YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG!!!

[ennuipoet]

FTA: I am a professional commercial photographer. I have been for the last 25 years. Throughout most of my career, I’ve had a hard time taking personal pictures — and for years I thought that shooting film was to blame. I’ve always found shooting film nerve-wracking. The joy of the “latent image” isn’t quite so joyous when you’re wondering if the shots are actually going to come out.

http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/20/4377290/post-process-why-the-smartphone-camera-changed-photography-forever

If you are a commercial photographer and you can’t compose and expose properly out of a studio, on film, then the problem isn’t the film: It’s you.

Also wik: How is a phone with a microscopic sensor and minuscule lens superior to a point and shoot digital (since film frightens you so)?

[staplermofo]

If you are a commercial photographer and you can’t compose and expose properly out of a studio, on film, then the problem isn’t the film: It’s you.

Also wik: How is a phone with a microscopic sensor and minuscule lens superior to a point and shoot digital (since film frightens you so)?

Clearly someone doesn’t have a crippling anxiety disorder.
The guy is clearly a competent photographer, it’s too competitive to last 25 years without skill to back it up. All the world’s xanax couldn’t calm me down if I sent off undeveloped rolls of film that my job depended on, and would next see them in a magazine. That’s understandable in my book.

And he explains how the phone camera is superior, in great detail, with the Leica comparison. Which is really funny, when you think about it, since they both use the popular video resolution (35mm then, 2mp now). Maybe in 100 years Apple will be the one making preposterously expensive fetish cameras.

[ennuipoet]

Clearly someone doesn’t have a crippling anxiety disorder.
The guy is clearly a competent photographer, it’s too competitive to last 25 years without skill to back it up. All the world’s xanax couldn’t calm me down if I sent off undeveloped rolls of film that my job depended on, and would next see them in a magazine. That’s understandable in my book.

And he explains how the phone camera is superior, in great detail, with the Leica comparison. Which is really funny, when you think about it, since they both use the popular video resolution (35mm then, 2mp now). Maybe in 100 years Apple will be the one making preposterously expensive fetish cameras.

He’s more than competent, he a GREAT photographer, so why was he so worried about things? I am not a GREAT photographer, but I know my gear, I know my lighting, I know my composition, and I know when I nailed a shot without chimping or post processing. If I did the bare minimum, set my exposure properly for the lighting conditions and compose the shot properly, then the shot I saw should be in the camera. Everything else is mental shenanigans.

Leica, Canon, iPhone, a good photo is a good photo no matter what took the image. I like to joke about phones, and I certainly don’t use one to shoot, but if I DO, then I know the photo is about my ability, my eye, not the machine.

[staplermofo]

…so why was he so worried about things?
…Everything else is mental shenanigans.

Be honest, how many of the photographers you know could shoot 20 rolls of film over 2 hours, toss them undeveloped into a bag, mail them to their employer and not mentally go through the undeveloped film’s journey in their minds?

Example:
*shortly after dropping film off at post office*
I should have typed the address larger and I should have put tape over it. My printer smudges, I’m sure of it. It’s just like that scene in Misery. That’s what’s going to happen to me. The film will be lost, the article will flop, the magazine will go under and the editor is going to come after me. Oh god, I’ll have no proof of the smudge. She’ll put a block between my ankles AND SMASH MY FEET!
*6 hours later*
Ok, it’s probably at the sorting center by now… god it’s hot… and humid… oh god what it’s still in the sheet metal van. God those things get hot. Christ, what if someone shipped a box of hydrofluoric acid? People must ship acid. They have to ship that in plastic, plastic is weak in heat. OH GOD MY FILM IS UNDER THE ACID! YOU HAVE TO HELP IT!
*6 hours later*
I bet they’re developing it now. I usually have Bob develop my film. He’s a good guy, nice and stable. You can count on Bob. They’re probably developing it near their office. There’s an art school near there. He’s probably used to college kids. Maybe he is a college kid too. I was a wreck in college, and the art students were so moody. I had a huge crush on Betty, I bet she broke some hearts. Oh god, what if Betty broke his heart? He can’t concentrate on film, he’s lovesick. I bet he left it in the developer while he kills himself. Relax, that’s just one roll. 19 more. Wait, no. OH GOD THEY’LL TURN ON THE LIGHTS WHEN THEY FIND THE BODY! ALL OF MY FILM WILL BE OVEREXPOSED!!
*6 hours later*
I bet they’re working on layout now. I hope they get what I was doing with the framing. They’ll probably try to play up swim fashion for this surf shoot. Becky wears crazy hats, I bet she gets this layout job. Becky likes to do those weird crops. I hope she doesn’t crop too close on someone’s butt. Oh god, she’s going to make it look like Penthouse. They trusted me, I should have told them I needed to run it by the subjects. They’re going to be livid. I’ll never get work again. Everyone will think I’m some pervert. It’ll be so public. I’ll never work again. I have to change my name. Can I live in Thailand? I could never learn Thai, the alphabet is too squiggly. Who doesn’t extradite to America? Cuba? Could I live in Cuba? No, they’d torture me, I’m sure of it. OH GOD, I HAVE TO END IT NOW BEFORE THEY TEAR OUT MY PHALANGES THROUGH MY SKIN!

And so on.

[ennuipoet]

…so why was he so worried about things?
…Everything else is mental shenanigans.

Be honest, how many of the photographers you know could shoot 20 rolls of film over 2 hours, toss them undeveloped into a bag, mail them to their employer and not mentally go through the undeveloped film’s journey in their minds?

I consider myself a photojournalist by practice if not by trade. I live in the field, if I don’t get it there I will never get it. I can’t fix it after it happened. A PhoJo runs their own film from camera to darkroom, and then gives it to the to the editors and graphics department. If I do my job in the field, I may be pissed because someone else screws it up, but I know that I did my job right.

[staplermofo]

If I do my job in the field, I may be pissed because someone else screws it up, but I know that I did my job right.

That’ll be cold comfort when you feel lineman’s pliers on your distal phalanges and hear the grave mutterings urging the unspeakable from the gathered, revenge-seeking subjects.

[fluffybunny]

staplermofo wrote:
Example: … And so on.

My God, it’s full of beautiful.

[Yugoboy]

staplermofo wrote:
Example: … And so on.

My God, it’s full of ANGST.

😳

ftfy

[staplermofo]

Don’t listen to him 4th post. You’re beautiful.
*waves cell phone above head, hums song, sways and weeps*

[Yoyo]

FTA: “YOUR EQUIPMENT NO LONGER DEFINES YOU, YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS DO”

Hasn’t this always been true?

I think someone had 1,500 words to fill last month, and being a photographer instead of a journalist we ended up with this claptrap.

[Author]

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