Brutally Honest Review of Brooklyn Beckham's Photography Book

[@caleblatreille8224]

I have no sympathy for ultra-rich 18yo boys, but I'm also not mad at him for being a terrible photographer. I am, however, LIVID at the crass, commercial opportunism of Penguin for putting out what they surely know is garbage instead of actually taking a risk and supporting photographers who are putting their whole heart and soul into their work, whose life would be changed by this opportunity.

[@FableFeather]

@@xMaddieMuffinwith that ridiculous logic, why are opportunities given to anyone then? This has minimal to do with how art is perceived and more to do with capitalism and the influencer/nepotism structure.

[@chikensaregood9500]

@@xMaddieMuffin what an embarrasingly sad comment , that's the same thing as hollywood recycling the same actors over and over instead of giving new ones a chance. The only satisfying thing about that is when they flop

[@fae206]

I love photography, I just have no money to buy anything 😂 but I love seeing new artists and photographers

[@muszeuhs]

@@xMaddieMuffin please stop making awful supercuts, or at least make them private on your channel, you're doing yourself no favors regarding credibility of opinion. Also maybe get out of marketing and stay the hell away from PR because you've no idea how optics work.

[@AnandTumurtogoo17]

Correction he is "25" year old Nepo Baby who has no talent...

[@hjbjms8235]

It's a little hilarious how Brooklyn Beckham has all this nepotism privelege but can't do anything well enough to take advantage of it

[@Missab4000]

Just like Chet Hanks 😅

[@creativepicnl]

But that’s how it usually goes right? 😅

[@Riverrockphotos]

Looks like he doesn't have to they just give him stuff to do.

[@PandoraStolen]

See I have no problem with nepo babies who actually have talent. This is just annoying

[@profaneangel2556]

When nepos exclaim "but I work hard I sacrifice." In grad school, I sold all my camera and lighting gear so I could buy food. It took me almost 2 decades to save and buy things. I feel confident Brooklyn will never face that moment. I don't fault them for having privilege. I fault them for not acknowledging it.

[@titomartinroig4626]

Two decade??? You did something wrong mate…

[@profaneangel2556]

​@@titomartinroig4626 poverty

[@titomartinroig4626]

@@profaneangel2556 sorry about that mate! Hope you are doing well

[@cgriggsiv]

I understand poverty very well Too high in computers 4,000 a piece​ fishing equipment I had underquilts and over quilts that were approximately 6,000 and various other odds and ends for my other bike packing@@profaneangel2556

[@Goldenhour24]

@@titomartinroig4626seriously? What right does anyone have to judge a perfect stranger who has been living through extremely difficult times??

[@flyingkabosu5680]

I’m no photographer but the line “this feels like a family vacation photo album no one wants to see” sums up what I felt seeing these images. Maybe you could do a video, with a great example of a photography book (if you haven’t already). Anyway great video!

[@tori4040]

That’s a good idea. Pick one of your favorite books and show us what it should be lol

[@here2_fangirl]

Yes please Jessica

[@bumblebee_ms]

I love this idea.

[@TheWutangclan1995]

That or the pics come off as someone who gets a camera for the first time and doesn’t know how to use it or what the buttons mean and then start taking dumpster fire shots and selling them. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve taken dumpster fire pictures because we’re learning. But the difference is, we have the integrity to know that they don’t look good and we don’t try to make a Buck off of it.

[@Lila_Moon]

Why did he put his facebook photos in a book.

[@ahoward3503]

It's coming off as "I'm edgy and thought provoking" lol

[@PthumerianDusk]

tumblr core photobook, they should've published it like 8 years ago tumblr girls would've ate it up

[@aproperusername]

​@PthumerianDusk i think it was published around that time, i believe he's 25 now

[@baoyenaj5186]

Nepotism at its finest. Giving rich kids opportunities they waste because they'll still be rewarded regardless

[@handsoapsoup5907]

I have never heard of this kid or this book, nor do I care, I’m just here for your humor.

[@peachxtaehyung]

I think it's the son of David and Victoria Beckham

[@bumblebee_ms]

@@peachxtaehyung It is.

[@hoihoi3897]

Same

[@jacobnathanielzpayag3885]

I'm not gonna ostracize a teen for not taking good pictures but I am going to call out the publisher for choosing him to get published. There are thousands of aspiring photographers out there who put in the effort to learn proper exposure, composition, make do with what limited gear they have and still produce amazing images worthy of a book and yet they chose this. The opportunity should have been given to someone who really deserved it.

[@gablebrandon]

Agreed it’s more the publishers fault not the photographer. Quite frankly I don’t see a need to rip apart anyone’s photography publicly, even if they are a nepo child.

[@raksh9]

The publisher will reap the publicity benefits of working with a nepo celeb.

[@jeffchastain2977]

Penguin thought they were going to get a book full of serviceable photos of the Beckhams. Some nice pics of David, and Victoria and a few of their kids, bound up with a modicum of talent. Looking at the work "he did" for Burberry, I think that they could have assumed that it would sell. I don't think they realized how much help he had doing the Burberry shoot.

[@davevayn]

Agreed, welcome to this weird society we created where rich people get anything they want but can’t do anything with it - it’s absurd.

[@ChairmanMeowOk]

I love how he was in iceland and took photos that managed to capture none of iceland lol. Nothing says FoToGraPhEE like a B&W picture of an open field

[@xghoulishgalx]

This book was published the same year Brooklyn dropped out the first year of a four year photography degree at Parsons School of Design. He's a nepo baby now married to anither nepo baby.

[@nightsbeatswitchgood]

so basically one year into his degree he decided he knew everything already?

[@PalindromeDesign]

He's a nepo baby for sure ,but there's no WAY you need a four-year degree to pursue photography.

[@nightsbeatswitchgood]

​@@PalindromeDesign if he has the means i don't think there's anything wrong with pursuing it per se... but to drop out and publish a book like this, pretending like he suddenly knows everything about photography, just reeks of arrogance and shits on the rest of us who put in the years of dedication, work, and real SKILL. Ugh! getting mad thinking about it again

[@lotadot]

as someone in my 2 year of a fine arts degrees with a photographer major, you can tell... deff nepo baby...

[@sakuraprincessx]

"Most popular teen," I've literally never heard of this guy before 💀

[@fae206]

Right, I only know him because he appeared on either an episode of Master Chef, Hells Kitchen, or both

[@peachxtaehyung]

Its the son of David and Victoria Beckham

[@sakuraprincessx]

@@peachxtaehyung Who?

[@peachxtaehyung]

@@sakuraprincessx they're British but well known here too. David is a soccer player (well as the Brits say football), and Victoria is a model and was in the girl group spice girls she was the one called posh spice

[@bingbong4848]

Well that’s fine, but to be fair he’s pretty popular and is the son of a superstar sportsman and superstar singer mum.

[@helenachapman681]

His captions sound like entries in a child's diary. Can't wait for the elephant.

[@sweetfusion17]

I'm not a photographer, but i feel like i could take better pictures than him with my phone

[@MJAdams-js7np]

You definitely have better pictures on your phone. I’d bet my house on it.

[@p.j.3804]

I would rather look at a book filled with pictures taken by children or freshman year photographers, at least there'd be some heart and effort in those photos. This book seems like a cash grab for the publishers. Also, who is this kid? Never heard of him.

[@CurlyKimmieJean]

Penguin just approached him out of the blue? Sure, Jan 😏

[@eliza5059]

I wrote a book when I was 16. Researched the process myself, queried dozens of companies, finally got it accepted by a small indie press. Penguin asking you to publish a book at 18 is WILD. Now 26, i see there was no rush and tbh wish I waited until I was older

[@Lizzypoohxo]

I hear many writers saying that about their first book. I feel that it's the same with many experiences though. 18 is very young and I don't believe many 18 year olds would know any better. You made a choice with what knowledge you had at the time. I hope you don't feel regretful. That's a huge accomplishment and a learning experience you can apply to any future endeavors.

[@eliza5059]

@@Lizzypoohxo thank you for saying that, I really appreciate it!

[@draconian_rex]

I agree with the other commenter. I hope you feel proud of achieving such a formidable feat and so young, too! Most people don’t even get to write, let alone have their work published (unfortunately)

[@realamericannegro977]

Wow

[@rossmansell5877]

Penguin rushed because he was a Beckham..............and the idiots would buy it...

[@SherriLyle80s]

I think it's nice that he likes photography, but maybe he should actually take some courses and learn about it a bit more. Just because someone has a camera doesn't make them a photographer.

[@robb2biago]

So he’s shooting these photos on a Leica camera, and they all look like photos you could do on an iPhone plus? The words are not strong with Beckham. His parents are glad, he’s not robbing houses or drinking excessively. So, silver linings.

[@Valraquel1257]

Confirms that gear doesn’t really matter😭 the photographers skills do

[@Spread_love01]

That will probably be next and he'll photograph it since he likes to taking pictures of him trespassing

[@carlkligerman1981]

@@Valraquel1257still my dream camera though. I’ll never be able to afford one, but I do know how to shoot, smh

[@jeffchastain2977]

He’s worse than I thought. It’s harder to take bad photos with a Leica.

[@chanwinsern8814]

I've listened to a podcast recently about Nepo babies. Beckhams son, Brooklyn, was one of the worst nepo babies, based on his talent. The chef job was a bust, the photographer stint was a miss. Hearing he came out with a photography book..... 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@p.j.3804]

Wait, he was a Chef? How? That takes years of training.....confusion?????

[@chanwinsern8814]

@@p.j.3804 At this point, Brooklyn should focus to follow his father's path to be a footballer already. Photography..... Should be given to people who have great passion

[@caleblatreille8224]

@@p.j.3804 i had never even heard of him before today but apparently the book is actually several years old at this point, he's now 25

[@AlysiaTribeca]

​@@chanwinsern8814 honestly, I think it's too late for him to follow in his dad's footsteps. His dad practiced and trained already for years before he was Brooklyn's age. By the time he could go pro with real work to get good, he'd be "athlete old" already

[@alidisbellorin]

He's 25, young to do anything, but he's just wasting time (well, it's late for football)

[@Lizzypoohxo]

As a mother of 18 year old boys, they would never do something so embarrassing 😂. This isnt an age thing, this is an entitlement thing.

[@latrendacarswell7392]

I don't really have an opinion on Brooklyn's book, the publisher, the quality, etc. But I have to say, as creatives (I'm a passionate hobbyist photographer), sometimes there is no one else that can break our souls and make us question our art faster than another creative who absolutely rips us. Photography is, to me, the one medium that allows us to do what we want creatively. It doesn't have to make sense to anyone else. We shoot what we shoot because it's what we want to shoot. It's what WE see. What we love. You make a great point. Brooklyn does have access to all kinds of resources that you, me and most people won't have. But that doesn't matter. He's 18. If he's passionate about photography, he will learn and grow. He may look back at that book when he's 28 and ask, "Who the hell let me publish THAT?" And if he asks that question, it will mean he's grown in his skills. The downside of being a celebrity is, people won't say to them, "This isn't ready." Or, "Give it some time, study the craft, get better, and then think about publishing a book. Right now, it's not your time." I'm 58 years old. At 50, I decided I really wanted to learn the art of photography. I didn't know what an f-stop was. Manual mode was a foreign language. Thank goodness for KZbin; I literally learned how to be a photographer by committing hundreds and hundreds of hours of my time to devouring tutorials on how my camera worked. Then, different styles of photography, and so on. I began to experiment. When someone called me a photographer back then, I would laugh and so, "Oh, I wish. I'm still learning." And that was true. If someone would've have shown me, at 51, a photo that I would take in the future, and asked me, "Who took this photo?" I would've said, "I have no idea, but it's a fantastic photograph!" If that person had then said to me, "This is a photo you will take 8 years from now." I would've said, "Get outta here!" Two weeks ago, the artistic director of a local ballet company reached out to me and asked if I would photograph their spring program called "Emergence." I shot the rehearsal, dress rehearsal, and performance. He and the dancers were floored. We get better with time and practice. But a sure fire way to end someone's desire to get better, is by tearing them completely down. Critiques help all of us to grow. Trashing a newbie artist could make them stop before they get a chance to be better.

[@jillkltr]

I get what you are saying, but your reaction would be better suited for a new photographer who posted photos, asking for advice on how to improve them, but was instead criticized. This privileged kid got to publish a 300 page book ONLY because of who his parents are and not because of the quality of his work. For this reason, I disagree with your criticism of Jessica's review, but congrats on your recent ballet work!

[@latrendacarswell7392]

@@jillkltr I appreciate your response. In a way, you validate my point. For those of us not privileged, we have a better chance of having someone give us an honest opinion on our budding work. They help to mold us; make our art better until we reach a level where we know we're ready. It may be to soon for Brooklyn, and if his name were Brooklyn Williams, someone may have stepped in on his behalf as well. I'm hearing how "privileged" he is, and I don't dispute that. But some of you are mistaking privilege as always being a positive. If you listen to an adult who, for example, started as a child actor, you will hear them recount in their adulthood, how they were never given boundaries as a child because of their fame, and it almost wrecked their life. How many don't make it to adulthood because they weren't protected. Having privilege doesn't make painful or unfair criticisms feel less painful, no matter how much money they have, or who their parents are. Sometimes we can and should, just stay silent. Not being privileged doesn't give us license to rip those we deem to be privileged. Being a creative comes from our souls. Let's not try to crush the souls of others. The publisher could've said no. I don't know anyone posting in the comments, myself included, who wouldn't have our work professionally published if we could, regardless if we were ready or not.

[@happygolucky1833]

concur 💯 btw I’m also 58 and got the bug 2 or 3 years ago. keep on rockin’ dude 📸

[@Jellybellyirish]

​@@latrendacarswell7392His privilege has been nothing but a positive for him- he's not some abused ex child star. If you know nothing about him I'm not sure why you're so rabidly defending his "feelings" and critiquing the critique.

[@catalinagonzalez7434]

@@latrendacarswell7392 the art / creative world is one of the most judgmental and yet accepting places in the world. I've been torn apart by publishers and clients. Some providing creative criticism, while others just providing their personal opinion that was criticizing me as a creative. Now, I hear all your points in your original and response comment. This young man agreed to publish a book of his work. HE as well as ANY creative who publishes work is going to get criticism. This is how best sellers are determined. It is not as though anyone walked into his home opened his personal photos and judge them. Penguin is a major publication. So as with any other published body of work, this book deserves to be criticized. Lastly, on the subject of "privilege" there are many levels to what privilege is. To touch on your specific example of childhood actors, many come from middle class or lower class families (economic stance). So, those people (children) at the beginning of their careers were not originally privilege. Rather they grew into what is their now financial privilege. Whereas, this young man has ALWAYS been privileged. Highlighted example is being hired to photograph a Burberry campaign the age of 16 years old. While if he was an amazing youthful photographer this would be huge. Unfortunately, he is comparable to a hobbyist as far as skill. I want to exclaim ANYONE can shoot photos and pick up a nice camera. Conversely, not everyone is a photographer.

[@kaoryakasaka6835]

"Sometimes described as the most popular teen" - up till this very video today, I didn't know who he was. Literally had to google before watching.

[@megjulia4007]

I get that his captions aren't supposed to be funny, but they're SO funny. It's just the most 18 year old boy thing I've ever seen/heard.

[@Jalil-wx7rh]

Nothing but a RUTHLESS morning to start my day! 😂😂

[@ahoward3503]

"You're telling me this page deserves to be seen by more than one person?" That's a TKO right there 😂 absolutely savage

[@jodibowers6153]

Can you please do some more celeb photo book reviews like Kim Kardashians “selfish” 😂

[@JessicaKobeissi]

Omg she has a book? Whaaaattt

[@juanitoajucum5979]

The Guy just said to put all the images he had on an SD card and publish the book.

[@axelomg4581]

I feel bad for the kid. His photos are ok for his age (meaning they suck), but its nowhere near a level that should be published, especially in an edition like this. It got published because his parents and now everyone will just write him off as a shitty artist. Which he is, but he could develop if he went through the steps as everyone else. He should create a new instagram account with a fake name and publish a book with the fake name and he could then begin to improve after struggling to sell a single one.

[@carolinaelichalt7913]

I think that he wasn't at his best at 18 and the publisher is a dumb dumb dumb corporation for publishing a book like this. If the publisher would've asked more of him, telling him kindly this kind of photography (at least 90% of his book) isn't enough maybe he could've given more effort. But the thing with children of celebs is they don't get asked for more than the bare minimum, so they learn its amazing for them to be mediocre. If he actually got into learning, practiced, explored different techniques and worked hard i'm sure he could become an actual good fashion photographer, or a good nature photographer. The thing is he needs to stop accepting what they say as "the best" he can give, stop being lazy and learn his potential.

[@loriegabidel]

This is what happens when you have famous parents and are mummy and daddy's most special boy. This child drips arrogance. This is embarrassing, and not in the least because all of these are EXACTLY what I'd expect from a teenager who thinks they are artsy.

[@kazg0091]

What a JOKE. It's just a money maker merch, capitalizing on his family name. just like the typical celebrities/models' merch like "skincare" perfumes, makeup etc.

[@ttoastt]

Have I ever been this early to a video? I don't think so. But here I am, hello world

[@luvnatexo]

Jessica: “you know who could’ve given us a way better picture with this background” me: BRANDON WOELFEL!!!! literally, his 2016/2017 neon era. he was (and still is) one of my biggest photography inspirations. and so are you Jessica!!

[@moosruatfela8060]

I did that too! XD

[@veen-a2092]

Just wait,Instagram influencers are going to churrn OUT a photography-book just hold just hold for a good 3-4 months I'm telling you😂😂😂 This book is basically instgram but hard cover give it 3-4 months all these i influencers are going to come out with their own book

[@andersistbesser]

And why they should not? Whats wrong with making money with a huge following on social media? Fans dont buy if they dont like it. I dont get your point. Are only "real" photographers allowed to sell crappy landscape foto books no one cares about?

[@nativestrong7253]

Art is in the eye of the beholder. He’s also just 18 years old. The good thing is that it isn’t a copy paste of some Instagram trend. You can see him trying to find what photography is. He needs to put hundreds of hours behind the lens before he finds it. Hope he keeps chasing after it.

[@applesforakbar]

Agreed, I know nepo babies are easy targets - and yes many of those photos are trash and narcissistic, but in some you can see there's a glimmer of art developing. Does this deserve to be a book? Probably not, he should have done a gallery showing or something along the lines.

[@michelledawn7446]

A lot of the photos are just basic photos with captions I’d find on instagram. If he puts his passion into it, he can be better. This just isn’t a good photography book.

[@bngr_bngr]

My friend had a large photo book printed because she was dating one of the editors at a publishing house. Here work is just above Brooklyn’s work.

[@stratospherica]

In a way, I kind of pity him - the platform given to him and the level of wealth he has (which seems to lead rich people to believe that everything they say and do has value) means that he can't just be bad at something privately until he gets good. Probably a lot of photographers started out like this, but they didn't have the opportunity or the platform to get pilloried for it. Really, if more people cared about him they'd probably tell him to listen to that part of him that said "but I'm just an amateur" and hold off for a while until he felt like he'd managed to get to a point where his art has developed.

[@karenpaxton]

He's so young and inexperienced still.

[@studionelle3340]

I am truly wondering if this wasn't Brooklyn would the critism be so harse. It's basically a glorified photozine with a hardcove. Captureing a period of his life with his people. I'm not sure what the big deals is personally. I've definately seen way worse. And I have seen many high-profile historical photographers with black and white images, high contrast, blur and the selfie with camera in mirror or reflection - he tried all the things at 18. give him a break. It's not even priced at a serious hardback photobook price - thats says it all. It needs no attention. I didn't even know it existed until this video.

[@ZoZoZoeee]

I don’t understand the people who are defending a literal silver spoon nepo baby. ‘He’s a teen, he’s still growing, don’t trash him!’ Like, no? He dropped out of a photography uni. He changed ‘passion’ as quickly as using a toilet paper. He can’t be protected behind a screen saying ‘he’s still growing’ ‘Don’t blame him he’s a child’ nah mate. At 18, he should be able to self reflect and say ‘hmmm let’s loop back in a few years. I’m not confident with my skills yet’. It’s not that he’s going to lose this chance if he says no. HE’S A FLIPPIN BECKHAM. I will sing a different tune if this are all photos from his ig that he posts as a progress journal. Nah. He published it. It’s free real estate for criticism and mockery. Besides, in this economy, what else can we do but to mock the bourjois? Can’t start sh00ting up an innocent whose only sin is being a bellend, can we?

[@JDtheComposer]

I'm in tears lauging! On the other hand I am a bit sympathetic with the guy. I guess he never had the chance to be a normal person. He *HAD* to be famous. Being the son of rich celebrities…he had no chance. So people force him to do things like a photo book and give him the feeling he is a genius and here we are.

[@qamstel]

The fact that Penguin approached him and not the other way around is heartbreaking. It’s a real spit in the face for all authors and creatives struggling to make a name for themselves. It’s just the name of the game I guess

[@Alezcollection]

I mean, you guys have to understand that he put this book out in 2017. He was what, 18-19? Dude’s 25 now and apparently doing quite well with cooking instead. Either way, everyone starts somewhere with photography. Half of us in here probably started with photos like these or worse ahaha. I don’t think he needed a whole book published over amateur-level shots, but whatever. The whole “I hate rich 18 year old guys” for pursuing something they’re passionate in is a pretty lame card to play.

[@Wenneirda]

The words “this looks like a family album” went through my head right before you said exactly that lol. And your comment about putting your work up on Instagram for 20 followers hit me in my soul. 😂 Absolutely love your work, Jessica!

[@ThereAlright]

The epitome of narcissistic nepo baby. It's more like a family photo album rather than a photo book. What a shame

[@WildflowersCreations]

I notice he and the publisher didn't give credit to the other photographers that also worked on this book. How convenient!

[@Localken]

If i was one of them i wouldn’t want my name in it anyway

[@classic.cameras]

This reminds me of when I first started taking photos and posted them for all to see. Now I look back decades later and think "What was I thinking!" except this rich kid got a book. How embarrassing.

[@anuel_barrios]

Agreed with everything you said. What a waste of opportunities for someone who does not have talent for photography.

[@sionkaze]

Hey, Jessica have thought about doing critique of photos submitted by your subscribers? Your professional insights could help beginner photographer grow.

[@shane320]

that would be very fun and cool!

[@tamaska6]

I'm shocked you're being so unkind. He may not be good in your eyes, & I agree the photo's are not all of a high standard, but you're being critical of a child. He gave it a go. Of course there's going to be pictures of him in the book, It's about his journey as a photographer starting out learning, growing. Give him a break. He can't help having famous parents either. He's trying to show a different talent, & in his eyes it's art. Go to a gallery - nobody is going to like everything, & people like different things. You sound bitter Jessica.

[@studio106raleigh]

I doubt he needs yet another break. No matter how young he is.

[@andersistbesser]

​​@@studio106raleighand you act hateful as well.. its not his fault your parents achieved nothing to give you opportunities like his mom and daddy did😏

[@studio106raleigh]

@@andersistbesser I don't think what I said was hateful at all. A personal attack on my parents though, simply because you disagree with my opinion ... Maybe!

[@andersistbesser]

@@studio106raleigh i dont attack anyone. It is what it is. I dont have rich and famous parents either. No one gave me any opportunities but i dont complain. I do what i can and i am not jealous about what others have.

[@studio106raleigh]

@@andersistbesser Oh, ok, maybe that was just an insolent accusation, not an attack. My Apologies then. lol

[@reeceupton9640]

Im honestly so happy this book was published! I havent been doing photography for long and always think about creating a photobook, and Brooklyn has given the me courage to pursue my passions even if it’s bad.

[@claragudelhoff8407]

As a fellow photographer I've got to say, this doesn't sit right with me. An adult tearing up a teenager's work for clicks and cloud? It doesn't matter who he is, he's still 18. When you called out predatory behaviour during the ANTM shoots, that was absolutely valid and warranted. This, not so much. The book is titles "What I see", so that should be a clue as to what it entails. This isn't "The 100 best fashion photos", so why try and judge it by that? It's someone documenting their life. And from that I'd expect interesting compositions and spur of the moment shots that won't necessarily have perfect lighting and set-up. Photography, as is all art, is subjective. Anyone can learn the "proper" technique and equipment, hire a model that does half the work for you, roughly follow some composition rules and produce a serviceable well lit, clean photo. But creating photos that capture the Zeitgeist of the era they were taken in, is a different matter. That's hard and a lot of it does come down to opportunity and accident. Are the captions cringe and lack some self-awareness? Yes, but then again, that's most teenagers. Is the marketing questionable? Definitely! But again, going after a teenager, who got to publish some of his work, which presumably still took time and effort, regardless who his parents are, is rather sad. And let's be really honest here, if he wasn't Brooklyn Beckham but Peter Peterson from Backrock Ohio, who for some reason got published, everyone would be stoked for him.

[@DarrenMelrose]

I couldn't agree more. IMO, this was disgusting.

[@christopherward5065]

The critique is overly harsh and, a lot more work with a production team and a curator and an editor could have made something out of his work. This is a reputation defining piece and it doesn’t mark him out as a photographer. The book will be judged alongside well produced and curated pieces that present their authors well. Jessica should be cross about Penguin not pulling the stops out to launch a great showcase of Brooklyn and his images.

[@extinctbaryonyx]

The book is giving Instagram 'photographer' with 50 followers

[@mghJD]

Brooklyn is not that good.

[@samahita-vca]

Lmao the typical second account for "my photography"

[@YurrahAlHadi]

No true. It's so sadly basic. And the consistent black and white with no interesting composition just sent me. It's so bland

[@analog_wav]

You know Jessica is peak disappointed when she switched to arabic 😂😂😂 Love you girl ❤❤❤

[@AlysiaTribeca]

I love when she does that cause you know she's serious then 😂

[@Brittanysplittany]

Tbh I think he just wanted to make a scrapbook lol

[@levisimpson516]

This feels like a very young person trying out an art medium. There is going to be a wild range of stuff and if you're lucky you might accidently stumble into one good one. Like playing golf for the first time, 60% of your shots are going the who knows where, 39% are complete swing and a miss, and 1% are actually good. But that's important for the novice, that 1% will always be enough to get you energized to do it again, and through time and practice you learn how to increase your chances of nailing those shots. So that's what this feels like, very much someone not really deserving of a full on published book, but also someone I can't blame for having it. It's not his fault his parents are who they are and it's not his fault a major publisher was game for publishing his work. The real question is, will he take this and run with it, if he loves photography will he continue to grow as a photographer. Really, in 20 or 30 years will we be seeing one hell of a photo book from this young man and all look back at this book and just laugh? Only time will tell.

[@cozycodingmeg]

There is only ONE photo of me in my photo books - and it's on the dust jacket in the back of the book where it gives a blurb about the author.

[@marijevanderende6517]

The snark is strong and I'm so here for it.

[@studio106raleigh]

I swear this is my fav. vid. of the week! Subscribing right now! lol. (Seriously though, been mildly binging on your vids for more than an hour, good stuff!)

[@memonk11]

I don't know what's more impressive, his massive talent or his towering intellect.

[@intothemystic5223]

I looked up the Burberry pictures. They're not bad to an untrained eye like myself but what I bet actually happened is someone set everything up for him and he just took the pictures..like Tyra does lol

[@frappoGarcia]

Ok, going to google right now

[@Drinckx2]

You didn't get to the excellent 'Elephants in Kenya, so hard to photograph but incredible to see', which depicts a silhouette of what we must, from the caption, assume is an elephant. It may as well just be a silhouetted scrotum. The thing is, if you Google 'Elephant Photographs', hundreds of millions of photographs tell the lie to Beckham's statement. Even the average tourist on safari with a camera can take a perfectly well exposed picture of an elephant. Unfortunately, Brooklyn Beckham can't. I believe he's now given up on his photography career dreams. He went to study undergrad photography in New York but bailed after one semester. He worked as an assistant in Rankin's studio in London, but it didn't last. Sometimes even the ultimate nepo babies can't fulfil their ambitions. Perhaps it's because they have no ambition to begin with when a life of luxury and a Leica is handed to them on a plate. Silly sausage.

[@Jose-sx4ql]

YAAAS! I was waiting for this video salivating with excitement. Please do a part two, there's a specific photo I want you to get to, I need to see you react to it. PLEASE!

[@courtneypalmer53]

Oh gosh now I'm curious 😝

[@LindseyMeredith]

Which pic?! I have to know!

[@intothemystic5223]

When I was in high school, you could buy a page in the yearbook if you were a senior to put your own photos on. A couple friends and I bought one and waited until the last day to take pictures and chose what we wanted on the page. You could tell we put no effort into it. This book reminds me of that.

[@ltlbuddha]

100%, Brooklyn Beckham got the book deal and the Burberry campaign because of his famous parents. And I don't care for the images,* but if these had been taken by an anonymous nobody and "discovered" or taken by a reclusive misanthrope, the photography world would be agog. Both have happened. These images are no worse than some I've seen in museums and galleries. Yes, this is nepotism and that is legitimate criticism, but there isn't some anonymous photographer who missed getting exposure because Beckham got the book or the fashion gig. To be clear, I'm not defending Beckham, Penguin, or Burberry. They are part of an exclusionary system. But so is the art world in general. None of this is a meritocracy, it never has been. *taste is subjective, there are admired photographers whose images I don't care for as well.

[@RodrigoVazquez91]

I had been feeling down about my pictures for a while, but after seeing this, now I really appreciate the progress I have reached after all these years.

[@mirlambda]

It's giving Gabbie Hanna poetry book tbh

[@joedavis9842]

How's he have a $6k camera and THAT'S what he has to show? Lazy is right.

[@jensbomholt4529]

These were not LOMO photos?

[@forgottencameras]

You could ask the many, many dentists out there the same question. You can't buy practice, and automated functions don't make up for a lack of knowledge.

[@jeffchastain2977]

How the hell did he take so many bad photos with a Leica?

[@xvxxvx4750]

did the book came with a refund option? it look like you waste some money.

[@ac_demarco]

this was so hard to get through LOL. i was so bored by his work that i had to keep stopping myself from clicking out of the video, then i was getting SO MAD at how bad it is. you hit the nail on the head with the comment on how he has so many resources photogs like us could only dream of. glad i made it through this one for your incredible commentary but WOW. extreme snoozefest of a book and such an insult to working photographers

[@darthjump]

The target demographic is teenage girls. If we start talking about this we can also start talking about the fact that there are sooooo many good, very good, even excellent photographers out there that are better than you, much, much better than me and have 15 followers. Public reach and social bandwidth is EVERYTHING these days. It always has been. In Germany we call it "Vitamin B", B stands for "Beziehung" which means "Relation" or "Relationship" in German. Still very good point to showcase this, have been following you for years

[@jaimeramirez4982]

Dude turned his instagram post into a book.

[@hoibsh21]

They say his next book is an autobiography within an autobiography, i.e., Brooklyn as observer and participant, i.e., something that has never been done before since the dawn of mankind. It'll be called Brooklyn on Brooklyn.

[@markusstorzer4545]

I am typing this only 9 minutes in and I already need to get this off my head....its like a kids story/first reader picture book....big picture and them a sentence or two accompanying them

[@caramelbilquees]

Im guessing he didnt want to put his best work because he wants to sell it for big bucks like most photographers do. He put his worst work in the book because its just a quick money grab using his hand me down celebrity status

[@angierosado6520]

Hearing the description of this book after seeing the contents is WILD 🤣🤣🤣 holy moly

[@sewgatormomm]

I blame the publisher and anyone else that enabled this. He seems like a good kid that has a budding passion for photography but was sucked into a woefully premature showing of his work. Brooklyn Beckham is another victim of not knowing how much he doesn’t know. It takes thousands of hours of practice to get proficient at artistic skills. You can’t buy it. Piling on the criticism just serves to destroy his soul and not help him be a better photographer or human being. Be kind.

[@roojanday]

The best photobook review I've ever seen! Very comprehensive, can't wait to see what the rest of the pages have to offer 😱

[@albertjimenez7896]

I believe it's a terrific concept. Jessica made a side-by-side comparison of Brooklyn's images with wet plate photos simply because Jessica's analysis would provide valuable insights into the historical significance of Brooklyn's contributions to photography. It is worth noting that plate photos most likely exhibit sharper details compared to Brooklyn's photos. LOL

[@photomitch]

Thank you for your honest assessment of Brooklyn Beckham's book. I'm a professional photographer and I have had some of my work displayed in galleries mostly in group shows and because I am not a "name" I have a hard time getting my work discovered. I lived in Pacific Palisades for a number of years and one of the things I began to notice are the number of dilatants (people with little or no talent) who work their butts off attempting to get their work discovered and most of them do because they have MONEY to afford having a gallery show where they can invite their influential patrons who will purchase their work and give it exposure.. Brooklyn is an example of this type of individual. He has expensive equipment, his family can afford to travel to exotic locations and his mother has all kinds of connections where he can pick up assignments and have his work displayed and published. There are others like me who work hard all their life and yet to have a solo exhibition. In today's world, talent means nothing, having wealthy and/or very famous family does.

[@vincentbanks3578]

I mean... Do I like his photographs? No. Does that mean he didn't poured his heart to these photos? Also no. I also don't like Ernst Haas work at all, does that makes him a bad photographer or artist? NO. Everyone's art is different, only because it doesn't live up to YOUR standards doesn't give you the right to say that is lazy or bad. Everyone's art is different and maybe for him that's art. It seems You're just trying to take advantage of his name to boost your's... you're so unlikable.

[@danielmollohan1703]

The publishers don’t consider this a photo book and neither should you. This is Beckham merch. That is why it was made. It is no different than a keychain, a bumper sticker, a coffee mug, or a t-shirt. Stuff that they know they will return a profit. An album will be next. He also has an art director who sets up all of the shots for him, handle the lighting, the location, the models,and in the old days they would have loaded the film for him and set the shutter speed and aperture, made sure it was focused so all he has to do is press the shutter. I am not joking. I have known many “photographers” like this incredibly lucky kid. I hope he realizes how blessed he is and devotes his life to helping others.

[@nnoemi_]

Love your commentary, totally agree! I could take better pics even tho I'm not a professional, I'm just increadibly hung up on composition and colors lol. could you please do a good quality photography book review as well? :3

[@MarkusMischek]

I think it´s not quite fair you didn´t colour grade this video just to make the photos look even worse than they already are. Anyway, I have to agree that most photos of this book lack of basic photographic skills. But technique aside (because technical perfection isn´t always the most important thing) some photos have some emotional quality. But should we really blame this guy for publishing a book without having any skills? I think who is to blame is the people around him. Because the should have stopped him instead encouraging or supporting the idea that this book is a good idea. But I guess it's hard to criticize a rich kid with celebrity parents. The book company and the editor and designer who was layouting this book have their share too! It's one of the worst photo book layouts that I have ever seen! Starting with the cover using a light Helvetica. This just looks like someone who has no idea of design made a photo album on an amateur photo printer site where you can click together your family photo album layout.

[@gablebrandon]

While the photos aren’t great by any professional standard, it does take a lot of work to put a book together regardless. I think people should just go ahead and hate this but perhaps not so publicly. Photography is hard and what’s really hard is putting your work out there, for this reason. Nepotism and rich or not.

[@WolfgangWhyte]

You know how many thousands of squirrels are homeless after they cut the trees to print that? 🌲🌰🐿 A lot!! 😳

[@frauleindaniela]

I think the captions are worse than the photos. It sounds like a 10 year old’s school assignment on “how I spent my holidays”.

[@bdat]

Not gonna lie…this makes me root for Brooklyn😂A whole video to straight up hate on a photographer is wild lol Rich or not. I personally am somebody who was put in a position to have access to great gear but also be inexperienced. And every step of the way a “veteran” has looked down on a brotha like it isn’t deserved and someone else should get that instead. Sometimes the level of hate in this community is overbearing but I feel like sheer will power and willingness to learn is crucial. It’s just kinda sad to see someone so experienced that could be using this as a teaching opportunity use it to just straight up 💩on somebody they don’t even know

[@ljwaugh1]

Brooklyn, if you read this, you need some tuition on camera settings, composition and lighting. You also need to learn how to refine your images in photoshop or similar and then how to select/reject the images for your next book. Finally you need advice on how to present your images to make an effective photobook that people want to read. Don't give up! Book 2 can be much better. Contact me if you can't find anyone to help you out.

[@jeffboxill1278]

I can’t with this video. A not so good photographer criticizing/making fun of another not so good photographer. She doesn’t say anything of value in this video in regards to the photobook.

[@Chuby_ubesie]

This sounds more like hating than it does reviewing or making a critical analysis.

[@nonprofitgirl]

“I only take pictures of water bottles and fences..” LMAO, Jessica! 😂

[@iammz81]

I think the video has to be graded a bit better Jessica. It seems like you or the one who supposed to grade it, just left it in Log profile. The colors are washed.

[@obriennyc]

He could have wanted to be a surgeon or an engineer in a nuclear power plant. Think of the countless lives Mom & Dad Beckham saved by giving him a camera and some publishing connections. And Jessica... please do part 2!

[@karenpaxton]

Although i get the privilege-roasting and commercial exploitation jokes, he's still a young guy trying to find his way. He hasn't found his skill or style yet. His parents will try to use every advantage for him, as will the brands!!! There were a few images in there that could be called composed or edgy ( from what i can see from the video). Good luck to him with his own career. Shame they put this out at this point though.

[@DjimmyTrovy]

This is a refreshing book. A lot of pros/youtubers create "perfect" but boring photos for whatever reasons (emulating each other and whatnot. I think he did relatively good. Nothing too special but not bad either.

[@Giakalope]

Ok he's no Peter Beard, but at least he put out a book which is more than I can say for myself who should've done so a long time ago.

[@kyonru]

Usually when I buy a illustration / photography book, I turn every page with the fear of that page being the last one. With this one the feeling was a little bit different, on each page, I was scared of more pages after the current one. The only good thing about this book is that it teaches me that I still have a chance, i just need rich parents and 9 million followers on instagram. Nothing against the kid, he has the resources to pay an instructor, sure he’s gonna get good after this failure, I’m just a bit sad about the trees that were used to print this book and a bit jealous of only have like 200 instagram followers after a couple of years and thousands of dollars, but hey, it is what it is.

[@marz9157]

I can tell you’re not a (real minded) photographer because any humble, good photographer knows there is No right or wrong in photography yet you’re here hating on some kids work for your KZbin revenue… oh well at least he still made money from you buying his book

[@astralshore]

I take this as a personal challenge. As Ansel is my witness, I will create a worse photography book!

[@Drinckx2]

He jumped over into a neighbour's garden because he was dissatisfied of living on the hedge.

[@iamnotjack.whydidichange]

I feel like the real villain here is penguin

[@yourelegantwaifu]

The paper died for nothing

[@BRBonGiediPrime]

It's giving first day of high school photography class.

[@rubenleyva9912]

The classic case of “Yes, baby!! Give us nothing and expect everything in return!!”

[@davep2945]

It's all about name recognition because of his celebrity parents. People make fun of it and from a pure photography perspective it's pretty bad. But neither the publisher nor Beckham cares about the pictures. It's about having something to sell. Whether it's to insta fans or people that bought the book just to see how bad it was he still makes money. The best thing for folks who really don't care and wish truly passionate and talented photographers to be given such chances is not to buy his book even if it's to poke fun at it. After all, he still wins and the cycle continues.