Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/08/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>The technical obsession with ultra-crispness, or whatever is a disease, Yes, it can be, but having knowledge of and control over technique is fundamental. Being obsessed with and producing ultra-crispness or soft-fuzziness or fine grain or coarse grain or any other image quality that can be achieved is not an end in itself. But if you do have a content in mind (or in heart) then knowing how to get it to the final print is very important. Who among us wouldn't sing opera or dance in the ballet if we could (perhaps some of us can)? Therefore I wouldn't be too quick to condemn the purely technical discussions here (or their participants) as the products of pointless fanaticism. Even if the technical achievement is all that concerns some photographers here for the time being, they will move on when they find what they're looking for. I passed through that phase--I didn't care as much about the subject of the photograph as I did about sharpness, shadow detail, or color saturation. But once I knew how to control those to some extent I had the confidence to pursue my more fundamental interest in the subject itself. Getting a handle on the technical issues is like singing scales or sketching or running laps: it's not the final performance but it is the practice needed to be able to perform well. There is a passion for photography in most everyone here. Not everyone expresses it in the same way, or in any way. Some come only to find an answer and then go on about their business. We need to be aware of that and resist jumping to judgment. - -Charlie