The Importance of Color in Photography - Lauren Tepfer Phototalks

This week's episode of Phototalks features Lauren Tepfer. A young contemporary photographer based in New York City. Her work is extremely colorful and vibrant. In this interview she discusses her time spent away from home, her take on the technicalities of photography and how she creates color in her photography work.
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Check out more of Lauren's work:
/ s.ilver
My work:
/ willemverb
/ willemverb
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Music:
The music in this video was all sourced from Musicbed -
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Lauren's Gear:
Camera: amzn.to/2FpHdsM
Lens: amzn.to/2YeU8GF

[@LaurenTepfer]

Thanks for having me Willem! ❤️

[@jessicamartinez8239]

You're such an inspiration!! I loved all the points you made about not having the fanciest equipment/not having taken a lot of photo classes. I started photography a year ago and feel like I'm on the same boat(which sometimes makes me insecure).

[@josephomalley1526]

Great work Lauren, keep it coming (you are on to something by the way !).

[@qnetx]

Lauren, your work is unique, refreshing, inspiring, and visually appealing to me. I think the world of photography needs more artists like you. Ignore the negative critics and keep doing what you do and what makes you happy.

[@J_IanCastle]

haha you're awesome! love your approach, work, style, personality, and heart!

[@AlexScene]

Your eye for color is awesome. I struggle with that! Your editing style is unique. I like it.

[@gaboacr6389]

"I'm sorry this is not like huge or like expensive, I'm just here to do my job". Just loved this.

[@eafahgewthrthertsdetr]

True badass

[@evanwojtowicz2379]

I find it odd how people with more equipment are looked at as being better photographers. I find it hella impressive that she shoots with just a 70d and kit lens

[@WillemVerb]

Couldn't agree more.

[@waltercardenas8727]

Really? I really dont think people with better gear discriminate other photographers with cheaper gear. I think its her insecurities & trying to make herself the victim. Aside from that i think she has a good eye for composition. Btw the canon 70D is great camera. Not cheap by any means.

[@CleanBean882]

Walter Cardenas nah, she's literally spitting some true shit

[@marvineastman460]

honestly dont know why she was hating so hard on her 70d... its a super capable setup. I totally get the iphone not-being-able-to-print shit...

[@allisonbaum1014]

what eva, jack up the vibrance in lightroom any god damn picture will look like this.

[@reach831]

the way she edits you’d think it was shot on film... i’m impressed 👏🏾

[@dianitasmiles]

I was thinking the same!

[@wendyripley5524]

Talent. Simplicity. Could have listened to her for hours.

[@TuAnh-xm3ix]

Wow those portraits are insane! How can you achive that rich, smooth, glowing skin tone? The color of those shots is so insane, i did not think those were shot with a digital camera at first because the color was film like!

[@parranoic]

Insanely bad

[@vivid_xyz]

@@parranoic no u

[@parranoic]

@@vivid_xyz funny, still crappy portraits. Love the music on your channel tho

[@aleci.8855]

Don Dan lol do something better then

[@parranoic]

@@aleci.8855 I am :))

[@EllieMalm]

I honestly love that she talked about not being technical, because I think its a common insecurity, at least it is for me. I believe that photography is storytelling, not a contest of who has the most knowledge about gear. I prefer a messy photo that tells me something before a perfectly shot one any day! Can't stress enough how much I love this series!!

[@kingmezs23]

This is true, but it also completely shits on the idea of composition. You dont need great equipment to make a stellar composition, just an eye. Ill take a not so messy picture over a clear shot of something boring, but not over a well composed image.

[@ErinLyle]

I personally love how she converses with the model; she never bosses her around, and instead of being like "I think this would look sexy" she constantly says "I want to see how the light looks." It is so transparent, technical, and makes it easy and comfortable for whoever she is photographing, unlike a lot of male or "hotshot" photographers I've encountered. Great concepts for color and composition, she has skill beyond just a good camera. Great video.

[@OloUnited]

And this is really the approach to photography. She focuses on what wants to tell, and the fact that She does it in this case with 7D... in this style... deserves a lot of applause :)

[@samspinks4138]

non-fiction photography rather than documentary style

[@hasnainbhatti2074]

Nice to see ideas/concepts favored over gear. Very unique style, keep it up!

[@WillemVerb]

Agreed, Thank you!

[@arkapravadutta8319]

The best kind of photographer. Really refreshing to see a photographer focus more on the art and less on the geeky stuff. Don't get me wrong the geeky stuff is what got me into this but it's the art that pulls me forward. One way you can tell right away that a photographer is good is when he/she has their own style. Her photos as she characterised were really colorful and they are and have so much character. I have not been in touch with photography for over a year now and I am a little scared if ever I am going to find my style

[@LifeOfRiza]

Love the fact she's so humble and down to earth! Her work is amazing.

[@_joka9]

*"i wish i could shoot b/w without feeling hurt"* preach! i couldnt say it better!

[@Cameraville]

Scrolling through the comments I read yours just as she said it! 👻

[@_joka9]

@@Cameraville 😂 perfect timing 101

[@CestTerry]

Lauren’s photos are incredible, love her style and this interview! You have such an amazing circle of talented friends 😫

[@WillemVerb]

It is incredible! Glad you liked it

[@jamiewindsor]

Wow. What brilliant work.

[@parranoic]

Strange, it's quite contradictory to what you teach on your channel.

[@jamiewindsor]

Don Dan How so?

[@WillemVerb]

Thank you Jamie! Also curious as to how it is contradictory

[@parranoic]

@@jamiewindsor You tend to promote quality and a higher standard trough thought and mastering your gear.

[@bmhagen]

Love that Lauren is so honest and I totally feel her about not having a 'nice' camera.

[@kennethakennetha]

she is so humble with that level of skill and creativity

[@valeriaochoa3624]

i can honestly with her in so many things. from not knowing how to categorize my work, love for color, being from suburbs, to even coming to art school from being completely autodidact, its incredible. and her work is amazinggg. this was very beautiful and so inspiring. can wait for more photowalks!!

[@nicoleisheretolearn]

This woman is so ridiculously inspiring! I love her photography and the way she sees things, but I especially love her attitude towards photography. Her insecurities about it are so relatable too but also so obviously nothing she should be concerned about because her work speaks for itself. What a humble badass.

[@james.00]

i think this is one of the first photography videos on youtube that I've actually been able to resonate with, i love how everything she says in the beginning is just honest and against the grain. i just wanna live in her photos??

[@aya_____7921]

We need more people like her!!! The pressure to have great gear is irritating... Your work is by all means beautiful, Lauren♥️

[@andgainingspeed]

Would love to see a follow up interview in a couple years to see how Lauren is doing in her commercial and personal work. I don't find her gear choice as odd as the notion she is not inspired to shoot by NYC. Maybe the suburbs or more specifically "home" can be a powerful muse for some? Glad she mentioned post processing as an important step in achieving her vision. Not exactly heretical but not featured much in this channel. 😅 Unless by post you mean mixing chemicals. 😬

[@aboutthatpicturelife6279]

Me too... More to see if she was able to get to grips with black n white photography... And maybe even fuse the two!

[@circleofattention6021]

"I kind of just shoot what's in front of me". ❤️❤️❤️ Love that she doesn't limit herself to having a "shooting style". This world is so rich, why should we box ourselves as photographers. Such purist mindset hinders our creativity. Great interview with amazing insights!

[@drewjfordphoto2010]

She has an innate feel for imagery - and what does gear matter to an artist anyway - and oh man does she understand color. Beautiful images all of them, but that portrait in the diner... I'd like a 5 foot print of that. Timeless art. (excellent video too).

[@themoderndrift]

Loving these phototalks. Always great to hear photographers talk about what motivates them. Everyone is just trying to find their voice, no matter what age or experience.

[@MrSodaBelly]

I love how your channel is mainly focused on photography and how youre not a narcissistic guy who just post himself. You’re TOO HUMBLE! YOU ARE SUCH AN INSPIRATION! You’re all about the “big picture” no pun intended lol. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! Please keep posting!!!

[@dasundmeer4002]

I'd love to see more phototalks - I really enjoyed this video! Keep it up Willem. Also Lauren's work is amazing. As someone who shoots primarely B&W it was really interesting to listen to what Lauren had to say.

[@WillemVerb]

Glad to hear you are enjoying them, personally my favorites to make

[@DessieTots]

Lauren Tapfer "yeah I did a campaign for NIKE and I was clueless" (sic). Brilliant! She totally blows a hole in the whole film v digital debate. I'm now going away to live with monks to empty my mind of all preconceptions, biases, misconceptions and hang-ups.

[@memet5811]

She did Jakob Ogawa's album art, cool !

[@imaginextreme]

Mars Hanaan right! Thought it looked familiar from somewhere

[@Nacnud92]

The best equipment: 1.) you’re brain 2.) you’re eye 3.) the camera you have

[@_joka9]

your* your* 😂 sorry buddy, i had to

[@asadnaeem76]

@@_joka9 I would have done the same 😅

[@AFR0MAMBA]

4.) stop feeling sorry for yourself

[@myyoutubeaccount4537]

5.) friends

[@kayleemerseth3989]

4.) You're grammar

[@micamarieabesamis]

Really relate to how people are caught up with gear and the technicality of shooting more than the story or composition of photos. Appreciate photographers like her who are really skilled, but still so down to earth and not so braggy about the technicalities of things

[@tyradirkson]

She is such a fresh breath of air when it comes to photography! I love her ideas and it’s so nice to hear that she is more focused on the creative rather than having a ton of equipment❤️❤️❤️

[@blackcameraphoto]

Technically perfect images with no soul are boring! Soulful images that are under or over exposed, blurry, over-cropped, light leaked, with faded colors will always resonate with the viewer better! This was an awesome video! I love that she shared her honest thoughts and vulnerabilities! After 20 years of me buying photo equipment I have finally grasped the concept of the gear really doesn't matter! What matters is the story! More photo-talk videos like this please!

[@julesmogul]

girl, you're so right. it's not (all) about technical skill and having a "nice" camera is overrated. Lauren is super talented and inspiring!

[@LauraWithACamera]

It would be super interesting to see how she edits and colour grades her digital photographs, because they look like they were shot on film - impressive! I totally agree with her point on the technicalities of photography and camera equipment too. It’s all about having a strong visual eye, a concept and a story you want to share

[@mmaaxxx7721]

i hate yt pattern cause i´ve been subscribed from a year and didin´t get to saw this till now. so good. she made me feel secure and not for the equipment but the talent, imagination, vision and expression she has

[@mikestevenson1334]

That cityscape + pastel skyline is AMAZING!

[@alelaine5993]

Her photos are very airy and dreamy. I really respect her for making such good work with what she has. I think a talented photographer can take great pictures with any camera; you don't need the latest or most expensive camera on the market.

[@Alpha8713]

Great work! I am one of those techno-weenie film snobs who takes in-focus and perfectly exposed pictures of nothing. To see someone who works like she does and creates such beautiful photographs is refreshing. I love B&W, but she has a great eye for color.

[@michaelpark5764]

I love how Lauren proved that photography takes skills rather than having all the equipment. Love the grainy film look

[@Bobby_sprinkles]

Love this. It's always important to see how people can get great results regardless of gear.

[@sdp8483]

I really like her attitude and I need to keep it in mind when I am looking at getting yet another piece of gear.

[@jonjon1217]

She has a great eye. I truly hope that she develops a better feel for NYC while she's studying. If she needs a bodyguard you walk her around, let me know. She would take some AMAZING photos of NY. Great talent

[@Dime146]

damn this really speaks to me!! the photo at 5:59 is crazy and i love how frank and genuine she is. keep it up! also really nice to see a photo channel that doesnt just review the latest sony models.

[@winfcad]

Every time I want a new camera, I will watch this video for her incredible works!

[@LMFAO5001]

I JUST WANNA SEE HOW THE LIGHT LOOKS!!!

[@lachimoltrufia3874]

I’m glad I found this video. I shoot with a Canon Rebel T3 and use a refurbished lens and I feel a bit embarrassed by the fact that my equipment is so old. This is truly comforting.

[@Sodacake]

Her work is great. Who cares about the gear the results are what matter and these are wonderful.

[@okaythen-]

Fucking love her style man! I love how humble she is. It’s truly inspiring to see photographers making the most out of their shots without all the equipment.

[@stripedsweater520]

I feel this so much, I've taken a technical class and I can't seem to wrap my mind around certain ideas. I just have to practice and shoot. People can be really snooty in the Photography world... but there's a place for everyone if they choose this field

[@Jacob98376]

Thank Willem! She proves a unique vision is way more important than equipment!

[@luvalia]

This was def my fave episode of Phototalks! She was so real and cool and so down to earth. what a babe!

[@lobsterbox20]

The variety of the content you put out is really astounding Willem. I feel like your photographic eye is matched by your talent as a documentary filmmaker. I just recently dug a couple of my 35mm cameras out of the closet, and already I've learned so much more than I could have anticipate from watching this channel. I feel like it almost.. has a soul? That probably doesn't make any sense, but it's the best way I can describe how you capture the human spirit on your channel, through yourself and others.

[@JoeriBoelhouwer]

I like her message! A lot of great photographers dont really care about the technical aspects and gear. Instead they just shoot and make great work

[@ericlecreateur]

I love everything that she said !!! She seems genuinely nice ! And I dig her work !

[@Shklooplaman]

I really like these videos because I can not only see the process of how you shoot and learn from it, but other photographers as well. Good luck to this girl and you I hope we all do the things we love.

[@alexlam6655]

I LOVE HER SO MUCH

[@evanellacott]

Having color tells a story!! Using black and white as the absence of color also tells a story

[@ChristopherRusanowsky]

Brilliant! More conversations like this more about work then gear.

[@analinalino]

OMG!!! I needed this video, I feel so much of this pain for not having a degree and working with photography at a big company. It`s crazy how much we can doubt ourselfs by this.

[@michaelj7069]

Natural talent. Great work.

[@ryanstockall2237]

Absolutely adored this. Loved her story and outlook on life. Her photos were beautiful and the interview was really well put together. Keep up the good stuff Willem!

[@michaelcobb9503]

lauren your photos are so dope. i love how you conceptualize space

[@rmc_esau]

im just blown away by the colors and her composition, great video!

[@BigTeddy-om5em]

Ive been wanting a medium format camera but 35mm is still good. And now that i saw this i plan on sticking to it for a good while.

[@Oculus729]

You, young lady, keep shooting. You have a very you point of view, very unique. Don't stop. Oh, and thank you.

[@normanhasler340]

Really cool stuff and extremely powerfull images. Your thoughts really a pot of gold at the bottom of a rainbow.. Thank you very much for sharing.

[@matteoenricocattaneo]

Unlucky our society makes you believe that you need the last gear to perform. The paradox is that we often/always look back at old photographers, how they mastered photography. We do not consider that they had terrible cameras if we compare to the daily cameras, but they did a great work that we admire today. So dear Lauren do not feel ashamed and keep your work flow, you will show that at the end of the day what matters really are feelings and ideas...

[@marvineastman460]

dont sleep on the 70d.. its a solid camera. not like your shooting on a t3i

[@Verdoux007]

But doesn't the t3i (600d) have the same sensor as the 70d, so the image should be identical with both cameras?

[@marvineastman460]

no the sensor was updated to a 20.2mp in the 70d, updated image processor, iso sensitivity increased to 12,800, and much improved af system.

[@chickenpasta7359]

I slept

[@kowrtuy2996]

t3i isn't a bad camera either

[@marvineastman460]

@@kowrtuy2996 debatable I guess...I had one years back, it felt like a cheap piece of plastic garbage and preferred my iphone.

[@fromHeaven2LA]

Absolutely love this series! Lauren captures colors so beautifully, great style! I knew I loved your channel for a reason and my admiration just continues to grow.

[@justjust5695]

I like how she's not trying to be tech but just taking the picture as she sees it in focus or out of focus or under exposed over exposed perfect exposed doesn't matter and that's what I like with her work

[@zguy95135]

wow she is the real deal, she's got an incredible eye! True talent

[@TimPalman]

Love this

[@WillemVerb]

It sure is Tim

[@patriciamenezesm]

This is my favorite so far. Loved.

[@ronaldalan22]

A true photographer with passion!

[@darkdragoknight551]

"I just wanna see how the light looks on you". I use this line all to much lol

[@DiirTyXD]

i noticed your work for Jakob Ogwa's album art for "velvet light" immediately. such a great episode and hope to see more of your work in future

[@kammm1203]

Please do more talk with Lauren. I'm obsessed.

[@jmateo55]

This is so inspiring. I am in the same boat. I went to school for IT and do video and photography an suffer from the impostor syndrome. I feel like people hire me and I freak out cause I don't technical talk skills. fantastic post!!!

[@shannonpalmer]

This was wonderful and so refreshing after so many videos about gear (not from you specifically, but just on KZbin in general). Proves that an eye for composition, concept, good light, color, and the right moment are all far more important than gear and technical know how. I’ve seen plenty of bland photographs shot on Leicas and Hasselblads. I’m super impressed! I hope you post more videos like this one :)

[@Bonsees]

Her photos are giving me William Eggleston vibes but still unique to her (seemingly) chill and calming personality 🧡

[@ohmwai]

she's such a sweet soul.

[@chumsx]

I've been holding myself back from creating and making money with photography because of my basic gear. This video made me more confident. Awesome work! Thanks!

[@ULATAN.]

Much respect to this girl, she’s talented!

[@paolavelasquez7359]

te amo Lauren Tepfer. u got me

[@TARUJI]

I love this interview. I started doing photography again this year and only use a 50mm lens. Just gotta make do and go for it, so nice to see another Lauren (lol) with the same thoughts on equipment.

[@shapdash]

I'd love to see a tutorial on photo editing from Lauren ❤️ Love her sense of color!

[@sevakdilanchian]

This is sooooooooo good. I love Lauren's work! Thx for make this video Willem.

[@SuperMrmahendra]

Wow!

[@chouaiebbrahim6883]

i love her mindset that is so inspiring

[@myheartbelong2oi]

This was great. I love her take on color - I just wish I didn't live in such a beige place when I think of my own work.

[@rossmalik]

she's the definition of having fun in photography :) great video.

[@friedaorbach5182]

I love this video so much. I feel the exact same way about my photographs and the style I keep with them. I try to learn as best I can through videos and books on how to improve, since my major right now for school is sociology/immigration.

[@braystaylor]

This was my favourite photo talk episode yet, great stuff guys. Super interesting and great to see what she publishes with what’s deemed as cheap gear.

[@derbychang]

I love this. So humble, with superb results

[@2012alsha]

I been follow Lauren seance 2015! Really happy to see this video!!

[@TeelioBastard]

Omg great content, she has the way i appreciate the most. Your camera is your tool and you make best out of the tool and the tool doesn't make best out of you.

[@ownvideofootage]

Where all those colors came from. Awesome!!

[@TomBiskup]

Valuable series. Thank you for making it