I’ve been at a loss lately for new Podcasts and YouTube channels. I’ve essentially listened to hours, days and weeks of educational material related to photography, cinema, philosophy and I’ve run out of new things to explore. If you have any ideas please send them my way. In the meantime, I want to share with you what I think are the best YouTube channels currently on the Internet. That is, of course, if you’re interested in photography, cinema and philosophy. Next week I think I’ll cover Podcasts because there is a wealth of information there too. So, below I’ve started compiling a list of the best resources on these topics. Enjoy, and please add more in the comments if you have them.
Photography and Video
Yes that B and H has a YouTube channel, and it is amazing. There are hours on end of video covering every topic, from every angle, related to photography and video. Under the Playlists, seek out Event Space. It is a collection of lectures covering everything from printing, to lighting, to modeling, to copywriting. It is a wealth of info that every photographer needs to know about.
Tony, and his wife Chelsea, have been running their educational YouTube channel for a few years. It is aimed more toward novices but it is a wealth of information, particularly related to sensor technology, crop factor and lens selection. The videos are really well produced and a lot of fun.
If you want to get into the conceptual aspects of photography, Ted Forbes is the man to take you there. This YouTube channel is probably my favorite photography related resource. Ted uncovers photographers you may not know, presents some gear here and there, shows you how to develop film, make a darkroom, dive into photography analysis, on and on. It is a great channel and Ted is a super nice guy.
Should I buy that new camera? The dudes over at the Camera Store will give you a pretty honest assessment as to whether you should. A Canadian based YouTube channel, the focus is on photography and video, gear and reviews.
Color managed workflow. Andrew Rodney is a color master! He doesn’t have a lot of videos on his channel, but the ones that are there will answer every question you’ve ever had about digital inkjet printing, color space, viewing conditions, resolution, etc.
Not too old, this channel is amazing! Why do we shoot at 24 frames per second? Why the 35mm film format? Filmmaker IQ dives into those questions, and more. It’s a little technical, a little conceptual and a lot of education. I love it!
This one is a little quirky, but it is still fun. Based out of Hong Kong, Digital Rev is a gear focused YouTube channel that creates some funny videos to bring a little levity to the world of camera reviews. Their reviews are generally accurate, however, in my opinion. All in all, if you’re a camera nerd, Digital Rev is great!
Philosophy
Not much to say here really. Brad has compiled loads of interviews, lectures and analysis of the greatest philosophers to ever grace our Eurocentric Western stages. There may be an Eastern philosopher there to, in fairness. However, this channel will open up all sorts of existential questions and answer some of them too. It is an amazing resource that took me years to find. Now you don’t have to search.
Why not sit in on a class at Yale? You can either decide that the Ivy League is overrated or learn something significant based in Western Philosophy. Jacques Derrida on Deconstruction Theory anyone?
While Vice is generally considered a news agency for younger folks, I think their coverage and access make them a wonderful tool to analyze current events with. Vice has a series of documentaries that delve deep into topics such as Iraq, ISIS, Islam, Africa, Civil War, Capitalism, Global Warming, and much more. The fact that they put so much research into their stories is what makes the material profound. The topics are generally focused on the Middle East and Africa, bringing to my mind a Marxist analysis of imperialism…hence my inclusion in the Philosophy section. At any rate, it is a great channel so happy surfing.