Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/09/19

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Subject: [Leica] technology changes...
From: photo at frozenlight.eu (Nathan Wajsman)
Date: Fri Sep 19 12:48:34 2008
References: <F8BB1743-A423-4AF5-A8B1-E3A4F91E5D55@dial.pipex.com> <1A1AFCF8-913D-4D93-8260-50DAC1386014@cox.net>

Sorry to disagree completely...

Thanks to digital technology, I am able to look at incredibly moving  
pictures made by a doctor in Arizona...
Thanks to digital technology, I can see places I would never see  
otherwise...
Thanks to digital technology, I can share my own work with a worldwide  
audience...

and so on.

Yes, conditions for professional photographers have changed. As they  
have for auto workers, for college professors, for just about anyone  
who works for a living.

But I sure would not want to go back 20 years.

Nathan

Nathan Wajsman
Alicante, Spain
http://www.frozenlight.eu
http://www.greatpix.eu
http://www.nathanfoto.com

Books: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/search?search=wajsman&x=0&y=0
PICTURE OF THE WEEK: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog



On Sep 17, 2008, at 7:26 PM, Steve Barbour wrote:

> from another (computer) list...
>
> relevant, a very good summary I think, but many here have heard it,  
> have lived it, and many have to deal with it now...
>
> Steve
>
> **************
>> Well Shawn,
>>
>> I beg to differ. Life is not as simple as people wish it to be, I'm  
>> afraid....
>>
>> Without beating my own drum, I would say that I'm probably in a  
>> better position to comment on this than many, having been a working  
>> professional photographer for 22 years now...
>>
>> I've lived and worked through the demise of film and the advent of  
>> digital, and I can honestly say with my hand on my heart that I  
>> never used to waste so much 'down-time' as I do now having to keep  
>> abreast and paying for technology that at the end of the day does  
>> the same thing that it did 22 years ago...that is make photographs.
>>
>> OH - I can now wizz them across the planet in zilch time. Big Deal.  
>> That doesn't help my bottom line. It just adds more stress to my  
>> work day. Clients do not want to pay for this. They expect it in  
>> with the package these days....They want me not only to drive to  
>> the location (300 mile trip) shoot the photos, but also develop  
>> them and "ping" them over to the US or wherever before I go to bed.  
>> Its totally pants. When I shoot, I simply don't sleep...which makes  
>> me ill....which creates more stress blah de blah...But I digress...
>>
>> When I started professional photography in 1986 I saved my money  
>> and invested in a medium format system that served me well for many  
>> years - I still have it and it still works now and takes beautiful  
>> photographs. Clients used to be happy to pay for the film and  
>> processing. Job Done.
>>
>> I also have a Nikon D3 (and had D2x and D100 and .....get the  
>> picture - pardon the pun) and with each camera purchase comes a  
>> raft of disappointments as the latest camera body doesn't work well  
>> with last years lens...Take for example the D3...Nikons current  
>> flagship model...It doesn't even work properly with the current  
>> 70-200 f2.8 VR lens - Yes, I grant you it works sort of...as long  
>> as you are prepared to live with massive vingretting...the whole  
>> digitisation of the industry is quite shocking. So when Photokina  
>> is launched next week (yet another commercial merry-go-round), I'll  
>> be having to keep an eye out to replace another $2,500 lens....The  
>> one I'm replacing is only 2 years old !!
>>
>> And no Shawn...this didn't use to happen with film. I know. Because  
>> I remember. You bought a Hasslebald lens...it would last decades.
>>
>> The reality for photographers is that we are having to waste all  
>> our time and effort "learning" new ways to make the same wheel,  
>> rather than creating challenging and creative imagrey. Digital  
>> Technology has been a complete disaster for independant  
>> photography, as sole traders like myself simply do not have enough  
>> hours in the day to do and learn all the technology.
>>
>> But somehow we have to. But don't tell me its "always been like  
>> this" Because that's simply an inaccurate statement. It has never  
>> been like this before ! Technology is simply undermining and  
>> blocking true creativity and real life observation skills. And no  
>> amount of pixel counting and special effects in Photoshop will  
>> change this, or make the person using the computer a better  
>> photographer.
>>
>> I would also add that in my experience Computer Technology has  
>> undermined what photography is about..people look at my images  
>> these days and "assume" they were done in Photoshop ! Even the  
>> documentary images - this destroys the very essense of what I stand  
>> for.
>>
>> Because of Technology - Photography is no longer 'trusted' to  
>> represent anything more than a glint in someones eye, and has been  
>> ruthlessly commodotised. I've even had "serious" discussions with  
>> clients telling me I should charge for my photos by the MB - and  
>> not by any aesthetic principle...
>>
>> Its all very insulting to be honest...
>>
>> Best wishes,
>> David
>>
>>
>> David Townend Photography
>>
>> http://www.davidtownend.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 17 Sep 2008, at 16:27, Shawn King wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Photographers (and others) have *always* gone through this,  
>>> computers or
>>> not, digital or not.
>>>
>>> The technology of almost everything moves forward those who rely  
>>> on that
>>> technology for whatever reasons move forward with it - or they get  
>>> left
>>> behind.
>>> -- 
>>> Shawn King
>>> Host/Executive Producer
>>> Your Mac Life
>>> http://www.yourmaclifeshow.com
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


Replies: Reply from imagist3 at mac.com (Lottermoser George) ([Leica] technology changes...)
Reply from philippe.amard at tele2.fr (Philippe AMARD) ([Leica] technology changes...)
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