Bitch about videos all you want but you're missing some good stuff about photography when you turn your nose up to specific YouTube channels. I thought today I'd talk about one photographer whose content always interests me both as a hobbyist photographer (I am) but also as someone who has earned the vast majority of my income for the last 38 years as a full time, working photographer (also me). He's not a "walkie-talkie" video maker and he talks pretty fast but I find him to be one of the more interesting working photographers on the web. With credentials!
I'm talking about a guy named Justin Mott who lives and works in Hanoi, Vietnam. He works for lots of major companies, international in scope, and he also does a fair amount of work, editorially, for prestigious outlets like The New York Times. (Don't like the New York Times? Go read something else).
Here is a link to a video he posted on his channel today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=248KwNdCRoc
His video walks the audience through the nuts and bolts of his recent assignment for the New York Times. It's about old and new coffee culture in Vietnam (coffee, a subject close to my heart) and Justin walks you through every step of the two day project with loads of really good images coupled with great observations about how to work with complete strangers, new locations and the pressures of hitting deadlines while still delivering exactly what the client wants.
There's none of the pompous, "I am the world's greatest expert in..... blah, blah photography." There's no oppressive hubris. Just really interesting nuts and bolts. He starts by explaining how he was contacted, how he discussed the project with a photo editor at the Times. How he bid the job. How he selected his gear for the assignment (don't whine too much, he's a Leica shooter --- both M and SL). How he works. Why he does these kinds of assignments with no lighting gear. And even a step-by-step explanation of the post-shooting logistics for editing, labeling and delivering the work.
The thing that caught my interest in watching the video and listening to his work strategies is just how quickly he works, from shot to shot, how largely invisible he is even though he is a larger caucasian man in a sea of Vietnamese natives. And how he can make himself fit in to this different environment without drawing much attention, and how his professional attitude provides a template for him to get work done. I think it boils down to a mindset, and experience.
There is no swarm of assistants endlessly circling around him. No stylists, no art directors, etc. In this particular editorial/visual description he's very much a one man band. While many bloggers and YouTubers pontificate about what they think photography is all about Justin is actually hands-on with the reality of commercial work. And editorial work. Where the YouTube people who make thinly disguised advertorials for camera makers as their only job constantly suggest the need for the fastest AF cameras, the largest resolution sensors, the need for for long fast zooms and short, even faster zooms Justin shows a more realistic approach. Using single focal length M lenses adapted to an SL (mirrorless) camera and working with a much smaller selection of focal lengths than any of the wannabe "influencers" would have you believe is possible. It's a reality versus fantasy antidote.
Justin is scruffy and talks pretty fast but his work is good and what he's saying about "how he works" is equally good. Valuable. Even to someone with decades of experience. He's also working in a different culture and on the other side of the world but still is able to attract the clients he needs in order to be successful. Both aesthetically and financially.
Some of his videos are more gear oriented and he is an unapologetic Leica user. But the video I've linked to shows a job that could have been done with any good camera system. In the hands of a real pro. His reasons for using the Leica stuff aren't dealbreakers to enjoying the heart of the video.
I'm going to share a few more of my favorite channels so my video- reticent readers are exposed to the stuff I look at. And, just to let you know, I am not a big fan of "My name is Bob and I have a video camera strapped to my chest and I'm going to film myself walking through some urban streets annoying all the people around me and then bragging about how great my mostly mediocre images are because I shoot with: Sony, Fuji, Leica, Nikon or any other "fill in the blank" camera system."
My favorite videos are about working artists (Paul Reid), working commercial photographers (Justin Mott) and people who are making a living selling their prints and talking about HOW they shoot instead of WHAT KIND OF GEAR THEY SHOOT WITH (Mostly James Popsys).
I know, I know, you love to read print and you hate video. If that's the case just read this twice and ignore the link. No one will know....
typing fast is a blessing. written on the flat keyboard that came packaged with my iMacPro computer.
Time elapsed: 45 minutes; including proof-reading. Advice to other bloggers: drink more coffee so you can think and type faster...
19 comments:
I think there are so many gems on YouTube that I have signed up for a paid account, so I can enjoy their content without any advertisements.
Further, It is so easy to flag items to view later, keep as favourites or categorise in various ways. Many of the channels I subscribe to are technical or photography related, but there are a number of channels that are just enjoyable to watch and a genuine form of entertainment.
I also value recommendations from others, so I am keen to follow up on your reference above.
I hope you post links to other items you feel are worth watching.
there's a good video of Don mcCullin shooting in india, it was made for canon, but is interesting, not much more gear hawkedge than him saying the cameras are very good (he normally uses film as he's baffled by digital)
I enjoyed the YouTube! Fun place to go too.
Mott, Reid and Popsys are also regular stops on my YouTube trips. All good choices.
I saw that piece on Vietnamese coffee shops in the Times the other day, and thought the photos were really good. Interesting to see how they were made.
Thank you for including the link to Mott's Vietnamese coffee assignment.
This is a really valuable "service" you provide us, Kirk - leading us to good content on YouTube. Some time ago I became really disillusioned with online videos. I knew there was good stuff out there but I kept on running into junk. I am convinced that half of the video creators (actually, probably more than half) have no idea of what they are talking about. They also prattle on for hours on what could be said in under a minute. So I really gave up on it, "until there was you".
The ones you have recommended are really good and I have finally been able to find value in spending the time watching them. So thank you so much, Kirk. It's been worth every penny.
Seriously, thank you, thank you.
I might be in the minority here because I enjoy reading blogs, yours and Mike's among them, but also watching videos by a handful of presenters. I'm 78 and have developed an interest in 'street' photography, especially street portraits, so there is a lot to be learned from photographers who do photo walks with video cameras, engage with people, and show how they work. All of them are much younger than I am and have a different world view than I do, which is also educational and interesting to me. Few of them are US based and several do travel photography so an added bonus is seeing interesting places and learning about them from these photographers who, for the most part, eschew the typical tourist sites and explore the back streets, alleys, markets, and crowds of people. My favorites are Paul Reid, James Popsys, Faizel Westcott, Samuel Lintaro, Roman Fox, and Mike Chudley. Alan Schaller has started doing a few videos and he is a master of the art. All of the ones I have mentioned have a positive world view and come across to me as people I would like to have coffee with. Since you follow Reid and Popsys you should understand what I am getting at.
Thanks for posting this, Kirk -- really interesting video, which I would have missed otherwise
There's an interesting 6-part series on Vimeo called "fika", the Swedish coffee drinking tradition. I apologize if I've mentioned this here before, I just can't remember if I have. Each episode is about 5 min long. Part 1 is here: https://vimeo.com/167658298.
Good post, good link.
I like that Mott talks fast, and even more I like that he is well scripted and tightly edited. He doesn't waste time the way so many YouTube types do. And he speaks clearly and has high quality audio.
I have nothing against video, it's that so much of it is poorly done -- rambling, hemming and hawing, mumbling or poor recording quality.
I do find the written word superior for technical subjects, where I may want to re-read a paragraph or take a moment to digest a difficult point. I will make an exception for Unmesh Dinda at Piximperfect. His Photoshop tips are clear and concise, with excellent audio.
But thanks again for the link. I'll be exploring more of Mott's work. BTW, I'm 77 years old, for whatever that's worth.
I have now subscribed to Justin's YouTube channed. Interesting that his focal length choice for the SL2-S was the 'old' trio of 50, 35 and 135. I reckon the SL2-S is a very solid choice. The ads that seem to be targeting me over the last few years are for Bentley cars and Leica. Love the latter, the cars are just too big and showy; I am a very 'under the radar' sort.
For what it's worth, one of the reasons there's so much dross and so few pearls on YouTube is because its algorithm gives undue weight to length and how frequently the creator posts. The first 2-3 minutes are usually nothing more than a lead-up to the now standard "please like and subscribe," for similar reasons. If I come across an outstanding YouTube video about photography it's usually more by accident than intent. All of this is to say, thanks for sharing some of your favs with us, Kirk. If you come across any similar nuggets in the future, please feel free to share.
Mott's video is fantastic. Especially the part about feeling like an impostor and how positive feedback can help.
I recently was working on a project and my supervisor said, "Check our Flickr account. I don't know where it comes from, but there are some GREAT photos there! Who shoots all that?"
"I do."
I rather enjoyed that moment.
Terry, That's a wonderful compliment to get!!!
Loved the Mott video. It's my alternative fantasy life! Agree with Gato's post and I've even older than him!
I'll be seeing him next week for a workshop. I met him in December but got COVID and had to pull out after a couple of days. He's the same in real life. Fast talking and endlessly energetic. His wife is a gem. A fantastic human.
Gordon
I admired the photography when I saw it in the TIMES. Better to see his versions and hear his take on the assignment. But: early morning flight, running around like a maniac for two days and red eye back? There has to be a better way to live. Then again... the photographs... Very inspiring to see work that is less "buttoned down" than what I do.
I recommend Roman Fox - unpretentious, practical.
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