Jottings on science, religion, technology, pop culture and faith from the Antipodes.

Digital Technology, Faith & Religion, Photography

Photography and Spiritual Formation (10): Self-Reflection

Most YouTube photography channels tend to talk about camera equipment, composition, and tools and tricks for post-production. All those are really useful, especially if you’re trying to learn how to take good photographs or wanting advice on buying kit, but they often don’t connect with the reason you might be doing photography or how it might impact on yourself and other people.

UK photographer, Sean Tucker, is one photographer who does reflect online about the reasons for doing photography and its effects on people, often pitching that as part of how a human life develops (https://www.seantucker.photography/). Perhaps it’s because he’s a former pastor, but Tucker’s YouTube videos and wider portfolio reflect a deeper engagement with a philosophy of photography as well as self-reflexive comments about his own experiences of photography and how that affects him. I really enjoy his videos because they make me think about why I take photographs. The more technical ones are helpful too – then tend to combine kit or techniques with the slower, more philosophical side of things.

Tucker is, I think, in many ways like a chaplain to photographers.

A curated set of Tucker’s more philosophical videos can be found at:

And on his YouTube channel:

“The Two Halves of your Creative Journey” – Sean Tucker (2022)

There are a few other YouTube photographers that I’d put into a similar category to Tucker in that they are asking questions more about the underlying ethos and philosophy of photography and the body of work from past and present photographers, rather than the technicalities of kit or software. These include Alex Kilbee (The Photographic Eye) and Ted Forbes (The Art of Photography), and I’d recommend you checking out their YouTube channels.

“Artist Series Trailer”, Ted Forbes, The Art of Photography (2016)