Today we officially announce a new YouTube Channel. I’m calling it Loloho.PHOTO. (At the moment I’ve taken to branding these efforts as “Loloho.” We own loloho.com and Loloho is a fun, unique brand. Of course Loloho is short for “Long Long Honeymoon,” but it’s also the name of a legendary beach in Papa New Guinea!)
Why the new channel? Well, for the past few years, I have been pursuing photography and cinematography as creative interests. In many ways, our Long Long Honeymoon videos have been not only an exercise in developing film making and storytelling, but also in developing photographic skills.
I have approached photography and videography in reverse order from the norm. I started out more than a decade ago with an interest in video, shooting my images in motion at 24 frames per second. Only later did I develop an interest in stills. Most people start out with stills, and later pick up video. Not that the order really matters; the point is that a slightly different skillset is involved when shooting stills versus shooting video.
In recent years I’ve made great progress as a still photographer. Am I a master of the art? Hardly! But that’s what appeals to me about photography. You can learn the basics in a few days. The nuances and the art require a lifetime to master. Plan to learn something new every day.
[pullquote]…that’s what appeals to me about photography. You can learn the basics in a few days. The nuances and the art require a lifetime to master. Plan to learn something new every day.[/pullquote]
There’s a terrible condition known as GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) that afflicts camera enthusiasts. Like many, I fell prey to GAS, which causes me to spontaneously purchase camera gear with the hope and expectation that my photography may somehow improve. Over the years I have acquired enough camera bodies, lenses, and accessories to start my own Best Buy. I own and/or shoot cameras from Sony, Nikon, Fuji, Panasonic, Canon, and GoPro – amongst others. Let’s not forget the humble but increasingly powerful smartphone (iPhone 6 Plus for me) and drone (a couple of DJI Phantoms). I am brand agnostic.
Snapped on my iPhone in North Dakota. Image has been reduced in size, but is otherwise unedited.
Of course, along the way I’ve learned that the best camera is the one that’s with you. I remember a few years ago when we were visiting North Dakota with our Airstream in tow. I pulled our rig down a lonely dirt road that was well positioned next to a sunflower field. I grabbed my trusty Nikon and ventured into the field, and shot several dozen photos of sunflowers. Just before I left the sunflower field, I pulled out my iPhone and took a couple of shots. Guess which ones I ended up liking the most? For some reason, on that day I preferred the iPhone shots. The moral of the story? The best camera is the one that’s with you, and these days they are all pretty good. It’s the “gear” located six inches behind the camera that we must continually improve if we want to take better photos.
[pullquote]The best camera is the one that’s with you, and these days they are all pretty good. It’s the “gear” located six inches behind the camera that we must continually improve if we want to take better photos.[/pullquote]
The idea for the Loloho.PHOTO YouTube Channel is simple and obvious. At some point in the developmental process, I became a bit of a gear nerd. It happens to many of us. So I’m already buying the gear. I’m already using the gear. I enjoy blabbing about all of the above. So why not roll the camera and create a video library of photographic adventure?
I foresee this new channel being a nice companion to our original Long Long Honeymoon Channel. On the mother channel we’ll continue talking camping and travel. On the photo channel we’ll talk photography and gear (and some travel too). If you watch videos on the new channel, you’ll probably get a different look at our travels.
Why not just create and post the videos on Long Long Honeymoon? Well, this posed a bit of a dilemma for me. The upshot is that I feel photography and camping/travel are two distinct topics. I’m afraid that serving up both forms of content in one YouTube channel will feel a bit like a Mexican/Chinese restaurant.
My initial goal with this channel will be to review some of the favorite gear in my possession. As we move forward, I will begin to focus more on “how to” and instructional videos.
I also hope to develop some more casual methods of shooting video that will allow more frequent posting of content. Yes, my friends, I hope to make our YouTube videos look more like YouTube videos.
If you have any interest in photography, videography, or even travel – be sure to subscribe to our new channel. It’s going to be fun!