Starting a Photography YouTube Channel in 2020

Is it worth starting a photography YouTube channel in 2020?

This was a concern I had about 7 months ago, when I started out my channel. There are so many awesome photography channels out there. I myself learned great part of what know on YouTube myself. Guys like Peter Mckinnon, Mattih Happooja, The F Stoppers, Sorelle Amore, Jared Polin, SLR Lounge, Potato Jack, just to mention some names in the top of my head… they’re all awesome photographers that have been on the platform for quite a while and they’re teaching great things all around up until today.

So why bother? Should I even try to start a photography channel in 2020?

I decided to try. I had just quit my job for a fashion boutique where I used to shoot pre-owned handbags and accessories, I had saved some money from working there and I really wanted to try something new in the Photography area. It was the beginning of the pandemic, so many of the events and weddings I had scheduled were postponed or cancelled and my bookings dropped drastically. So I finally actually had the time to really focus on this and try to do it for real.

YouTube would be a chance for me to share some knowledge with the world, to put out some content that could help me to attract bigger clients — as someone who creates more authority by talking about a specific topic — and also, I would develop a skill I didn’t have by then: the one of making videos. I had never done any videos before, so this would be a challenge for me.

Another thing I had no knowledge about was SEO and other tools related to YouTube growth. I had heard about that before, but I had no idea of how that worked. So I focused on learning those things right from the start.

While I wrote my first script ideas, I also studied videography and YouTube growth strategies at the same time, after all, if I was going to try it, I wanted to make sure I would at least do my best.

And here we are, 7 months, 930 subscribers at the moment I record this video, with most of my traffic coming from YouTube recommending my content.

Is this good? Well, I think it’s awesome! There are two YouTubers I follow and constantly watch their content ever since I started learning videography and YouTube growth strategies, which are Peter Lindgren, who is a Swedish videographer and photographer and Cathrin Manning, that is an American who teaches YouTube growth strategies.

Peter started out in 2018, if I’m not mistaken, it wasn’t even his full time job for about a year, he only went full time in 2019, I believe. He now has over 300k followers and it took him a year to get to the mark I am at today.

Catherine has over 100k by the time I record this video and it took her channel a year and a half to finally get monetized.

So yeah, I’m very very happy with my decision. I’m evolving in so many ways, I’ve been learning in so many ways… plus, I’ve been creating relationships and contacts with people from all over the world. And even with such a small channel, I already receive some e-mails from brands wanting to partner up, which in my opinion, is a great thing for someone who just started out on YouTube as me.

So again, if you ask me if starting a photography youtube channel in 2020 is a good thing, I’d say: if YouTube is something that you’re into, if you love and know enough about Photography, if you can do good videos and enjoy creating them and if you like the idea of talking to the camera, then go for it.

Don’t get caught in the thought of: “oh, there are so many people doing it… maybe I shouldn’t”. That’s the thought that will keep you from doing what you really want. There are hundreds of thousands of photographers out there. There are hundreds of thousands of YouTubers out there. There are hundreds of thousands of everything out there.

I think the key is to just do your thing and be yourself! Just be yourself and your videos should look different from everyone else’s. In 2018, when Peter Lindgren started out, Peter Mckinnon and Jared Polin were already HUGE on YouTube. He still did his thing and got to where he is now.

I think the key is to always try to be better. This is something I keep in mind on each and every one of my videos and is something I see all the YouTubers I admire also always cared about. So after I record a new video I think: ok, how can I make the next one better?

And if you want to know if that is true, you can check it out yourself by watching my first videos. In 7 months so much has changed! My videos are crispier, the audio is way better, I cut the reflections on the back, I learned how to set my lights better, I got better in talking to the camera, my videos are more dynamic in general… plus! When I started out, I didn’t even know anything about SEO. I was starting to learn. But I certainly wasn’t doing it right by then. I didn’t appear on YouTube search, I was not being recommended by YouTube… all of this took me some time… and, of course, this is just the beginning! I’m absolutely sure I still have so much to learn. I learn something pretty much everyday! And I love this process of getting better. This is what keeps me going. I love launching a video and feeling proud of it. I love launching a video and seeing how much I improved, even though I know I’m far from perfect. And I love how you guys chose to walk this path with me. Thank you so much for each of you who has joined me on this YouTube journey right from the start. It means so much to me, I don’t have enough words to describe.

I even see you guys starting to follow me on Instagram as well and this is just amazing. I’m really happy and it makes me believe I started out the right way.

And yeah, if you’re one of the people thinking if you should or should not start a Photography YouTube Channel in 2020, what I tell you is: go for it! Go for it and never stop getting better. Create content that you love and improve video after video. There is no way you can go wrong by doing that! I’m just a new small YouTuber, my channel is not even monetized yet, I know, but for that exact reason I say it is worth it. Of course it’s easier to say it is worth it when you’re a big YouTuber making a living out of it. I’m still small, I still don’t make a living out of it… and, to me, it is still worth it.

So thanks so much for supporting me guys! I can’t thank you enough!