Why doesn't my PHOTO LOOK GOOD? An honest opinion

Composition is hard. In this video I talk though some photos that have and haven't worked in 2021. And explain how I think I can improve them.
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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
Great ultra-wide angle lens - Nikon 14-30mm f/4 - geni.us/1430mm
Hiking mid lens - Nikon 24-70mm Z f4 - geni.us/nikon2470
Sharpest mid lens - Nikon 24-70mm Z f2.8 geni.us/2470mm28
Very long lens - Nikon 500mm F5.6 - geni.us/nikon5...
FILM GEAR
Nikon Z6 - geni.us/z6nikon
Nikon 20mm Z F1.8 - geni.us/nikon2...
Nikon 24mm Z F1.8 - geni.us/nikon24mm
Nikon 50mm Z F1.8 - geni.us/nikon5...
Nikon 85mm Z F1.8 - geni.us/nikon8...
OTHER PHOTO GEAR
Amazing Umbrella - geni.us/blunt
Microfibre Cloths - geni.us/microf...
Arc'teryx Beta AR Jacket - geni.us/Rainja...
Rab Downpour Pants - geni.us/rainpants
Awesome sensor brush - geni.us/brush4...
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/Benrot...
A must have for tripod (L bracket) - geni.us/myLbra...
Lightweight tripod - Benro Mach3 Carbon Fiber Tripod - geni.us/benrom...
Paper I use for all my prints - Fotospeed - geni.us/fotospeed Use DANSON10 to get 10% off your paper.

[@FeatherzMcGraw]

Good to know it's not just me that fills his memory card up and might not even come away with 1 good shot even when conditions are favorable! Great video, look forward to the next and maybe I'll manage to hit a workshop with you. Hats off to Steve with that shot too! Absolutely love that dark sea mimicking the mountains shot, so much atmosphere!

[@edwindoughty8019]

Great video Nigel. The best teachers are the down to earth ones. You're one.

[@unf0r7unat36]

i was recommended your channel from a group that i have recently joined, im slow glad that i decided to find you and watch your videos. you truly are an amazing photographer not because of all your beautiful shots but because you show us too that mistake can be made and that it is okay, i have subscribed to your channel just purely because i see how much passion and love you have for photography and for me it is something draws me in and hopefully one day some of my best shots are close to yours, bless you nigel

[@paulknight7789]

Dear Nigel, Thank you for such a great video. I think you should be applauded for sharing with us your photos that didn't work as not many people would be brave enough to do that. Wishing you and Pebbles a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Kind regards Paul

[@james_harte]

Love the shots from Kinbane Castle with Fair head in the background.

[@kneerack6768]

Thank you Nigel for a great down to earth video... It makes me less disheartened about my photos and efforts. I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas. Take care.

[@tompatton2086]

Love that teaser right at the end. Definitely looking forward to next weeks' video!

[@whafrog]

Can't tell you how much I appreciate this. Going through a slump lately, and needed something inspiring, introspective, and honest. Thank you!

[@minus1db]

Having seen the preview of next weeks video I’m looking forward to “it doesn’t get better then this”. Thank you so much as always Nigel. Entertainment,education and a shed load of stunning images, this is why I watch every week

[@SteveZodiac777]

Great video - thanks for sharing your best and not so best photos, so much to learn! Here's looking fwd to a great 2022!

[@millymucci]

am very glad you made this and showed us how you are always learning. thank you. has made me feel better about my own learning.

[@scothowe539]

Wonderful video Nigel. It’s always helpful to be reminded that failure is a part of the process no matter what level your at. You timing couldn’t be better for me btw as I came home yesterday with a card full of disappointment!

[@ginaherold]

I love these kind of videos. They’re relatable and a good reminder that even great photographers sometimes make the same mistakes I do. Of course, I make them more often, and probably more egregiously lol. It’s good to remember that mistakes are a part of the creative process and not just punishment for being a beginner :)

[@georgedavall9449]

Very good point and observation Gina! 👍

[@adrian_div_photography]

Your videos are fantastic Nigel. I really enjoyed this one! Showed you are also HUMAN like the rest of us and are still capable of getting blurry shots!! haha that definitely makes me feel better about my recent weekend outing! love the notion to not try and focus on getting EVERYTHIGN in one shot....a habit am slowly breaking myself after shooting landscapes for several years. great advice!

[@heguiluz]

Thanks for the honesty and courage of showing photos that did not work and your thought process of why they did not. I struggle with this mightily so your introspection and insight are super useful. I love these kinds of videos.

[@spectralcav]

Bluebells are tough! I make an attempt every year and I still don't understand how it's possible to walk amongst an amazing carpet of blue and yet photos often turn out dull. Photos that work best seem to be those were the bluebells aren't the main subject but almost a incidental backdrop. It's good to know that you struggle with them too - makes me feel a bit better about my own failures!!

[@bossofthemoss450]

Awesome Nigel. Enthusiasm personified. With the humility to acknowledge other’s achievements and the principle of continuous learning. 👍🧑‍🎨

[@knutsander4074]

Great video! Picking up the photographers where they - too often - are frustrated is really helpful. About the bluebells: I had the impression that you mainly wanted to photograph the forest and as an encore the bluebells. To set the bluebells more in scene you could perhaps choose a low camera position, one to three flower(s) in the foreground, the flower carpet in the middle ground and the trees as background? Anyway, thanks for the video and I'm looking forward to epic conditions and to see you freak out next week ;-)

[@sueshyne5624]

Thank you so much for all that you do. You are truly real and that is amazing in a field that is always looking for perfection. You inspire me every week to know that the amazing shots you take, take time and a lot of effort and they just don't happen every time you go out. Again THANK YOU!!!

[@KonfusedKris]

Super video (as always). I think you really communicate that giving yourself time at a location is important. We occasionally get lucky with a shot, but you really show how to increase the chances of 'the shot'.

[@nickyfoulkes8476]

Oh I feel better that you get it wrong too. Thank you Nigel for being so honest & giving another set of amazing video's & tutorials this year.

[@mickeyshanks1429]

Big fan of yours Nigel! Your instruction is practical, realistic and inspirational Thank you for consistently putting out these beneficial videos every week. I always learn something and I’m grateful I’m not the only one who pulls up images on the computer and wonders, why in the heck did I do that or why didn’t I capture that too? I look forward to them each and every week! You’re amazing!

[@Tedwill-home]

Very helpful. Having a good sense of self criticism is always good. I’m looking forward to your next video.

[@ChrisHunt4497]

Thank you for sharing your images and your expertise. Really informative and great education. 👍👍👍

[@paulcollingridge8387]

Nigel, I'm a botanist and to me bluebells should never be in plantation, always in proper ancient woodland (classification: semi-natural ancient woodland) where there is coppice-with-standards. The light will be right and you will also get Wood Anemone and dog violet. They totally transform the appearance. When the oak catkins and fresh leaves first burst out there will be a lime-green light that works as a filter contrasting the foliage from the flower. Can I recommend the UK's finest.... Bradfield Wood in Suffolk. Avoid conifer & Birch, wrong colour of light. Find woodland with an NVC code of W10 that has some Rowan or cherry for flower at 2-4m. I bet there are still some in the Peak District. If you can find an Amelanchier shrub it will link the flowers at 4m with the white Anemone at the ground. If you have conifers only then hunt out Wood Sorrel patches to contrast the bluebells.

[@nelehoremans2546]

Thanks so much for sharing all this knowledge, photos and honest opinions, Nigel! So much good advice, I really learn from you showing the progress and behind the scene thinking that goes in your pictures. There is still a long path to go for me, but I am enjoying every minute of the way (even the frustrations) 🙂!

[@garymc8956]

Helpful sequencing of photos.

[@jpdj2715]

"It's overexposed here and it's overexposed there" - have you tried "Highlight-weighted metering"? In the Nikon Z menu: [camera icon] Photo shooting menu -> Metering -> [select] Highlight-weighted metering. In this case, the camera just assesses the EV measures from all the photosites in the sensor and treats this as pure white. My prejudice is that this may relate to a few pixels in your shot and consequently you may find your shots are under-exposed. But we have huge dynamic range in the Z 7 (i and ii) cameras and generally do not loose detail in the darker areas. In post, raw processing, these shots look like they are two to three stops under exposed at first face. It requires a new way of looking at them. The first thing I do in there, lower the "white point" in LrC's tone curve. Here we decide which of the brightest pixels can still be considered pure white as they are too far apart and too sparse to want to see detail in them. This raises exposure without limiting the sliders in the "Basic" pad. And with subject with a small contrast envelope (dynamic range) we could slide the "black point" up. Note, I have not introduced curves in the "tone curve" yet and that line is still perfectly straight. Just its Y-max was dragged left from X-max and potentially its Y-min was dragged right from the X-min point. If you use C1, good luck - I have no clue how to do this and not get frustrated. In everyday not-so-critical-exposure work outdoors, I use highlight-weighted with 1 EV correction towards over exposure, but in most of Nigel's shots I would take that correction out.

[@jpdj2715]

At 18:32 the histogram shows a very flat almost empty segment on the right end of the X axis. Maybe 0.5 EV almost empty and then another 0.5 with more pixels at that X axis brightness level. Here, lowering the white point might be an option. The effect being that we get more gradation into the rest and this may impact how our large prints are experienced. It can give some more "pop" easily, though and if we favor soft nuances and little contrast in a shot, then forget it.

[@treyfoerster8759]

Always love Nigel the Professor! This vid very instructional, thank you for taking time to do this.

[@oscarlundberg-mtb896]

im learning soooooo much! love it!

[@stuartlauchlan7061]

Really love these videos Nigel and always feel I pick up some things to watch out for. Also a boost to know that I'm not the only one that can go away, take 200 images and like maybe one or 2. Thanks again for sharing.

[@randyschwager84]

Very thought provoking! Thanks!

[@destyo99]

Thank you mr. Nigel! After watching your videos for weeks, You made my trash landscape pictures became.. . . Less-trash landscape pictures 😁

[@雲裡蠍]

Merry Christmas

[@Danny_Roman.]

Morning Nigel. Thanks for tips , great video.

[@egor_nvkv]

I feel like the 1st composition almost could work. But, the main tree is a little too close to the top and bottom edges of the frame, which creates tension. The one on the right getting cut off adds even more. And all that tension doesn't really get resolved, spilling instead all over the foreground that lacks a path to lead the viewer into the frame (ideally, between the right-most tree and the one to its left). Maybe shifting the framing to the right would solve some of these issues.

[@grahamegannon9708]

Great video Nigel. I learnt a lot and given me ideas of improving my photograph. Thanks

[@CassidyHansen]

It's time to release merch. I'd buy a "Have an apple." T-shirt for sure. :)

[@megansmusiccorner4666]

I love Pebbles!

[@gilernt]

this was great, thank you!

[@starpath2007]

excellent, thanks so much!

[@aaronpalaian9116]

Great video Nigel. Have you ever had a workshop in the USA? Any plans to in the future?

[@MadsPeterIversen]

OMG! Life completed! I was featured in a Nigel Danson video! :D

[@NigelDanson]

Actually the 7th time! So looks like I completed your life a lot

[@MadsPeterIversen]

@@NigelDanson 😘

[@4gharpure]

As always enjoyed your video with my Sunday morning coffee! Which monitor do you use for editing?

[@roshanwright3436]

Thanks for sharing your blue bell struggle to show even you can't get every pic you hope for

[@steveking6204]

Wonderful video. Would you also please show an overview of the edits? That would NE super helpful...

[@helenfarlow4573]

Really liked this video. Very useful. Do you always use a tripod or do you shoot handheld sometimes? I tend towards handheld but am thinking of making myself use a tripod as an experiment to see if it will slow me down and make me think!

[@hardimoto7125]

9:00 what shutter to get this kind of lovely sunburst

[@andrewcoleman9305]

Thanks for sharing Nigel. Good to know you’re human like the rest of us 🤣

[@hamsterneckliving]

What a great learning process. Thank you.

[@NigelDanson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jpdj2715]

The Ice Beach shots. As you discussed having been in one spot for 3 hours, consider this one. You start with one shot that is partly lit by direct sunlight. It seems to come from the hour hand at 10:30 and part of the sea is in the shade, but the lit area goes down to the wet surface along the black volcanic beach. Imagine sunlight had shone through these blocks of ice and you would have had the lit more internally, sparkling at some points. I would have been tempted to place my speedlight at that 10:30, at a 200mm-lens's flash angle and through a half CTO fire into these blocks from where the sun could have been in the eyes of the person looking at my shot. Maybe this needs three additional shots for each of the ice blocks to light up. And shooting from tripod they would easily be layered in Ps into one photograph. So you might have given yourself this photographic "constitution" that it all needs to be "real" but where do you draw the line. Considering alterations you may make in post.

[@karencornfield8522]

I was all ears until the highlands of Iceland!! Then I lost interest because theres a bit of difference between finding composition shots in lceland to bluebell woods. Point being comparing fantastic scenery to my local park!!

[@jpdj2715]

Manual focus in landscape shots? I would always have my camera/lens set to manual in landscape shots (however, I would use the AF system to focus for me at the desired point and then lock that by switching to manual focus)

[@pescamaravilhosa8595]

perfect video. tks

[@nh-ss5pw]

👍

[@daviddyephotography]

thank you this was actually more inspiring and helpful than just showing your great shots alone

[@michael-4k4000]

Nigel broke wind at 10:34! Stinky!

[@gooe9561]

My severely inexperienced opinion. If you're photographing for money, create what your customers want. If you're photographing for yourself, do what makes you happy and enjoy the process more than the result.

[@jimtrull683]

It’s nice to hear that you took over 500 shots of the icebergs on the beach and still didn’t have a shot you really liked. We often forget that the pros don’t show us their bad shots and that they often just shoot more. It’s a great lesson. Thanks for sharing.

[@robertstonephoto]

Enjoyed this video! Over the course of a year, about how many portfolio-quality images do you get?

[@NigelDanson]

Usually 6-8 but sometimes 10

[@MiataBRG]

Well that makes me feel better!

[@robertstonephoto]

@@NigelDanson Just about what Ansel said!

[@martharetallick204]

Less than 10%.

[@JamesDBuzzard]

Props on this question!! I think alot of us have some unreal expectations 😅

[@mariebird01]

Thank you Nigel. This is a very honest, and really interesting video. I really appreciate your analysis of the images, in easy to understand, down to earth terms. Once again a most enjoyable video. A landscape photographer is similar to a farmer who wants rain in one field and sunshine in another, for optimum subject growth, both working with Mother Nature, both wanting light/rain in one part of our 'field of view' and shade in other parts.

[@ruthwilson9449]

Really useful analysis. I do like your concept of “wrong”! I’d give a lot to be as wrong as this …

[@mariemclaurin90]

If a tenth of my photos were as "wrong" as Nigel's I'd be a very happy camper :-)

[@MagnitudeReviews]

I always tell myself whenever I intentionally go out shooting an image is that my goal is to get just one singular shot that I really really enjoy. Anything else after that is bonus. I find that finding a composition is a bit easier for portraits and even wildlife (tho luck is a massive factor in that one). Where as landscapes I find to be the most challenging. Especially whenever you visit the more famous locations. Something like Horseshoe Bend in Arizona for example is easy to get the same shot everyone else gets. But it’s incredibly hard to get a unique perspective on a location like that.

[@jonnybowdenfitness9558]

I say this to myself as well. I've only been doing photography for a couple of months but getting one decent shot per session out makes it worth it.

[@TheJoshuaPeg]

Your frank and honest approach to this video is really helpful Nigel. Your advice is always really easy to apply, thank you :)

[@MarcTerryPhotography]

This sounds like I am being disrespectful and I don't mean it that way. However, it is nice when your favorite you tubers show there shots that don't work and or where not right. I can not speak for everyone, but for me, it shows that I am out trying my best with the time I have. Weather and locations aside, it stops me feeling like I am a bad photographer with no skill what so ever. Thank you for the video and all the advice you have past on this year. Have a great Christmas.

[@andreasgiobel6355]

Thx the insights. I try with my busy woodlands, branches and koas to find something. My personal feeling is that some shots are “straight on” sort of saying, a little bit of off angel might change everything.

[@davidpavlosek11]

thanks Nigel for this inspiring. For us beginner photographers, it's good to hear the ratio of bad/good images.

[@MikePageKaltenberg]

Thanks for being authentic. It's really encouraging when I kick myself for my idiot mistakes.

[@CoxJul]

Don't we need to consider the context of a photo, i.e. how it's going to be used, before we evaluate it. A picture to be used as a background in graphic design, with text etc. overlaid vs one being blown up and put in a frame in a gallery; there's different criteria.

[@robertwhitemoto]

Morning Pebs! Love the studio Nigel! Thanks for this year! Love the shot @2:51 off topic question.. what printer do you use?

[@SueFerreira75]

Always remember the difference between a great photographer and mediocre photographer is the great photographer has many more mediocre images.

[@bobh1883]

I'm looking forward to eventually seeing an image of the bluebells that you like. I'm confident that you will work it out. In the meantime, it's fun to try and work it out mentally. I'm wondering what the scene would look like sideways to the sun. Anyways, thanks for the video. Very helpful!

[@buyaport]

Tip: If you find it difficult to find your composition in the landscape, try something different. Take pictures of people, animals or cars. Find your talent. If what you do feels easy, then you have found it. You may think it is too easy, good work requires always an effort. Not true. What you find easy, other people struggle with. -- Find your talent, enjoy your work. Don't torture yourself.

[@RussWeymouthPhotography]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that struggled photographing the bluebells in the spring, I'd find a decent composition or have good light, but not both. I've been watching your channel from your first vlogs in California. Do you ever miss that part of the world, especially after watching Michael Shainblum's fog videos over the bay?

[@DirtDigglerDetecting]

That end clip looked Epic and your voice i could tell it was EPIC lighting. THANK YOU for everything you do

[@ingabett]

Great video! So useful and encouraging!! Today I’m feeling a bit down because I missed such beautiful conditions yesterday, and I woke up thinking “ I’m going to lay my camera down for a longer time”. Looking back there are a lot of things that explains by bad photos, but this video really helps put my mindset right. Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to next week’s video and I’m going to watch the video about the settings again. Have a lovely day!

[@richardsmith5021]

It’s nice to hear even you struggle at times. Thanks for the honesty.

[@stretchini]

When you got onto bluebells I was cracking up! 100's of crappy bluebell shots near Grizedale a few years back, with no compositional focus. Your bluebell shot at 8.00 might crop in a narrow vertical, (16X9?) although I love 1:1 normally. Really uplifting video Nigel!

[@gordonneedham7014]

Hi Nigel ... Fantastic Videos. I can see the eye for details, composition and focus. Love your background sound track. Who is the young lady who is singing? Also when you were sharing your photos/screen from Iceland, I notices your row of downloaded shots running along the bottom of your monitor. Was that part of Lightroom? If so how do you display that? Thanks.

[@Jackbrsp]

Spectacular work, nevertheless, Nigel. I'd like to point out to a huge fan of yours @suelentieko (she just started a KZbin channel with amazing photography content) that was recently in Iceland and had some remarkable shots there on unbelievable conditions.

[@richardfulcher9314]

Very honest and instructional video Nigel. Thank you and Merry Christmas!

[@davekettles4371]

nigel thanks , great video. Your bluebells problem: I think you are going too wide and trying too hard to get too much 'bluebell foreground'. I'm guessing if you shift your mindset to woodland, with bluebells as a bonus, you may go in with slightly longer lenses, and get some crackers. I felt like on a lot of your images of bluebells there was a better shot in the detail, as a crop. Just an observation. D

[@milighosh9489]

Hello Nigel! Thank you for such a wonderful video! I learn a lot from you. Wishing you a fantastic year ahead. Will look forward for some great stuff from you. Love from India ~

[@bergerking31]

Hi Sir, for me, nearly all pics are amazing! Great eye, compositions and places to be for sure! :) Let me ask, how you print your pics ? Material, Size ? Thx in advance. :)

[@Steve.Daugherty]

lol I can't wait for next week's video! I can relate SO MUCH to your freak outs when the light is epic. I have literally yelled in joy before, just standing alone in some wilderness, when everything aligned

[@krisweyers6248]

Always enjoy your video!! And I chuckled a lot thru this. Because I certainly would have loved taking all of those like land love images. But I do understand you thought process that you go thru to decide what went right and wrong. Happy holidays to you. Look forward to many more of your videos in the new year.

[@TimSeraphiel]

Thankyou for these kinds of videos. I'm just a hobbyist photographer and finding a good composition is something I struggle with. I usually end up binning 90% of my shots because they are just not good enough. I have a bad habit of shooting too many similar shots when I need to look around and get the composition right first and only then only take a few shots.

[@neilgibbons4549]

I'm at the start of my journey to become a better photographer. It's refreshing to hear someone as good as yourself Nigel saying that they are not happy with their pictures. I've managed to snap a couple that I'm happy with, but non that I would consider portfolio worthy. Keep up the good work on the videos, they help me massively.

[@dougheizenrader2280]

Thank you Nigel! Your candor and honesty is inspirational. It helps those of us of lesser experience remember that photography is a journey. And, as on any journey, you take the bad with the good, and remember that the journey itself is the best reward!

[@timnightingale4325]

Great vid and very reassuring to hear you have your failures like the rest of us. Re the bluebells, I am going to venture an opinion: whilst I completely agree with shooting into the light in woodlands to get the leaves and trees backlit, I think this works less well with bluebells. Their 'thing' is their colour and the fact they carpet the woodland floor. We need to bring both those things out, but shooting into the light washes out the colour. Just my view - and obviously I am not worthy!

[@JJ-ef7lb]

personally i would be happy with your “bad” shots!! Thanks for your time and knowledge, it’s much appreciated.

[@dfinlay587]

While I am sorry your waves were out of focus, it's comforting to know I am not the only one who forgets a setting now and then. My family group photos this year are all at ISO 12,800. 😞

[@dantsai]

Hey Nigel, I love this video - I appreciate being able to see the images that didn't quite make the cut, and the progression and thought process towards better compositions. Thanks for sharing!

[@tjsinva]

Nice breakdown of trying to catch lightning in a bottle. At least you there, just in case. Insert applicable quotation. 🧐 👍 🥂

[@leandervernon251]

So glad I've found your videos at the start of my photography journey! Top tip- 'get there early, have an apple' 😂 Really helpful video, thank you!

[@chmueller]

Interesting to see that you are also so a little unhappy with the pictures from the mountain top in Landmannalaugar. It's the same for me, I think it's not because of the image composition, we just had no luck with the light up there, not even for detail shots.....

[@RickMentore]

I would be happy with most of those shots you considered failures! You are an inspiration! Merry Christmas, ND!

[@randyisaacson8551]

I really liked, and learned from, your comments on why certain images were not that good. You did a good job of explaining your thinking and showing how slight changes in where you were standing or what lens you were using made an important difference.

[@itchin4adventure688]

Nigel, I love your channel. Your brilliant.

[@tomdriftwood3674]

Another excellent video from you, thank you very much for sharing!