Jared Polin - FroKnowsPhoto Genius
YouTube Screenshot/Jared Polin
If you're YouTube watcher and subscribe to photography channels, it's only a matter of time before you either stumble onto a video of a guy with a big fro or YouTube makes a recommendation to his channel.
You know who I'm talking about...Jared Polin, AKA FroKnowsPhoto.
When you watch this guy for the first time, it's a love-him-or-hate-him sort of situation.
Personally, the first time I watched one of Jared's videos, I kind of didn't care for him. It's nothing against him, it's just that my first impression didn't lead to fireworks going off.
Over the past 10 years, I've seen his videos, and in many cases it was a strange experience to watch them. It was almost like I was compelled to watch, but couldn't figure out why I felt compelled to watch.
However, when you break down his videos and really drill down to what he's doing, what he's saying, and how he goes about those things, you begin to realize just how brilliant this guy and his team are.
He delivers shock value - he's not afraid to cover topics that others won't - and he says what's on his mind.
Like many great comedians, he has this Jedi-like force of using humor, wit, and sarcasm to reel you in. In other words, if you initially didn't like his channel, with every video you watch, you creep closer and closer to hitting that like or subscribe button.
YouTube Screenshot/Jared Polin
I enjoy reading, a lot. However, I don't read too many fictional books. Actually, there have only been two (The Martian and Ready Player One, which, by the way, are badass books and way better than the movies).
What I really enjoy reading are business and personal development style books. I have hundreds of physical books and even more audiobooks that I'll listen to when I'm driving or at the gym.
Last November, I was listening to Crushing It! by Gary Vaynerchuk, which is his follow-up to Crush It! (which is an amazing read). As I was listening to this audiobook, there came a segment that talked about Jared Polin, the man behind FroKnowsPhoto.
What I learned here is something that shed a whole new light onto this guy.
YouTube Screenshot/Jared Polin
The book humanized him, made him a real person to me, and made me realize just how talented this dude is.
It spoke to Jared's relentless work ethic, his family values, and his deep desire to help people learn and grow as photographers.
After listening to all these personal details about him, I developed a different view of who he is. I understood that the persona he puts forth in his videos isn't the whole story. Behind the fro is a truly genius photographer and businessman.
What's funny is that as I'm typing this out, this character paradigm shift reminds me of an interview I had with Jay Leno with my last company.
Growing up, I had an opinion of the kind of person Jay was, and based on that opinion, created this avatar of him.
Just prior to my interview with Jay, he gave me a tour of his warehouses that store his motorcycles and amazing collection of cars and steam engines (yes steam engines, he collects them).
During this personal tour, I saw a completely different side to this guy that totally changed my view of him. It's not that I had a poor view of him before, but after meeting him, I realized my avatar for him was a bit off.
YouTube Screenshot/Jared Polin
So, while I have never met Jared Polin, reading about his work ethic and family values really shifted my views. More importantly, we have a mutual friend, and from my chats with him about Jared, the guy is as down-to-earth as can be. I now see his videos through a completely different lens. For me, the lights went on and I started seeing just how brilliant this guy is and the psychology that goes into his videos.
You want to hear something funny? What triggered this long-overdue article was motivated by a post one of our PT users made today: "Fro Knows Photo Got Me."
As I clicked on that, I saw someone's reaction to a video that Jared released on April 1st, one that I watched a few days ago and had the same reaction of, "Holy smokes, there is some big news here!" The video is below:
Jared was talking about Fuji going full frame and Sony releasing the A7s III with some pretty awesome specs. I was getting ready to reach out to our editors to make sure we had something on our editorial calendar to cover this news when I found out it was an April fools clip.
Well played, Jared!
But that just speaks to his ability to engage with his audience in an authentic manner.
The guy knows his stuff and is able to communicate sometimes-boring details about cameras and lenses and other photography topics in a way that's engaging and entertaining at the same time.
If you don't know FroKnowsPhoto, I've put together a few details below to help you get acquainted.
Jared Polin Biography
Jared Polin Press Photo via Jared Polin on Flickr
Jared is a 38-year-old photographer hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He got his start in photography at age 13, and as he says, he's been photographing the world ever since.
All that experience, combined with his on-camera persona and his knowledge about all-things photography, has made Jared one of the leading online authorities in photography.
Though Jared is best-known for his FroKnowsPhoto empire, he's an accomplished photographer in his own right. In fact, his images have appeared in multiple international publications, including Roling Stone and Spin Magazine.
Jared Polin Photography
Jared's website, FroKnowsPhoto.com, is the place to go for Jared's photography prowess.
Though you won't find examples of his work as standalone images, he has hundreds (perhaps thousands) of videos and tutorials where he shows you how to become a better photographer.
In addition to his videos, you'll find all kinds of written materials, photography guides, and even Lightroom presets that will help you take your photography to the next level.
Jared Polin YouTube
Jared joined YouTube way back in March 2008. To date, his FroKnowsPhoto channel amassed nearly 1 million subscribers.
What's more impressive is that his videos have nearly 150 million cumulative views. That's not bad for a guy that started making videos in his childhood bedroom.
It's evident in the videos he publishes on YouTube that photography is Jared's passion. From gear reviews to how-to videos to the latest photography news, his channel is rife with goodies for photography enthusiasts. What I appreciate is that he uses humor to make things light and interesting.
If you're a casual YouTube watcher, the chances are good that you'll recognize his signature "I Shoot Raw" t-shirt or his massive fro, even if you don't know him by name.
He posts videos most days of the week, too, so there's always something new and informative from FroKnowsPhoto. And, as I said above, the guy is a genius. If you find his videos offputting, just give it some time and keep watching. You won't regret it!
