Photography | Thomas Hawk | Talks at Google | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Thomas Hawk shares his photography insights, including setting ambitious goals, efficient photography techniques, and the importance of online photo sharing.

Key Insights

• 😫 Setting ambitious goals can be a source of motivation and focus for photographers.
• 👻 Carrying a camera everywhere allows for more opportunities to capture interesting moments and scenes.
• 👨‍🔬 Efficient planning and researching when embarking on photography trips can ensure maximum productivity and time utilization.
• 🖐️ Post-processing plays a significant role in photography, and investing time in learning and improving editing techniques can greatly enhance the final results.
• 🏛️ Building a supportive and positive online community is important for photographers, and blocking toxic individuals can help maintain a positive online presence.
• 🏣 Starting with any camera and focusing on improving post-processing skills can be just as effective as investing in expensive equipment.

Transcript

Male Presenter: Good afternoon everyone. My name is Brian Rose. I'm from the photos team. I'm here presenting Thomas Hawk for part of our photographers at Google series. Thomas Hawk is a prolific photographer. He's here from the Bay Area. And one of his life goals is to produce more than one million photographs. He's well on his way there. If yo... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Thomas Hawk manage to take so many photographs while juggling a full-time job and a family?

Thomas Hawk stresses the importance of being efficient with photography. He utilizes every available moment, such as commuting or exercising, to take photos. He also plans his photography trips well in advance and ensures that every trip is optimized for efficiency.

Q: How does Thomas Hawk efficiently process and manage his large collection of photographs?

Thomas Hawk uses Lightroom for post-processing and organizes his photographs in folders by date. He imports the raw files into Lightroom, processes them, exports them as JPEGs, and then moves them to an archived folder. He keeps all his raw files for future use or improvements in processing techniques.

Q: How does Thomas Hawk deal with negative comments or toxic people online?

He emphasizes the importance of blocking toxic individuals and avoiding engagement with negativity. On platforms like Google+, he blocks people who leave negative comments or engage in toxic behavior, ensuring a positive and supportive online community.

Q: What advice does Thomas Hawk have for aspiring photographers who are just starting out?

Thomas Hawk recommends starting with any camera, even a camera phone, and focusing more on post-processing. He suggests learning from tutorials and engaging with the photography community, either by participating in hangouts or asking experienced photographers for advice.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Thomas Hawk sets a goal to publish one million photographs before he dies, which serves as a source of motivation and helps him stay focused on his passion for photography.

• He emphasizes the importance of carrying a camera everywhere, even on daily commutes or walks, to make the most out of every opportunity for photography.

• When planning trips to photograph different cities, Thomas extensively researches the locations and creates a detailed map of the places he wants to shoot, ensuring efficient use of time and resources.