[Leica] technology changes...

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

David Townend offered:

>>> >> 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...<<<<<<<

 

Hi David not trying to one up you on the working time as a professional
photographer, let's just say my first professional published newspaper
photograph in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper in the capital of Canada was 17
September 1951. And I've never stopped since as a photog about the world.
:-)

But let's put professional time aside for the moment, because I agree we put
in more time now trying to survive than earlier days. No question and
earnings are way down these days .

But I believe that has more to do with the world's glut of "Digital
technicians" note not photographers, pressing a button on a digital
electronic capturing gizmo, referred to by all as a digital Camera.
"Therefore I am a photographer."  In there minds.

When in reality they are nothing more than exposure making technicians
without one iota of what makes a photographic moment! But they sure as hell
know how to make it click and send it on it's way about the world in the
blink of an eye or faster.

 

>> 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.>>

I think "wasted down time" might have more to do with the high demands and
offers of assignments due to your ability as a fine shooter! Therefore you
are shooting under the pressures of today's media / advertising demands in
the commercial business sense.

It's constantly, "we need it yesterday attitudes" because digital has made
it so. Editors and art directors these days are so wired into "instant
everything" they never relate to the fact a human being.. "The Photographer"
must do more than just take the pictures along with the post production of
the assignment.

Sure we did it in the good old days of film and darkroom, but editors didn't
expect the images 30 seconds later as they knew we had to do a bunch of
stuff in the darkroom, ERGO: They waited and planned schedules for material
around the dark room time delay.

And we had down time we used for many recreation things, theatre, holidays
and enjoying our children and family activities. This can still be done
today easily.

The way to get around this is."don't do all the assignments offered!" Yeah I
know that sounds crazy! BUT! It's as simple as that, yep you may see it as
throwing money away because you turn down the work, but I can honestly say
when shooting film and assignments there were times I wished I could clone
myself  a dozen times I had so many project offers on my plate.

There isn't any question, digital has made everything faster & easier,
unfortunately more demanding on our time. Just when we thought it's quicker
and we'll have more relaxing time, it's become more demanding, less
relaxing. 

The reason has more to do with the fact editors or AD's have little digi
happy snap recorders and take lots of happy snap things that do not require
"Post production time." So they think all we have to do is put our pictures
on a CD, hand it to them in seconds and that's it!  But if we did it without
the post shoot fiddling by the hours and days tiding everything up, the
editor would demand it if we didn't do it first. 

It is easier today and it doesn't have to be "buy every new SWare that comes
on the market to supposedly make it easier. It doesn't at first because you
have to learn how to make it work to our benefit. If it does?

And following the "up dating routine" is a waste of money and time in many
cases.

I agree with Nathan on the super advantages and learning experience with the
complete digital and internet system, as it sure isn't wiring a picture like
in the "Golden olden days." :-)

ted