[Video] An urban landscape photograph and some thoughts on Youtube photographers

[marcookie]

I just published a short video on an 8x10 image. It really embraces the genre of "urban landscape".



I have a small youtube channel, and sometimes I wonder if this is a good way to share photography, or if it is a waste of time. It is generally a lot of fun to make these videos, but it is time that I could be spending doing "real" photography, printing contact prints, going out to expose more film, or even planning books and shows.

However I was thinking about this and realized that there are also some unique and positive aspects of showcasing large format images in youtube:
1. You can tell a story. I always loved to know the context and the why of an image. Sure, a good image(s) should be able to tell a story by itself, but a video can add another dimension to a story. Or even three dimensions.
2. It is free and the audience is potentially large.
3. Screens and streaming technology are getting better and better. It is possible to show the images with all their details by doing zooms and panning. Screen technology is getting so good that most viewers even on an iPhone can get a decent idea of the tones and contrast envisioned by the photographer. In some cases it would be very difficult to show the same level of details and tones without printing an image one or two meters wide.

So, all in all, even Youtube offers some potential to share images.
Let me know your thoughts.

[Tin Can]

Well done

I learned 2 things

Tapping film

iPhone Loupeing!

Thank you!

[coolbreeze1983]

Nice video. Love to learn about tapping film holders. Next video maybe.

[grat]

For sharing photographs, youtube channels are somewhat questionable-- I mean, at best right now, videos are 4k, and I have no idea how many people watch youtube on 4k.

For sharing the process of photography, however, they can be invaluable. You get to "ride along" with the photographer, seeing what they see, hearing what they're thinking about "how do I capture this?", and with luck, they'll take the time to explain why they made the choices they made, and then, you can usually see the resulting photo (usually developed days or weeks later) in context.

It's like being able to take field trips with half a dozen different photographers in one night.

[David Schaller]

Thanks Marco. I've enjoyed these videos that you've shared.

[jtomasella]

I also have a small youtube channel (only 215 subs) Just keep going. You are right, it's fun to make the videos and if it inspires someone to get out and shoot it makes it worth it.

[Alan Klein]

Great movie. I like that it was short. I think narration would be helpful as to why you're doing things. I'm new to 4x5 photography. So I'm looking to learn everything I can. Don;t stop doing this if you enjoy it. People get great satisfaction being mentors and teachers. I know I do.

[Alan Klein]

For sharing photographs, youtube channels are somewhat questionable-- I mean, at best right now, videos are 4k, and I have no idea how many people watch youtube on 4k.

For sharing the process of photography, however, they can be invaluable. You get to "ride along" with the photographer, seeing what they see, hearing what they're thinking about "how do I capture this?", and with luck, they'll take the time to explain why they made the choices they made, and then, you can usually see the resulting photo (usually developed days or weeks later) in context.

It's like being able to take field trips with half a dozen different photographers in one night.

If you set your view on Auto, Youtube will send out the resolution to fit your bandwidth. Or you can select the resolution manually.

[grat]

If you set your view on Auto, Youtube will send out the resolution to fit your bandwidth. Or you can select the resolution manually.

Well, yes-- but if the video is 4k, and you've got a 1080p monitor, you're not seeing 4k.

Someone was looking at the most recent iteration of the Steam hardware survey (targeted mainly at gaming systems, but includes all steam users), and something like 65% of all monitor configurations were still 1920x1080. Only 2.5% were running 3840x2160 (true 4K).

1080p is roughly 2 megapixels, and 4k is roughly 8mp, so any images that you view on YouTube are not only re-encoded and compressed, they're equivalent to a camera from roughly 2003.

Doesn't mean you can't appreciate them anyway, but there's going to be a lack of wow-factor compared with a 4x5 negative, for instance.

[Jimi]

I enjoyed it, with its absence of overwhelming technical details. It was paced in such a way that it felt like there was room for my own thoughts.