[Leica] Inferiority complex

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (tedgrant at shaw.ca)]

Larry Z offered almost heart wrenchingly! :-(
Subject: [Leica] Inferiority complex

> I'm really getting a photographic inferiority complex. A nasty cold (flu?) 
> has laid me out for the last couple of days. I've spent the time watching 
> the nature shows on the Discovery channel on TV. Some of the nature movie 
> images on the Planet Earth series are far better than anything I have ever 
> taken, and to tell the truth, better than anything I've seen on the LUG 
> with the possible exception of  Doug Herr's birds and Jayanard's safari 
> pictures. I don't know how many thousands of hours of footage were culled 
> to get the moments of images but the results are spectacular.

> > Don't watch these shows unless you have a very strong ego. Of course 
> > this is all irrelevant to street photographers. I guess I'll just have 
> > to look at  football or soccer instead.<<<<

Now now Larry,
Cheer up and lets put this into the realm of reality!

1/
What you are looking at is the work of, yes a fine or several fine 
photographers..... not any better than you!..... BUT? They have all the 
equipment in the world and "People to carry it to the check in at the 
airport!" And carry it to the location!!! HUGE DIFFERENCE RIGHT THERE FOR 
STARTERS! And an organizing crew they don't have to carry their own toilet 
paper on location!

2/
Then they have a large crew of people organizing everything for them, 
equipment bearers and lots more. A script writer, scene organizing crew, the 
planned exactly proper time of the year to be on the correct location where 
all the neatest stuff and animals, birds and critters of all kinds of 
species are available for picture taking at the right time!.

Much like a Holywood cattle call for bodies on the movie Ben Hur! :-)

3/
Sure these shooters are good. Are they any better than Doug Herr for 
animals, critters and birds? Not on your life! Are they better than you? 
Heck you've never been on a shoot like these guys, so how do you know you 
wouldn't blow them out of the water? Whatever you do don't say you'd never 
beat them! You go with the attitude you are, or would, shoot their ass off!

Damn Doug ranks up there on top of the world and the only reason he isn't 
doing the wonder things on a TV show is..... "He's a very quiet easy going 
kind of guy in real life" and doesn't make a big fuss about his abilities 
and that the world should understand that he's the best!"

He isn't a blow hard pompass ass kind of person sucking up to the TV 
promoters and scallywags of TV !

So often what happens in the real world is... "some people absolutely know 
how to promote themselves!" ERGO: They, not because they are the greatest of 
photographers, they know how to suck-up and get assignments to the coolest 
places on Planet Earth. ERGO "the results are wonderful." Are they better 
than you might have shot? Doug would probably have blown them out of the 
water! But neither of you are "known!" outside of this group, or whatever 
other groups or organizations you shoot for!

Bottomline? Rest easy, relax and still keep doing your thing to the bottom 
of our heart and never mind the TV shows as I don't believe you'd suck-up to 
anyone given how we have grown to know you and appreciate your photography!

Take care and just rest! The world sucks simply because no matter how good 
or bad one maybe? The most important thing is?  BEING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT 
EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME!"  yes with the right back-up crew!

get better,
Dr. ted :-)
Now feel better? :-)