You’re a better photographer than you think

[@goodwolf152]

Performance anxiety and self loathing are my primary indicators that I'm a proper photographer. If I hate myself and my work, and worry that I'll never improve, that's how I know I'm doing it right, lol.

[@nicedward7544]

Lmao I heard that

[@dami_1992]

As a person who often overthinks about everything (including photos) These videos are incredibly encouraging to me. That someone has the same opinion or experiences the same thoughts at a certain stage of development. Thank you Roman❤

[@kif411]

I definitely needed to hear this today. Thank you 😊

[@Sunsfate]

Agreed with the intentionality of the whole proccess and staying in your line no matter what ppl are doing. The point is trying to make something that feels like your own, tonewise or compositionwise, some will like it some will not but the point is that you end up joyful towards your work

[@ImagesbyAsh]

Another really useful video, Roman Each of the topics are really relevant to my photography journey. It's good to know that the days that I come back without a ton of images means that I'm actually doing OK.

[@pifilos]

Regardless of what the main point is in each of your videos, it is the positivity and optimistic point of view you have when you present a subject. Aside from the quality of your shots, it is the aforementioned trait that probably makes me watch each one of your videos.

[@dan6918]

Thank you Roman. I needed to hear this

[@jasonwines]

Super, thanks for this, Roman. It's a progression I''m 1/4 through.

[@jasonwines]

Thanks!

[@alohahype]

I needed this video. Mahalo

[@innercityunit2112]

Really nice to see the grain in these shots, bringing out some character and atmosphere. I really like this batch of photos. I've become much more willing, and at ease, with using grain myself.

[@photographicamateur]

Thank you once again for bringing out the challenges we all face.

[@leanderhoefler]

This video is so spot on, think we all go through the same. Another good indication that you are improving is, that your portfolio images start to become pretty mediocre after a 1 or 2 years (with a few once in a lifetime exceptions maybe).

[@dew1_rosal14]

Hi Roman. Love your video’s. Although I agree with everything you mentioned in this video, I remind myself that it is Ok to still have a mess as a beginner. I am just learning about photography and really don’t know what I like to shoot. Let alone what my style is. Experimenting and maybe trying to imitate certain photographers (not steel, but learning from the masters) will help develop skills and interests. I try to put as little pressure on my process and just shoot to learn. Thank you for all your great videos.

[@riswanc]

Thanks for the great reminder roman, glad you share this informative vids

[@PhotogPilot]

I have multi-photographic disorder (MPD) - I'm well known in some circles and published in magazines and other forms of media for my helicopter images. But when not in that world I take different types that don't get the same traction, and honestly I could care less. I do it for me to prove I can get out of my comfort zone. This includes street, travel, auto racing, surfing, and even did some triathalon this year.

[@ChrisBrogan]

Roman! 1:44 - that foot in the doors. 1:56 that cool old car! I was listening, paying attention, and then had to stop everything to look at those snaps. Great stuff! I love that "photography will start to get harder." I'm definitely trying to push myself. I think I'm better than April, but will need a lot more snaps through the cameras before I think I'm good. Loved your perspective, there. Cheers, as always, bossman.

[@heinekhalwin8735]

Thank u Roman for the video ! Was having a rough couple of days with my photography and this cheered me up.

[@MakersTeleMark]

One of my biggest breakthroughs was that i would see a really great photograph and not take it and leave it to others who actually enjoy taking those kind of photographs, such as landscape, street, or concert photos. I see the photo, I just have no desire to take it. I might even point it out, "that is a sick photograph". I've defined my lane and what images make me happy, not anyone else. I don't need to waste film on a great image that I just am not happy taking. Good for them, and good for me.

[@adamcook5940]

Oh yes, it's getting more difficult and I'm happy about that. Thanks for the affirmation.

[@carmelofaziotanatologo3620]

love your style in photography I think my style of photography is pretty similar to your

[@washingtonradio]

Being able to describe my major interests in photography helps me define my major foci to others. It's not that I can't do other genres is I don't have a strong interest in them. Also, going out with my camera and not taking a single photo without feeling bad about it is a good sign.

[@trevorsneath4665]

A useful video mate. Cheers.

[@rl-pavel]

The point about the intention hit close to home 😅 I'm definitely guilty of spraying and praying, sometimes without even looking at what I'm trying to take the photo of. It's almost like gambling, where I'll take a thousand photos and maybe a couple of them will be decent. Did you eventually grew out of that habit organically, as you started finding what you want to shoot, or was it more deliberate?

[@nikoskalog8862]

thank you for this!

[@alexerreme]

Would you think that using less and less the cropping tool is also a way of improving? That's related to the composition right at the moment of making the photos

[@oneeyedphotographer]

Tou can't get the cropping "right in camera," because most scenes don't match the shape of your sensor. I have a high-megapixels camera so that I can crop.

[@alexerreme]

@oneeyedphotographer yes, you can

[@TheMickebostrom]

Nice peptalk!

[@oliversteiner0815]

I still want to learn (from) other genres of photography or painting. In fact I think most of my inflences in nature photography initially came from landscape and portrait photogrphy. Currently I want to delve deeper into street photography than just travel photography.

[@MikeCampo]

Good vid, thanks for sharing.

[@GregoryLopez1]

I failed many of these, so I'm probably worse than I think! 😅 But they'd okay, because I've only been at it as a hobby for 6 months, and now I know where I can grow. I still definitely need to find my focus (point 1). Any tips on how and when to do so for beginners?

[@MichaelHearn-f8d]

Thanks for the video. It feels like, in part anyway, progress is being connected to no of likes and financial gains as a metric etc. a good proportion (but not all) of the photographers we see on IG with large followings do seem to have a style that is identifiable in some way - plus impressive images. Surely though most of us don’t feel that imperative - it’s just a hobby that we might be passionate about. Very few of my pictures look the same in terms of subject or appearance but as time goes on I feel a vague sense of progress nonetheless- that might be being able to say what I like about a given composition/picture more easily rather than being able to define some broader category or approach. I would acknowledge that this approach does not generate ‘likes’. Great video - it’s good food for thought.

[@beyourself9162]

Thanks for the video. To me progress is somewhat crazy. If I plan my ideas it’s more likely not going to work. Now I see scenes which are interesting, and one friend likes them, they look like film scenes and no wonder he is a director. I get pictures but it’s not intentional at all. I am frustrated with this.

[@IsawUupThere]

I agree!

[@WarrenPeaceOG]

The comment about shooting days is very familiar. I shoot moving pictures, but I was never very confident about what I'd got on the day. I reasoned this was because I was aware of all the failures; all the shots that I tried to get that didn't work out for one reason or another (shooting non-interventionist reality)

[@rogerhampton2844]

I still have a long way to go...now where did I put that ISO dial?

[@paullavin5449]

I think that some of your points are probably valid for some people, however some of your points don’t make sense to me. Why do you need to be able to describe your photography? If the weather where I am is bright and sunny, i might go out and photograph birds or wildlife. If it’s a wild and stormy day , guess what, i’m now a seascape photographer. If it’s snowing or foggy, i’m a landscape photographer 🤷‍♂️. None of this makes me a worse photographer, in fact the opposite is probably true. As for staying in your own lane. Well Van Gogh did pretty well and had many other artists whose ideas he copied as did Monet and Turner. Copying and trying to emulate your peers is definitely helpful to progress.

[@watching-youtube-now]

You did well describing your own photography

[@harlanphoto]

At 6:12, Shooting Less. Funny, but as someone who took photos on film for many years I find that the “freedom” to capture so many more images with a digital camera presents its own challenges. Not the least of which is culling through a much larger collection of images after a shoot to find the few that are worth keeping and post processing.

[@martingreenberg870]

I no longer share my images. I’ve shown my images to others and their responses were just polite. I have no social media presence. I only share my work when I’m on a workshop. My work is just alright. Sometimes I look at my images and then delete them. Other times I reformat the memory card without looking at the images. I do my street photography to have fun. I do my photography to get out of the condo. I use my camera to get exercise. I know I will never be a Vivian Maier. My images will never be discovered and be acknowledged as being good. That is alright. Every day there are a billion images taken. My images are just alright. As the great American philosopher Dirty Harry said, “A man has got to know his limitations.” Mask On Nurse Marty (Ret)

[@oneeyedphotographer]

I showed one of my TAFE lecturers a selection of my work today. He said I should hold an exhibition. I think that means he sees my as a good photographer. If I went somewhere and made two hundred images, they most certainly would not look all alike. Especially after a few minutes in Ps. I think a sign of being a good photographer, a good sign, is to see a scene and make good photographs from it. Any conditions. Anywhere. Almost any camera, any lens for that camera. I don't mean any brand of camera, there's no difference between a Sony A7RV and my EOS 30D.

[@nicedward7544]

30 years in and i still don't know my style or genre. Work wise compared to personal i guess i have a ballpark. I still have severe imposter syndrome even though I've been shooting seriously before capable digital cameras were even a thing. All that matters is that i still care to do it and care about it dearly. It's my therapy, because well, I'm a dumb photographer lol

[@oneeyedphotographer]

Your style is what you like to do. You have always had it. Don't worry about genre, I cross many boundaries and you can too.

[@justinbat563]

Nice to see your skills finally catching up to Faizel 😊

[@andrewdove342]

great

[@BelaAcs-m6r]

Roman, the only way you can be a better YT street photographer is if you get a LEICA camera! You know what I'm talking about because you know them, like the "Leica Crew".

[@mattowens4238]

Even after all these years I still have low confidence. I feel like I am entirely to critical of my photos.

[@lesath7883]

Camera on autopilot. Only happens when I have already set it up, so that I can just focus on my subject.

[@istvann.huszar420]

This video did not raise my confidence, and I don't think that your points are generalisable, but knowing how you see your own journey is a valuable insight nevertheless.

[@angibenet6138]

Shit I'm not progressing 😂

[@scroubious]

I agree with some of the points but not with everything. My view of photography has suffered a radical change after i started to listen to Daniel Milnor channel. Im sorry but right now i am judging pretty much everything thing i see by that standard.

[@grahamfield1570]

Every phito should evoke an emotion. If that emotion is one of boredom then you need to improve. Any other emotion then you are going the right thing. If you can see the picture before you even pick up the camera, then you are at the very least a good photographer.

[@tasossaros8375]

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙨 😌🙏

[@JosueRodriguez08]

So, if i like to photograph multiple things I'm bad? That sounds kind of ....not really goog advise

[@piketubeman]

I don't think that's what he said. He said, he gets asked in interviews "can you describe your photography?" If your photos are limited to one subject or style then it would be easier to describe your work, BUT I think what he means is, all your work, is YOURS, and because it is yours it should have common themes or ideas that connect all the different subjects. An example for myself would be that I take photos that are often messy and abstract at the same time, and I take photos that often have a specific emotion attached to them, the emotion can change for each photo, but the "Sad" photos will often have a similar look. What do you think?

[@david_allen1]

Yea I heard something like that as well. But perhaps its not as much a description of how everyone reacts to a "lack of focus" as much as it is his reaction to it.

[@JosueRodriguez08]

​@@piketubemanI hear you, but I listened to him multiple times and it still says "one day it was street, the other day landscape, the other cars..." He was directly saying that multiple subjects is a problem....and that's really weird, but if he meant what you are saying then that's great

[@wilfs1196]

@@JosueRodriguez08 Looks like I'm still shooting the "mess" genre....😀

[@wilfs1196]

@@moesdeph Ditto, therefore my genre is "mess"😊