The Hardest Part of Photography That Nobody Warns You About @AlexArmitage

Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago

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FREE Editing Videos! - patreon.com/alexarmitage
The Dip by Seth Godin - bookshop.org/a/112659/9781591841661
Drawing Tablet Used for Graphs - geni.us/BooxNoteAir4c

There is one rule I always remind myself when it comes to photography, and that is that Art and instant gratification cannot co-exist. Photography has this illusion that it’s easy, likely because it’s so accessible. Like right now, almost anyone can pick up a device and take a photo. They can create something, RIGHT NOW. The process of being a creator is a journey and to become good at photography requires a lot more time and effort than might appear on the surface.

I recently picked up this book called “The Dip,” by Seth Godin while I was doing research for my creator life here on YouTube. Now I don’t agree with the approach to many points in this book, most notably Godin speaks a lot about only doing things if you want to be the best at them. If I look at the sentiment in good faith, it might just mean that it’s good to approach choices like you’re striving to be the best version of yourself within them. The issue is he approaches them a bit too black and white for me, and that there are so many things in life worth effort without any intention to be the best in the world at (such as photography)

The most relatable portion of this book to photographers (and creators in general) is the name sake of the book - The Dip. Godin defines the dip as “the long slog between starting and mastery.” He says that “if it’s something worth doing, there’s probably a dip.”

The Dip can be many things. It could be your own satisfaction in your work. It could be related to your business. Take my YouTube channel for example. Here’s a graph of my views over the course of my career here. Notice something? THATS THE DIP. The reality is that a LOT of people make it to this point (pointing to first hill), less people make it to this point in the dip, and barely anyone makes it to this point, which is probably a good thing.

New to Photography? Start Here - alexarmitage.com/learn-photography-basics
Landscape Photography Gear Guide for 2025: alexarmitage.com/2025-landscape-photography-gear-guide

𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬
Website: alexarmitage.com
Newsletter: alexarmitage.com/newsletter
Discord Community: discord.gg/NEsSB7ArKW
Instagram: instagram.com/alexarmitage_

Camera/Video 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫 (Affiliate Links)
𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐲 𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 : alexarmitage.com/gear
Colored Magnetic Filters: mavenfilters.com/aff/12
Photography Camera: geni.us/Canon-R5
Vlog Camera: geni.us/DJIOsmPocket3
Video Camera: geni.us/Canon-R7
Drone: geni.us/DJI-Mavic3-Pro

Vanlife 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫
Fridge: geni.us/campfridge
Power/Battery: geni.us/campbattery
USB Fan: geni.us/USBThinFan
Clothes Pack Cubes: geni.us/ClothesPackingCubes
Car Mirror: geni.us/CampingMirror
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Black Hole Duffel: geni.us/BlackHoleDuffel
Electronic Organizer: geni.us/ElectronicOrganizer
Thermocell: geni.us/ThermoCell
Organizing Bag: geni.us/WaxOrganizerBag
Empty Spray Bottle: geni.us/EmptySprayBottle
Camp Light: geni.us/camplight
Quality USB Light: geni.us/QualityUSBLight
Affordable USB Light: geni.us/AffordableUSBLight
Car First Aid: geni.us/CarFirstAid
Portable Speaker: geni.us/JBLPortableSpeaker
Portable Power Strip: geni.us/PortablePowerStrip
Lens Cloths: geni.us/MicrofiberLensCloths
Camera Straps: geni.us/BigCameraStrap
Camera Wipes: geni.us/CameraCleaningWipes

Music (Typically) from Musicbed:
fm.pxf.io/c/3300666/1347628/16252

0:00 Capturing Ospreys
2:03 Art and Instant Gratification Cannot Coexist
4:13 What is "The Dip?"
7:28 Getting Lucky With an Osprey
9:07 99% of Photographers Never Reach This Point
12:45 It's Okay to Take a Break
16:55 Get Professional Website Feedback from Me!
18:04 How Scarcity Provides Value

The Hardest Part of Photography That Nobody Warns You About

$Apples Secret Upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro Has Incredible Results 📸 Check out REEFLEXS innovate lens selection, cases, filters, or accessories for all types of iPhones and save 10% off with my link: https://reeflexstore.com/discount/ARM... or using code ARMITAGE10 at checkout. Download JPEG XL Images Here: https://alexarmitage.com/iphone-16-pro-jpeg-xl-images Maven Phone Polarizer - https://geni.us/MavenPhonePolarizer Camera Hotshoe Adapter - https://geni.us/MantisPodHead Camera Tripod Mount - https://geni.us/SmallRigPhoneHolder iPhone 16 Pro Case: https://geni.us/iPhone16ProCase Workshops/Calendar/Stuff - https://bio.site/alexarmitage The most significant feature of the iPhone 16 pro for photographers this year is completely undisclosed by Apple, and I know it’s the most significant change because I put it to the test in this video. I’m a full time landscape photographer who’s lived on the road for over 3 years living and breathing photography while making videos like this one where I’ve compared the newest iPhone to my daily professional camera, the Canon R5 in real world situations. Last years iPhone 15 Pro was quite lackluster for improvements over it’s predecessor. This year is different and there are numerous big changes in the iPhone 16 pro including the addition of an updated sensor to the ultra-wide camera, a brand new camera control button, and what I think is the most significant update of the iPhone 16 pro giving us the ability to take insanely high quality raw images at a fraction of the size. So In this video we’ll be testing that new ultra-wide sensor for both landscape and macro style images, plus the main camera sensor in multiple conditions, and lastly ill show you how incredible these new raw images can be. And if you stick around to the end, I even have some Aurora shots to show you, so sit back, relax, and join me as I take you along in one of the most beautiful places in the world, fall in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 Website: https://alexarmitage.com Newsletter: https://alexarmitage.com/newsletter Discord Community: https://discord.gg/NEsSB7ArKW Instagram: https://instagram.com/alexarmitage_/ Camera/Video 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫 (Affiliate Links) 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐲 𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 : https://www.alexarmitage.com/gear Colored Magnetic Filters: https://mavenfilters.com/aff/12/ New Photography Camera: https://geni.us/Canon-R5 New Video Camera: https://geni.us/Canon-R7 Drone: https://geni.us/Mavic-2Pro Old Video Camera: https://geni.us/FujiXT4Body Vanlife 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫 Fridge: https://geni.us/campfridge Power/Battery: https://geni.us/campbattery USB Fan: https://geni.us/USBThinFan Clothes Pack Cubes: https://geni.us/ClothesPackingCubes Car Mirror: https://geni.us/CampingMirror Toiletry Bag: https://geni.us/ToiletryBag Window Nets: https://geni.us/WindowNets Black Hole Duffel: https://geni.us/BlackHoleDuffel Electronic Organizer: https://geni.us/ElectronicOrganizer Thermocell: https://geni.us/ThermoCell Organizing Bag: https://geni.us/WaxOrganizerBag Empty Spray Bottle: https://geni.us/EmptySprayBottle Camp Light: https://geni.us/camplight Quality USB Light: https://geni.us/QualityUSBLight Affordable USB Light: https://geni.us/AffordableUSBLight Car First Aid: https://geni.us/CarFirstAid Portable Speaker: https://geni.us/JBLPortableSpeaker Portable Power Strip: https://geni.us/PortablePowerStrip Lens Cloths: https://geni.us/MicrofiberLensCloths Camera Straps: https://geni.us/BigCameraStrap Camera Wipes: https://geni.us/CameraCleaningWipes Cooking 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫 Electric Tea Kettle: https://geni.us/ElectricBoil Big Table: https://geni.us/campbigtable Camp Stove: https://geni.us/everestcampstove Cutting Board: https://geni.us/campcuttingboard Measuring Cups: https://geni.us/MeasuringCups Knife: https://geni.us/campknife Knife Cover: https://geni.us/KnifeCover Skillet: https://geni.us/camplegendskillet Coffee Cups: https://geni.us/DurableCoffeeCup Car Bowls: https://geni.us/DurableCampingBowls Car Plates: https://geni.us/DurablePlates 🎵 Music licensed from Lickd. The biggest mainstream and stock music platform for content creators. Only Love by Ben Howard, https://lickd.lnk.to/TRAJuzID License ID: Y9aLZNj6lNB If you want to use music from famous artists, try Lickd to get track credits and unlimited stock music: https://app.lickd.co/r/df079e0e55824b5181f183080c26b885 Music also from Musicbed: https://fm.pxf.io/c/3300666/1347628/16252 0:00 Intro 1:09 Ultra-Wide Camera Landscape Test 5:09 Main Camera Sunset & Blue Hour Test 7:53 120 FPS 4K Recording 9:16 JPEG-XL Compression 12:25 Ultra-Wide Camera Macro Test 16:13 The Results! 20:26 Why Did Apple Keep This a Secret?! 23:22 More Results! 28:21 Camera Control Button & Photo Styles 30:36 iPhone 16 Aurora Photos!$

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$Is JPEG The Future of Photography? You May Be Surprised! Get yourself a comfortable chair today at https://bit.ly/3ZAKcJf and use my code 24BFC7 to get $50 off on the C7 ergonomic chair. Canada - https://bit.ly/4fRGEaZ 2025 Calendar: https://www.alexarmitage.com/calendars Landscape Photography Gear Guide for 2025: https://www.alexarmitage.com/2025-landscape-photography-gear-guide 2025 Newfoundland Workshop: https://www.alexarmitage.com/2025-newfoundland-photography-workshop More about JPEG XL: https://cloudinary.com/blog/how_jpeg_xl_compares_to_other_image_codecs https://cloudinary.com/blog/the-case-for-jpeg-xl Shooting in raw has been synonymous with professional photography since the advent of digital cameras. Its always been the format most of us have shot in for decades and maybe its time we look at a new format for the future. In this video I show you just how capable modern compression methods can be when editing raw images using the new JPEG XL standard. You still get all the benefits of a raw with detail retention, white balance adjustments, and overall image quality but at a fraction of the size. A staggering 90% reduction in many cases yet preserving every detail. Currently we cannot shoot with this method yet but we can apply it to our photos in the latest version of Lightroom. Dont trust this YouTube video, go and try it for yourself! 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 Website: https://alexarmitage.com Newsletter: https://alexarmitage.com/newsletter Discord Community: https://discord.gg/NEsSB7ArKW Instagram: https://instagram.com/alexarmitage_/ Vero: https://vero.co/alexarmitage Camera/Video 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫 (Affiliate Links) 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐲 𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 : https://www.alexarmitage.com/gear Colored Magnetic Filters: https://mavenfilters.com/aff/12/ Photography Camera: https://geni.us/Canon-R5 Vlog Camera: https://geni.us/DJIOsmPocket3 Video Camera: https://geni.us/Canon-R7 Drone: https://geni.us/DJI-Mavic3-Pro Vanlife 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫 Fridge: https://geni.us/campfridge Power/Battery: https://geni.us/campbattery USB Fan: https://geni.us/USBThinFan Clothes Pack Cubes: https://geni.us/ClothesPackingCubes Car Mirror: https://geni.us/CampingMirror Toiletry Bag: https://geni.us/ToiletryBag Window Nets: https://geni.us/WindowNets Black Hole Duffel: https://geni.us/BlackHoleDuffel Electronic Organizer: https://geni.us/ElectronicOrganizer Thermocell: https://geni.us/ThermoCell Organizing Bag: https://geni.us/WaxOrganizerBag Empty Spray Bottle: https://geni.us/EmptySprayBottle Camp Light: https://geni.us/camplight Quality USB Light: https://geni.us/QualityUSBLight Affordable USB Light: https://geni.us/AffordableUSBLight Car First Aid: https://geni.us/CarFirstAid Portable Speaker: https://geni.us/JBLPortableSpeaker Portable Power Strip: https://geni.us/PortablePowerStrip Lens Cloths: https://geni.us/MicrofiberLensCloths Camera Straps: https://geni.us/BigCameraStrap Camera Wipes: https://geni.us/CameraCleaningWipes Cooking 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫 Electric Tea Kettle: https://geni.us/ElectricBoil Big Table: https://geni.us/campbigtable Camp Stove: https://geni.us/everestcampstove Cutting Board: https://geni.us/campcuttingboard Measuring Cups: https://geni.us/MeasuringCups Knife: https://geni.us/campknife Knife Cover: https://geni.us/KnifeCover Skillet: https://geni.us/camplegendskillet Coffee Cups: https://geni.us/DurableCoffeeCup Car Bowls: https://geni.us/DurableCampingBowls Car Plates: https://geni.us/DurablePlates Camping 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫 Camp Sporks: https://geni.us/SmallCampSporks Long Camp Spork: https://geni.us/LongSpork Jet Boil: https://geni.us/JetBoil Hiking First Aid Kit: https://geni.us/HikingFirstAid GPS: https://geni.us/GPS-Garmin66i Binoculars: https://geni.us/VortexBinoculars Walkie Talkies: https://geni.us/Motorola-T800 Aeropress: https://geni.us/AeroPressCamping Osprey 24L: https://geni.us/OspreyStratos24 Mosquito Head Net: https://geni.us/MosquitoHeadNet Portable Chair: https://geni.us/MoonliteChair Hammock: https://geni.us/EnoDoubleHammock Straps: https://geni.us/EnoStraps Music (Typically) from Musicbed: https://fm.pxf.io/c/3300666/1347628/16252 0:00 The Future Format of Photography? 2:47 What is JPEG XL? 3:45 Raising Shadows and Recovering Highlight Detail with JPEG XL 7:00 How to Create Your Own JPEG XL Images 9:18 Drawbacks of JPEG XL 11:34 Benefits Today 14:20 Future Benefits$

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