You can be a millionaire selling socks, the point is to build a brand. That’s the best advice imo you can take from these “influencers”. You watch them for their brand (which is essentially cars and women).

Its the same when it comes to Photography. 1st work, 2nd build a brand. Build a portfolio, work for free if you have to. Then you have a brand you can offer. Then the money starts flowing.

Also its better to do multiple things, for example try editing stuff on Fiverr, maybe learn Graphic Designing, incorporate it into your photography and sell it.

Lots of opportunities.

Now stop thinking and start doing. Good Luck.

True, which is why I think that it is better to not learn photography styles (not mechanics) from YouTube, and build your own style.

After a few months of messing around then it’s alright to see other peoples stuff and learn from them.

But beginners don’t know what they should and they shouldn’t get.

They just get it all, and that is the issue

As I mentioned Peter McKinnon is a good content creator. And I picked him as my example cause as you mentioned he is the biggest. People with no photography experience can watch his videos and enjoy. Which is why he is a content creator. And it’s fine to watch such content creators, enjoy, maybe get inspired by them.

Going a step further and copying them step by step (which most beginners do) is what’s ruining their creativity.

That’s different. When you learn PS, you learn PS. Not How to edit pictures. you edit pictures the way you want.

But if someone goes on Youtube searches for a photography tutorial and copies it step by step, its not the same thing. They aren’t learning photography, they’re copying someone else’s style.

This is exactly what I’m talking about. I’ve been exactly where you are with some of my friends. When a beginner watches a tutorial, he tries to copy it. When a pro watches it, he only gets what he wants.

In the long term its going to kill the unique style that people develop by trial and error, and they’re just going to stick to a LUT or style that a famous Youtuber uses.

I got ADHD too, and what I’m basically trying to convey is (I did a disappointing job of wording my post) go out and shoot, instead of watching the 10-20 minute video.

Come home, look at your results, then watch the video. Then you can understand what went wrong, and take note or remember it.

I must have worded the title better. Youtube is ruining photography for beginners or people who are starting out.

Like… as a pro I can watch a video, and get the info I want, and ignore what I don’t want.

But beginners, as you mentioned try to copy the pros and that usually stops their creativity.

Also I mentioned Peter Mckinnon because he, himself is a good photographer as you mentioned. But again my point was people shouldn’t rely too much on what they say when it comes to photography, if you’re a beginner.