Join me as I chat with Adele and Max Warner Tate about making YouTube videos. We discuss how creating video content for personal enjoyment can help overcome the intimidation of public critique. We talk about of working with a partner,and how this eases the workload.
Talking through why there arent more females on YouTube. Talking about time constraints and the delicate balancing act between personal and professional commitments. Tune in for our tips on carving out space for passion projects and inspiring more women to vocalize their narratives on YouTube. Apolgies in advance for background noise - this episode was filmed on location on the Isle of Harris in my van where Skye my whippet decided to cause chaos!
https://www.youtube.com/@WarnerTatePhotography
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Join me as I chat with Adele and Max Warner Tate about making YouTube videos. We discuss how creating video content for personal enjoyment can help overcome the intimidation of public critique. We talk about of working with a partner,and how this eases the workload.
Talking through why there arent more females on YouTube. Talking about time constraints and the delicate balancing act between personal and professional commitments. Tune in for our tips on carving out space for passion projects and inspiring more women to vocalize their narratives on YouTube. Apolgies in advance for background noise - this episode was filmed on location on the Isle of Harris in my van where Skye my whippet decided to cause chaos!
https://www.youtube.com/@WarnerTatePhotography
Sign up to the next Creative Light Festival here:
https://creative-light.co.uk/
Sign up to my newsletter to hear first about new retreats:
Follow me on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/margaretsoraya/
Join my online Creative Haven community :
https://creative-haven.newzenler.com
I'm delighted to be speaking to Adele and Max Warner Tate today. It's a bit of an unusual situation because we are standing here together in my van because we were on the Isle of Harris and Adele got in touch when she was coming over for a little trip over here and we met up the other day and I thought, oh, wouldn't it be nice if we had a little chat. So, because I've been doing these on location podcasts a little bit more, I said why don't we just go to the beach and talk? And today it's raining and it's windy and there's quite a few midges. So we're in the van, complete with Sky who's poring around. So excuse any noises. So thank you for joining us.
Speaker 2:No, thank you very much for asking us.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, sky. Sky has decided to jump onto the surfaces. We've just been out for a walk and she is absolutely drenched, so she decided to dry herself all over the bed. Okay, so digressing there a little bit, but Adele and Max both produce YouTube videos as well as photography, and I was kind of taken by this idea, and I have been for a while. I've been thinking about YouTube as a platform and how difficult it is, so I was really impressed when I saw your videos of the filming, the quality and your quite natural Adele.
Speaker 2:Oh, thank you. It didn't come easy to start with, did it? It was something that I felt very uncomfortable with, and originally it was Max that spoke to the camera. I wouldn't even look at the camera, so it isn't something. I think. Originally that came easy, but I think we've been doing it now for a few years. It's something that I don't know. It just sort of becomes a bit easier. Do you know?
Speaker 1:it's one of those things, isn't it like the more you practice it the easier it gets like this yeah. I remember when I started this podcast and I was like, oh, I have to have my notes in front of me and I have to like have everything written down, the question. I used to write questions down and things like that, and now it's just a we'll just see where it goes. But YouTube, particularly on video to camera, is difficult, isn't it? I found it difficult.
Speaker 2:I think so because you're putting yourself out there, you know, to a huge, potentially huge audience and I think sometimes you can get hit up. I don't do it so much now, but I think initially you know you'd make a video and think, oh, should we put this out? Did I say something stupid? Is it good enough? Type of thing. And I think you just get past that, because we started making the videos because it was for us, wasn't it? It was to show family and friends and memories to look back on, and I think our early videos don't even include any photographs, more about where we were, what we were doing, where we'd been, and just maybe adding a little bit of humour our type of humour, I suppose into them. Videos just to, I think, probably make it a bit more comfortable for us to be able to share.
Speaker 1:This guy's now trying to eat the microphone again, oh man. So yeah, I've got like a dead cat fluffy mic and she's going for it again. So, yeah, I think the expression that you can have with video is really quite powerful, because you're actually taking people with you, aren't you Like? Podcasting is different, isn't it? Because you're? It's also quite intimate, isn't it? But video, you've got the visuals as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely, and I think you know sort of some of the places that we come to are not accessible to people and a lot of people don't even know that these places exist. And you know a lot of people say to us wow, is that Scotland? You know, and that's so nice, I think, from the visual side of YouTube, to be able to share those places with people you know, and there's people that we know that couldn't even get to from a mobility point of view to see some of the places that we go.
Speaker 2:You know, and Kate, is your aunt will message saying thanks for sharing that little bit of video because she wouldn't be able to get don't? Even if you can, just for one person, make a difference to you know, if for 10 or 15 minutes to show them where you've been, share the experience, then for us that's the main thing, isn't it?
Speaker 1:One of the things that I would like to do more of is more video, and I've been to some incredible places. I do a lot of really remote trips and not so much anymore, but I've done them and I always thought, oh, it'd be lovely to share this. And then I make half a video and I'm kind of like, okay, I've done the first bit, and then when I actually get to the place, I get lost in the experience. Or I'm doing the photography or you know too like concerned with everything else. I know, just take your time to, like you know, put a tripod and then walk away and then go back and get your. I want to just walk away, you know. So I think one of my struggles is maybe it's because the two of you I think it's a lot easier.
Speaker 2:I've always said that I probably wouldn't do video if it wasn't for Max, because I get so engrossed and consumed in that moment. It's all about the photography, for me.
Speaker 2:And if you weren't the encouraging me to speak and hitting the record button, there wouldn't be probably videos or the big parts of videos that then wouldn't come together. And quite often, even with two of us, we can go out and still not come away with a video because something's happened or people turn up, and I find it really difficult speaking when there's other people around. It's quite uncomfortable. There's been a few times I haven't heard that we've gone out, gone to somewhere beautiful, the conditions are just exactly what you want and you think, why didn't I? Just, you know. But that's not the be all and end all, it's the experience, it's the going out and being out and taking the images. You know, the video is another creative outlet, isn't it? Yeah, that you can then show, but yeah, I think if it wasn't for Max, we would struggle Definitely.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think having somebody do is that's my problem. So it's just a lot of care. You've got like you've got your kit for photography and then you've got the what, the video and then the drone or whatever it is, whatever else going on in China, remember to do it all. I did one in the chance the other day and started off. Great, I did like I did all my kit beforehand I was sure I never do my kit beforehand and then getting onto the boat and everything, and I did actually the boat trip, but I was swimming, so I was swimming in the chance, so I had my underwater kit, I had all my water, my wet suits and everything to deal with, and then the swimming.
Speaker 1:And then I was like, how do I film this? So really lovely video and it's lovely to show people where I've been, but it's not quite finished. But as if I'd had somebody just on the boat recording me, I suppose that would be the thing, isn't it? It's quite interesting that. But I would like to output more. What I've done recently is just not be as particular, and sometimes I just let go of the fact that I haven't got a tripod and I just do without a tripod.
Speaker 1:So maybe it's less perfect.
Speaker 2:That's it. I think you know you. I think we've been through that, haven't we? Initially, the videos were terrible. We didn't really have the proper kit, a good microphone. You know you watch the videos back and you think, oh God, this is terrible. So you invest a little bit, you try and learn a little bit more, and you see other people's videos, the quality, and you think, oh God, I don't anything like that. And you can. I think the more that you do it and the more that you are comfortable with it, they're getting hung up on. The quality of things can hold you back as well, but it's easy to slip into that. Or they need to be a certain standard, because otherwise people won't watch or won't engage, you know. But really, when it comes down to it, what does it matter? You're out and you're sharing your experience, isn't it?
Speaker 1:Do you know one of the good things to do when you're feeling like not so confident? I should do this actually go onto YouTube and watch some really bad photography videos and then you go.
Speaker 1:Actually, I used to do that when I started wedding photography and I used to have the dips and I'm thinking I'm not very good, or it's not quite right, or I'm not quite there yet. And then you'd go and look at some really bad wedding photographers and go, oh, it's fine, it's actually quite good for your confidence I'm not joking and that is quite good for your confidence to realise actually you're doing alright. But I think with me, I am like slipping a little bit. Not slipping because I think it's more about the content than the quality for me and although I would like it to be slightly better, probably I like it to be more regular. But here's the thing is, I'm thinking now, why am I doing YouTube?
Speaker 1:So this is, this is an interesting one for you, but, as for me, I do YouTube, I do podcast in social media's and amongst all the big mix of work and everything, and YouTube's at the bottom. So, youtube, I'll make a video. If I feel like you can go to a great place, I think I'll make a video too. It just goes to feel like it, but it's at the bottom of the pile because I Don't feel like it's the right place for me or I don't get many views or I don't get much engagement. It just feels like a funny place, even though you should be there because it's like a really good SEO. Seo and Google it's amazing. But the maybe the audience on there slightly Not quite the right people. I don't. I don't know what it is, but I noticed your YouTube video. So don't get massive views and you've been doing it, while you've been doing consistently and you've been in it well. So I was like figure that one out. I'm not really sure, don't know what do you think?
Speaker 2:I don't know. I mean, I think it's hard and Again it comes back to that you can get caught up a little bit in how many views you get. You know, yeah, we've got regular people that comment on our videos and interact and and I think we always say don't we? It's those people that.
Speaker 1:She's causing chaos again, like come on down again the bench.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think it's the people that that sort of watch regular and that interact regular that you know you care about.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:That's a good way looking at it, yeah people that maybe might just tune in and watch one video or a couple minutes and one of one video and then sort of don't come back and that and that's fine. We, we, we're totally fine with that. We, we make the videos for us and for sure, in and as we've said, like if, even if one person Watches and get something from that, that's great In terms of I don't know, I think we probably came on to YouTube a little bit late. Yes, so I was started getting into photography Maybe seriously, 2016, 17 into 18, and you do. You, I'm sort of a visual person, so Watch something and take information in.
Speaker 2:So you turn to YouTube to learn Photography and at the point where I was learning the, the, I think there was Kim Grant and then next and Jones, females, and that was it. I couldn't, I couldn't find any other women that were doing YouTube landscape photography. And then you think why? Well, I wonder why there's not more women doing it? I know there's so many guys that go out and do YouTube and you know you can tune in and watch a video on Harris or the out of sky and it's saturated. But try and find it a woman that's doing that. It does not very many, and I think I don't know what, because the videos progressed in. They. They were for us originally. You know, some people thought I said they were like him, what we were seeing. We would carry on doing it anyway because we enjoy it so much. Yeah, but I think to have a presence on YouTube as a, as a female, yeah, it's important and it is and it's important to us and and that's why we just keep doing it, we love it.
Speaker 2:Where the people Enjoying so we carry on doing it, you know, and I think it's right to for that sort of that presence as well a little bit To, for females to to be out there, especially on YouTube, yeah.
Speaker 1:I love that. What are you doing?
Speaker 2:What have you got she's into something I can't believe she's been so naughty.
Speaker 3:She's normally just sits down in the room.
Speaker 1:I'm totally in agreement with that and I think you've got some really good points there. So first of all, I was thinking I was coming at it from that slight frustration angle. I was like why aren't you getting more? But actually you're saying you've got your audience. Be happy with your audience, you've got. Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2:And I think if it grows, it grows naturally and it's not forced. Then is it.
Speaker 2:And it's not about the whole. You need to get the numbers, you need to get the views. I mean, yeah, it's nice if some videos do better than others, because I think some videos mean more to you than others, depending on where you've been and what you've experienced. And for us, we can sort of look back at those videos and think do you remember when? And etc. Etc. But it's more sort of just, I think, slowly, slowly, and we'll just carry on doing what we're doing and sort of having that presence.
Speaker 1:Interestingly enough, when talking about stats, if you look at mine, I'm like maybe at 400, 500 views a video, Apart from one that I was called Testing Out my New Benro Tripod, and it got some like 10,000 views. So there is. We are in chaos here, Like this guy standing on the bench looking at Elza here, now.
Speaker 2:She's so lovely.
Speaker 1:She's just a man and she slept all morning, so she's just been a manist. Today, how can we record a podcast Sue's podcast with the Whippet Sandwich in a camper van? Right, you come here. So yeah, so testing my Benro Tripod. So there is a thing on YouTube and I kind of know this, that if you do gear type or like instructional I suppose there's a lot of instructional stuff people go to YouTube for instruction. So that's kind of just something that happens, isn't it? So I know that if I do a gear one or put gear in the title, everything doesn't, matter what.
Speaker 1:Could you lend us just the ring book F-stop in the title, I'll get more views, but content I like to use a little bit more experiences and encouraging other people and sort of uplifting. So therefore, maybe it's just naturally not going to do as well as you know somebody who's got a sort of like gear based or techie.
Speaker 3:Yeah, maybe techie.
Speaker 2:The thing, though, with doing a sort of one off gear video or sort of ad hoc gear videos is that you get those people that tune in for that quick fix. They want to know something, they want to find out how to, and then might never come back for anything else, and that's not really the audience that we want to grow. And whilst they do get big views because we've done it ourselves, haven't we you want to understand something and you'll find something out, and you'll. How do you do this, and you might never go back to that. That am I, but I think it's the journey, isn't it, of where you've started and the experiences that you have, and if people enjoy what you do, they will keep tuning back in. I mean, our numbers have grown a little bit, haven't they? Especially since moving to Scotland, which is quite interesting. Our subscribers have nearly doubled, I mean in sort of just over 12 months, so obviously there's the interest there around Scotland. Yeah, you know, and I don't I probably wouldn't be able to do a video about gear.
Speaker 1:No, probably.
Speaker 2:Because you know it's very technical, isn't it? When we just enjoy that experience of going out and sometimes to think, oh, is it a bit samey samey. This is where we are, this is what we're doing, but it doesn't matter, doesn't matter.
Speaker 1:I like it, I like your attitude and I suppose the thing is it evolves, doesn't it? Yeah, and then maybe, if it does get a bit of you feeling it, it might be well, then you'll experiment with something else and you'll go. Well, actually, let's think of it from this angle instead. So, yeah, it's just doing it, isn't it repeatedly? But the thing about I think you're right about the women on YouTube, I mean, I don't, I'm not a massive YouTube person so I don't really watch that much, but I used to watch Sarah Lindsay. Do you know her from America? I've heard of Sarah Lindsay. I don't think we've seen very much of her.
Speaker 1:And she's really nice. I like the way she presents. She's also got a whip-it, which is funny. She's got a karma whip at the mine, I have to say, but she has a, has a, has Olly, he's called it, and it is in her videos and her photos. So I think he's got it. But I do think there's a stunning lack of women on YouTube in the UK definitely. And yeah, I don't really know any apart from Kim, but it's really nice. It would be nice to engage more or women onto YouTube and, as you say, maybe, maybe not. As you know the way that I do, it's probably kind of like you know, this is my whole business. It's everything I have to sort of make sure that I'm balancing my time and energy. But if there's more women just doing it, because, just because they want to and they're photographers and they're good photographers and they want to share places, just like you yeah.
Speaker 1:I think that's amazing. So I suppose the question is, why aren't there then? And I wonder? I remember talking to somebody, can't remember who. That's not very factual, is it? But I remember talking to somebody. I was saying that it was to do with the worry, a lot of worry, about the way you're perceived like looks yeah which is really sad.
Speaker 1:It's really sad to hear that, but I think very true actually, and I think partly because you're very open on YouTube and you're wide open to any criticism yeah, I think it was some really nasty comments. I've never had any, but if I did, I think I'd be devastated and probably put me off. To be honest with you, and I know that's life, but the fact is, you know if anybody's saying anything horrible. But I think maybe it is about that. Maybe it's about the way we are worried about how we're looking. Is that a really difficult thing to talk about, isn't it on openly?
Speaker 2:but I think it's true yeah, I mean, you know you put in yourself out there. You know, and we've, we've wondered quite a lot, haven't we since getting into photography with the videos? Why aren't there more women doing it? And there's probably loads of reasons, different reasons probably for different people, and it, and it could be that you know it's oh, how will I be perceived? How will this come across?
Speaker 2:I'm a woman, you know, I'm a woman sort of out with a camera and I think, in a very saturated environment with photography where it is male dominated, that you know you're a little voice, aren't you? You know you're a small fish in it in a big pond, I suppose, and whether, because it's visual and because people can see, is it that? Yep, maybe people are worried about how they look, how they come across, how they speak. You know, I've probably got us quite a strong Lancashire accent and I sort of think, how does that come across? Sometimes? I mean, I'm fortunate that Max is so supportive and likes to be involved, come out and deaf the clock in the morning and the clock at night.
Speaker 2:But you know there's, there's probably maybe a worry for females that if they're out somewhere remote at four o'clock in the morning or at ten eleven o'clock at night, with, you know, a bag full of very expensive camera equipment. Is there some nervousness around that? Maybe is it that you know it's perceived that women should have certain responsibilities at home. Maybe, and if the partner isn't as supportive that maybe you're. Well, I shouldn't go out because of the x, y or z that just to jump in there.
Speaker 1:That is an interesting one because I think it's maybe that runs through photography and anything anything, anything to do with yourself and things that you want to do for yourself.
Speaker 1:But I certainly know that it might not always be that you don't want to do it. It might just that you don't have the time to go. Because I know, for me it was years, years and years. I was stuck at home because I didn't like it, I couldn't. I had babies, like you know. I can imagine like going around with two kids camera I'm gonna film myself at the same time and be out at four o'clock in the morning.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it doesn't work. I mean, you know, we both had full-time jobs before moving to Scotland and we did find it difficult. And in a video that we've done recently, recently, we spoke about some of the downsides to YouTube, and time is a massive factor, it is, isn't it? And keeping that going, you know, I think if you're dipping in and out and putting a video out ad hoc there's, you're not putting that pressure on yourself. You're not sort of then thinking I need to feed an algorithm, or if we don't put a video out, will people not watch? And I think you can then sort of quickly become we need to do a video, we need to do a video, we need to get out.
Speaker 2:But there's other things that go on in people's lives as well. But, you know, means that's that's not always possible, especially when you work full-time and I mean we're gonna have a little bit more time coming up. But, you know, even with the best will in the world, you know people need a bit of a bit of a break away from social media and not those platforms as well. Yeah, it's something you know. If you think you've got YouTube, facebook, instagram, there's threads, there's tick tock, there's all sorts of things, and you can't keep up with it. Sometimes you could probably debate why females are not on YouTube forever, but I think, unless maybe more women actually voiced and said this is why I don't do it, you probably wouldn't ever truly understand why it's hard, isn't it? Because you don't want to assume? You know, we're two women, we go out and do it, you know, and we have our reasons why we do it, but it's different for everybody else. But I suppose it would be nice to see more females on YouTube.
Speaker 3:I absolutely agree. I think there's so many more women out there that would love to do what we do, and it's an absolute shame that they're not in. For whatever reason, they're not in a position to do that. You know it's such a shame. And how do you find a way? How do you find that way, even if it's just one afternoon or one morning or one evening, where you can say, right, okay, now I'm going to do it. That today, at this time and I know, you know, I might have children, I might have other commitments at home, you might work as well. You know we've done it. We've both had full-time jobs and we've worked around and done what we've done. And I know again, that can be equally difficult. But if somebody wants to do it, it's really important that they try to do it.
Speaker 3:It's really important because once they start to do it they'll feel that they'll be comfortable with that. You know, the understanding and the feeling they get from doing that, I would imagine, will drive them to continue to find a way to do that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like you're fulfilling yourself in some way and if you're holding yourself back because all those reasons, you could pick one of them. You know it could be any of them. And the same is true for men. In a lot of these, a lot of the things we've touched on there, like jobs and children and you know a lot of. It's true for men, but for men.
Speaker 1:But there is a fact women don't step forward and they don't come forwards as readily as men do, and that is a big discussion to have I'd love to have like an expert on this. You don't get as many female. Well, certainly in the outdoor landscape you don't get females because you don't get that many podcasters, youtubers. You just don't, and that's maybe it's just a more, I don't know that it's a male dominated landscape. I think there's a lot of women that doing it quietly and not wanting to. They don't have a voice.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, there was a lady yesterday. Actually, I was teaching a lady yesterday who loveliest lady ever, and she wanted to do some underwater photography to go out for one to one. We had a ball, an absolute whale of a time, and she looked back and I said can I look at your stuff anywhere. She said no, I don't have it anywhere. And she was creating these amazing images and she really a lot about herself and she knew what she was doing and the reasons behind it and her thinking what a shame, what a shame, that it would be nice to see more of that. I'm not saying that she should do, because who am I to say in her life that's right for her, but I do think there's a lot of women that don't step forwards generally in photography and I sort of feel like by you, by doing it myself, it's just one in road, maybe to encourage, because I think that when people see you, you'll encourage me. Actually, because I'm thinking I'm going to do a few more YouTube videos.
Speaker 2:That's what it's about, isn't it? You know, because we've said to everyone about maybe putting something out there, about if there is women that want to have a go at YouTube, you know, we'd be happy to spend time with them.
Speaker 1:That's a nice idea, isn't it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know, I think the video side of things is very different from the editing point of view. The whole other software thing that you need to learn. You know it's hard enough to try and get your head around Lightroom and Photoshop. But then the actual editing of the video. Maybe people don't know where to start with that and maybe that could put people off as well a little bit.
Speaker 2:So there's the whole putting yourself out there the fear of maybe being criticised and, like you say, you know it's easy for someone to put thumbs down or put you know a not a very pleasant comment and that could crush people.
Speaker 2:You know, if you're not a confident person or if you're a thinker I'm very reflective. I'll sort of take something in and I might sort of sit with that for a few days and I go through a whole circle of oh I should have done this, or I should have said that, or if I'd have done this. I mean, you sort of go through a process of and you come out of the end going well, does it matter?
Speaker 2:But it's what you do to yourself over those couple of days and that could be very destructive from people that would never then recover and sort of think, oh, I'm not doing that. A bit more sensitive.
Speaker 1:I'm like that. I kind of overthink things as well. Probably after this, with goodness, maybe I shouldn't have said that about them. So it's like natural. I'm currently fighting with Skyfish. She now wants my microphone.
Speaker 1:I think that the editing again maybe video is quite techy as well, maybe leaning towards a tech side, and the editing for me is definitely something that I used to give my boys. It's editing now, but now they've left home. I have to do it myself, so that's probably what puts me off. I've got a video not edited yet. It's been bits from the chance and I'm thinking, oh, I need three hours, I need three hours to edit that. So when am I going to do that?
Speaker 1:I might actually employ Max, I'm thinking like my brain's going here, going like come and film some stuff with me.
Speaker 2:It's the times as well, so you know the time to go out, the time to then edit your images and then the time to put the video together, and sometimes it can take sort of four, five, six hours to put a video together, and that's not even with editing your images, I think it's a really nice conversation to have probably talk for hours, but we probably won't because this dog is about to eat the van or something.
Speaker 1:I hope that hasn't been too much noise during this recording. Wasn't the smoothest? It's real, we're keeping it real. And definitely I think that you know anybody that wants to go on to YouTube or to just to make videos. Actually, we did a month in my membership of video. No, yes, we did a month of video. People were loving it so much. We did two months, so we're going to go back to it because there was a big response to that.
Speaker 1:Actually, and I think there's a lot of interest and it's that editing bit. I think the editing bit is the kind of it's hard on the audio. Maybe we'll talk further about that, because it would be nice to see more, more, I think, just in coaging people in general, but it would be nice to see more in YouTube, definitely be, lovely, yeah, excellent. So, thank you. Thank you so much.
Speaker 3:No thank you.
Speaker 2:I wasn't like you. Get on with your holiday.
Speaker 1:No worries at all, it's lovely. Yes, thank you. All right, we'll see you later then. Thank you.