Like many photographers around the world, I watch a lot of YouTube. Whether it’s for inspiration, gear reviews, news, or beautiful cinematics, YouTube has changed the photography world. But should you start your own channel? Join me as I discuss some of the good reasons you should.

There are a lot of benefits to having your own YouTube channel for photography, and I am sure there are probably some downsides too, but I feel that the benefits can far outweigh the negatives here. Let’s take a look at some great benefits!

Global Reach

The numbers greatly vary depending on the source, but according to Wikipedia, YouTube has 2.5 billion users. That is a lot of potential viewers which your content could reach! Of course, there are lots of variables to consider such as great titles, tags, and a great thumbnail to attract as many of those viewers as possible, but the possibilities are endless.

With global reach, comes great opportunity! If you are fortunate enough to publish great content, which gets picked up by the masses, this could lead to amazing opportunities such as sponsorships, ambassadorships, more clients, trips, and more.

Major companies are always looking for great collaborators or ambassadors, with YouTube they can watch you, see what type of persona you have, and what type of content you produce. Consider YouTube almost like a job interview, put on your best performance and see where it takes you.

We have all seen the photographers who get invited to amazing photography experiences such as trips around the world, the best gear, and brand deals. If you wish that was you, then all you can do is give it a go yourself. I know I get a little jealous seeing some of the amazing things YouTubers get for free, whilst I am still working the daily grind.

On the other side are potential clients. If you are a wedding photographer such as Taylor Jackson, for example, you could record behind the scenes on certain wedding shoots (real or staged) and use that as an opportunity to attract new couples who are looking for a photographer. Sometimes people want to see more than a website, or Instagram page. Using YouTube in this way, can help you connect with potential clients in a far more personal way.

Behind the Scenes

One very popular format for photographers on YouTube is to show the behind the scenes of capturing their favorite images. If we take landscape photographers, for example, they will often take you with them on their adventures to places all over the world, and will talk you through exactly what they are doing while they are taking the photo.

Seeing the final image being created in real time can have so many benefits, especially now with the rise of artificial intelligence. Have you ever taken a photo, put it on social media, and had people say it was fake? I have!

In July 2020, we had the amazing Comet Neowise in our skies at night and I ventured out at 2 a.m. in the morning to capture a shot of the Comet over the Liverpool waterfront. The image went viral, and sadly because of that, I had quite a few people being a bit mean and saying the image was fake. Fortunately for me, I always keep the raw files from every shoot but filming the behind-the-scenes experience at the same time can cut a lot of that negativity out if they choose to watch it.

With any negativity, it is important to not take it to heart, but sometimes you will. I did, but I knew how to fight my corner and prove the image was real. Just like an old math exam from school, it is great to show your work.

With artificial intelligence becoming a major product now, recording behind-the-scenes footage could become very beneficial to you. This can absolutely help separate you from some of the others in the marketplace.

Meet New People

When I was publishing regular YouTube content about photography, I had the opportunity to meet lots of interesting and like-minded photographers/creators. I remember one subscriber followed me due to some Icelandic content I published and they then followed my Instagram, eventually, we got talking and became online friends. A couple of years later, we both were in Iceland at the same time and we managed to meet up and photograph the northern lights together. It was an amazing experience, and without YouTube, I never would have met this person.

Of course, you can have the same experience with any social media channel but the more you have, the more potential there is to meet new people and audiences.

Confidence

In a recent article, I discussed how to push your limits as an introverted photographer, YouTube is certainly another avenue you can take to help build your own confidence, especially when it comes to public speaking. 

Whether you are out and about vlogging, recording behind-the-scenes footage in front of general members of the public, or connecting with your audience via replying to comments, messages, etc., then YouTube is a great opportunity to gradually become more comfortable with people.

As I touched on previously, with any social media, there is a chance you will receive some negative comments, and it is important not to let them bother you. You can delete them or report them if they are bad; you do not have to take being bullied!

In this online world we live in now, sadly there are trolls, but the vast majority of viewers are absolutely lovely and appreciative of the efforts you put in. Never let these trolls phase you, just focus on the story that you want to tell with your content and enjoy the experience; this is when you will gain confidence and it can really pay dividends in your life.

Added Extras

YouTube can be an incredible way to upsell your own products and services. Do you sell prints or run photography workshops locally or around the world? If you can grow your YouTube channel, you could sell even more prints or spaces on your workshops, or even Lightroom presets.

Go for it!

Summary

By no means is this an exhaustive list of potential benefits for starting your own YouTube channel as a photographer, but I hope it could give you some good ideas on where to take your journey next. You can indeed be the creator of your own story and use YouTube to reach new audiences around the world which could benefit you in so many ways.

YouTube is not easy, and I certainly do not want to give the impression that it is. The potential, however, is massive and it cannot be ignored as it is another leg on that octopus which can lead you to new places.