Why our photography never seems to get better - 5 ways to FIX IT

[@astridpreisz519]

This!!!! I Just have to jump in here! I have been a member of the EP forum since day one and Alister's mentee. The degree of liberation and creative boost I received through these interactions cannot be described in words. My images are not always easy to stomach, but they are fully me and being fully yourself in your work, is what EP is about. A shoutout to the creative photographers out there who are struggling with themselves: give the forum a try! It's nothing like other photo sharing platforms, because it is so much more! ❤ I'll stop my ramble here. You can see I am pretty passionate about it. But words can only say so much - so please go and check it out for yourself.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you so much Astrid, I appreciate this more than you will ever know. We're on a mission in the forum and the ones who come and stay may be few, but we are definitely greater than the sum of parts. I get so much inspiration from it every day.

[@richardmccutcheon6399]

The Spirit of Radio - creative expression - photography

[@Alister_Benn]

Absolutely 💯❤️🙏

[@sbimages5408]

Very true points. Don’t let creativity become a commodity leave it within you and trust yourself. Inspiration I think is an inward thing. Again trusting instinct and expressing ourself.

[@Alister_Benn]

Nice, this is a great summary. Thanks so much for the feedback. I appreciate it.

[@pascalthiebaud]

...and we can apply that to our life too. I appreciate The EP forum for the liberty and openness, a place where you can meet yourself.

[@esanford]

That was a nice booster... Particularly after purchasing a new camera system, I have to continue to realize that I am that same "idiot"... the mountain remains there for me to climb....

[@Alister_Benn]

Haha!! Not meant that way at all!! Your summary makes me sound cruel 😂😂😂

[@irvenpenn2833]

Just remember, we idiots love company. GFX❤️👍🏻👍🏻 Expressive Photography❤️👍🏻👍🏻

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks so much mate, I really appreciate that ❤️

[@washingtonradio]

I think the greatest encouragement I've had is when others looked at my work and liked it because it resonated with them and encouraged me to keep developing as photographer. But I was taking photos that interested me not for them - one of your major points. To me social media can be a curse because a lot of people have a preconceived idea of what is a good photo because that is what their phone does. I find I'm happiest as a photographer when I go with my camera with very limited preconceived idea of what I'm going to shoot. I might go somewhere specific like a waterfall but I don't try to have specific idea in mind before I go, just show up and go with the flow. Of course I have bring more gear because I don't know what I'm going to do when I get there. If I see something I think is interesting on the way, I'll stop and take a photo.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thank you so much for the thoughtful reply, I really appreciate it, and you sound like you're very much in the best possibly place.

[@fintanusa]

You are absolutely correct! I take my little x-t30 II and concentrate on photos that will print and can enjoy on my wall every day. Not for others, purely for my pleasure. That also means that there not hundreds of them, but enough....

[@Alister_Benn]

In creative expression there is no special price for the volume of output :-) More is often less. Thank you so much for taking time to comment.

[@antoniodias7858]

It's also valid for life itself

[@noelmasterson3646]

Reinforced sound advice here. I've watched a lot of your videos and the main thing that comes across to me is, make photos for yourself, which is what I do when I can get out. Sure, I've watched hours of photographers videos, learned some things along the way and improved my technique - still a long way to go! I joined a couple of groups but quickly gave them up as I personally found them to be rather competitive instead of the support I thought I needed. I don't care whether people like or dislike my pictures, what matters is that it is my creative and expressive outlet.

[@aljo.antony]

All these points are very true. Enjoying the craft we do is the biggest weath than others. We just immerse ourselves in the moment.

[@klaras286]

... i've noticed i often moan to myself, that i get up early and the sunset is not what i want it to be, so the most important lesson from this video for me is '... be happy in landscape... always photograph what is in front of you, not what you wish was in front of you...' thank you

[@lensman5762]

I wrote this in my reply to another post somewhere else on Y.T. The video was as usual about a guy who had gone and bought a Leica M6 to pair his Leica M10, declaring this will give him the best of both worlds in film and digital photography, and had made a video about it, horray we shout. The conclusion that I draw was that we can not replace talent, vision and originality with instrumentality. I guess you can apply this argument to many of the creative arts. Ansel Adams was remarked that there was nothing worst than a sharp photograph of a fuzzy concept. I do try to remind myself of that statement everytime I pick a camera up. Thank you.

[@hbphotos]

Great talk, Alister! That is why I love you and your channel. You are not like anyone else, and you don't teach the buttons and sliders. You teach to be a good photographer and to be the best version of ourselves. Congratulations to you!

[@stevemckenzie4731]

Excellent presentation Alister. Precisely sums up why I'll never put my photography on social media.

[@antoniodias7858]

be ourself always

[@carolbell4550]

Thankyou so much for this chat..... brought everything back into perspective for me. I used to do pottery and sadly got to the stage where I was potting for the public and did what they wanted .... not for myself... Living in the bush on the boarder of Kruger I am lucky and must be happy even when there are so many tourists around...... if that makes any sense......

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for the comment, and it is nice to demonstrate that these points I am making actually have very little to do with "just" photography. They are relevant for all the expressive arts. I live near Glencoe and that is overrun with tourists. I tend to avoid it actually, seeking quiet paths to walk instead.

[@michaeljustmichael]

I appreciate these important tips but I wanted to point out the great sound quality you have there. You have a great voice too, and it sounds great.

[@Alister_Benn]

Awesome! Thank you! Appreciate that. We spend a lot of time and attention to make it as good as we can. Sound can be fickle and rooms active. Mine may not look pretty, but it kills unwanted reflections. As for the voice, well, I am lucky to be Scottish :-)

[@larrycitra300]

Sage advice for sure! I’ve been following your channel for sometime now … and as a result, I am now, really happy with my work … thank you Alister!

[@michaelwhalen7154]

I often get a sense of liberation after watching one of your videos Alistar. Please keep them coming! Side note: love your t-shirt! RUSH is the best. Love from Canada🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

[@JaredDoyle76]

Agreed on main point and 100% on the side note! I initially thought the red square in the background was a vinyl album sleeve for Hold Your Fire 😊

[@Alister_Benn]

Awesome, thank you! This is a Rush inspired and infused channel

[@tonyfluertynaturephotograp5272]

Roise, my wife and I love your channel for precisely the reason you stated. Your channel is focussed on us as fellow human beings, who are trying to grow as people. All the other channels are mainly focussed on the photographer that presents the channel. Rush was an awesome band and Neil Peart is a great drummer. We will never see the scale of the evolution of skill, style and inovativation of rock music of the 70s-90s ever again. We have seen the best. I may not remember too much of it personally, but I still have the albums to jog my memories lol Thanks for your encouraging us to develop ourselves as persons while using our photography to be a record of our journey. Hmm, Journey another great rock band lol

[@MarkFloyd7451]

Beautiful summation about what Photography should all be about. Thank you so much. I'm going to definetly keep this video bookmarked and come back to it periodically as a reminder of what is really important in our photographic journey. Thank you again.❤

[@maria.h21]

Hello 🤗 I found you through an interview with yourself and Mads Peter Iversen and what you said there really caught my attention, so I came here and found this video... And wow! This is so very helpfull and calming and bringing me back to the very core why I love photography. Thank you so so much for sharing this.

[@Alister_Benn]

Awesome, delighted to hear that ❤️

[@dndparks]

Truer words never spoken. I also make sure that I practice a couple weeks of the month without looking at others photographs. I am more happy when I am shooting for me, and find it a bonus if the image resonates with someone else enough to put it upon their walls. I always feel honored when that happens. Thanks so much for your channel and delving into the psych of the art.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks so much for the great feedback, I really appreciate it

[@Shannon-q2n]

Amen to that! This is what I try to tell my friends that think I need this and that- I don’t! Thank you

[@billdoucet8209]

Your discussion reminds me of a recent experience I had in a day long course (not photography). At the end of the day I was asked what I thought I did well during the day. Interestingly I didn’t have an answer because my mindset was tuned into what I did wrong instead.

[@ingabett]

I hit the save button before the 👍🏻 because this video is so accurate and just what I needed! Thank you! The content of your videos are always great! Also interesting to hear some about your background, can’t imagine you in the financial world, you belong to the creative world.

[@Sven-R]

Working in Finance for many many years myself, I can relate to your comments about targets, smart goals, success etc. and although I am not happy about this, somehow it trains my brain that way, whether I like it or not. But the first step is recognising it to be able to change the mind.

[@Alister_Benn]

Art, creativity and expression is not work, we cannot think our way, or strategise our way to success. I love the juxtaposition my creative living offers me. Our lives are art.

[@PDKfotografie]

Thanks for this video, I totaly agree. Photography should be fun. Find the fun! And by the way, I love the t-shirt. Rush is great.

[@markc17]

Thoughtful advice Alistair, thank you. The subjectivity really hit home to me recently when I was criticised for lack of technical ability for decisions like depth of field and dark shadows that I’d made deliberately as part of trying to give an impression and tell a story rather than producing the most detailed, sharpest image possible.

[@Alister_Benn]

As I often say on the forum, which is a pretty unique place - most critique is little more than opinion rooted in preconceptions.

[@lightsandtones]

Very very engaging video. Completely agree. Since I stopped checking out Flickr on a daily basis I feel much better. You just get so saturated with good photos that you have the feeling you don't have to leave the house at all because everything in the world is already photographed. But that's not what photography is about. Or at least for most of us. The journey what matters and enjoying the road we are on.

[@jontheshrub]

Well said Alistair.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks so much for your feedback

[@bonniehoskin9212]

Another helpful video Alister! So glad I signed up for the free trial for your forum in January. I feel like a kid again when I was gifted my first camera, lots of playing and enjoying the process.

[@Alister_Benn]

Awesome Bonnie, you've been such a great inspiration on the forum since you arrived. Loving your sense of playfulness and imagination.

[@NeilArthurs]

A wonderful set of tips!. Just the other day I listened to your interview on Landscape Photography World (from last year I think) and found that equally thought provoking and inspired as this. Thanks a bunch! 👍 Cheers

[@michaelmacmorran8787]

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. I can't express how deeply this video moved me and how much I needed to hear this today. As someone who has worked in a creative field for almost 20 years it can be so difficult to cancel the noise and reconnect with why I left a career in medicine and was inspired to pursue the path that I'm on. Your insights into why we create do not just apply to photography, but can easily be applied to all creative fields. Thanks again for the pep talk and helping me recenter on my path. I will continue to use this video in times when I need to remember the true nature of why I chose to do what I do and who I do it for. All the best. Michael.

[@joannewalker9282]

Thank you for this, it has made a lot of sense. I’ve recently stumbled on your content and I love it. I’ve seen more images that I want to explore in my local area now than ever before Places I love but not everyone’s cup of tea. Watching you made me realise my photography is for me. Thank you for giving my passion back.

[@Alister_Benn]

I feel honoured to be par of that for you. Run with it.

[@brenteanes845]

Just a thumbs up and the video and your Rush shirt.

[@Alister_Benn]

Absolutely 👍

[@jennifercrouse]

Amen. Yes, to everything you just said!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@jennifercrouse]

Also, I think Rush is brilliant and thoughtful music for intelligent people!

[@blivieriphoto]

As our friend John Barclay quotes, “comparison is the thief of joy”. Perhaps his buddy Cole has the right idea being ‘photo celibate’. Great video Alister! 🤗

[@Alister_Benn]

John and I share many similar views, in fact we're running a joint workshop in Scotland in October 24' :-)

[@blivieriphoto]

@@Alister_Benn oh wonderful! You two together, that'll be a fantastic workshop.

[@Alister_Benn]

@@blivieriphoto thanks, we’re running it as more of a retreat

[@trishf29]

Excellent advice, Alistair! Love watching your videos as they are also calming. It’s so true, no need to seek validation, you are yourself, take photos for yourself, not for others. Besides I’m deadly sick of seeing sunrise/sunset photos. There are other subjects in this world, not two.

[@billbarraclough9653]

Profound and insightful, as always, Alister.

[@Alister_Benn]

Many thanks, much appreciated.

[@susanfirth2279]

Great tips! I shoot what I like, sometimes well and sometimes not so much. Your philosophy and insights are spot on. Thank you for all you do.

[@Alister_Benn]

Awesome Susan, thank you so much

[@jefffenske1958]

Thanks for sharing your wisdom!

[@peterivarsson9267]

GREAT video, thanks a million🙏

[@jeffschreifels8651]

In the rare times I seek external validation by posting a photo on a social media platform, I never get such validation anyway. I mean they get totally ignored so I have no idea where I stand. All it does is to leave me dejected. So, I almost always avoid that and have fun going out there and taking photos for myself. I don't think I ever feel more alive than when I am out there with my camera.

[@Alister_Benn]

It’s a race to the bottom and very much the antithesis is expressive photography. I really hope to provide some clarity on what is important in the creative process. Thanks for watching and the feedback

[@georgemason2472]

Good suggestions. When we're looking for beauty that we like and not focusing on views, we'll enjoy the moment more. Still helpful to watch these tutorials to improve our ability to capture images that reflect the image seen. I do see people that take an image that can only appeal to them and then become offended when it isn't received in the way the imagine it should.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for the comment. It’s a tough challenge to ignore external validation, and equally when people don’t get us that can be tough too. I think photography is as much about learning ourselves as learning the craft

[@matsfotografi]

I feel spoiled with great content from this channel, but this video really went above and beyond! Due to a rather unpleasant event at my workplace I've spent a couple of days at home, but not in My Woodland! Though I'm well on my way to discover the deeper reasons as to why we go out making photos this video helped a great deal in putting words to my thoughts. It also helped with my frustration from being in high creative spirit but not being able to release the pressure out in nature. Had I not already been a happy member of the Expressive photography forum I would have joined this minute😄

[@Alister_Benn]

Torn very much by your comment; delighted to hear the value that we're giving you, but equally saddened by your circumstances. Hopefully this will resolve and you can move forward from there. Thanks again and kindest wishes,

[@tgsnider]

Alister, you do a great job of getting me refocused on what's important. Thanks for another helpful and well-done video.

[@Alister_Benn]

Awesome, delighted to hear that... Thanks for taking the time to comment.

[@petesuchon7340]

Interesting graphic.

[@Alister_Benn]

Haha, yes, I was trying to convey the concept that even though we are super smart and massively evolved, quite often it is still the monkey behind the camera that gives us the most problems, angst and conflict!

[@CAYENNEOREZ]

Great advice, Alister.

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks for that ❤️

[@rickwilliamsphotography]

Solid advice.

[@Alister_Benn]

cheers, thanks for the comment

[@dougstevens9973]

Hi Alister - Thank you for this - it came at a very opportune time. I have been "taking pictures" for nearly 60 years since getting a cheap camera for Christmas as a kid in the early 60s. I have also been an avid backpacker for over 40 years. These two hobbies obviously come together in landscape/wilderness photography. Since I retired 5 years ago, I have put more effort into actually being a "photographer", rather than a "picture taker" and I have come a long way - but I have also fallen prey to many of the things in this video. I am at the point where I am just not sure why I am taking photographs and does it matter? - Those are pretty basic questions to answer. Perhaps I need to check out your forum - thanks Doug (Graytrekker)

[@Alister_Benn]

Thanks Doug, you tell an all too familiar story, and I think we've all been there. What's the point? has to be one of the most common questions these days. But, the point is when we are out we engage with the world through the viewfinder, and that is therapy. Clarity of thought, self-actualisation and a feeling of calmness and joy. Stick at it, there are numerous ways to enjoy this great expressive pastime.

[@andrewsimpson5436]

Thanks for that idea, I'm within an inch of selling the camera gear but I gave up golf for photography, big game hunting it is! 🤫 I'm happy out in whatever the conditions are, then it's not particularly about validation but trying to fathom is what I've produced decent or rubbish. Is what like just laughed at by others. Ah well enough of that photo milarkey, will I go for a lion or elephant first? Decisions, decisions 🤣

[@Alister_Benn]

You’re a good man, I always admire your playfulness ❤️

[@andrewsimpson5436]

@@Alister_Benn I might as well laugh if everyone's laughing at my photography! 🙂

[@Alister_Benn]

@@andrewsimpson5436 ach- don’t be daft ❤️

[@lisajoseph5817]

Camera safari, anyone?

[@annamoon023]

Nice video! 👏🏼 I can’t say I’ve ever thought about giving up - or felt like a failure… But yes, I get tired of the BS 😞 I don’t like the competitive aspects that exist today - the one-upping culture that seems to prevail on social media. What’s up with that ??🤯 But as usual, I’m distracted by the extras in your video…. Can we talk about your shirt for a minute ??? 🤩

[@Alister_Benn]

It’s the true path, the words of Neil Peart are the way ❤️

[@davesusko3517]

Comparison is the thief of joy.

[@Alister_Benn]

Absolutely, my good buddy John Barclay used that all the time ❤️

[@belalang90]

I'm literally being attacked. LOL. Planning to sell my camera gear to buy a new golf set. Keeping the absolute minimum camera gear to use whenever I can.

[@dwrisdon2487]

I'm doomed. Quick, someone toss me a Fuji catalogue. Bill

[@Alister_Benn]

Haha, yip, that's the answer! Future video coming soon :-)

[@JaredDoyle76]

There are 2 kinds of people in the world. 1.) Those who know Rush is the best band ever. 2.) Those who are wrong 😁😁

[@Alister_Benn]

:-) Agreed

[@lianvandenheever6387]

Ain't that the truth ?

[@tomscott4438]

Nice general life lesson, don’t see how it’s going to help my photography.