Hello Roy and Chanel community..... So much inspiration here thank you. I'll be honest I won't dare to call myself a creative.... That is a true gift in my humble opinion and I have immense respect for those who are fortunate to have it. But there is a creative need within me.... I can't draw or paint I have no ability to interpret accurately that which I see and reproduce it on paper or canvas. The only medium, by which I can exercise my creative compulsion is photography. I started in my early teens with a night school class in darkroom techniques and black and white has stayed with me since. I now have a 'pop up' darkroom in my utility room and more film than cheese in my fridge. I put my cameras away a couple of years ago before COVID times. Believe it or not because my Mac book packed up and I had no means of editing. Lame I know...... Fast forward to now and I'm back with a camera in my hand a 5dmk3 and my beloved Eos 1n. I also shoot my canon A series too. Any way.... Creative block I struggle some times realising my ideas or almost becoming "photographically paralysed" by lack of creative inspiration. A professional photographer friend of mine said something he does in this situation is to go out and shoot the alphabet..... Could be anything not necessarily a letter of the alphabet specifically....but an item or situation that flows alphabetically.,.... Gets you back behind the camera with a sufficiently loose brief to provide scope for triggering creativity. The other thing I will say is just how amazing it feels to be involving myself with photography once again. Even just watching superb content like this Chanel. I'm finding a really positive effect on my mental well being. I realise now how much I missed photography, and how right it feels to have a camera in my hand again. Please keep up the superb content Roy. Really enjoy your channel. Thank you. Would be interesting to hear how others get over creative block on the journey that is photography. Thanks again 👍🏻

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this great comment H Allen! The way you express yourself with words is in itself very creative as is the content of your message. Creativity is everywhere. I think we all struggle with inspiration and I have heard of the alphabet idea before. Also stopping every ten steps and just taking a picture of something, anything until you find yourself forgetting that you have no inspiration because you get caught up in something! I think all of these tactics have something in common and it’s all about getting out, with a camera in hand and being open to the idea of finding things to shoot. It’s hard to take pictures when your inside, watching the telly with the cameras in the bag under the stairs! Wishing you a happy, creative Sunday. RR

Very good point, about looking a a person’s published work as opposed to the social media barrage.

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

We each have to find our own way to stay inspired but not over whelmed!

This is brilliant! I studied entrepreneurship in business school and similar skills to enhance creativity apply, including changing routine, even walking different blocks or driving different ways commuting to work and the art of brainstorming and listening to and respecting others perspectives! Thanks again for this!

@RoyRiley

3 ай бұрын

Cheers Matt! Appreciate your perspective

Photography is a way of living, a passion for the passing in the after life. You see the world with different eyes, alter view of things. Sometimes we feel the need to share out photos, and when we do that, our duty is to show them thru our point of view. It's like looking thru a large window or a small hole in the wall. Everybody looks at the big picture in the windows, a few thru that hole.

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

Thought provoking stuff. Thanks for this. I will digest and process..

Thanks Roy…very inspirational words on several relevant levels, to be a better photographer and perhaps more importantly a better person

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Lee! Im so glad you get it! these things are all connected. Good luck on your journey.. RR

Hello Roy I am a real amateur, what I mainly practice now are the panning techniques. Apparently many people think that you just have to follow, but there is so much to it. Your video today inspires me a lot, thank you Greetings from Belgium

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

I’m glad to be of some help! Learning to master technique is such a good way to grow as a human in almost every way. Good luck on your journey

@augusti1

Жыл бұрын

@@RoyRiley thank you

I have a small and occasionally growing library of coffee table photo books. Started it when I was an art student back in the 90s. I have a 2nd hand copy of Don Mccullin's India coming this week in the post. It's good to have a flick through when there's nothing worth watching on the box. It's more about taking in the vibes than looking for ideas though.

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

You are so right! I Love photo books! Have a few from Don McCullin amongst others. Always good to flick through.

Roy, thanks for responding to me on the INSTA. I will contact you here in the future if I have further questions. Again, thank you for the response and we love your tips and videos. I hope this channel keeps growing and growing.

Real, visceral, hardcore, blunt view. That is all this video gives you.

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

I hope these are good things. I believe they are good things. I wish you a wonderful Monday. RR

@tebogdanescu1353

Жыл бұрын

@@RoyRiley Yes indeed, they trully are!

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

@@tebogdanescu1353 good to know we share a similar viewpoint!

Yes! When will I ever learn this photography thing, I'm only 40 years into doing it?! And be curious about people and places, the camera can be your guide, the door opener, to allsorts. Love your outside 'studio' too, very refreshing, virtually!

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Andrew! We are very fortunate to live where we do. I literally have just got out of the sea.. It’s hovering around zero and the water is chilly but a decent wetsuit means I could get a few waves after a days editing. Hope keeping well. R

Great video Roy like this approach to the creative part of photography, Going to give your suggestion about talking to a stranger a go . Really enjoying the channel.

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Cheers Eddie! Glad you found some use. Good luck with it! R

Great perspective, thx Roy. Yesterday was a "do something different" day for me. My partner and I were up early, out and about around Coventry shooting pics of cathedral, buildings, skyline, etc etc. What was great about this is that my partner (Sarah) doesn't do photography. We really enjoyed ourselves, Sarah used my old Canon 7D (16-35mm f/4L) and I was using my old Canon 5D (24-105 f/4L) Coffee after and some hot snacks. We had a great time and I can see it evolving into something we both enjoy (being out and about and taking the time to actually process your surroundings) Things I would like to improve are, getting exposure correct for post (already learned underexposure is bad for lifting shadows in post on my 5D) learning more about composing the scene (it's strange, but when I look around, I try to imagine how the sensor would capture what I'm seeing then how it would look on a 2 dimensional screen) in a way I'm trying to think and view my surrounding like my camera does. Not sure if that makes any sense, haha.. I have lots to learn and love the experience!! Thx Roy again for your great contributions.. 👍

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Great to hear that you are both enjoying the experience of photography! I do pretty much the same thing and imagine each scene from the perspective of how my sensor will handle the light. Often I will also shoot with a finished image in kind and make whatever changes are necessary to get the most out of the file. I have always thought that photography is a passport to life, a reason to get out and experience life and snag a few snaps along the way! Ultimately it is the experience that is often more precious than the photographs - really pleased you are enjoying my channel. Your comments mean a lot and are greatly appreciated. All the very best to you and Sarah (my other half is Sarah too) RR

Roy, I’ve enjoyed all your videos, as I’ve binged them today, but this one is different. This video punctured my chest and massaged my sad, self-doubting heart back to life. Thank you for the thoughtful, and grounded content.

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Waking up to see this comment has really cheered me up! Thank you Ann. I am so pleased you are enjoying the videos and finding some value. All the very best and apologies for the invasive heart massage! RR x

Hello Roy. You’re totally right. I should add that a good way to improve is to learn to make mistakes. Not to feel bad about it, accept it. Making mistakes is a very good way to understand things. Sometimes we make a second mistake but then when you finally learn how to do your task, you’ll never forget it… and you are ready for the next one…

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Wise words Giorgio. I totally agree! Thanks for your thoughts. What’s your biggest photography mistake? All the best. RR

Great advice!

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Cheers Tom! Much appreciated. RR

Great video. Like being creative part. Was out in the cold shooting geese on a Frozen reservoir had a really good time. I think I should have brought a better lens they were off in the distance. The best I had because I hadn't planned it well was the EF 28-135. It was okay just wasn't doing the job.

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Nice one Jeffery! Sometimes just being there is enough.

Yes, talking to strangers is odd... but I've found that if you're out in the middle of nowhere - like a nature reserve - it's usually quite easy to start a conversation. You can also get some interesting information from the "greybeards", like where the cranes congregate during the spring, or finding a new path and just seeing where it leads (in my case, it's usually a swamp).

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Haha! Yes - love a bit of swamp wrangling! Always good to keep an open mind to the world and people around us. All the best. Roy

To become a good photographer takes 3 T's - Technique, Time and Talent. Technique can be learned. Time can made for photography if you really desire it. Talent can't be learned or made but can only be found inside us.

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Geoffrey! Interesting perspective. I do think we evolve as photographers as we move through life and develop different ways of understanding the world around us. Having an open mind has always been important to my own personal growth. Everyone ultimately has to find his or her own way. Thanks for your comment. RR

Thank you, Roy. I love your videos. I think it's so true, as you say, about developing technically and creatively, in tandem. I use a Canon 5d mk ii and love being out in nature taking pictures. I am sure a lot of people, like me, who watch you on KZread wonder whether you might do photography tuition or workshops at some point in the future?

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this lovely comment Jacqui! It is so good to hear positive feedback. One day I will do a workshop of some type. It’s on my radar and it’s great to hear that you would consider getting involved. Keep shooting with your brilliant 5d mark 2! Amazing camera that is still very highly capable.. thanks again for your comment and support. RR

Hey, great to see you

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Cheers man! Good to hear from you too! Hope keeping well!

I really dig your videos Roy, I consider myself an amateur in every sense of photography but already find I can produce much better photos on old, OVF, no auto ISO or auto-focus cameras. I also feel like the newest cameras are amazing but also all starting to look too similar, and not nearly as present or alive looking as older dslr's or some inexpensive little gems like the Fuji X20 or Panasonic LX100. Anyway, I couldn't answer your shutter speed question so I am happy to find your videos at a moment where I know I need to learn more. Cheers and keep them coming!

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Cheers Tom! Really appreciate your feedback and support. Keeping it simple with gear and learning the basics is a good place to start!. Let me know if there is anything in particular you need help with. All the best. Roy

Really good advices

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Cheers man! It’s seems weird to me that gear videos get so much more attention than this kind of thing that could actually help someone improve as a photographer! ( in my opinion!) hope well in Russia. RR

@kunstfuhrer

2 жыл бұрын

@@RoyRiley it's the pain of the new days that people care more about their gear stuff rather than a skill and knowlege. I've just read Ken Rockwell's note about that on his web site. It seems ro be a result of agressive marketing of several past years, wich was needed to sell more cameras, much more than it was really demanded by consumers. I think that it is the true reason of collapsing dslr market, not the evolution of smartphone's photo abilities, as they say. It is just not needed that much. On the other hand the more cameras produced, the cheaper they are and more people can try themselves as a photographers, which is great by itself, but not all of them are ready to learn and work with their skills, that's why your video is so good, it's light, simple to understand, the tips are sharp and easy to use, it's able to popularise the photograpy as something more deep and interesting than it seems when a novice grabs a camera and trying to shoot something for the first time. It might be the main purpose of photography education - to inspire, to show how cool it can be, to infect with a spirit of photography, not only for the novices but even for professional shooters which are staying in profession for a long time and in some terms they forget why are they doing all that)

Roy Riley, be simple in your complexity!

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

Good advice! I always try to use less words but can end up rambling on.

Different subject. Camera backpacks? Which one do you like and why? What do you think about the Peter McKinnon one? Thank you.

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Afraid I have not used the PM bag so can’t really comment. I have used so many bags over the years. I dont really have a specific favourite. My advice is this. - do t get too caught up in the search for the perfect camera bag. It does not exist! find one that fits your kit, needs and budget. Buy it and use it for a year or two. Re-evaluate after this time. Do not blow loads of money unless you REALLY need it or have loads of cash! All the very best. RR

You say you do odd things. Roy, i got to tell ya, it's odd for the current social standards, people used to be spontaneous in the past, that is why all things used to be real, vivid and franc. Look at the tv shows, the movies, magazines from the 30's to 70's. People used to do nature baths, used to bind with the earthly things. Who does picnics these days? In a few years, this word will be erased. We have to go back for us to be present in the future.

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

I agree completely with what you say. I feel very fortunate to be a lifelong surfer. Getting in the sea, disconnecting from the land and plugging into something very real and very raw is a precious thing. How do you keep yourself sane amongst the chaos?

@tebogdanescu7970

Жыл бұрын

@@RoyRileyBy doing odd things.

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

@@tebogdanescu7970 long live the odd ones

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

@@tebogdanescu7970 long live the odd ones

Thank you! Lovely video! Things we maybe already know, but are good to be reminded of... Which music should I listen to if I always listen to classical music already? :-) I will try some metal or something... Btw, if you would like to listen to some unusual 'classical' music, try Pierre Boulez or Giacinto Scelsi or Iannis Xenakis once...

@RoyRiley

2 жыл бұрын

Good Lord! Just listened to Lannis Xenakis Metastasis.. It’s a vibrant piece to say the least.. thanks for the recommendations - I will have a listen. Hmm what music if you already listen to Classical?? Maybe some ska reggae. The Specials “ a message to you Rudy”

Your outfit reflects your personality. I see you as a wild wolf, not as a domestic husky.

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

Best comment I have ever received! Thank you!

I want to be the best portrait photographer!!

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

If your getting the portraits you wish for then you already are the best portrait photographer! Measure yourself only against yourself and never stop growing. It’s a journey not a destination.

I dare you to experience something new, spend a few ours in nature blindfolded. It will change your perspective as a photographer. You will know what i mean when you do it.

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

What an interesting suggestion.. I am in! I will report back.. thanks for this. RR

Need to get better editing in Lightroom

@RoyRiley

Жыл бұрын

Any particular problems I can help with or just need a bit of time to practise?

@jameshenry5686

Жыл бұрын

@@RoyRiley setting up my work flow and adding preset. I'm the need to up my editing game.