Uploaded June 2018 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Just over a year ago I announced on this channel that I was challenging myself to become a professional photographer. In this video I consider what it is that I have done in the last 12 months, and ponder weather or not I have succeeded.
Thank you to my Patrons for making this video possible -
Tony Blackwell
&
Danae and Andrew, who have their own excellent YouTube Channel here!
youtube.com/channel/UCBP4ONfugOhpI5juBKE_PTg
The last year did not go exactly as I expected - but saying that, I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting in the first place. It is always said that you need to have a clear goal to work towards in order to achieve something, and on the outside it may have seemed like turning pro was that goal. What I now realise is that the reality was that I needed to make a change in my life and the goal was to recover from a tough time in my life and make a change to what I was doing with my time on this earth.
I believe that photography was the vehicle that could get me there, but not the goal itself. This may seem surprising to many who started following me from the beginning, or perhaps it is no surprise at all.
Whilst I have achieved some things over the last year towards starting my own businesses, I achieved so much more in the way I approach life and the things that I do, and I have this YouTube channel to thank for a lot of it. Being able to share my thoughts and feelings has helped me to realise how much photography helped me when times were hard and that by sharing those experiences publicly I am able to help others too.
Followers of my journey will no doubt be aware that the direction I am now heading is towards sharing stories, and raising awareness of the health benefits of photography and creativity.
I am releasing online photography for wellbeing, and mindful photography courses, and will be running workshops in the future to help those that need or want it. I am also volunteering photography courses for mental health charities and want to dedicate my time and efforts towards doing this so hopefully those that need it can gain the benefits I did.
Thanks for watching over the last 12 months, your support means so much.
This is not the end of my journey. It is the beginning.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank me and support my channel by making a one off donation -- bit.ly/ThankDD
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can also support this channel by subscribing on Patreon.
Click here to see my Patreon page - bit.ly/DavidsPatreon
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Workshops
bit.ly/WorkshopsWithDavid
Check me out in Instagram - instagram.com/daviddixonphotography
I'm on Twitter now too! -
twitter.com/dixondavidphoto
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below are links to my photography gear - they are affiliate links which means that if you go on to buy something I may get a very small commission paid to me by Amazon - you DO NOT pay any extra! :) - the small amount I do get from these links goes back into this channel, paying for the time and equipment needed to produce these videos. Thank you!
Tripod amzn.to/2o2snjR
Camera amzn.to/2obtjSy
L-Bracket amzn.to/2EFENrw
70-200mm lens amzn.to/2EJO81C
17-40mm lens amzn.to/2HgiBCN
50mm (nifty fifty) amzn.to/2F2gGkx
Holga Lens amzn.to/2Hhm4AX
Memory card holder amzn.to/2EIeHE8
Spare batteries - way cheaper than official Canon ones and do a decent job amzn.to/2sm8B2g
Backpack amzn.to/2p7kr20
Hiking backback amzn.to/2o8ulP8
Filter pouch amzn.to/2HiXyiX
Cable release - cheap as chips and faultless essential bit of kit amzn.to/2p7mpPR
Filter holder amzn.to/2oA8ZwU
10stop filter amzn.to/2plM1XM
ND grad set amzn.to/2plXMxm
Filming
Filmed with amzn.to/2tGdq7c (f1.4 for beautiful cinematic footage, and does 4k!)
To keep the frame rate consistent a variable ND filter is invaluable! amzn.to/2xpun8L
...stuck to my Lumix using: amzn.to/2z9sYHU
Lavlier mic amzn.to/2p7tM9W
Drone! amzn.to/2plTnu7
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just over a year ago I announced on this channel that I was challenging myself to become a professional photographer. In this video I consider what it is that I have done in the last 12 months, and ponder weather or not I have succeeded.
Thank you to my Patrons for making this video possible -
Tony Blackwell
&
Danae and Andrew, who have their own excellent YouTube Channel here!
youtube.com/channel/UCBP4ONfugOhpI5juBKE_PTg
The last year did not go exactly as I expected - but saying that, I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting in the first place. It is always said that you need to have a clear goal to work towards in order to achieve something, and on the outside it may have seemed like turning pro was that goal. What I now realise is that the reality was that I needed to make a change in my life and the goal was to recover from a tough time in my life and make a change to what I was doing with my time on this earth.
I believe that photography was the vehicle that could get me there, but not the goal itself. This may seem surprising to many who started following me from the beginning, or perhaps it is no surprise at all.
Whilst I have achieved some things over the last year towards starting my own businesses, I achieved so much more in the way I approach life and the things that I do, and I have this YouTube channel to thank for a lot of it. Being able to share my thoughts and feelings has helped me to realise how much photography helped me when times were hard and that by sharing those experiences publicly I am able to help others too.
Followers of my journey will no doubt be aware that the direction I am now heading is towards sharing stories, and raising awareness of the health benefits of photography and creativity.
I am releasing online photography for wellbeing, and mindful photography courses, and will be running workshops in the future to help those that need or want it. I am also volunteering photography courses for mental health charities and want to dedicate my time and efforts towards doing this so hopefully those that need it can gain the benefits I did.
Thanks for watching over the last 12 months, your support means so much.
This is not the end of my journey. It is the beginning.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank me and support my channel by making a one off donation -- bit.ly/ThankDD
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You can also support this channel by subscribing on Patreon.
Click here to see my Patreon page - bit.ly/DavidsPatreon
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Workshops
bit.ly/WorkshopsWithDavid
Check me out in Instagram - instagram.com/daviddixonphotography
I'm on Twitter now too! -
twitter.com/dixondavidphoto
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below are links to my photography gear - they are affiliate links which means that if you go on to buy something I may get a very small commission paid to me by Amazon - you DO NOT pay any extra! :) - the small amount I do get from these links goes back into this channel, paying for the time and equipment needed to produce these videos. Thank you!
Tripod amzn.to/2o2snjR
Camera amzn.to/2obtjSy
L-Bracket amzn.to/2EFENrw
70-200mm lens amzn.to/2EJO81C
17-40mm lens amzn.to/2HgiBCN
50mm (nifty fifty) amzn.to/2F2gGkx
Holga Lens amzn.to/2Hhm4AX
Memory card holder amzn.to/2EIeHE8
Spare batteries - way cheaper than official Canon ones and do a decent job amzn.to/2sm8B2g
Backpack amzn.to/2p7kr20
Hiking backback amzn.to/2o8ulP8
Filter pouch amzn.to/2HiXyiX
Cable release - cheap as chips and faultless essential bit of kit amzn.to/2p7mpPR
Filter holder amzn.to/2oA8ZwU
10stop filter amzn.to/2plM1XM
ND grad set amzn.to/2plXMxm
Filming
Filmed with amzn.to/2tGdq7c (f1.4 for beautiful cinematic footage, and does 4k!)
To keep the frame rate consistent a variable ND filter is invaluable! amzn.to/2xpun8L
...stuck to my Lumix using: amzn.to/2z9sYHU
Lavlier mic amzn.to/2p7tM9W
Drone! amzn.to/2plTnu7
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
