Re: Simultaneously combining the novel with the familiar

[Jeff Spirer <jeff@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Bob, it sounds like you are bothered by the "democratization" of 
photography.  On the other hand, this was exactly the same reaction when 
Kodak introduced a "camera for the masses."  I guess it's tradition to rail 
at the propagation of cameras and shots taken.  In the end, though, it's 
counter-productive, doing nothing for photography and only separating the 
"old farts" from the people doing most of the shooting.  In the end, you 
sound like someone defending the typewriter instead of the words that were 
put down using them, and whatever contributions you could make in the 
future become lost in the past.  It would be far better to use your time 
imparting your knowledge of what makes a photograph "good" or 
"interesting", where you have something to add, than to demonize 
technology, which will never add anything.

At 04:10 PM 9/6/2004, Bob Talbot wrote:

> But the fact (from pure personal observation) is that for those new to
> photography, or old timers as the old ways fade *unlike silver prints
> ;o)* the lazy factor takes over.  It's hard work to concentrate: get a
> microdrive, a 20A-h battery and just keep the shutter button down ...
> 10000 low res. images - surely some gems amongst them???
>
>
> A similar but less extreme comparison could be made between large
> format and 35mm.  Heck, fire off 36 frames and get the prints for less
> than the cost of 1?  Sure, I've bracketed frequently on macro - having
> spent an hour getting a shot an extra couple of frames "just in case"
> hold a trivial cost.
>
> Creativity?
>
> The old ways -  criticised for being counter-creative because of the
> discipline needed to execute a good shot: the new ways bring in
> wholesale genocide!!!!!.  ;o)   Seriously, creativity is in the
> mind/eye not in the review screen.
>
>
> SO yes: keep using you old fashioned SLR-lookalike in the old ways ...
> but you are not typical of the thousands of neo-technophiles snapping
> everything and anything at arms length on auto ....
>
> Best
>
> Bob

Jeff Spirer
Photos: http://www.spirer.com
One People: http://www.onepeople.com/
Surfaces and Marks: http://www.withoutgrass.com