As a photographer who is trying to learn and develop my skills and techniques and also as a lover of the landscape, YouTube has been a revelation. Historically useful as a medium for displaying tutorial videos, the advent of the video blog or "v-log" and "v-loggers" has creating an interesting genre of content focused on landscape photography.
I find many of these 'v-logs' interesting in terms of content, demonstrating some technique or thought process whilst the photographer is in the field, some become a source of reference about a place that I think, "I'd really like to go there and try making some images of my own" and the occasional one I find actually inspiring ..... either about a place or the person making the v-log.
The process of making these in the field, in all weather conditions, cannot be easy and I admire those willing to try. I find all my concentration and effort is needed just in making images without the extra burden of actually explaining how I am doing, what I am doing and why I am doing it ..... all to camera !
Over a period of time, I expect that every voyeur of YouTube builds up a list of favourites and here is mine:
Thomas Heaton: Tom is probably the king of landscape photography v-loggers at the moment. He has a genuinely natural persona on camera but what shines through is his sheer passion for what he is doing.
Nick Page: Nick is my current favourite American v-logger. He combines some travel v-logs with equipment reviews and he uses Canon equipment like me.
Ben Horne: is also American and a large format camera user. Ben's stuff is full of thought and an quiet intensity that you don't see in many v-logs. His attention to detail and eye for composition is a good lesson for all landscape photographers.
Andrew Marr: an Australian photographer, his videos are full of excellent information and visually pleasing, his approach is quietly enthusiastic and he offers a lot feedback and replies consistently to people commenting on his work.
Adam Gibbs: a landscape photographer from British Columbia in Canada, part of the world I know a little. His blogs are both a feast on the eye and informative, the only downside being his choice of headwear!
Nigel Cooke Photography: from Northern Ireland, Nigel has a uniquely quirky approach, which I find very engaging and he works predominately along the wonderful coast of Ireland.
Two people who I've just started following should also get a mention:
Simon Baxter: has only done a few v-logs, but I found his first one amazing and quite inspiring, making me review my approach to shooting trees and in woods around Sussex.
Paul G Johnson: makes me laugh and makes me think about my process of taking images, but mainly makes me just want to get out there more, whatever the conditions.
There are others that I follow and maybe I will compose another review, particularly of people like Jimmy McIntyre who specialise in post processing tutorials, at some point in the future. All in all, I find there is so much material available on You-Tube concerning landscape photography that I am spoilt for my viewing choice.
Rather more difficult is to identify how effective You-Tube is as a tool for learning. Certainly, I have learnt from watching but, on reflection, I find that the things that stick in my brain and I can use in my own photography are to do with a certain approach or a frame of mind or a thought process rather than a specific skill or technique.
Maybe I need to review how I watch and listen, to make more of this valuable source of information?