Starting a YouTube Channel // Landscape Photography
Everyone says starting a Youtube channel is yesterday's news, a flooded space - there are apparently a plethora of channels started each month. But these numbers don't last. Not to mention, the hours of video content watched around the world is still steadily rising. In my opinion it is still a valuable endeavour worth pursuing. Video is a fantastic way to tell the stories behind images, processes, and, in the end, about myself. A long story short, I'm 8 videos in and it has been nothing but enjoyable thus far.
Shameless plug: you can check out my latest video here where I photograph ferns in my local woodland on large format film.
Before I started, I asked some of my favourite Youtube creators for their advice going in to starting my own channel and everyone who wrote back had hugely helpful and insightful feedback. A big thanks to Ben Horne and Brian Lackey for the great conversations! The big messages? Do it for the right reasons. Just be me. People connect with people (no matter how great your photographs may be). Don't be disheartened by slow growth, commit to at least 50 videos. Connect with a smaller amount of true fans.
So, not only does it get me out making images, it forces me to reflect on my work and my creative process. In addition, the actual videos themselves have been a fun creative practice. Videography has been something I've always been interested in (even on this blog I've made reference to the likes of Hitchcock and Kurasawa). Indeed, drawing inspiration from other media forms is an important aspect of growth as an artist.
It is true though that there are quite a few hugely popular photography channels already on the platform - and how many different channels do people really want to subscribe to? That's where finding your voice and a unique message or niche is important. My hope is that I can combine my interests in conservation along with philosophy to produce meaningful videos that inspire people to spend more time in nature. My videos are all about connecting with nature through photography - building a deeper relationship with the outdoors through long format series. I'm talking 15-20 episode long deep dives into different aspects of photography, including interviews and collaborations with some of my favourite photographers (when travel and Covid-19 allows!). I'm also a bit of a nerd so you can expect some gear and technical content on the side (and if I'm honest, these types of videos can help with channel growth).
Well, I hope you enjoy the videos I'm producing and will follow along for the journey! You can check out my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqN20SVcPB8Flpd9j-5XHzg
