TraditionalPhotographer.NET / General Discussion / Ethics and Philosophy

Is Less More?

Bertilsson — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:58:30 GMT

I have had two eye-opening experiences lately. One in June and one in September.

1. June 2008 - Photostock 2008 at Bill Schwab's house in Northern Michigan. I left my house with a lighter camera bag on purpose. I brought one Holga, one ZeroImage 2000 pinhole camera, one Mamiya 645 1000S with a 150mm lens, a bunch of filters, and I managed to leave my light meter at the house in St Paul, Minnesota.
I have more lenses for the Mamiya, but the 150mm has always been my favorite.
This camera selection forced me to use what I had, I knew that, but forgetting the light meter, I thought I was toast for sure. But I managed to guesstimate my exposures based on experience. I came home with some of my best photographs ever, where my vision felt complete, and the photographs convey the emotion I had at the time of exposing the film.

2. September 2008 - APUG gathering on the Lake Superior North Shore. This time I remembered my light meter, and besides the Holga and ZeroImage pinhole, I brought my 4x5 Osaka camera, 13 film holders, and a 6x7 roll film back.
I love my 4x5 and was inspired to use it. The best images I brought back were, by a landslide, exposed with the pinhole camera. They were better in emotional content, visual impact, and just sheer quality of light conveyed.

Conclusion - no light meter and a cheapo Mamiya 645. I got better stuff than when I use my Hasselblad system and am finicky with my light meter. ZeroImage 2000 6x6 pinhole camera - hardly sharp, but handles nicely. I produced some of my best photography ever with it.
For me less has become more. The less obstruction there is between me and the final print, the better it is. I didn't have to worry about setting the shutter correctly, tilt, rise, shift, etc. I only had to worry about seeing, and I think that's what the key to this is. Vision. Great cameras never made great photographers. I'm not saying that I'm great, but it's worth thinking about.

Currently I'm scaling back the array of equipment I use. I sold the Mamiya because I want squares on the film strip, not rectangles. I'm keeping my Hasselblad, ZeroImage, and Holga. The 4x5 stays for now, but I won't shoot much with it. I have a 5x7 old Century with a wonderful portrait lens on it. That will see a lot of use in the studio.

I will continue to scale back until I'm down to the bare essentials. If you ask me, it's better to spend the gunpowder on fresh high quality film, chemistry, paper, and darkroom equipment.

I have attached one of the pinhole images from the September trip.

What do you think?

- Thomas

Is The Amateur The New Professional?

roteague — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:59:15 GMT

Interesting article here:

"Several topics here at the Microsoft Pro Photography Summit have turned increasingly to the amateur/professional photographer, a new breed of shooter I will now call "professateur" (or perhaps "amafessional"). The word Flickr has been said a few thousand times today, especially when the stage was taken by a terribly popular Flickr member, who has seen the launch of a fine-art career thanks to the worldwide exposure of the photo sharing site.

...[i]It's not the creativity, as was often the case in the days of film. It's certainly not the skills or talent, as was definitely the case in film.[/i]

It seems to come down to opportunity. The amateur now has a greater ability to capture and evaluate images and that gives them the opportunity that previously was limited to the photographers who had access to studios, bricks of film, talent and processing labs."

[url=http://www.pdnpulse.com/2008/07/is-the-amateur.html]http://www.pdnpulse.com/2008/07/is-the-amateur.html[/url]

I can't say that I agree totally with the article. Clearly, the photography world has changed, but I never saw that I lacked access to "studios, bricks of film", etc. during the many years I have been doing this. I used to develop and print all my own work. I was just too busy trying to pursue a non-photography career to make an impression in the photography market - I also never saw myself as a salesman, which you must be to do commercial photography.

Your thoughts,

Deravitive work, or just learning

roteague — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 20:08:55 GMT

"Blog Readers Catch Plagiarizing Photographer

Yesterday, art buyer and blogger Heather Morton published a link to a photographer's online photo portfolio she liked. It didn't take long for other photographers to notice that the work looked a little... derivative. How derivative?"

http://www.pdnpulse.com/2008/07/blog-readers-ca.html
http://www.heathermorton.ca/blog/?p=614

So, when does this turn from copying an idea for a photograph and outright copycat work?

Should we care?

Jorge Gasteazoro — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:34:01 GMT

Then why is it the digital camp spends soooo much time trying to make papers and ink jet products that look like traditional processes?!?

An internet acquantaince sent me the post made at the other site where the owner urges people to "get along" and mistakes the keeping of tradition with the worshiping of ashes instead of caring for the flame. In this post he ask why should he cares if people want to use the new paper? Well, I will tell him why he should care.

It is not a question of getting along with those using digital, people should use whatever expresses their talent the best. It is a question of honesty, of respecting a process that already exists and gives superb results in the hands of talented people. They tried this with "digital platinum prints" and nobody bought it, now we have "digital silver prints". Of course those who have run and bought the new paper tell us it is so great, much better than real silver prints. I doubt this very much! What it is, is simpler!

SO why should we care? We should care because this once more is another blow for those who love darkroom work. Why should a paper manufacturer continue to spend money and time making a paper that requires environmental compliance, difficult work conditions, and mantain a consistent product line when all they need to do is turn on the lights, use the same coating machines to coat paper without silver at a much lower price and then pass it as "digital silver prints"...the answer is they should not, unless those who use silver papers speak up!

There are times when we should stand our ground and say enough is enough. If digital is so great, then it should be something more than traditional photography, not a half assed simulation of it! This is why we should care, because it is not a silver print, it is an ink jet print on a paper that looks like silver prints and this, bottom line, is a dishonest....

Funny that the owner of the one site which prides itself on promoting traditional photography is now telling us this is not important.....I suppose if he made his living making beautiful silver prints instead of selling ads and memberships on a web site he would feel differently.

Just to get things going.

Jorge Gasteazoro — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 07:15:19 GMT

I made a new entry to my journals... visit my web site and tell me what you think about it.

http://www.jorgegasteazoro.com

PS. I forgot, the new entry is titled the way we learn photography.

Musings about Photography and Beauty

roteague — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:05:00 GMT

I was just thinking a bit about photography and beauty the other day. Sometimes, I get in these moods where I wonder if what I do, with my photography, isn't just an exercise in self-gratification - like Solomon says, vanity is like the wind.

But, I was reading an article on MSNBC yesterday, about Iraqi women risking their lives to visit a beauty parlor, and it got me to thinking that an appreciation for art and beauty is really a natural part of who we are, and there isn't anything wrong with seeking it; just as these women risk their lives for it.

Just my .02c worth,

Developing Vision and Style

roteague — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 15:49:56 GMT

I just picked up a new book "Developing vision & Style: A Landscape Photography Masterclass" by Joe Cornish, Charlie Waite and David Ward - all well known UK landscape photographers.

In this book two of the questions asked are:

What does vision mean to you?
How would you describe your vision?

I'm going to try to answer this question over the coming week as I read though the book. I just thought everyone might enjoy thinking about these questions as well.