A kid with a camera is a little bit like a mule with a spinning wheel … No one knows how he got it and danged if he knows how to use it!
Who are the best Youtube channels to learn Photography from?
Photography is one of the coolest things to ever be invented, second only to the Ripstick. There’s many subcategories in photography; landscape, cityscape, wildlife, portraiture, long exposure, astrophotography etc. Something for everyone, except those without a camera.
However this also means there’s so much to learn, with a ton of poor quality information being spread as well. This is why you need to find the best Youtube channels for photography, so you don’t waste as much time as I did in the beginning.
One thing I love about photography is that it allows people who are boring as bat shit (such as myself) to imagine that they are gallivanting around the world without a care. Sometimes it is powerful enough to inspire us to go see places for ourselves, it plays at our sense of adventure. Unfortunately it does mean you need to travel with a lot of camera gear though!
For me photography is a way out of the mundane. The photography itself isn’t everything, but getting out and exploring is the real joy. Photography simply masquerades as the true goal, all the while taking a back seat to the enjoyment of looking for beautiful or unique things.
I am an amateur and won’t make any attempts to try convince you otherwise. These Youtube channels have been a constant source of guidance and one of the best resources I can imagine, all for free. Who needs to pay for courses when we’re blessed with people such as those below!
The concepts taught by all the Youtube channels below transcend any particular brand of camera. I personally use Sony and the videos may reflect that in some way, yet anyone will find good information here.
Editor’s Note;
Originally intended to be part of a much larger post detailing the best youtubers to learn all things travel documentation, from: Photography, Videography, Drone use, Blogging etc. The post was far too involved and hard to navigate so I made them all their own blog posts. Feel free to see the other posts by clicking the links below!
Mike Smith
At the time of writing Mike has 20k subscribers, but he’s far and away the best I’ve found out there. Here is a man who isn’t trying to be a celebrity, he just knows his shit. He has built a super impressive back catalogue and he explains things in the most simple way possible, clear, defined, intelligent!
I even watch his videos that aren’t related to subjects I care about (flash photography for example) because he’s so good at presenting. He clearly isn’t chasing views, or watch hours, some of his videos are simple two minute explanations of photography concepts, some are forty minute Lightroom tutorials.
He’s my first port of call if I need a refresher on a photography concept, because I have watched enough of him to know he doesn’t miss a thing, every tangent question you have gets answered during the video more often than not.
Best for;
- Literally everything
- Lightroom and Photoshop tutorials
- Photography concept explanations
- Menu settings, camera set-up,
Nigel Danson
Nigel is the master of on location vlogging for landscape photographers. His passion is seeps through the computer screen and infects you. He will give you great production value, behind the scenes looks, circling drone shots that set the scene and will stay on topic in his videos.
What makes him great to watch is also the criticism of his own work, with helpful on screen pointers showing you why something doesn’t work instead of talking about why it does. For example, being too cluttered, crowding the frame of the photograph and poor isolation of subjects.
He’s definitely creating a new style of vlogging for landscape photographers and will have in depth videos ranging from skills, reviewing photos, the difficulties with photography as well as the struggles with motivation or creativity.
Best for;
- Landscape photographers
- Watching on a lazy Sunday arvo to get lost in the scenes (his video work is also good)
- Anyone looking to see what it’s like trying to find compositions in the field and then even to not be happy with your own compositions
- The evolution of a photo – from scouting, watching the weather, being in the field, Lightroom editing to printing and reviewing.
Mark Denney
I have been subscribed to Mark from early days. I came across his channel due to a bag review he has done. He’s starting to see some real growth now, and even has 4 videos detailing his journey from quitting his job to becoming a full time photographer.
There are a few similarities with Nigel Danson in that he has a nice pleasant voice, explains things clearly with honest opinions and passion, and will do vlogs from out in the field to show his work flow and the real life struggles.
I find he is getting better as he goes, has some really good Lightroom videos as well as reviews on camera backpacks and you can follow him as he’s making the transition from quitting his office job to becoming a photographer full time. Something that some of you may also be attempting.
Best for;
- Landscape photographers
- Lightroom editing
- Seeing the transition and process of someone quitting their job to become a full time photographer and the challenges involved
Tony & Chelsea Northrup
Although they sometimes err on the side of click bait, their massive back catalogue can’t be denied. I first found them with the below video when I purchased my Sony A7R III and needed help understanding the menu items.
Tony and Chelsea offer everything from: full and useful operating guides, Photoshop/Lightroom tutorials, product reviews and general photography principles and tricks.
I am one hundred percent sure they’ll have a video for you. I respect their reviews as being honest (Peak design tripod review below) and not just blowing smoke up everyone’s arse just because they get given gear.
Best for;
- Product guides and setup
- Product reviews
- Photography principles and tricks
- Photoshop and Lightroom tips
- Searching for anything, they have hundreds of videos
Mark Galer’s Alpha Creative Skills
This Youtube channel will be most handy for those using the Sony Alpha cameras, any model. However don’t rule out his channel straight away if you’re not using Sony gear. I have posted a video below from him that us over 1 HOUR of free travel photography hints and tricks!!
If that’s not worth something to you, I don’t know what is. It’s great content and relevant to all travel photographers, which I’m assuming you’re more than likely in a similar field to be on this blog reading this post. On the Sony sides of things, expect to see in depth explanations, much handier than reading the user manual! Just sit back and watch with your camera in your hand and play with it as you learn.
Best for;
- Those in the Sony Universe
- Learning to really master focus, metering, travel photography, memory recalls etc
SLR Lounge
Here’s a handy look into just about anything photography related. I really don’t have much to say here, there’s over one thousand videos on offer! Just have a look here if you get stuck and can’t find relevant videos elsewhere.
I wouldn’t say they’re my number one choice, but their metering video posted below was one of the better ones I saw when I was starting to really get a good understanding of what the camera was trying to chieve in comparison to the photographer.
Best for;
- Probably anything you can’t find amongst the other channels listed, with 1000+ videos available
DPReview
I found these guys originally on their old channel The Camera Store TV. They have since jumped ship and now operate here. This channel comes in handy if there’s a bit of gear you want to know about that’s new to the market.
Reviews, reviews and more reviews. Not much else to say about it really but I like the presentation style. All cameras these days are somewhat video capable, so it makes sense for these reviewers to dedicate some time towards that part of the camera. These fellas won’t disappoint.
Best for;
- Reviews basically
