Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/07/16
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Harrison McClary wrote: >> The TV photographers of old had to understand >> light, color, and film. This in my opinon is what makes a >> photographer, >> today all they do is hit white ballance, and most of don't even do >> that >> well, and shoot on automatic (Hence the reason I REFUSE to call them >> photographers). From what I have been told shooting on full automatic >> is >> how to use these digital cameras. So I am guessing that the news >> photographers of the future will have no real understanding of film, >> light >> ect as those of use who came up shooting chrome on deadline did. I >> already >> see this to some extent from those who have come up shooting color >> neg, >> never having to worry about the correct color on a color slide, >> perfect >> exposure ect. Rob Heyman wrote: >The "Vidiots" are usually just amateurs with expensive toys which they >don't own themselves. They don't often respect either their equipment or >their subjects, so why would they bother to put any work into mundane >things like good exposure, etc. > >"If the Boss don't supply it, (training) we don't need it!!" seems to be >part of the Vidiot idiom. > >There are some notable exceptions, but as usual the cream rises to the >top. As a TV Photographer myself I have to object to some of the = invectives! Nevertheless I tend to agree with the frightening = conclusion that tomorrow=B4s Video Photographers won=B4t have the = same understandings for the Art of Photography as their older = colleagues were taught in various photography- and film schools. When I started in the business we really didn=B4t have to worry at = all about the colors. Mainly because we didn=B4t yet have color TV! = At that time we shot the news on 16mm B&W negative film. When color television was introduced we used 16mm reversal = film(Ektachrome), and suddenly correct exposure became really = important. In those days us film photographers could enjoy the same respect and = maybe admiration from our bosses - and the public - as todays still = photographers hopefully get. However, with the introduction of video the recruitment of = photographers changed. Instead of hiring film school students the = stations prefered to promote already employed studio cameramen to = news photographers! And as you know studio cameramen don=B4t have to = worry about much more than keeping focus. White balance and exposure = is handled by people in the control room. Even the choice of pictures = and the framing is supervised by the director via the intercom. Most = of the time the cameramen don=B4t even have to carry the camera. They = just push it around on a dolly! Well, you can imagine how lost those guys are when they one day find = themselves out in the city wilderness with the heavy camera on their = shoulder - and without headphones. Of course they love everything = automatic that come with the new digital cameras!! Concerning their professional behavior it=B4s up to us old timers to = teach them. Ted has already presented a few ideas how to get them = back in line. And I agree with most of those. I could even teach you = a few more dirty tricks that have never failed me! The exception is = causing permanent damage to their gear. Let=B4s always respect the = hardware - even video cameras! Claes Bjerner