Rant on manual exposure and why I don't believe it. Well, in most cases..

[westmill]

And they raised hell with each other when AE and then AF came out too....manual vs AE...manual vs AF...auto everything won because people are lazy and the technology works and is easier...no brainer! LOL

Nowadays once the negatives are made and scanned they become digital images and as such are a heckuva lot easier to manipulate...the darkroom is even more obsolete than film!

Photography is a convaluted thing...kind of like playing guitar...where they fight about acoustic vs electric...hahaha

Now if you shoot in only B&W/Monochrome I can respect that...you are taking on a great challenge...

Lol Jeff.... I was just thinking about that lol. Metering was well established when I joined the fray but autofocus !!!!
I thought they were bonkers lol and Digital... I loathed it with a vengance lol.
one thing i still think is missing and just cant be replaced is the pride in your finnished print with film.
OK you can be proud of a great pic still, but its very different. its sad so many missed the boat.

 

[Eye-level]

They say one of the coolest things any photographer could ever see in a lifetime is the first time he or she watches an image magically appear on a piece of blank paper...think about it do you remember Polaroids and putting it in your armpit to keep on the heat? LOL

 

[miknoypinoy]

They say one of the coolest things any photographer could ever see in a lifetime is the first time he or she watches an image magically appear on a piece of blank paper...think about it do you remember Polaroids and putting it in your armpit to keep on the heat? LOL

"memory lane". I was 17 in high school photography (wow that was a while back lol). our first assignment was to make a pinhole camera out of a Quaker oats cylinder (that's as manual as manual exposure gets lol). I remember being in the dark room opening the cylinder and taking our small piece of photo paper out and dropping it in the developer. . . "magic. . . pure magic. . . ".

I use aperture priority most of the time also. manual if I'm trying to do something real creative.


I'm not afraid . . . YOU WILL BE. . . YOU WILL BE. . .

 

[Browncoat]

Sorry I missed this one and it managed to get itself 3 pages deep before I could chime in with my words of infinite wisdom, well beyond my years.


This discussion, and those like it, are part of the reason why photography is destroying itself from within and losing credibility as an art form. At the end of the day, who really gives a damn which mode a photo was taken in? Does the client? Does the buyer or casual viewer? No. The only people who turn up their noses or whisper to their snotty cohorts are fellow photographers so that they can pretend to be better. It would be like Picasso scoffing at Dali because he liked to use a #7 camel hair brush instead of a #4 synthetic hair one.

It seems to me that so many have forgotten that the camera is merely a tool, an end to a means. Whether digital or film, untouched or HDR, manual or auto...it's all about the final vision. The journey will vary for each photographer, and is unimportant. It's the destination that should be appreciated and/or discussed.

I use manual mode exclusively in my studio, because I have to. In natural lighting, it's extremely rare unless there is something specific I'm trying to achieve that can't be done via other modes. There are those who shoot manual all the time, who carry a light meter around their neck. There are also those who can dial in their camera in any situation. Does that make them a better photographer? Nope. They may know their camera better, or be more versed in technical aspects of photography, but unless the final work speaks for itself, none of it matters.

 

[Philnz]

"And remember a Photo does'nt lie"!!!!!!!!

What a great thread this is turning out to be, great input from everyone.

 

[Browncoat]

"And remember a Photo does'nt lie"!!!!!!!!

Unless it's Photoshopped.

 

[westmill]

Learning how to use the camera is the easy bit. ive known people that know and understand all there is to know
about cameras and they still couldnt take a decent pic save there life

 

[Eye-level]

Learning how to use the camera is the easy bit. ive known people that know and understand all there is to know
about cameras and they still couldnt take a decent pic save there life

I get a decent snap every now and then but I pretty much fall into this category...but here is the deal...I make the snaps for me...and I do aspire to be better sometimes just not that often...LOL I like to use my crazy old gear and combine it with my new digital unit and see how they compare...I take pictures of my cameras for God's sake! I do photography for a lot different reasons not just art photography or whatever the case may be...I use my camera on vacation and I walk around town taking pictures of old buildings like some numbskull. I could care less about clients and contests and all that jazz but I do like to post my snaps however sucky or ok they may be...I do it for me and whoever wants to try and enjoy them...it is just a hobby.

Somebody send me a lens and I'll try out some other modes besides just M... LOL

 

[Philnz]

Learning how to use the camera is the easy bit. ive known people that know and understand all there is to know
about cameras and they still couldnt take a decent pic save there life

That sounds like me

 

[eurotrash]

Damn, I can't believe my random thoughts generated so many posts! Great to see people thinking though. If nothing else now we know the logic behind some members shooting which was worth the post in itself. Maybe I should post more random thoughts.. I have plenty! Haha.

This discussion, and those like it, are part of the reason why photography is destroying itself from within and losing credibility as an art form.

I believe that instagram is behind it all.
But, I'm glad to be of service.

 

[Eye-level]

These kind of discussions have been going on a long long time...way before P S M and A and digital...photography hasn't destroyed itself yet or lost any credibility IMHO in fact it has probably grown stronger...so carry on with the technology and the drinking...do you prefer your beer home brewed or house brewed or multi national conglamorate brewed??? In a can a bottle or on tap??? As long as it gets the job done right? LOL

Maybe we should start a new forum called the drunken photographer...of course all of the pictures would be blurry...hahaha

 

[westmill]

( This discussion, and those like it, are part of the reason why photography is destroying itself from within and losing credibility as an art form. )

That is simply not true ! Its disscusions like this that help to explain things and allow people to learn.
It shows there are more ways than one to skin a cat.
It allows people to see and understand the camera modes and how best to utalize them.
It helps tp explain why some people shoot in certain modes and why. Advantages and dissadvantages.
While there is no right or wrong ways as such, its nice to know the options, so that you pick the right mode for you.
The more understanding you have of the cameras controls and what they are doing can only allow for better control.
Once you master the camera which is not that difficult, once the penny drops, the only limatations are the mind.
The camera is a tool... its the person that is the photographer. Without fully understanding the camera you are a guy or woman
with a camera taking pics. A good photographer is the photographer that just gets on with it.
The picture should form in the mind and not the camera. You get to know your own equipment... you get to know how much bokeh and DOF
there is at a given aprature on a given lens. So that when you see the scene in front of you, you have an idea of how a scene will look already.
You automaticly seek out poss distracting bits that fall within the frame. You make decisions on where to place emphasiss on lighting etc.
This is where the art is ! Without the knowledge and understanding of what the camera is doing, its impossable to create the picture you see
in your head.

 

[eurotrash]

This wasn't about MY understanding of the camera, just a generalized thought really

 

[ZekeMenuar]

( This discussion, and those like it, are part of the reason why photography is destroying itself from within and losing credibility as an art form. )

That is simply not true ! Its disscusions like this that help to explain things and allow people to learn.
It shows there are more ways than one to skin a cat.
It allows people to see and understand the camera modes and how best to utalize them.
It helps tp explain why some people shoot in certain modes and why. Advantages and dissadvantages.
While there is no right or wrong ways as such, its nice to know the options, so that you pick the right mode for you.
The more understanding you have of the cameras controls and what they are doing can only allow for better control.
Once you master the camera which is not that difficult, once the penny drops, the only limatations are the mind.
The camera is a tool... its the person that is the photographer. Without fully understanding the camera you are a guy or woman
with a camera taking pics. A good photographer is the photographer that just gets on with it.
The picture should form in the mind and not the camera. You get to know your own equipment... you get to know how much bokeh and DOF
there is at a given aprature on a given lens. So that when you see the scene in front of you, you have an idea of how a scene will look already.
You automaticly seek out poss distracting bits that fall within the frame. You make decisions on where to place emphasiss on lighting etc.
This is where the art is ! Without the knowledge and understanding of what the camera is doing, its impossable to create the picture you see
in your head.

How dare you confuse us with the facts!

 

[Browncoat]

The last several posts have been moderated. Chalk it up to a simple misunderstanding, or however you want to shape it.

Moving forward.

Your post has been deleted, westmill. As a courtesy, this is your one and only warning.

I hate moderating posts, Jeff. Hate it. But at some point, civility and common sense dictates that in order to keep things moving in a positive direction, action must be taken. Some people are simply incapable of moving on.

 

[miknoypinoy]

The last several posts have been moderated. Chalk it up to a simple misunderstanding, or however you want to shape it.

Moving forward.

lol. . . "agree to disagree". I love forums. . . with that said let's all continue to have fun and "light write". .


I'm not afraid . . . YOU WILL BE. . . YOU WILL BE. . .

 

[Rick M]

Damn!, I read this thread too late to get in the thick of it !

 

[Browncoat]

No worries, Rick. With me around, you can be sure there will be action somewhere.

 

[westmill]

Thank you, your so courtious I posted the last one before your post whent up though.
You started the whole thing and you enjoyed doing so and you did it deliberately. Ive reported the incident
anyway. There you go again.... you just dont know when to stop do you. Im happy to move on.
you should try it yourself

 

[Browncoat]

Move on to the first day of your 7 day ban. You were warned.

Statements you made earlier in this thread were quoted, and called into question. Whether you agree with my observations or not is irrelevant. Instead of using these forums as a sounding board to defend your position and contribute to the discussion, you resorted to name calling and trolling in not one, but multiple posts. Had you done this to any other member of the community, your banning would have taken place much sooner.

Being a moderator is a difficult task. I am a member of this community, just like everyone else. I like controversial topics and will often post in them. My status as a moderator is not going to prevent me from saying my piece, nor make me back down on my stance for fear of being labeled a bully. The longstanding members here acknowledge that I will contribute to a discussion and that it's okay to disagree with me and not face repercussions. However, I will not be prodded and trolled. It will not be tolerated against any member of this community.