My Favourite Photography YouTube Channels in 2024
YouTube is fantastic. It was and remains a game-changer for those with something to say, wanting to pass on knowledge or simply showcase their creations, and as a free resource to learn or be inspired from, there’s not much better out there. The thing is, for all the good it provides, you sometimes have to wade through a lot of average, or even poor content to find it and having done a lot of that work already, I’ve cultivated a healthy list of photography-related YouTube channels. So, to help those also looking for good, high-quality content, I’ve created a list of the channels I enjoy the most. These are the channels that when a new video is released, go straight into my watch list, which is the best endorsement I can provide them.
Back in 2020, I posted a blog listing my Top 10 Landscape Photography YouTube channels and given a few years have passed, I thought I would post an updated list, but this time, I’ve decided not to limit it to landscape photography specifically, but to also include some other of my favourite photography related channels. The point is that although I might consider myself more of a landscape photographer, my interest in the craft spans many genres and regardless of the equipment used or the subject being photographed, I can learn or gain inspiration from pretty much anywhere.
The list is a little longer than my previous post in 2020, so I grouped a few of them by themes. You can jump directly to the list you want to browse by clicking the links below.
Contents
Before diving in, do remember to balance watching videos about photography with actually going out and practising it yourself. Try to use the videos you watch to inspire and motivate you and not replace your creative outlet entirely.
In the field photography YouTube channels
This list of channels features photographers who typically create their videos while taking photos in the field. I love that I can be instantly transported anywhere in the world and learn from the photographers who took the time to video and share their adventures with us.
Simon Baxter
Simon Baxter has been an inspiration to me since I started to take woodland photography more seriously. I have watched his channel for many years now and he really is the master of seeking out woodland compositions. He takes the time to get to know the environment he photographs and expertly walks you through the compositions he frames, helping you to make sense of the naturally chaotic environment the woodland can be.
Fototripper
Fototripper is a channel run by Gavin Hardcastle, a landscape photographer from the UK, now living in Canada. Gavin is a great landscape photographer, an excellent teacher, and a really funny guy. If you want a great mix of landscape photography and comedy, this is the channel for you.
Thomas Heaton
Thomas should not need any introduction. He’s a bit of a superstar amongst the YouTube landscape photography community and for good reason. He has a huge following, an honest and unpretentious manner, and makes fantastic videos from all over the world. Thomas seems to be able to find a photo out of nothing and even on those rare occasions when he can’t, he is content to go home empty-handed due to his “good shot or not shot” approach.
Courtney Victoria
Courtney Victoria spends a lot of time her time photographing the British woodland. A very capable photographer who likes to get nice and close, capturing the smaller scenes she finds there. If you’re not a fan of small woodland scenes, fear not, you will be a fan of Courtney’s woodland jigs. Check her videos to see what I mean.
Nigel Danson
Nigel is one of the best landscape photography teachers on YouTube. His videos provide a great mix of on-location photography and studio-based talks and tuition. He is particularly good at examining and critiquing his own work so others can learn the same lessons he does.
Andy Mumford
Apart from being a fellow Fujifilm shooter (I know, it’s not all about the gear.. blah blah), Andy is an incredibly talented travel and landscape photographer. Andy frequently visits the Dolomites and his photos and videos created there are both engaging and always polished. Andy doesn’t make videos as regularly as others but when he does, they go straight onto my watch list.
Alex Nail
Alex is full-time landscape photographer known for his mountain and wilderness images. You will typically see Alex photographing the landscape during longer trips and expeditions, so he may not upload every week, but when he does, the work he creates is usually pretty epic and worth waiting for.
James Popsys
What I like about James Popsys is how encourages his viewers to think differently, resist the conventional and just have fun with the camera. We landscape photographers will typically shiver at the thought of photographing a scene with a blown-out sky, but James certainly doesn’t and prefers a more high-key look to photos he takes, typically of landscapes influenced by humans. If you like interesting and entertaining YouTube videos (and a bit of gear talk), this is the channel for you.
Mali Davies Photography
What to say about Mali? An open, friendly creative Yorkshireman. Be it exploring the British countryside or pounding the city streets, whatever the subject, Mali’s photography and videos are really engaging, and his work is always top-notch. Well worth a watch. “Sithee”!
Michael Shainblum
A landscape photographer based in California. Michael produces some of the most stunning and original landscape photography out there. He has a calm, relaxing tone to his film making and comfortable photographing a wide range of subjects, from the wide, epic vista, down to close-up macro subjects. A must subscribe.
Simon Booth
If you like small-scene and intimate photography, Simon’s channel is for you. Simon’s knowledge of the environment he photographs is unrivalled in my opinion and along with some beautiful close-up work, his videos are full of educational titbits about the subjects he photographs.
AOWS
A channel by Spanish-American, black-and-white landscape photographer Adrian Vila. I’ve not historically taken a lot of black and white photos, but it is something I’ve started to do more of recently and I’ve become a big fan of Adrian’s mono work. He has a distinctive approach to the way he shoots and edits his work and I’ve spent many an hour following Adrian’s journeys around Europe and America, often sleeping in the back of his car as he searches for the next subject to photograph.
Nick Page
If I had to describe Nick’s landscape photography in one word, I think I would choose “EPIC”. Nick is an incredibly relatable and down-to-earth character and I thoroughly enjoy is “in the field” videos which usually result in yet another incredible landscape photo.
Photography online
Probably one of the most polished, photography shows on YouTube hosted by Ruth Taylor, Marcus McAdam along with the rest of the Photography Online Team. This no-nonsense show is packed full of useful information with features covering a breadth of topics including film, nature and landscape photography.
Murray Livingston
I haven’t followed Murray Livingston’s work for too long, but in that short time, I’ve started to really enjoy his photography and videos. Originally from South Africa and now residing in Scotland, Murray’s videos are quiet and contemplative, and his landscape photography is of an incredibly high quality.
Alan Schaller
Up until now, the YouTube channels I’ve listed have been broadly landscape photography-based, but I think it’s important to mix things up and be inspired by work from outside of your general wheelhouse. You can usually find Alan Schaller walking the streets of London taking incredible black and white street photos of the people and places he comes across and by having a slightly eccentric nature, it makes for some entertaining videos.
First Man Photography
First Man Photography is a channel hosted by Adam Karnacz; a landscape photographer based in Yorkshire. Besides being a talented photographer, Adam will frequently go above and beyond to bring his audience more interesting videos, for example, taking a printer up a mountain to take, edit and print a photo while on location. First Man Photography has been around for nearly 10 years, so I’d be surprised if you’ve not come across him yet, but for the one or two who haven’t, I recommend taking a look.
Adam Gibbs
Although Adam is originally from the UK, he has lived in Canada for a few decades and along with some regular travel further afield, he spends much of his time driving his small camper van to remote locations across Canada to photograph the landscape. Whether taking photos of wide vistas or small, intimate patterns in the rock, Adam’s work is typically subtle and calming and his videos have a similar feel (unless he gets together with Gavin Hardcastle, that is).
YouTube channels featuring film photographers
Although some of the photographers I’ve already mentioned will occasionally use film cameras, I decided to create a separate list of channels I follow where film cameras are their tools of trade. All of the channels that focus on film photography I follow have a familiar calm, quiet, methodical theme running through them, so if you’re looking to strip away some of the technology used in modern photography and get back to basics, these channels are well worth a look.
Ben Horne
If you are after a pure photography experience, look no further than Ben Horne. He shoots wilderness photography on large-format film at places like Zion and Death Valley National Park. Ben will regularly head out on a trip (usually four times a year) and document his journey as he seeks new and different compositions of the places he is already familiar with. After the trip Ben will release a series of videos from the trip, finishing up with an image review where he shares his thoughts about the pictures he took.
Kyle McDougall
Kyle McDougall's channel focuses on film photography, creative exploration, and personal growth through the many projects he undertakes. He clearly and articulately explains his thought process and reasoning for the trips he takes, projects he undertakes and gear he uses. Like the other film channels I watch, Kyle’s videos are incredibly relaxing and informative and even though I’ve not dabbled in film photography myself (yet), it hasn’t stopped me from learning a great deal from this channel.
Nick Carver
I’ve followed Nick Carver’s photographer for just a couple of years after Thomas Heaton mentioned him on one of his videos. Nick is an American film photographer, often found by the side of the road photographing former Taco Bell restaurants. Whether it’s an urban location or the middle of a desert, Nick is happy to make a project out of almost any subject and alongside his presenting style, having such an open mind to what makes a good photo is why I’m eager to watch his videos when a new one drops.
Jess Hobbs
Based in Montreal, Jess Hobs shoots predominantly with film, typically taking pictures of the natural spaces around her. There’s not been a video for a few months, and although I wouldn’t normally include dormant channels on this list, long pauses in video releases are not unusual for her and I think Jess’s videos good enough to stay subscribed for when the next one drops.
Chris Darnell
Chris Darnell is an American landscape photographer who takes his pictures on both film and digital cameras. Spending much of his time seeking fresh compositions in America’s western national parks such as Zion and Bryce Canyon, Chris uses large and medium format cameras, communicating his creative thought process as he goes.
Studio-based and interview-style photography YouTube channels
Here you will find some of the channels I regularly watch that are typically filmed indoors. Some might be a group video with standard webcams, others are filmed in a formal, studio setting but regardless of their style or equipment used, they are all great channels in their own right.
Glyn Dewis
I first came across Glyn Lewis when he presented the “He shoots, he draws” podcast with Dave Clayton a few years ago and continued to follow him as his YouTube channel started to gain a lot more traction. Here he interviews various people from the creative industry from photographers to animators who openly share a wealth of knowledge they’ve gained throughout their careers. For a one-man band, it’s a pretty slick show and if like me, you just love to hear the stories of anyone involved in a creativity, then this is a podcast well worth a look.
Brews n' Views
What’s not to like about a channel about photography and beer? Brews n’ Views has been going for about a year now and is essentially a few good friends who all enjoy an IPA (or five) and getting together to chat photography. The videos usually start with a quick chat about the beers they’ve brought, followed by presenting the work of guest photographers or those they’ve come across online. Some of the videos can be a little on the long side (2-3 hours!!) but it’s still a great way to see work from photographers you might never come across otherwise.
The Photography Pubcast
Like the Brews n’ Views channel I just mentioned, The Photography Pubcast follows a similar theme but is hosted by a few good friends mostly dotted around the UK, having a light-hearted chat about pretty much anything (with a bit of photography thrown in here and there). There are a few funny characters, with plenty of friendly banter and without too much in the way of photos being shown on screen, it’s the kind of video you can have on in the background while doing a bit of editing yourself.
Matt Payne
Matt Payne is a photographer based in Colorado and alongside being an experienced landscape and nature photographer himself, he has been interviewing other people from the photographic world since 2017. Originally an audio-only series, Matt started to film his conversations a little later and now boasts an impressive library of interviews spanning many photographic genres.
The Art of Photography
Ted Forbes and his Art of Photography channel should need no introduction. Ted has been presenting on his channel for years and if you’re looking for photobook hints, tips and inspiration, this is the channel for you. Ted gets sent a ton of photobooks from his viewers and regularly showcases them on his channel, offering subtle but constructive feedback as and when needed.
Sean Tucker
Photographically, I would say Sean is best known as a street and portrait photographer, but his videos are much more than that. Focusing on photography, creativity, and personal growth, Sean offers thoughtful tutorials and insights on photography techniques, gear, and editing while also delving into the deeper, philosophical aspects of being a creative person. A great channel for tackling self-doubt and seeking purpose in your work.
So, there’s my list of some of my favourite photography-related YouTube videos. I’m currently subscribed to around 160 YouTube channels and although many are now inactive, I still skip far more videos than I watch, but having a good selection of channels allows me to watch just the very best shows that peak my interest, so you can’t have too many in my opinion. With that in mind, please feel free to share your favourite channels in the comments.