clodhopper – Member

I’m sick of seeing HDR style pictures with the shadows, clarity and vibrance sliders pushed to max. I often have to bite my virtual lip when a friend who calls herself a ‘photographer’ posts awful looking overdone images like this on her FB page, and her friends all babble on about what a ‘great’ photo it is. I keep telling myself that one day I should just be honest and point out just how awful they really look. Cruel to be kind.

With all due respect, so what if they are processed to buggery? If she likes them and her friends think they are ‘great’, then surely that’s the important thing?
Perhaps she looks at your ‘proper’ photographs and wonders why you take such dull, boring pictures and you should probably have a play with the saturation sliders and stick a nice ‘S’ in curves…..? 😀

With all due respect, so what if they are processed to buggery?

This is like any aesthetic; it’s very personal (deeply so) but there is also a general consensus among the aesthetes as to what is and what isn’t appealing aesthetically. For as long as there is something approaching consensus there will be people who fall outside of it and people who are on the ‘inside’ and just don’t like what people on the outside produce. There will also be people who want to learn and get better and develop a better aesthetic and people who just don’t care. There is enough space in the world for it all. Not liking something is just as valid a perspective as liking something. In my view, not liking a picture is fine. Not a problem. It only becomes a problem when your dislike transcends the aesthetic and becomes focused on a person.

I personally cannot stand the HDR look but then there have been a number of people on this site who have said the same about my work. Ironically i appreciate those criticisms more than the complements. The creative process is hard and the most important component for me at least, is critical reflection. It’s harder to get that when all you get is positive reinforcement; it’s much easier when someone doesn’t like you’re work and comments on it in a constructive way.

Criticism given with love is far more constructive that praise given without.

Clodhopper, like you I also can’t stand that HDR look. I also can’t stand the way that many people present themselves as being ‘professional photographers’, which is just wrong on its own, they should have the decency to call themselves a ‘camera for hire’ instead. Maybe you can acknowledge your friends work and ask her how she sees it developing and then suggest some work she could explore to learn more. She’ll figure it out if she’s genuinely interested in the art inherent with medium.

No, they mainly talk about equipment

Tripods and bags for the most part 🙂

I also can’t stand the way that many people present themselves as being ‘professional photographers’, which is just wrong on its own, they should have the decency to call themselves a ‘camera for hire’ instead.

I prefer the terms ‘picture takers’ as opposed to image makers.

“With all due respect, so what if they are processed to buggery? If she likes them and her friends think they are ‘great’, then surely that’s the important thing?
Perhaps she looks at your ‘proper’ photographs and wonders why you take such dull, boring pictures and you should probably have a play with the saturation sliders and stick a nice ‘S’ in curves…..?”

There’s a big difference between experimenting with image manipulation software to create a unique effect that emphasises/accentuates/exaggerates/compliments the way you chose to present your photograph, and simply applying an algorithm someone else has created, because it helps fit your otherwise possibly mundane image into a vernacular of perceived ‘coolness’.

In fairness, she’s seen very little of my work, because I don’t display it on FB etc. I might invite her to view some and discuss photography a bit more with her; that would be far more constructive than saying nothing and thinking her work is crap.

“I prefer the terms ‘picture takers’ as opposed to image makers.”

Sorry, but that’s the kind of pretentious **** you hear hipster types talking about. 😆

Nothing wrong with calling yourself a photographer, if that’s what you do, but earning a pound or two occasionally from it doesn’t make you a ‘professional’.

Sorry, but that’s the kind of pretentious **** you hear hipster types talking about.

It’s just how I separate me and my peers who create images from the purely observational/recording what’s in front of the camera ‘photographers’
I make images, people pay me to make their stuff look nice. It’s as simple as that, I’m not an artist or a visionary or attempting to curate a message.
Just a gun for hire, nothing pretentious about that, I’ll leave that to the hipsters who talk about ‘bokeh’ and the ‘the magic of film’ while gently stroking their hassleblad (500 series with a film back obviously)

“It’s just how I separate me and my peers who create images from the purely observational/recording what’s in front of the camera ‘photographers'”

As I said; pretentious.

“I make images”

So do photographers. And oil painters, and spraycan artists, pencil drawers, etc etc. You could call yourself a ‘digital imaging technician’ or similar, for maximum hipster **** points. 😆

“the hipsters who talk about ‘bokeh’ and the ‘the magic of film’ while gently stroking their hassleblad (500 series with a film back obviously)”

What about the ones who use crappy old Russian cameras (the truly terrible ones with plastic lenses) and out of date film (which is then probably cross processed) and wibble on about ‘Lomography’? 😀

Some of the best ‘photographers’ I know are people who just take snaps with their iPhones etc, who make no pretence about their images at all, yet have the ability to see pictures and capture them. Most of the pros I know mainly produce technically great yet boring and soulless work for their clients, and do very little if any personally creative work. Maybe you can relate to this. This is the reason why I actively chose not to pursue a career in photography, as I wanted to enjoy it, not endure it. I never want to be limited or constrained by what others want. Photography, for me, will always remain a hobby rather than a vocation. Hence why my personal equipment choice is dictated by the kind of pictures I want to take. A friend of mine used to use just a 355mm and 85mm lens combo, and took some great pictures. Somebody once said; ‘It’s not about the equipment’. 😉

Show us your pics then…

I’m actually building a new website (I’m not, I’m paying a clever person to do it for me!). I may or may not choose to link to it on here in the future. I certainly won’t put any of my own work on FB, Instagram etc, as I prefer to have full control of the copyright.

Show us your pics then…

And if he did, then what? What would it actually demonstrate?

I think it would then give others the chance to slag off my pictures. 😀

And if he did, then what? What would it actually demonstrate?

that he’s not just a gear talker/verbose critic, after all a picture speaks a thousand words 🙄

Is this some sort of competition then? I thought it was a thread about cameras?

The one with biggest zoom wins.
Just sold my 70-200 as I wasn’t using it so I guess I’m out the running 😐

OK – here’s one of my pictures(*) – am I a photographer or a gear talker?

(*) obviously it’s not.

(*) obviously it’s not.

I thought it was utter shit the first time I saw it. But art is all about value for the sake of value. Merit doesn’t come into it.

If that was your photo, you’d be an artist, or an art photographer.
It’s always looked like a rubbish photoshop job to me though 🙂
I bet he certainly isn’t a ‘gear talker’

To be fair – a lot of his other work really appeals and is just the kind of thing I like to take notice of too.

I’ve seen this before – where is it from? I really like it. I love the simplicity and the contrast. It’s lovely.

geetee1972 – Member
I’ve seen this before – where is it from?

Rhein II