this video. You give me the courage to print my photos. Last week, I have printed my first ones in a large (for me: 40cm*30cm) scale to see what's happened...And I love them...!!! Thanks a lot for all your advices and patience. For sure I will continue to follow you!!! Cheers from Alsace...

[@francescotoffetti1103]

Great video Nigel 👍 I think it is also useful to check older pictures to understand how your photography improved through the years and if you still have some weaknesses to work on.

[@nevadaxtube]

This video shows why I consider Nigel the gold standard in KZbin photography vloggers. The tips and advice were excellent. I would much rather watch Nigel analyze and discuss photography quietly and logically rather than watch a bunch of photography buddies getting together who act like immature clowns. Even photographers whose work I greatly admire, and do excellent videos on their own; somehow manage to regress to a juvenile level when they team up with other photographers for their videos. Thanks Nigel for rising above and producing top notch videos!

[@NigelDanson]

Many thanks - appreciate that. Kind words indeed.

[@Hambonicus72]

Thank you for posting this video. It is great to see someone with all your years of experience sharing it with someone just starting. I have been watching quite a bit of your videos and learning so much. I wish I had seen this particular video a few weeks ago before I went to Maui. I got some good pictures, but after getting back and looking at them they could have been much better. I am definitely taking what I have learned here and applying it to future opportunities, once we are allowed to leave our houses 😀. Thank you Kevin

[@debbiebennett328]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and ❤️.

[@joenackmugot2338]

Thank you so much Sir Nigel for this video. So inspiring to watch because it could help as a beginner photographer like me. Cheers from the Philippines 🇵🇭🇵🇭

[@nicknichols4249]

Great suggestions on analyzing your work since our goal as photographers is to improve our skills.

[@glennjohnson262]

Thank you -- Well done Nigel

[@andrewherbert9938]

Another very interesting and inspiring video Nigel , great images too

[@photobyjewell1987]

Thanks again for the tips & advice on photography

[@cliveeariss880]

Hello Nigel, just watched this, your photography is mind blowing, loved this, you the man thanks for this, will watch more later, all the best.

[@lockharj]

I would suggest making this type of video with OBS capturing your screen and marking up with photoshop. On mobile the pictures show up too small to notice some of the details you describe.

[@hethinkshecanfly]

This was just such a great video Nigel! Just what I needed, I love that basic principle of finding what it is that makes a piece good. I can be so critical of myself, that comes easy to me, but to spend the time to think what about my practice I do "good" is definitely something I could spend a little more time. Thanks for your beautiful photography, and great content. I've subscribed :)

[@NigelDanson]

Brilliant - glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the sub

[@ellyelzinga01]

Another great video, always very inspiring to me!

[@sterlingsilver5937]

Thank you for the lesson!

[@mlibrarianus]

Thank you for your composition vids. Definitely need a bit of help in that area. Side note - LOVE when Pebbles makes an appearance. As a fellow ESS owner I love seeing her.

[@vintage_lenses9878]

Brilliant Nigel, learned a lot...............Thanks

[@paulduckworth1121]

Great video - really like the idea of printing off a photo and marking it up.

[@Jma82-photo-travel-drone]

Hey if like photography, KZbin and Instagram check out through this website you my like 👇www.jma82.com/gallery/

[@martienhoogebeen8434]

Very instructive! great video

[@jemaluang1]

Great video again ! Thank you .

[@MohamedMostafa-ru3wy]

that photo you showed at 6:20 is awesome and also perfect

[@anthonyplancherel8274]

Wise advice! Great stuff! Always helpful to watch you dissect an image as to what is/isn't working! Thank you! Best quotes: "what makes it good is if you like it" & "good photos come from experience, experience comes from bad photos" Yoda will be after you for this stuff! You're the Jedi Master of composition - that's meant to be a complement! :) - but it's good if you like it - real reality check on what should be important to us! Great video! Great advice!

[@lennartphotography]

Nice prints 👏👏👏, many thanks for all tips.

[@paololarocca7684]

Thanks for the video, I agree on the critique of the photos you've shown, and the last ones look beautiful...but I am thinking about simpliciy, maybe sometimes it can also be nice to look for a more complex and articulated image....

[@jerrymartinez4490]

great tips. thanks

[@Petesmotoadventure]

Great video, it was great seeing you with Nick.

[@NigelDanson]

Thanks - enjoyed the chat with Nick

[@MikeBazhenov]

Thanks Nigel!

[@SethPay]

Haha the first couple lines you said how to analyze photos coming back from a trip and it was like you were speaking right to me. Just making my last flight coming back from a month in NZ. It’s my first big trip since starting photography so I’m a bit nervous and overwhelmed knowing I’ve got a terabyte of content to cull through when I get back to the computer 😆 These tips were such a great reminder how much I’ll have to analyze, how to do it, and how that process in and of itself is a great learning experience. Thanks Nigel!

[@SidJ8300]

Very informative. Thanks for sharing .. 😊

[@genepolhamus7124]

Great info and advice.

[@madebychris935]

Nigel 1:48 "Here's a bad photo and here's why..." Me: "I'd be pretty happy if I took that shot" ...guess I have a loooooong way to go yet!!

[@Giles29]

He takes a lot of photos - he may have a lot like this and want to do something different

[@tubzvermeulen]

Thanks for the video

[@lynnjarmstrong8348]

I learn so much every week! Photos are stunning and an appearance from Pebbles is a bonus. It’s difficult to decide which print I like most to order!

[@NigelDanson]

Thanks so much Lynn... my fav when printed are the Faroe Sea Stack and the glimpse of Autumn if that helps.

[@lynnjarmstrong8348]

Nigel Danson there are all amazing to look. But being homesick makes me think I’ll choose Scotland or England 😊.

[@brunolp27]

I love your work. Great video

[@Sushi0923]

I came here for Pebbles. Haha. Anyways, thank you for the inspiring tips. I am trying to get my creative flow on landscape photography and watching vids like these help me a lot. Thank you.

[@jcon7734]

Excellent, thanks for going into this Nigel,. That is exactly the kind of mental post-processing my science background has me doing, but this helps me to just nail down the process a little more clearly in terms of the aspects and outcomes that will help me improve. Completely agree, social media likes are not important, photography can and should be (IMHO) a deeply personal experience. And finally, a lot of woods - I seem to remember a comedian way back in the '80s or '90s said the actor Edward Woodward's name was like a fart in a bath - sorry you jogged my memory with that one - lol.

[@NigelDanson]

ha ha - that is funny...

[@louiseroherty4694]

Hi Nigel. just enjoying your video and I wanted to mention something about one of your beautiful images. The one I have in mind is the photo with the clumps of vegetation in the foreground and the majestic snow-covered mountains in the background. I believe anyone can look at that image and feel they are standing exactly where you did when you took the shot. I would buy that image because you have captured your experience and given it to us as you would a gift. Thank you!

[@naturealbums]

My favourite is at 16:40 the Faroe Islands pic an excellent composition and amazing location. I enjoyed the video you took there I saw it on dpreview a while back good use of a drone.

[@NigelDanson]

Thanks - appreciate that.

[@ZedExGaming]

Really great video, enjoying the music used 😊

[@washingtonradio]

Great point about explaining why I like my favorite photos to myself and others.

[@aditvekaria]

Really good insights. You inspire us to work better. Would you/ do you recommend some reading material/books to understand more about composition structure/philosophy? Thank you.

[@julessanchez9216]

Nigel, you take some amazing photos, some of them almost look like 3D images. Great video, thanks for sharing, Merry Christmas to you and your family !

[@NigelDanson]

Many thanks and you!!!

[@andycarlisle1962]

Nigel, so helpful as always, in positively critiquing your work and empowering us to do the same, without being slavish to a set of arbitrary rules or just what others like. I have used this already to see differently. Excellent content. Thanks!

[@NigelDanson]

Thanks Andy - appreciate that. It does work - I have done it for a while now and made a difference to me. Hope you are well.

[@andycarlisle1962]

Nigel Danson yes, really looking forward to Iceland!!

[@valk-photography]

Thanks Nigel for this fantastic educational video. It's true that we must photograph for ourselves but when you're not a professional photographer you need some good input from someone with more experience and skills ..... Honest input or critique is worth more than sympathetic likes (like you mentioned on this video). The reason that i post a lot on your Masterclass Facebook group.

[@lindahudspeth8006]

Great tips Nigel and the painterly photo has to be my favourite of yours so far. But your hands look really sore. Try O’Keeffe’s Working Hands. Not an ad, just personal recommendation 😊

[@evertking1]

Good video. Really helpful 👍

[@erichstocker8358]

enjoyed the video. You provided some good items for thought.

[@NigelDanson]

Many thanks Erich

[@suebyrne7739]

This was very good!

[@johnsholian4318]

Nicely done Nigel! Enjoyed your recent podcast with Nick Page as well. I need to revisit my photos from this year with a more discerning eye and winnow some images from the LR catalog. It’s tedious to me but I know there are a lot of images that are just crap and I might even find some that just need some minor tweaks. I’ll keep your tips in mind when I do. Cheers!

[@NigelDanson]

Many thanks John and glad you caught the podcast with Nick.

[@dannynash5713]

Excellent video once again Nigel! I loved your critique of your images which was a great teaching moment. One thing about you that is very appealing is your candor. Very refreshing and I appreciate that very much! I do have an off subject question. During your presentation of your favorite images the music was very nice. Was the voice by chance that of Taya Smith with Hillsong? It sounded just like her. Just curious. Have a great week!

[@NigelDanson]

It was The Landslide - Martin Hall feat. Julia Holmström

[@f.kroiss4543]

Great Pictures and good comment.

[@rickpeterson7303]

More great content!!! 👍👍

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

09:58 to 12:12 - it must have pained you to crop those two images to 4x5 for your 2019 calendar. (P.S. same for your June 2020 image at 16:15.) Having now seen the full-size versions, I must say they're better than the crops. Oh well. I await January 1 so I can put up your 2020 calendar next to Heaton's. Good on you both!

[@Fifthimagez]

Great video

[@garybennett7845]

Very useful information. I’m starting to learn the art of self critique and this helps. Just curious, what are you using to mark up your shots on your iPad? That’s kind of the way I think through things and would like to be able to mark up the shot like you do. Great to see your puppy (all dogs are puppies to me, no matter how old they are). Thanks!

[@NigelDanson]

Just the native markup tool

[@tonyflynn8629]

It is indeed frustrating to leave a location and later discover your mistakes, but not be able to go back for a do over. In a couple of the examples you used as “bad ones”, it seemed like you might be able to achieve significant improvement with some cropping, This might be a topic for a later video. This is the best there is on You Tube. Nobody touches Nigel.

[@NigelDanson]

Thanks Tony - yes you are probably correct. I did a video on cropping as well if you look back a few weeks.

[@ashstubbings2603]

1 min 16 secs into your video and already I couldn't agree more.. the most important thing that makes a it a good photo or a bad photo is whether YOU like it or not! Wonderful! And yet, there are certain things that I disagree with, for instance when you talk about 'having a resting place for your eye' in a particular image. I don't really think it's entirely necessary for your eye to rest on a particular part of EVERY image, only SOME images. Personally, in certain images I actually like the busyness of them. I enjoy looking at different aspects of the image. However, I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying that my opinion differs from yours. I think a lot of photography, like many things is subjective.

[@davehayford4294]

Well done AGAIN Nigel. I have to say this; I do subscribe to several other photographers Vlogs however, I always learn something or a few things from every video you post. I can't say that from the other channels I subscribe too and in fact, I have dropped a few just because of that. The content is simply not there. Thanks again Friend.

[@NigelDanson]

thanks so much Dave

[@roshanwright3436]

Nice. Educational video.what program are you using on your iPad? What's the pencil tool you're using to show us these things?

[@NigelDanson]

Just the mark-up tool and Apple Pencil

[@XOXO-mb2vh]

What's sad is what you are critical of in those photos looks perfect to me. You could drive yourself nuts trying to perfect nature.

[@markkemp7608]

I have photos I don't post/show because they are not technically good but have some meaning for me, I have some of those in a binder or hanging on my wall.

[@non_clemente]

Teasing the collab video right at the end there. 👀

[@NigelDanson]

Maybe

[@theadventurenomads7011]

Inspiring