6 replies to this topic

[FiZZ]

Hey everyone.

I finally joined this forum after running into it over a dozen times when Googling answers about photography.

This is my first topic, and I hope it turns out to be beneficial for everyone.

Please bear in mind this is just my OPINION.

With the advent of digital photography, anyone can pick up a camera and start taking pictures and call them self a photographer.

My only fear is that this gives birth to an entire generation of paparazzi who serve nothing but to black list photographers and journalists alike.

The biggest debate I find is the classic film vs. digital debate.

My answer to this is simple. For business: digital. For pleasure: film.

A lot wince at the thought of digital since it brings in expenses that can be done without. Owning a darkroom is a huge investment, especially if you want to create your own prints.

That being said, I find myself developing my film, but scanning in the negatives I want to share with others publicly, i.e. portfolio/website/MSN/whatever, and using an enlarger for prints I want to use for decoration or to give to others.

Recently in the college I graduated from, they started using digital cameras for second year students in design school. The course is a photography basics course, where students learn, well, photography basics.

This came as a shock as well as a disappointment to me, since when I took the said course, it was entirely film-based.

This made me start thinking, if I was an instructor, what would I do?

Let's face it, people are moving to the digital more, just like the move from film plates to 35mm. So how do you incorporate the same learning curve that is gained from using film and trial-and-error into digital?

Here are my thoughts:

1. Buy a digital camera. It is not wrong, since it is just a tool.

2. Buy a MANUAL lens. My manual lens I am referring to lenses that are not made for digital bodies (i.e. those that are sold of purely mechanical cameras. A mechanical camera is a camera that does not use any electronics for operation. These include cameras that only use an electronic light metre. An example would be the Yashica FX-3, Canon AE1, or Nikon FM2.)

The reason for this, is that when mounted on a digital body, the camera light metre no longer works, and this helps the student learn how to expose without depending on a light metre. I find this to be a very useful skill, and I wish I picked it up when I started. Four years and I'm still learning how to use it. This skill also helps reduce the dependability on the camera itself.

3. Buy a small memory card,such as a 256 MB one, and shoot in RAW format.

This does two things:

a. it limits the number of shots you have since you have a small memory card.
b. it helps improve your post-processing skills, since in RAW format the pictures have a very dynamic range of "edits" that can be done.

Just like film, a small memory card forces you to choose what shots to take. I find it a better statistic if I get 10 shots out of a 1000, that 20 out of a thousand.

4. Learn technicalities and works of your camera.

I cannot stress how important this is. A lot of pro photographers would disagree, and I know that my photography instructor would probably skewer me if he read this, but I find it a very useful skill to use.

However, there is a limit to the technicalities that I am referring to, and you need to adapt those technicalities to a useful outcome.

An example is learning about the sunny f/16 rule. While its not written in stone and is completely accurate, it is still useful. Using that as a starting stone and then working out the differences using the reciprocity rules of f/ stops and shutter speeds to correctly guess the exposures outdoors. Once nailed, this skill can be used to full effect indoors.

Here is a quick guide to the sunny f/16 rule.

http://en.wikipedia....i/Sunny_16_rule

Work out the rest of these technicalities into your work. Eventually they will become second nature, and you won't even realize you are using them.

5. Start out by shooting outdoors.

Shooting outdoors is a great starting point, since the sun is available most of the time (unless you live on the poles or in a country that has really short days in winter), and it shines on a wide range of subjects. You can shoot people, plants, buildings, construction yards, ANYTHING outdoors in broad day light.

Remember to ask permission if something is prohibited or if you think people might not enjoy their picture is being taken. No good getting sued over something that is supposed to teach you how to shoot.

6. Always ask for feedback.

Ask whoever you can. Be it your friend who doesn't even know what SLR stands for, or the New York Times photo editor. Everyone has a different opinion, and sometimes the opinion of an outsider can have more benefits than the opinion of an "expert".

7. Look at photos.

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS look at photographs.

A piece of advice that I was given from the New York Times (no they're not paying me to advertise for them) Baghdad bureau was to always look at photographs. Always ask yourself what it is that makes the photograph work. Is it the compression of a telephoto? Or the expanses of landscape of a wide-angle? Try to replicate some of the works you see. This will get you comfortable with your own equipment, and you will be more effective in your use

8. Have fun!

Always have fun! The more fun you have, the more you will learn!


Please feel free to ask me anything that needs clarification.

Hope this is hopeful.

Anyone care to add anymore advice?

[markgoldstein]

Welcome to PhotographyBLOG FiZZ!

[Now]

welcome fizz, I like your thinking, go manual no previewing till you get home. I think every shot is like a birthday present waiting to be opened.

[FiZZ]

welcome fizz, I like your thinking, go manual no previewing till you get home. I think every shot is like a birthday present waiting to be opened.

Thanks Now. I just wish the forums were a bit more active. Its very dead around here!

I still feel excitement when I finish developing film and I open it up for the first time to see what I got, or, even, if the film developed properly. Still remember my disappointment after developing my first roll in two years, only to find out it didn't develop long enough. Don't know what went wrong.

Or when you experiment with push-processing film. I tried to push 3200 Ilford up to 12800, but, again, upon developing, nothing came out. The rolls were SEVERELY under-developed.

Film is losing out. Sadly.

I can't think of anything more beautiful than the transparency of a 35mm negative. No digital sensor can capture the beauty of an Iflord B+W 400 pushed to 1600 and CAREFULLY processed. I still have a photograph of my ex-girlfriend as my wall paper, because I can't believe the quality of the shot that came out.

Ok, fine, I miss her too.

I wish this place was more alive. More tutorials and tips and advice would be great.

I'm going to start writing a few more tutorials based on my experience and knowledge, and if anyone wants to contribute, please let me know.

[richard crowe]

Hi Fizz

While I respect all your views and agree that many of your points may be sound advice for many photographers - I have to disagree with most of what you say in your opening thread. Again. as you begin, this is just my own viewpoint on photography, and it just happens to be different from yours. My views arent better or more correct, just different!

I am not a professional photographer by any means, but I am passionate about photography and would consider myself a keen amateur. I take pictures soley for pleasure and I currently use a Digital SLR. I do have all my film cameras in a box in the roof space - but I would never consider using any of them again. Perhaps I am not a purist, but to me film has been dead for a long time now.

I dont see why I should have to make my hobby any more difficult for myself, so I would never think of buying a manual lens. Yes I do use the manual sttings on my camera when the need arises, but why fotter about focusing a shot when the lens does it for you. If I want to change the dof I can simply f-stop up or down.

I have two 8 gb memory cards and the joy of digital is that I can take as many as I like without worrying about development costs like I used to. I'm not saying quantity rather than quality either. Out of 100 shots I may only get 2 or 3 I really like - but at least I had the 100 to pick from. You can set everything thing up manually, take hours to compose and adjust if you want - but I dont think it will mean you will get the perfect shot. It may help, but it wont guarantee. In five minutes I can take one scene from several angles with several shutter speeds, with several fstop adjustments and can be reasonably sure that I will get the one I want.

The excitement is still there for me - even more so since the birth of digital. I shoot in RAW and actually nearly enjoy the post processing stage more than actually taking the shot. This is when the photo actually comes together and can be brought to life. I would not agree that a smaller card would improve my poet processing skills. Most of what I have learnt has been from sharing ideas with others on this site and by experimentation.

I will not deny that you need to learn how to use your camera and what it can do. But have to admit that I have never read a camera book or followed any photographic rules. Those sort of thing bore me! Personally, I dont think you can learn to take excellent photographs. Yes, anyone can point and shoot these days, but the majority are just snaps. You can read books and learn all the mumbo jumbo, but at the end of the day, if you dont have that natural ability to see a photograph and not a snap, then you are on a hiding to nothing. I know this doesnt sit wiell with most, but its just my opinion

I reiterate again that like yours, this is just my opinion and also my tuppence worth on the subject. Just because we disagree doesnt mean we have to fall out. Its healthy to differ on things - it stirs up debate and discussion!

Cheers

Richard

[chappo1]

Hi Fizz

While I respect all your views and agree that many of your points may be sound advice for many photographers - I have to disagree with most of what you say in your opening thread. Again. as you begin, this is just my own viewpoint on photography, and it just happens to be different from yours. My views arent better or more correct, just different!

I am not a professional photographer by any means, but I am passionate about photography and would consider myself a keen amateur. I take pictures soley for pleasure and I currently use a Digital SLR. I do have all my film cameras in a box in the roof space - but I would never consider using any of them again. Perhaps I am not a purist, but to me film has been dead for a long time now.

I dont see why I should have to make my hobby any more difficult for myself, so I would never think of buying a manual lens. Yes I do use the manual sttings on my camera when the need arises, but why fotter about focusing a shot when the lens does it for you. If I want to change the dof I can simply f-stop up or down.

I have two 8 gb memory cards and the joy of digital is that I can take as many as I like without worrying about development costs like I used to. I'm not saying quantity rather than quality either. Out of 100 shots I may only get 2 or 3 I really like - but at least I had the 100 to pick from. You can set everything thing up manually, take hours to compose and adjust if you want - but I dont think it will mean you will get the perfect shot. It may help, but it wont guarantee. In five minutes I can take one scene from several angles with several shutter speeds, with several fstop adjustments and can be reasonably sure that I will get the one I want.

The excitement is still there for me - even more so since the birth of digital. I shoot in RAW and actually nearly enjoy the post processing stage more than actually taking the shot. This is when the photo actually comes together and can be brought to life. I would not agree that a smaller card would improve my poet processing skills. Most of what I have learnt has been from sharing ideas with others on this site and by experimentation.

I will not deny that you need to learn how to use your camera and what it can do. But have to admit that I have never read a camera book or followed any photographic rules. Those sort of thing bore me! Personally, I dont think you can learn to take excellent photographs. Yes, anyone can point and shoot these days, but the majority are just snaps. You can read books and learn all the mumbo jumbo, but at the end of the day, if you dont have that natural ability to see a photograph and not a snap, then you are on a hiding to nothing. I know this doesnt sit wiell with most, but its just my opinion

I reiterate again that like yours, this is just my opinion and also my tuppence worth on the subject. Just because we disagree doesnt mean we have to fall out. Its healthy to differ on things - it stirs up debate and discussion!

Cheers

Richard

Very well and eloquently said Richard.....I am not at your standard yet but I aim to try and get there the same way.....john

[pacificphoto]

Guys,

Well, the difference here is, my opinion is the right one....j


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Oh, tears flow freely at my own audacity.

Okay, seriously, I would like to express one little opinion, and that is that more options are always better than fewer options. I can choose to only use a few if I thought a restrictive exercise was what I wanted, but to literally force myself into only a minimal number of choices, that's just an alien concept to me.

And what is most beautiful to one person will of course be subjectively less or more so to another. Lots of things can be more beautiful than film transparancey to lots of people. There's no objective superlative available in photography.

Click, buzz, cheers.

Chris