Category Archives: Ideas

Commentary, Ideas

Things that sometimes baffle me about photographers and photography

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This is by no means a complete list, but inspired by seeing one of these oddities in a post earlier today I thought I’d write it up.

  • “Unboxing videos” of new cameras. Why would someone make a 5 or 10 minute video of the act of opening the box that their new camera came in and then lovingly taking out… the manual, the USB cables, the styrofoam inserts, the warranty card, and on and on and on – often with narration and sometimes even background music. Do people actually watch these?
  • Spending thousands and thousands of dollars on “the best” camera, lens, etc. when one isn’t really a photographer and doesn’t really make photographs all that much and perhaps only shares the odd jpg or letter size print with friends and family.
  • Getting caught up in the “brand wars” between manufacturers like Nikon and Canon. They both make really, really fine equipment. Both are used by a lot of excellent photographers. Really wonderful photographs are produced using both systems every day.
  • Assuming that there is only one best “whatever” in photography. There is no such thing as “The Best… camera, lens, tripod, photographer, memory card, place to shoot, time of day to shoot, filter, brand, store, paper…” First, there are many good versions of each. Second, what is best for one person may not be best for another.
  • Obsessing over very tiny and insignificant equipment “flaws” or differences. The classic is, of course, choosing a less functional lens over a more functional lens because the less functional lens might measure .001% better resolution at 100% magnification on the test bench. Related are obsessions over very tiny differences in noise in digital cameras, concern about small difference in camera burst rate, worry that your lens might vignette some…
  • Thinking that you have to “take a position” on zooms versus primes. (Zooms and primes are both great, and you have my permission to use both… ;-)
  • Secret shooting locations – unless the area is fragile and too much use would damage it, if ten good photographers shoot it you’ll get ten different interpretations.

Anyone else?

Commentary, Ideas

George Barr on ‘Our Audience’

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I always enjoy George Barr’s thought-provoking posts at his Behind the Lens blog. Yesterday’s post on “Our Audience” touches on several ideas that I think are interesting and important.

Commentary, Ideas

More info on ‘photo contest’ issues

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Yesterday’s post about problematic “terms” in photo contests elicited some responses (including email from the promoter of the contest I mentioned) and led me to some additional relevant information on the web.

First, thank you to Peter Phun for pointing me to his article at Black Star Rising that describes an contest that actually states in its terms that a goal is to build a library of cost-free images! I guess that the organizers of that contest at least get points for honesty…

While responding to another comment on this issue I made up an imaginary scenario to illustrate why entrants might want to be cautious about contest terms that assign legal and financial liability to the contest entrant for future use of the photographs by the contest sponsors. While doing so I found a link to another piece at Blackstar Rising (whose RSS feed I have now subscribed to!) that will help readers understand some of the potential liability issues that non-professional contests are unlikely to anticipate.

By the way, the promoter of the contest I wrote about yesterday emailed to say that the article was “false.” (He also made a few, ahem, “other points” that I won’t repeat here at the moment… ;-)  I told him that if he would point out “false” material in the post I would be happy to consider revising it – but so far I have heard nothing, but the offer still stands.

Commentary, Ideas, Technique

Learning – and re-learning – photography lessons

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How many of us have had one or both of the following experiences?

  1. You plan to photograph something that requires some prior preparation – perhaps a very early arrival. You are virtually certain that you’ll have a great photographic opportunity. The clock goes off and you think, “Maybe I can wait just a few more minutes. I’ll still make it.” Or perhaps it is time to drop what you’re doing and head on out to photograph that late evening scene – but you’d rather just sit in camp a bit longer. And, be honest now, in some cases you just decide it would be easier to stay where you are. And the result? You – OK, I –  miss a great photographic opportunity. (First rule – you have to be there!)
  2. It doesn’t look like anything special is going to happen. You are not feeling terribly inspired, but somehow you manage to load up your gear and head out into the field. When you get there nothing seems all that special, but still you move ahead. Suddenly, and without warning, something wonderful does happen – and perhaps you even gloat a little bit afterward because you were the only one who dragged him/herself out there to photograph it. (Hey, that’s the “first rule” all over again!)

I sort of relearned that lesson again this past week while I was in the Tuolumne Meadows area of Yosemite National Park. This time I decided to take it a bit easy and instead of backpacking simply get a camp site at the large campground at Tuolumne Meadows. Perhaps the fact that I could sleep in and that I didn’t have to work hard caused me to, well, catch up on some sleep on the first couple of days. I was starting to fall into that trap when I finally decided that I needed to get “out there” even if I was oh so comfortable sitting around camp .

And on Thursday night I wasn’t quite certain what I would shoot, so I more or less figured, “Might as well shoot in Tuolumne Meadows.” When I got there I saw the beginnings of some amazing cloud formations – and I switched gears from “lazy photographer mode” and became “organized and productive photographer” for the next couple of hours. And I think I was rewarded for my efforts. The next five or so daily photographs posted here will tell the tale. Or so I hope… :-)

Like they say… first rule : Be there!