[Leica] WAS: M8 Impressions NOW: LEFT EYE SHOOTER! :-)

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Larry said:
Subject: Re: [Leica] WAS: M8 Impressions,Pro and Con NOW: LEFT EYE SHOOTER! 
:-)


> Hello Ted,
>  You bring up a lot of great points. For professionals, at least you have 
> some reason to get out of bed in order to make images. That is, if you 
> have a project that directs your efforts.>

Hi Larry,
Like everyone else I too was an amateur many years ago. And the driving 
forces of shooting 29 hours a day at that time was a passion for photography 
beyond any emotions I've ever known. Something that's never left me 
throughout my life.

>  For amateurs with no commercial projects or paying customers, what reason 
> do we have to go out and shoot anything? Why bother? I think the internet 
> has provided the answer for a lot of people. The internet allows people to 
> easily share their images with other people. Is that enough? I often ask 
> myself that question. Is it enough to just share your images on the net 
> without earning any money from them? <<<<

Well in my early days there wasn't any internet. So I showed my pictures to 
everyone and anyone who'd take the time to look. Joining a local camera club 
helped learn a few things, but the "head guy and Holy Grail" holder in the 
eyes of the members ripped my efforts apart until out of sheer frustration 
one night I tore my, what I thought, was a beautiful 16X20 black & white 
print to shreds in his face and stomped out never to return.:-)

>>The internet allows people to easily share their images with other people. 
>>Is that enough? I often ask myself that question. Is it enough to just 
>>share your images on the net without earning any money from them? <<<<

Yes for some it truly is a hobby no question and many derive great pleasure 
with it not going beyond that stage. Then others find picture taking is 
something they want to do for the rest of their lives and have the talent 
and fortitude to make it as a profession.

This isn't an easy task at any time, but today due to digital and the 
advancement of computers, the internet and other electronic wonders sort of 
makes everyone an "award winning photographer?" without any concepts in the 
realities of making it a livlihood.

Certainly  being a professional and earning a decent livehood is very 
difficult. Due to values of photography have changed in use... IE: "We can 
fix it attitudes of art directors and photo editors! Those who believe in 
their pea sized brains... "it's OK we can fix it in photoshop so pay the guy 
$20.00 bucks and get him out of our face!"

>  I wasn't into shooting yesterday, mainly because the weather turned bad, 
> and it started to rain. So, then I had to think about carrying around this 
> $5k camera in the rain and worry if something would happen to it. I 
> remembered something Sean Reid said in one of his reviews about the M8 
> needing weather sealing and well, I couldn't agree more. Maybe it is time 
> to buy an M7! ;-) Unfortunately, I spent the money already....<<<<

As I re-call my early days the driving force was always "just being out 
taking pictures every waking moment of my life regardless of weather." We've 
all heard of the "golf widow." Well my wife, even though she started me on 
this incredible life journey of photography became a "photographer widow!" 
Simply because I was out all hours day after day when I was not working at 
my regular job.

Any kind of event, fires, sports, whatever I could get into or near enough 
to take pictures I managed to get into, I was there.  I used my first born 
son and my wife as models while reading every photo magazine I could get my 
hands on "learning everything I could to become a better photographer."

It's never been a casual endevour, it's every feeling in my body with the 
greatest of passion one can feel. Every picture was a challenge to do it 
better than I'd ever seen before. If I was at a fire my challenge was always 
to get better pictures than the newsphotographers working for the paper. And 
on many occasions I had my ass shot off. But was never undaunted to press on 
every time to be better.

Everything about photography for me is extremely serious. When I'm shooting 
there's not a moment of non-concentration as getting the picture is 
paramount even at the risk of lfe and limb on the occasion. That part is 
stupid but we wont go into that. ;-)

So when I say something about shooting without a reason it's as much created 
because in over a half century of picture shooting around the world, there 
isn't much I haven't photographed. So to some degree it's tough to get 
motivated about taking pictures to prove how a camera works.

I suppose some of my what appears as "negativism" comes from being 
"percieved as an old fart too old to shoot!" It isn't like I'm 85 and old or 
something, I'm only 78 and still.... most days ;-) in pretty good shape. 
However, I have the experince and fortitude to shoot for along time yet! But 
in the eyes of editors and people who hire photojournalists I'm percieved as 
some old guy who did great work along time ago. :-(

If you consider my first professional newspaper photograph was published 17 
September 1951, and I've not stopped since, trust me it isn't the money that 
matters, it's the emotions and satisfaction of some one saying.... "Hey, 
nice pictures!" :-)

ted