Photography YouTube Channels You Should Be Watching in 2017

Do you have a few free minutes or an afternoon to do some binge TV watching?  Are you looking for photography inspiration?  Maybe you want more information on the latest camera gear?  Watching Harry Potter on cable for the 49th time doesn't seem as appealing as it once did?  Well the good news is that there is TONS of entertaining content on YouTube for photographers of all levels. 

If you are passionate about photography and can't be out there taking photographs yourself the next best thing is gaining inspiration and knowledge from others who share your passion.  Luckily YouTube has made it easy to connect with other photographers who can help expand your photography knowledge or get your creative juices flowing.  Below I'm going to share with you a few photography channels I think you should subscribe to and why.  If you click on the images of their YouTube page it will take you directly to their channels.

Thomas Heaton

Thomas is a landscape and nature photographer from The United Kingdom.  Through his channel he takes us with him on his adventures to stunning and amazing locations around the world.  Thomas shares his thought process behind his photographs and chosen locations where he captures great images and even when things don't always go as planned.  Thomas is a must watch if you are into adventure and beautiful locations.

Christopher Frost Photography

Looking for a new lens for your camera?  You might want to stop by Christopher Frost's channel first.  Chris does an excellent job reviewing camera lenses from all brands and manufacturers.  His reviews are fair and cover everything you need to know from sharpness, build quality etc., it really is an excellent resource.  I always make sure to check out Christopher's reviews before I purchase any lens.

e6 Vlogs

Craig Roberts is a travel and landscape photographer from The United Kingdom who films video logs of his various urban and landscape photoshoots.  I enjoy his dry humor as he provides the viewer with great information on how he plans and executes his photographs.  I especially enjoy his videos about using a fisheye lens which inspired me to go out and grab a fisheye for myself.

Backcountry Gallery

Steve Perry is a wildlife and landscape photographer from The United States.  His channel is mostly dedicated to giving tips and tricks on a variety of topics from composition, technique and even Photoshop.  Steve is an excellent teacher and you always come away from his videos feeling like more of an expert on whatever topic was discussed.

PhotoRecTV

PhotoRecTV is hosted by Toby Gelston a photography educator.  PhotoRecTV hosts a weekly live photo news show and also has weekly photo challenges and contests.  Toby does a great job reviewing cameras/tripods/bags and also provides photo tips and answers questions from viewers of his channel.

Nick Page Photography

Living in Walla Walla Washington Nick Page is surrounded by beautiful landscapes.  Nick does on location videos of his outdoor adventures/shoots and usually comes away with breathtaking images.  Nick also provides information through gear reviews and viewer Q&A videos.  Nick can also be heard on the Tripod podcast which I also find very enjoyable.

Tony & Chelsea Northrop

If you like to geek out on photography gear then this Is the channel for you.  Tony Northrup goes in depth on many photography gear and technique topics explaining the science and technology behind them.  Tony and Chelsea also host a weekly live show where viewers can submit photos for critique.  They also started a series called Wanderlust where you can follow them on travel adventures to many scenic locations.

AdoramaTV

AdoramaTV is a channel that is run by the huge New York and online camera store Adorama.  They have brought in various professional photographers to provide content for their channel.  I highly recommend "Take and Make Great Photos with Gavin Hoey" especially Gavin's 15 minute photo challenges which are a great inspiration.  "You Keep Shooting with Bryan Peterson" is also very informative and Bryan gives great tips in quick 5 minute segments.

Jimmy McIntyre

Jimmy is the creator of RayaPro which is an Adobe Photoshop plug-in that helps photographers do image blending and many other advanced Photoshop techniques.  Jimmy's channel mostly focuses on advanced post processing techniques to help you improve your photos once they have been uploaded to your computer.  Jimmy is an excellent teacher and I highly recommend his "Challenge Jimmy" videos.

Professional Photography Tips

This channel hosted by Joshua Cripps focuses on short 5-10 minute videos on a variety of topics but mostly around nature and landscape photography.  Josh has a great sense of humor and makes all his topics very easy to understand.  This channel also has a great Facebook page where viewers can go to get help from the channel's community.

First Man Photography

This channel is all about "taking your photography to the next level".  Adam Karnacz is a photographer from The United Kingdom.  He does reviews, on location videos, photo critiques and tutorials on various topics like long exposure and macro photography.  His channel is fairly new but there is still a lot of valuable content already.

Andrew Marr

Andrew is a landscape photographer based out of Australia.  He films his photo trips and shares his approach to landscape photography with the viewer.  Andrew hopes to inspire viewers to get out and explore on their own photography adventures.

YouTube is filled with vast knowledge and content to help and keep photographers entertained.  Hopefully you'll find the time to give some of these great YouTubers I've recommended a view, and found this article helpful.  If you have any photography YouTube channels you would like to recommend please leave a comment below.

Shenandoah Day Trip

Recently I was lucky enough to spend a day in the beautiful Shenandoah National Park to do some exploring and picture taking.  At first it did not look like the weather was going to cooperate with a heavy fog and rain showers on and off for the first part of the day.  However patience was rewarded, as I arrived at the overlook just south of the Skyland Resort. The weather cleared for 15 minutes just enough to allow me to setup my gear and capture this timelapse of the rain and fog ascending the mountain towards Skyline Drive, it was quite the site.

After this it was time to tackle the Rose River Loop Trail which is supposed to have great opportunities to shoot waterfalls.  Starting at the Fishers Gap Overlook you cross Skyline Drive and pickup the start of the trail there.  The cloudy weather made it a great time to give it a try.  The trail was muddy and the rocks were slippery but the cool weather made for great hiking weather.  This trail is rated as "moderate" with an elevation gain of around 900 feet and a distance of 4.7 miles.  I'd have to say I found it more moderate to difficult but that can probably be blamed on me being out of shape and it left me sweating, sore and breathing heavily on the way back up the mountain.  Here is a shot of the Rose River Falls one of the many spots along the trail that follows along side the Rose River.

Rose River Falls

Rose River Falls

After the four hour hike and grabbing some dinner at the lodge the weather seemed like it would ruin any chance at capturing any sunset images during this visit.  I began my drive back home and as I was heading north on Skyline Drive I looked west and saw a dramatic sky and frantically pulled over to try and get a shot of the amazing sun rays poking out above a thick layer of clouds.  Here is the image of what I just described.

Sun Rays peeking out at sunset along Skyline Drive.

Sun Rays peeking out at sunset along Skyline Drive.

After witnessing that site I headed back North again until I reached the next overlook but this time facing east.  I couldn't believe my luck as II saw a layer of clouds covering the valley below and figured it would be a good time to try a panoramic.  The following image is 5 vertical shots stitched together in Lightroom to create the panoramic.

Panoramic of fog in the valley facing east from Skyline Drive at dusk.

Panoramic of fog in the valley facing east from Skyline Drive at dusk.

Finally calling it a day I packed the gear back in the car.  I managed to see a bear while driving out of the park just along the treeline but by that time there wasn't much light left and I was entering into the thick fog which I had been shooting from above.

Shenandoah National Park is truly a beautiful place and sometimes you get lucky to have some dramatic weather to really highlight it's beauty.  I definitely recommend going on weekdays when traffic is down so you can feel more at peace with the park.  If you haven't been yet Shenandoah National park is definitely a visit to add to your bucket list.

 

 

 

MARRS 1 WDCR-SCCA race photos from Summit Point Raceway 4-10-16

A short slideshow of images taken at the first race of the Mid-Atlantic Road Racing Series of the Washington DC Region's 2016 season from Summit Point Motorsports Park.  Was a very chilly and windy day but there was plenty of exciting racing action.  If you are looking for an image of your car send me a message and I'll see what I have. jcernst77@yahoo.com