Hi all
With all the discussion about regarding the critiquing of photographs on
the PUG, I thought I'd share why I submit photographs to the PUG.
More than most on this list have been into photography a lot longer than I.
More than most, I'd consider, are better photographers than I. I can accept
that quite happily.
A bit of history. I bought an MZ-50 about three years ago, after owning an
MV almost twenty years ago. I think I ran about 20 rolls through the MV in
the three or four years I owned it. About four years ago I bought a P&S to
get some photographs of things I could use for textures and whatnot for
some web pages I were designing. I found I enjoyed the picture taking more
than the web work, so I bought an MZ-50 and a Sigma 28-80 zoom.
A year later I sold the MZ-50 and bought an MZ-5n, this time with a 24-70
and 70-210 zoom set (Sigma again). An F28/2.8, F50/1.7, F50/2.8 macro,
F135/2.8 soon followed. I bought a Z-1p a year later, along with a 28-80
Sigma zoom and a Sigma 300/4 APO. Tripods, monopod, cable release, filters,
you name it, I bought it.
I bought some books to learn some more. I think the first book I bought
cost me $5 in a second hand shop, believe it or not it was "Photography for
dummies". A lot of it made sense at the time, as I really knew nothing.
Since then I've added a few more books relating to things I enjoy doing,
macro work, landscapes, etc. I bought a book on flash and lighting, to try
to get a handle on flashes. All the time I have taken bucket loads of
photographs. I look at them all, to see what I did wrong (and right), and
keep them for future reference.
Which brings me back to why I submit photographs to the PUG. I am amazed
when friends and acquaintances say to me that they like this photograph or
that one. I don't know if they are being "nice", or if they genuinely like
them. Funnily enough, it is more often than not, photographs that I don't
like that they like. :-) Anyway, the open months are when I get to show the
world the photographs I like taking, and think are good enough for the
world to see. The theme months usually give me a challenge to go out and do
something I might not normally do. These are the photographs that I find
test my mettle (in my mind).
If someone else gets enjoyment from my photographs, great. If people don't
like them, great. If people want to comment on them, fabulous. Some months
I get comments, some months I don't. I don't do the submitting bit because
I want feedback, I do it because I want to show the world that I really can
take photographs that I think are good enough for me.
Submitting photographs to the PUG has some added benefits. I gave my family
and friends photographs at Christmas last year. I don't think I'd have had
the balls to do that if I'd never put a photograph out for the world to see.
A bit long winded, yeah, but I do ramble a bit.
Cheers
Jon
Relax! Take life as it comes, you can't chase the sun, you can't race the wind
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