The Ten Best YouTube Videos for Photographers?

I sat down to try to compile this the other day and so far have failed. I realize I keep a "mental list" of a lot of things, including remarkable YouTube videos that impressed me with their excellence—but I haven't kept track of such a list of videos relevant to photography.

But it seems to me that we should be able to do this as a community, with contributions by visitors as well. If we take the recently-mentioned video by Henry ("Hank") Wessel as a starting point, what other outstanding videos do you know that would together make up a list of videos that photographers can learn from, or greatly enjoy?

We need to keep variety in mind, and include lots of different things from different eras. I'm sure I'm forgetting some that we've already discovered and discussed.

Can you think of anything you'd like to nominate?

Mike

Book o' the Week

Migrant Mother, by Sarah Meister. "Each volume in the One on One series is a sustained meditation on a single work from the collection of MoMA." Forty-two pages with many illustrations. An engaging guided tour of the history and lore of "American photography's Mona Lisa."

This book link is a portal to Amazon. You're very kind use our links, as they help support the site.

B&H Photo

Original contents copyright 2020 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Ed. note: Rather than post featured comments, since I can't review all the suggestions so quickly, I'll just leave all the comments in the Comments section. If you're suggesting a video, please leave a short description with the link to help guide other readers. Thanks!

Comments

[Dave]

This guy seems pretty good for landscape photography:

https://www.youtube.com/c/NigelDanson/videos

Mostly in the field photography (about 80%), then some photo editing tips and gear talk.

[William w lewis]

I do watch a lot of YouTube videos, my vote for the best video quality and presentation goes to Martijn Doolaard (he is Dutch).

I recommend his work highly.

Bill lewis

[Peter Komar]

Two come to mind that I thoroughly enjoyed, one is a documentary on Gary Winogrand I think it’s on PBS. The title is Everything is Photographable. The other(s) are on William Eggelston, there are several I recall. Gary and William are real characters and at the end of the day have similar shooting styles, no elaborate set ups, just spur of the moment, unplanned, spontaneous, but many iconic images of everyday life.

[Stan B.]

A lot easier to think of the overwhelmingly vast majority of photo videos I'd like to condemn; that said, a couple of commendables on Anders Petersen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y_tu6RvHu0&t=3s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E0t3WwLzfc

[Jeffpressman@yahoo.com]

I've watched this short video by Jay Maisel many times and have found it very helpful and motivating. Absolutely worth a view.
https://vimeo.com/116692462

[Geoff Wittig]

There's a good PBS video on David Plowden's career titled 'Light, Shadow and Form' that's available. It's a bit light on specifics of technique but explains his process and his goals photographing America's disappearing small towns and farms in black and white.
Christopher Burkett's 'The Tapestry of Creation' goes into detail on his process for color landscape photography and Cibachrome/Ilfochrome printmaking. Burkett is touchingly eloquent in describing his search for 'clarity', meaning the optimal color balance for what he's trying to convey about the beauty of the natural world, and light as a metaphor for spiritual grace.

[Mike Plews]

I find Keith Coopers videos on printers and printing to be generally sensible and useful.

[Soeren Engelbrecht]

Highly Recommended: Alec Soth and his ongoing series where he leafs (in-depth) through photo books. They have really made me think more - and differently - about pictures in general.

Not recommended: The guy who reviews legacy lenses on mirrorless cameras and claimed about the 35/2.8 Zuiko that “If you mount it on an m43 camera, the minimum focusing distance goes down to 15 cm instead of 30”. Worthy of the “Worst Equivalency Award”, methinks :-)

[John Lambert]

With the ongoing investigations into a pure monochrome camera in mind, I always recommend this video by Eileen Rafferty to students: "Seeing In Black And White". Highly recommended. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8Hh8S-Z68s

[Henk]

Steve O'Nions (https://www.youtube.com/c/SteveONions/videos) is for me by far the best vlogger on photography on YouTube.

He shoots mainly B/W film but is great in explaining why a composition works or does not work.

Henk

[NikoJorj]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5xAxqbtz9o

I'm in the process of reading "Modern instances", Shore's last book, and I find it good.

[Olybacker]

I like the videos about Raymond Moore that you can access via Roy Hamman's web-site: the Golden Fleece. In three parts they are copied from an arts programme on TV, broadcast a long time ago: Coast to Coast Special.

More recently, one of the best films I have ever watched about a photographer is available on YouTube. It is about Brian Duffy , one of the legendary trio of Bailey, Donovan and Duffy and is called Duffy: The Man Who Shot the Sixties. Brian Duffy's son, photographer Chris Duffy may have the film available on his own web-site.

[Jamie Pillers]

Alec Soth: www.youtube.com/channel/UCHIxfgu7HE9_Tok9OGNrQ_g/videos

Harry Gruyaert: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj7ia7K9b9U

"Why I Love 50mm..." (and a brief look at Elliot Erwitt's "Found Not Lost" book): www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi-Yborh2j0

[robert e]

Maybe "Best Youtube Channels for Photographers" would be a more manageable list? I have no recommendations on that score.

As for videos I'll just reiterate my recommendation for the Klein-inspired French series "Contacts". The series is uneven, but despite it's arty pretensions, it has a lot to do with editing, and these really are the contact sheets of the giants, and their own words about their craft or the comments of their close colleagues. Episodes run the gamut from Depardon's enthusiastic narration of a specific project to Koudelka's terse declaration that his work speaks for itself (after which Robert Delpire takes over the commentary).

I found it absorbing. Here's a brief teaser: https://youtu.be/lkyXNACAtAA

And the full playlist:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwRELoxFZPEvpuu89PsSb7sFYAUdRCdAg

Some episodes may require auto-translate, which can be found in the video's settings (the gear icon) under "Subtitles".

[Timo Virojärvi]

Shifter: The Photographic Big Three
https://youtu.be/mdBzoqQHVpM

[Vijay]

Hi Mike, I think the video is on YouTube. It was a documentary you recommended about a photographer who specializes in ULF Polaroid portraits. It was a great documentary about her as a person, her relationships with other influential photographers etc. Wish I could remember her name!

[Elsa Dorfman? --Mike]

[Benjamin Marks]

Normally, I'd play. But honestly, I have no insight into the question. From that perspective, I will be very interested to see what the TOP-tariat comes up with. This is because I don't really use YouTube at all in relation to photography. This is a sign of my incipient fuddy-duddiness, I suppose. The photo videos that come to me in my newsfeed have been universally a waste of time, which includes photo reviews of equipment. Actually, I would have expected to run across a good one by now, purely based on the laws of probability by this point. I always click on them thinking "cool!" and finish thinking, "dang it, you got me again YouTube, and that's 11:29 I am never getting back." Damn you, Democratization of Information! I miss editors.

So comment away! I hope to learn something good.

[Mike Ferron]

Garry Winogrand in action on the street. He seems like such a regular guy. I enjoy watching him shoot so quick and often turn away quick before folks knew they had been photographed. About 7 minutes long.

https://youtu.be/3RM9KcYEYXs

[Mark Rouleau]

I don’t have a specific video in mind, but “The Photographic Eye” YouTube channel is quite excellent, dealing with history, technique, and several artist appreciations.

[Christopher May]

There are a lot of YouTube photography channels that I enjoy but if you told me I could only watch one for the rest of my days, I'd pick Ben Horne's channel over and over again.

Picking a single video as a recommendation for the list is not something I can do. All I can say is that whenever a new series documenting one of Ben's trips comes out, I know that I'm in for several weeks of pure enjoyment. For those unfamiliar with Ben's Work, try one of his series documenting his annual autumn trip to Zion and it'll showcase the talent Ben has as both a photographer and a filmmaker.

Beyond Ben's wonderful eye and commitment to realizing his vision with an 8x10 camera in the middle of forgotten canyons in the American west, there's an element of Bob Ross-esque tranquility to his videos that takes you away from the woes of everyday life. For 20 minutes or so, every new episode is an escape that is nigh on to therapeutic to those of us caught up in a world that's too fast, too loud and too angry.

https://www.youtube.com/c/BenHorne/videos

[Jeff]

This amusing demonstration of “rolling shutter”

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lyJKenzUxMg&feature=youtu.be

[Pierre Charbonneau]

The Henry Wessel video is enlightening, certainly. No new age soundtrack, a smooth talker, a demo on how he operates the camera and storing his negatives. The essentiels. A rare thing among the the collection of Youtube clips about photography.

[psu]

An old favorite...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOoGjtSy7xY

Also this one, even though it's about cinemaphotography ...

https://yedlin.net/DisplayPrepDemo/index.html

It is an interesting commentary on the relationship between equipment, capture medium, workflow, and post-processing and all that.

[Jerzy]

Hi Mike,
You should like that one: https://vimeo.com/39578584
...I know, not really youtube, but I hope Vimeo is close enough to qualify.
Best,
Jerzy
PS. ...the one who bought your RTS II 20+ yrs ago (and still have/love it)

[Richard de Lhorbe]

Remember something called film ? The website Smarter Every Day has so far posted two videos out of a planned three on how Kodak makes film. He had an amazing level of access and shows a lot of things that are different to how I imagined how film was made and coated with emulsion. The way they make the film support material was absolutely amazing, as was the coating and drying of emulsion. See
https://www.smartereveryday.com/
Right now, the Part II of the series is at the top of the home page.

[Soeren Engelbrecht]

On Elsa Dorfman: There is a great documentary on Netflix calle “The B-Side”. Must get around to watch that again :-)

[Niels]

Robert Adams' talks around the subject of being an artist. It may sound bleak at first but I found his message very affirmative.

https://youtu.be/ax-pO-M7dQk

[Martin Pallett]

Steve O'Nions is worth checking out. Not your typical in your face YT person, quite self deprecating and a very good film (sometime digital) landscape photographer.

[Dave_lumb]

I've watched this numerous times and never get tired of it. A lovely insight into Tom Wood's approach and attitude.

It's in two parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yODyQjHjKLw&ab_channel=ArtDocumentaries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-FxGFEq3Ro&ab_channel=ArtDocumentaries

[Peter Church]

The Narrative Photography of Fan Ho, if you love B&W this is a great video. I have a number of his books.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMhm5gBJZUY

[Willem]

This documentary about Harry Gruyaert is a nice one although a long one for Youtube standards.
https://youtu.be/Qj7ia7K9b9U

[Omar Ozenir]

Alec Soth discusses photography books on his channel. Each video is a gem IMO.

[Monika Göhmann]

I love this video in which Stephen Gill talks about his way to take photographs of birds.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_LILn3WAJTs&list=PLQjV1I6KfcoddE21thf_Xq3_zY4r78Mw_&index=32

[Oleg Shpak]

Elsa Dorfman documentary is called "The B-side". It is on Netflix.

[Gerardo Korn]

does a movie qualify?

"Everybody Street"
1h 25'
https://youtu.be/XSG2dHa9ldI

"A rich history of genius that makes us look at the human race through a clear and focused lens. "Everybody Street" is a must see for lovers of not only photography, but of art and New York City in general. If you know about street photography, you will adore this film."

best regards from Buenos Aires, Argentina

[Mike Chisholm]

For me, a little Michael Kenna goes a long way, but this atmospheric video made in snowy Hokkaido says (and shows) much of interest both about his attitude to his work and the nature of photography in the landscape:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-h8QU80-UI

And here's a complete contrast: one of my photo-heroes, Thomas Joshua Cooper, delivering a typically fascinating but interminable waffle-fest:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQEF1c0Q0AY

It seems to illustrate the connection between talking the talk and walking the walk, so to speak... Despite their protestations, great photographers are rarely at a loss for words, it seems: they know exactly why they do what they do. The video is worth viewing for the sofa session with Paul Hill tacked onto the end, too (where else will you hear about Brassai's plate-smashing marital row, or Man Ray smoking a Cuban-sized spliff?).

Mike

[Kent Wiley]

Not docs, but young(ish) photographers who post on a regular basis about a variety of photo topics, mostly landscape related:

Steve O'Nions - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7FAbyJQdQTudmCJanZFRBg

Simon Baxter - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcGPU4A6xJ1OYOkvfMoo25w

Ben Horne - https://www.youtube.com/user/bensdmkII

[Timothy Gray]

This episode on Platon is really well done. Originally a Netflix series, the episodes have been moved to YouTube.

https://youtu.be/BDpqt-haLLM

[Chris Bertram]

Maybe not in the top ten ever, but I've learnt a lot from English photographer Jamie Windsor's youtube videos. The great thing about Jamie is that he make you reflect on your work and he's not gear obsessed (though he sometimes covers gear). Here's one of his, though there are many more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmSYI6AjFUg

[Robert Richard Graham]

Mike, I have been reading Ralph Gibson's book Refractions 2 (highly recommended) and found this video of Ralph giving a Ted talk video on YouTube. Since the introduction has been cut, it helps to know that the "Dorothea" he talks about is Dorothea Lange.

https://youtu.be/Ov5i-T4fOxE

[John Krumm]

Okay, not Youtube but Vimeo, since it had a better quality version. The Colourful Mr. Eggleston, part of the BBC Imagine series. I haven't finished it yet, but so far I love it, and realize I have way too many vaguely Egglestony photos...

https://vimeo.com/443211582

[Shaun]

Alec Soth does very good photobook reviews on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHIxfgu7HE9_Tok9OGNrQ_g/videos

[Kenneth Tanaka]

’Tis a fool’s errand you’ve tasked, Mike.

Here are just a few picks as examples of where I typically head.

Several museum and art channels feature outstanding content on photographers and other media artists. The Louisiana Channel (Denmark) is among my favs.

From The Met’s archive Berenice Abbott: A View of the 20th Century from 1992.

Photo / art book/magazine publishers also tend to have good stuff. MACK Books is one.

I most enjoy professionally-produced docs which sometimes can only be found in off-channel places. For example Richard Avedon: Darkness to Light from the 1996 PBS American Masters series.

Outside of YouTube...

Blind Magazine features a collection of very good videos that straddle instruction and documentary: Blind Magazine Master Classes

The fine BBC program The Many Lives of William Klein can currently be found on the Internet Archive!

And on, and on. I’m out of time and tired!

[Richard Nugent]

Mike, On this survey or another you might solicit recommendations for YouTube channels (rather than individual videos) that regularly carry videos on worthwhile photography-related subjects.
Cheers

[Mike Plews]

Regarding my Keith Cooper comment:
He has a lot of videos on nuts and bolts of inkjet printing.
He has posted some very useful material on the merits of pigment vs dye printers. You will also find good information on selecting papers and various software approaches to printing.
Black and white printers will pick up some very good material on using Epson and Canons advanced B&W mode.
Search Keith Cooper and look for videos that are relevant to you.

[John Krill]

Using the X100s for Street Photography in Paris by Ibarionex Perello, creator of the Candid Frame site.

Ibarionex is an excellent teacher and I have been an admirer of his work for several years.

I think the title speaks for itself. But I will say this still is one of the best videos I have seen on YouTube for those who want to be street photographers. It doesn't hurt that Paris is his playground for an excellent instruction on street photography.

View it at least twice, maybe three times. Each time you view it you will see it from a different point of view. I always get something new every time I view this video.

The last example in this video is a classic example of how a good street photo is captured.

Here is theYouTube link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Is-SKnOgBb8&t=1s

[Kevin Crosado]

I'd suggest "Paul Hill - Landscape Photography Is Just Not About The Land - or Photography" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt3_nmt-LfI> and "John Blakemore - On Landscape Meeting of Minds Conference 2016" <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa8woJC-0lg&t=11s" in which two of the most significant late-twentieth-century Britsh B&W art photographers describe their work and the thinking behind it.

[Markus]

Sam Abell's lecture "The Life of a Photograph"
( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYf9klvk8vQ )
taught me a lot, especially his emphasis on micro composition

[Herman Krieger]

Oregon ArtBeat including photographer Herman Krieger
https://www.pbs.org/video/oregon-art-beat-season-5-episode-26/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luYpzjwLrZI
Herman Krieger interview by Stu Levi
Herman Krieger donates his photos to the Pacific Northwest Photographers Archive at the Univ. of Washington Library.

[Daniel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmzD-CoxEkg

Jack Spencer talks about his work, especially THIS LAND - an excellent and creative book, a collection of work in the USA. He is not a traditional photographer of this type of work. A personal view with the artists touch.

[PaulW]

Mike, there is some real gold on this list. I should be done watching in a few months, assuming nothing more is added. Any chance of putting up a permanent link to this post?

[Michael Wayne Plant]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwk3YFknyNA&t=738s
"Bridging the Gap: Classical Art Designed for Photographers" by Adam Marelli at the B&H event space Exploring Figure to Ground and other compositional Ideas, was something that I would explore with my photography students as it always lead them to think more deeply about that they where trying to say within there frame while making images.

[Todd]

I like this short one about John Chiara making large cibachrome positive prints in his homemade trailer camera. I suppose he can't do this any more due to the demise of that media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxomXxbyHb0

Also this one on Mark Cohen, despite the tedious intro credits that mean the actual content doesn't start until the 1:47 mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjmiU18UvK0

[kirk tuck]

Surprised MJ hasn't seen or commented on this photographer. It's Allan Schaller. He is a "monochrome only" photographer who actually makes the argument that having a camera that is only able to shoot B&W is a constant aid to his vision. He's an amazing artist. Started professional life as a music composer.

Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pjh34g--dA

And a short version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky7seh-WN8w

[Alan (one "L"). I know his work from flickr, but hadn't seen the video. Thanks! --Mike]

[Dave Hodson]

Fred Picker's Zone VI Workshop video helped me a lot. I believe it was originally available only on VHS and licensed to Calumet, somehow it has found it's way into the online world and is available here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNUtaMlPh3I

At 3 hours, it's a long watch in it's entirety but it's broken into logical segments from exposure to printing and is a terrific documentary of how Fred Picker worked (includes a guest appearance of a very young Bruce Barlow about 1 hour and 56 min in). anyway, I found it very helpful and a tribute to Fred's work.

[Dr Tom Bell]

This film “ The Salt of the Earth “ about Salgado by his son and Wim Wenders is a wonderful film about a great pioneering photograpgher and his life’s work

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Salt_of_the_Earth_(2014_film)

[Geoffrey Wittig]

Thanks for that link, Daniel. I'm a big fan of Jack Spencer's book This Land. Very dystopian and bleak but utterly sincere, sort of like what Robert Frank might have done if he shot landscapes in color.

[Albert Smith]

Like old Leica M film cameras?

Like street photography?

Like mellow rock music?

Got four and a half minutes?

Check this out:

https://youtu.be/VQ_Wqtnlv4U

[Grant]

I've been caught off guard. You never told us there would be a test! I had to do a quick Google search and one of the first things that popped up was this very short video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA_uVCCD5Is

I had never heard of the photographer, but he is an inspiration to us old guys and his pictures fall into the random excellence category.

[Johan Grahn]

Already mentioned but I think it deserves another recommendation

The Photographic Eye with Alex Kilbee

https://youtu.be/dNNVDVPkWuI

[Not THAT Ross Cameron]

I saw a Masters series over on Lula (Luminous Landscape) of Charles Cramer. The videos about printing, and carrying over basic concepts of dodging and burning into the digital realm, were an eye opener to me.
Now behind a paywall.

[Timothy Auger]

Another vote for Keith Cooper on printing and processing. Very down-to-earth and practical - somewhat unglamorous, but much more useful than most YouTube videos that don't tell you much that is useful and that you didn't know. On the business of selling prints, a useful antidote to over-optimism.

[Bill Poole]

Mat Marrash - very smart on large format analog.

https://www.youtube.com/c/MatMarrash

Analog Andy - large and medium format black-and-white in an entertaining manner

https://www.youtube.com/user/andy8x10

Todd Korol - a wide range of stuff, including analog, from a Canadian pro.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ33ldV4AWqroqqjDFbrSuQ/featured

And +1 for previously mentioned Alex Soth (wonderful!) and Ben Horne, although mostly for the pretty scenery, since I don't shoot color.

[Pedro C]

Sean Tucker is a great guy talking about photography mostly, and not gear heavy. Probably one of my faves.

[Ken]

This is definitely different and may not be everyone's Cup of Tea. Dark and ultimately inspirational. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZYlQ4Wv8lE&list=FLLXlbF19LqWNUJBLYRLPigg&index=96

[Mark Dannenhauer]

I’ll nominate the late, great Gary Braasch (1945-2016). I very much loved his book, "Photographing the Patterns of Nature." Later, I was lucky enough to do a week-long workshop with Gary at the then-Maine Photographic Workshops. He’d have us driving in the dark before dawn to get to a sunrise shoot, then interperse shoots, with talks, with food, throughout the day until we’d return in the dark after our sunset shoots. We’d talk nuts and bolts of photography but more importantly we learned how a “real” photographer worked. In 1999 Gary had begun to apply his considerable energies to a largely self-financed project, photographing around the world to document both the causes and effects of climate change and the then-current efforts to mitigate and ameliorate those causes and effects. Check out his book, "Earth Under Fire." The link here is to a generic video of a generic slide show in which Gary presents his extra-ordinary photographic work. It was not so much how or with what one shoots but rather what and with whom one shoots that was most important to Gary. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCNhOM4XN7M

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

I do enjoy the technical videos by The Naked Photographer:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheNakedPhotographer

They cover familiar ground for analogue old-timers, but Greg is a capable host with good on-screen appeal to explain things like flashing, f-stop printing, toning, and debunking some myths.

Techies, please also follow Derek at Dektronics Darkroom Electronics:
https://www.youtube.com/c/DektronicsDarkroomElectronics

He is working on creating a transmission/reflection densitometer for the masses that's useful, affordable, and not locked into proprietary software.

Finally, I like watching Absolutely Analog:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQv5ux6XtBqv6W0DaiZmWwA

He's doing multiple legacy processes, and is quite the maker when it comes to building cameras, darkrooms, or daguerreotypes fume boxes.

[Kirk Tuck]

I'm a mess when it comes to those tricky double or single "Ls" :-)

["Allen" in all its variants is one of the few words that I have persistent trouble remembering how to spell. I always have to go look up how any given individual spells it. So...yup. --Mike]

[Jeff]

Another Alan Schaller video (he has others)…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d6obJqiHLms

[andy ilachinski]

FYI: I've posted "mini reviews" of eight Youtubers that I've come to admire (particularly for vicarious photo safari experiences when my day-job constraints prevent me from actually *doing* photography): Part 1: https://tao-of-digital-photography.blogspot.com/2022/04/a-new-generation-of-talented.html, and Part 2: https://tao-of-digital-photography.blogspot.com/2022/08/communicating-joys-of-doing-photography.html

[C.R. Marshall]

Another vote for Sean Tucker. He is an X-Priest turned street photographer. https://www.youtube.com/c/SeanTuckerphoto

[That's funny, when I read "X-Priest" I though at first that that must be some kind of brand ambassador for the Fuji X System. Ha! I presume he used to be a priest? --Mike]