Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/01/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Julian wrote: > OK Ted, I'm a fan and I'm nervous tangling with you BUT two points: > 1: gut feeling is easily manipulated and if people didn't think about > photography the newspapers would be full of shit lifestyle colour pictures > taken on zoom lenses that meant bugger-all...<<<<<<<<< G'day Julian, Never fear tangling with me anytime, as underneath it all there beats the heart of a pussy cat! A tiger! ;-) Well some newspapers look like they're full >>> "of shit lifestyle colour pictures > taken on zoom lenses that meant bugger-all"<<< all the time. But that may not be the fault of the photographer, but quite probably the visual illiterate editors who know no better. >>>>>gut feeling is easily manipulated <<<<< Yep if you take a laxative. ;-) But what I'm talking about isn't easily manipulated, as it's your feeling when you're looking through the viewfinder and everything in your body is screaming "shoot it!" Maybe it's motivation of the photographer through his or her talent, experience, instinct, whatever, but inevitably there is more than "brain in action" doing a cold hearted analysis. I'm not saying the brain doesn't function during this feeling, sure it does, as it holds the experience to motivate the eyes to understand this is a cool photographic moment. There are some folks, well we all start out taking pictures "by number," this isn't meant to be derogatory, if we didn't know about aperture settings, shutter speeds and the other intricacies of photography we'd never achieve "gut feeling!" But there are some people who never get beyond the number stage, where others not only learn the numbers but they have an inate sense of feeling a moment and capturing it. They see "the light" and know instictively what to do to make an exposure because they "feel it!" Unfortunatetly not everyone experiences this "gut feeling" simply because it's human nature that some photographers have a natural instinct of what works and what doesn't. Much like the piano player who's never had a lesson in her life and yet plays like an angel! It's a natural inner thing. >>>>> 2: you can't mean that photography is so superficial and meaningless that it > ain't worth struggling with otherwise how could us lesser mortals appreciate > the stuff that you and TIna do?<<<<<< Sorry if I've made it sound superficial and meaningless as that's not intended at all. Far from it, as photography has been my life and quite probably will be my death at some time, so be it. Great life and I wouldn't change it for a second! We all work very hard at it, I know Tina and many others, pro and amateur do because, it's a "calling" so's to speak. For those who think it's a superficial thing, shame on them, as photography is a blessing. We photographers, all of us, are the recorders of our times for generations to come, much as the early shooters are the motivators and teachers for us. I'm not sure if this is addressing your thoughts and questions, hopefully it is. ted Ted Grant Photography Limited www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant