Well Im at a place I never thought I would be and I have done a major U turn on my previous feelings on this subject.
While trying to diversify my landscape photography and add more areas for personal interest I had started to do a fair bit of filming on my trips purely to remember the events in question and to be able to watch them unfold again.
This started off by simply filming the sunsets & sunrises and then progressed into time lapses and motion lapses etc, so I ended up having lots of footage of trips and nothing to really do with it and after a lot of pushing from friends they suggested doing a YouTube channel.
Now I've always enjoyed watching others channels and this has got even more enjoyable when the winter months draw in when I have less chances to go but I have never wanted to do my own, in fact Id go so far as to say I've been bitterly opposed to it.
The thought of being in front of the camera frankly feels me with dread and even worse so telling people what to do, it just doesn't sit well with me but at the same time I would really like to share my trips with people, after all this blog has proved very popular so it seemed a logical progression to do it.
After months of mulling the idea back and forth I have decided to go for it and put up a few trips here and there to share these wonderful moments with people as frankly watching is easier than reading and it seems this is where the genre has gone nowadays.
I cant tell you what a huge decision this has been for me, from someone who is an introvert by nature and doesn't like attention or putting myself out there to decide to do exactly that is a really big deal.
Part of me is hoping it will help me become a more confident person by putting myself out there and the other half is terrified as I know no matter what I do or how good it is there will be criticism, and thats something that fills me with dread.
While constructive criticism is a nice and very helpful thing, YouTube comments can be anything but that and usually from a keyboard warrior sat behind a screen of immunity will go for the throat and say things that they wouldn't dare say in person, so why put myself in the situation to receive that I hear you ask ?
Well the simple fact is Id like to try my hand at it and see how I get on, I actually feel the benefit to my landscape photography already due to looking at things in a different way and from a cinematic point of view, it all transfers over to my landscape photography nicely so can only be a good thing I hope.
Then there is the fear of rejection, will people watch ? will they like it enough to subscribe ? Will friends support or will there be a wish to see someone fail, which sadly seems all to common these days.
All of these questions will reveal more about who you have around you than you think so I was willing to take the risk, Better to try and fail than to not try at all I guess ?
As for likes and subscribers I wasn't too worried in terms of numbers although obviously Id like to see it be successful but the most important thing for me would be making the videos and enjoying the process, everything else would be a by product of that.
It's been a steep learning curve with new software and techniques but so far I've really enjoyed the journey and again the benefits that have crossed over into my landscape photography.
Im pleased with how its progressed and I feel happy with the finished work although i'm well aware there is a lot of room for improvement still.
I have also made another huge U turn, and perhaps my biggest one ever in that I have purchased a drone, something that only a few months ago I would have laughed in your face if you said I would be doing it.
I have a natural hatred for drones, I find them annoying and irritating and I hate them being flown anywhere near me, but Ive always said I do love the footage they produce and the perspective they can give that a camera simply cant.
It took me 6 months to convince myself to buy one, such was my hatred for them but I have to say when I eventually did I absolutely loved the experience of flying them and what they can record and it added an extra element to my filming that was previously lacking so its been a shocking but pleasing addition for me.
Its something I don't fly around others as I don't wish to be that annoying person and ruin other peoples trips and experiences so it will only be making limited appearances but hopefully only at a suitable time and place.
I also went about it the right & legal way and got my drone registered and myself a license to operate it as well as insurance just in case.
I wanted the channel to be a true reflection of landscape photography much like this blog is, so the ups and the downs and when trips don't go right, not just show the cherry picked good stuff so it won't all be epic skies and golden light, there will be the trips that end in total failure as well, You didn't think it was all roses did you ?
Hopefully this will be a far more relatable thing to many of you and you will know the struggles only too well.
Anyway enough waffle from me, I would be honoured and really appreciate it if you would check my channel out and watch a video and maybe leave a comment about your thoughts on it. I really hope people will support me on this and show some encouragement and maybe even subscribe.
You can see my channel by clicking HERE.
And here's a taster of what's to come !
Thank you all so much, I hope I can bring you some good entertaining trips.
Happy Shooting
Daniel Wretham
