[Leica] Shoot first, focus later

[scleroplex at gmail.com (scleroplex)]

dear dr ted,
i agree.
when i was at a lab at harvard we had a security guard at the entrance
called freddie.
he used to sit at the desk carving wood laconically and glancing at
people walking past.
but freddie knew every single person in the building, where they sat
and when they typically came in to work.
immediately after 9/11 the geniuses in charge of security threw him
out and sent in a tall big guy who
did not let anyone by without a badge by peering at the tiny photo in
the corner, which may or may not resemble reality.
he did not know anyone by sight or anything else about them.

my lab-mates and i immediately knew our building's security had
suffered a massive downgrade!
so the next time we found the heads of security riding in the elevator
we looked at each other
and said "guess what i just heard! we are going to have high-tech top
line security soon! yes sirree! face recognition systems!!"

:-(

but as far as technology goes, this Lytro stuff is not a new concept.
the processing power is now within reach, that is all.
there are even people working on a water lens.

people will always fancy themselves as something they are not.
the problem arises in employers using this as another excuse to go cheap.

cheap is the biggest problem.
the exclusively mercantile approach to everything in the world.
bharani




Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2011 21:04:48 -0700
From: <tedgrant at shaw.ca>
Subject: Re: [Leica] Shoot first, focus later
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
Message-ID: <6D36DBA81FF640CFB10AFEC7ED97D7F7 at syneticfeba505>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
       reply-type=original

Greg Rubenstein POSTED:
Subject: [Leica] Shoot first, focus later


> Hello, group:
>
> First posted something about this technology a few months back. The
> company now has a name and is taking orders for the yet-to-be-released
> camera. The Web site also includes some photos and background info.
> Interesting approach:
>
> http://www.lytro.com/
>
> Not quite ready yet to let go of my Leicas. Also interested to read
> what the more technically adept among us think of the info about the
> technology behind this camera.<<<

Hi Greg,,
I see this as another absolutely scary electronic system! :-( All this super
technical stuff does is create another multi-million electronic machine
operators who think they are photographers because everything is in focus,
the colour is close. But the subject is not worth CRAP! However they call
themselves. READY?   "Photographers!"

The truth is.... "ALL THEY ARE IS "ELECTRONIC MACHINE OPERATORS!" ANY IDIOT
CAN PUSH BUTTONS!

However given the mentality of art directors and many of those today who
would normally hire a
"TALENTED HUMAN BEING"  to shoot the photographic material required for an
advertisement or other professional subject."  They will use a useless twit
of a button pushing electronic instrument operator. Rather than a talented
photographer! Like a "real human being photographer!"

No matter how wonderful some may think all this kind of technical correcting
electronic devices are, all they do is belittle the profession of being a
photographer..... Like a "REAL IMAGINATIVE CREATIVE TALENTED HUMAN BEING
PHOTOGRAPHER!"

I suppose that kind of makes my feelings clear about all these electronic
instruments in the hands of millions upon millions of electronic instrument
button pushing operators! Unfortunately real photographers are dying by the
way side while these electronic machine operators go about pressing buttons
and calling themselves .. pardon me... "photographers!"

Honestly as much as I love the computer and it's magic in assisting in
making prints and the wonders of the digital era beyond my wildest dreams! I
do have times when I wish I were a plain ordinary film using photographer as
in the "good old olden days!'

Electronics? Yep amazing........ however in so many cases it just pushes
talented human beings onto the back burners of life! And they die!

cheers,
Dr. ted :-(