How YouTube Helped Me Grow as a Nature Photographer
Apr 18, 2025
Over the last five years, I’ve experienced a lot of growth as a travel and nature photographer. But it wasn’t until I started writing my book, Nature Through My Lens, that I really sat down and took the time to reflect on how far I’ve come. It forced me to look back—not just at the images I’ve created, but at the journey itself. And one thing became clear pretty quickly: a huge part of that growth has come from building my YouTube channel.
Now, let me be upfront—my channel isn’t massive. But that’s the thing. You don’t need hundreds of thousands of followers to see real impact. Creating videos, telling stories, and simply showing up on the platform consistently has changed the way I shoot, the way I think about photography, and the way I connect with others.
YouTube has become more than just a place to share finished content. It’s a living visual journal. Every video is a moment I can look back on—almost like watching game film from a past season. I’ve learned what works, what doesn’t, and where I missed opportunities out in the field. But more than that, I’ve learned how to let go of perfection. There was a time when I judged every outing by whether or not I got the shot. Now, I focus more on the story behind the scene. That shift has made a huge difference in how I approach each location.
Snow-covered landscape in Maroon Bells, Colorado, featuring a wooden bridge over a calm stream with pine trees and mountains shrouded in fog.
A perfect example? Winter Wonderland. That image wouldn’t exist if I hadn’t been out filming a product review. The original plan wasn’t to capture fine art that day—it was to create a video for my gear series. But because I showed up anyway, I ended up catching a rare moment of fresh snowfall in the desert and created one of my most popular pieces to date.
That’s the kind of thing YouTube has brought into my process: structure, accountability, and more time in the field. Even on the days when I’m not feeling super motivated to shoot stills, I show up because I have a story to tell or a project to finish. And almost every time, something unexpected happens—something worth remembering.
As I continue sharing more of my journey, I hope my work—and now my book—can inspire others to reconnect with nature, slow down, and find beauty in the everyday. Whether it's a snow-covered scene that never would've happened without a review on the calendar, or a quiet sunset captured while filming a vlog, I'm reminded again and again: this process isn’t just about photography. It’s about being present.
If you're curious to see more of the stories and images that have shaped my path, be sure to check out my book, Nature Through My Lens, available now for pre-order.
And if you're not already following along, you can catch behind-the-scenes fieldwork, travel vlogs, and more over on my YouTube channel. Because sometimes, the best moments happen when you're just out there—camera rolling, story unfolding.
