The Great Snappers and the Great Contrivers

Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens

12/19/2013 05:25:00 PM · #103

Originally posted by GeneralE:

I have a band -- should I ask them if they want to use that?

Sure!

skewsme

Canon EOS-6D

12/19/2013 05:53:56 PM · #104

Originally posted by Cory:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Originally posted by skewsme:

Originally posted by Bear_Music:
As does the deaf man :-) Blind, Deaf & Dead, we need to be a band...
:-) funny! and maybe you'd get fans that match...
Hey, even BDD folks need music in their lives!

Especially Bear_Music

dunno, bear music sounds kind of lofty. their first release will probably be more like butt music.

Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Lens

12/19/2013 08:17:14 PM · #105

Originally posted by skewsme:

dunno, bear music sounds kind of lofty. their first release will probably be more like butt music.

Now you're getting just plain disrespectful, ooooch!

skewsme

Canon EOS-6D

12/19/2013 10:49:48 PM · #106

don't be silly, i just called you lofty... and wafty.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

12/19/2013 11:07:39 PM · #107

Originally posted by skewsme:

don't be silly, i just called you lofty... and wafty.

Well, in THAT case may I buy you a drink?

spiritualspatula

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

12/20/2013 12:45:21 AM · #108

Originally posted by posthumous:

I would counter that a landscape photographer is more a snapper than a contriver because s/he sees something already there that s/he wants to capture. All the care and planning is still with the goal of capturing something he's already seen (but yes I know that stretches the idea of "snapper." my dichotomy is flawed, for sure). The only way for a landscape photographer to be a contriver is if s/he is Cristo.

A good point. My main motivation for posting was to illustrate that such a discussion wasn't so limited as folks seemed to be thinking.

And you've an interesting point there. I guess your definition (how it applies here) would heavily depend upon what strength you'd afford to time, and waiting. I give it immense power, especially with landscapes, as they can completely change based on when and how you capture them.

NikonJeb

Nikon D850

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

01/04/2014 09:57:36 AM · #109

I just wanted to kick this thread back up again.......probably the best reason to keep it going, at least as I see it is that this thread is to a certain extent what DPC is all about for many of us.

LoVi & I just came back from a week in Paris. I shot a few frames.......8~) Here's what I see by stepping back and taking a look at my results.

I got here in mid-2006 and really did not know squat. I knew I liked taking pictures, and that I had a little bit of an eye for what interested me. I was, of course, all over the map and struggling trying to learn it all at once. I find myself seven years later happy, and comfortable as the photographer that I am. I hope that each and every photog that becomes serious about what they're doing achieves this point in their work.

Am I a great photographer? No. Will I ever be? Probably not.

Am I a pretty darn good photographer who can go out and capture, or stumble across, a good shot because I know what I'm doing, have a high degree of comfort with my camera, and am comfortable enough with the setting, and my own composition skills?

Emphatically, delightedly,YES!!!

The true beauty of this is that because I "grew up" here at DPC in my photography, I have a much broader range of skills and appreciation for photography. This is because of the help, guidance, and influence of all you guys. One of the most important steps for me happened early on through the guidance and support of Sean Mahoney

cutlassdude70 who encouraged, taught, badgered, and cajoled me through all the terrors of understanding my camera. A daunting task, but one we all must go through if we're ever going to grow as photographers. I owe Sean a debt of gratitude I will never be able to pay.

One interesting side note on Sean.......my highest score managed to nudge by his by the smallest of increments. Does it say anything about the selfless character of one of the members of the community, a Canon guy, that he would teach another, a Nikon guy, only to have the student surpass the teacher?

Love ya, Sean!

Anyway.......on to Paris.

I'd like to offer these few shots up with an explanation of how this sojourn to DPC has worked for me.

This first one is pretty straightforward......decent lighting, decent composition, good focus. Pretty standard stuff, right? Except because of DPC, I happened to have my camera with me on the Metro, because, well.......you never know.

Next one......again, pretty standard stuff......if you're truly into finding great people shots and are paying attention. This woman was pretty much being zoomed by in the crowds going across one of the bridges across the Seine by the museums. I caught a glimpse of her face, saw the cup, and asked her if it was okay if I shot her after giving her a few coins. What a truly nice lady she was!

Next one.......Deb

Melethia where are ya???? I would never have the appreciation for pigeons without you! Call 'em what you will.......skyrats, rock doves, pigeons, they're with us everywhere.......on the street, in the sky, on the roofs of barns, houses, churches, and always & forever, in the streets & parks. The pigeons in Paris all seemed very well behaved, fat & happy, and well taken care of in general. Anyway.......I had to smile when I saw one doing its pigeon strut down the hallway in the Washington D.C. airport before I ever left the ground headed to France. Thanks, Deb!

It's the guidance, style and influence of photogs and friends that I've met here that allow me to appreciate so much more than the guy who takes a course at his local community college and reads a few books. Because of my DPC "teachers", I have a much broader spectrum of tastes, styles, & techniques than the average photog. I don't know as ten years ago I would have even paused and looked at this image.......now I shoot things like this.

And this......

I see light, shadows, people, and situations/settings completely differently than I did before DPC.

Wandered around a corner one evening looking for a place to eat and saw this.....handheld, and just a touch of Topaz thrown in to accentuate the texture of the masonry.

Post-processing has been a real experience for me as well. Got hooked up early on with CS2 and Topaz and tried various layering and texturing techniques that I never really got a handle on well enough to integrate into my repertoire. That was my next frustration during my early learning curve......I had all this powerful software and learned that it's STILL a turd, only a very highly polished turd. As I learned and grew, I have discovered that the better I got as an actual photographer, the less work I needed to do after the shot. Yes, I *still* shoot in RAW, 'cause I never know when I might need the extra help, but......all I have now is Elements & Lightroom. I don't spend much time editing any more.

So though some of the techniques I use may not be appreciated by all in some cases, I do utilize many different styles of editing simply because I like having the tools to create the image I'm looking to render. I mentioned Topaz......when I first acquired it, I used it like a bludgeon. I like to think my usage has tempered with time and that it helps accentuate the image, rather than *be* the image.

So.....I guess what my point is.....I'm a snapper *and* a contriver......some of my images are at the mercy of random chance, some are complete intent from start to finish. What I've learned here is that I don't have to limit my photography at all in any way, thanks to the people here. And I'd be willing to bet there are a lot of us here that can echo my feelings and experiences almost exactly.

I've said it may times before, and I'll never tire of saying it.

Thanks DPC, and all you people who make this community what it is.......I am eternally grateful.

Cory

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV

Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM

01/04/2014 11:27:52 AM · #110

Wow, awesome post Jeb! Thanks!

(What? No rusty/crusty Paris shots?)

PennyStreet

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 17mm f/1.8 M.Zuiko

01/04/2014 11:42:40 AM · #111

Jeb, you have caught the spirit! And you are a great photographer, IMO, partly (if not especially) due to your willingness to try different things, both in camera and out. Glad you enjoyed your visit to Paris. Thanks for sharing the love of your experience!

jomari

Nikon D7000

Nikon AF-S DX 18-105 f/3.5-5.6 ED VR

01/04/2014 06:00:38 PM · #112

Jeb, that is the best post I have ever read. Thank you!

tanguera

Nikon D750

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 17-35mm f/2.8D IF-ED

01/04/2014 06:09:13 PM · #113

Most heartening and uplifting, Jeb. Thanks!

markwiley

Fujifilm X-Pro2

Fujifilm XF 10-24mm f/4 R IOS

01/04/2014 07:28:38 PM · #114

Excellent post, Jeb. Summed things up well.