Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On 30/7/03 10:09 pm, "Ted Grant" <owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us> wrote: > Do you suppose Gene Smith, Bob Capa or HCB knew all this stuff? Or gave a > flying hoop about it? Not likely. > > However, on a positive note. I thank many of you for presenting your > knowledge of camera operating systems and many other aspects from the > technical side of photography over the years, as in quiet times I found it > quite fascinating. But during a heated shooting session it's mainly > forgotten. Ted In a way I agree with you but... I personally think Andreas Feininger had it right in defining a good photograph as one where strong photographic technique and good composition (he refused to call it art) come together. Take technique first. If you learn and practice all this technical stuff you go through the learning cycle: unconscious incompetence > conscious incompetence > conscious competence > unconscious competence. So the true master knows this stuff but doesn't - as you rightly say - think consciously about it when shooting. Composition. This has a similar progression. My own art teacher said it was something that was difficult, if not impossible, to teach - it was absorbed and grown through exercise. I was told: 'look at lots of images, arrange lots of photos in your head and in your camera and eventually you get better informed and better at composition.' Sitting there thinking about f-stops and proportions is not going to get a photograph taken let alone taken well. But all that should inform your photography. My two penn'orth - -- Regards David - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html