I'm glad you wrote this, now I don't have to. A camera is only a tool in a
larger toolbox of skills and equipment. Sending someone off with a manual
camera is like sending someone off to build a structure using only s stone
ax. It may be appropriate, it may not. Seriously, to me, being a competent
photographer has almost nothing to do with equipment, but (as is pointed
out) in vision. Shel seems to think that mastering the equipment will
automatically make the user more artistic. I have seen professional work
done only with a Holga or Diana camera, grainy, warped, misexposed, but
artistic none the less. There seem to be many here who have trouble coming
to grips with the 21st century (basing this on the discussion of computers
and digital photography some weeks ago). I prefer to have the tools at my
disposal and how I use them (well...or not so well) is part of what makes
photography both technical and artistic at the same time.
Jerry in Houston
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Dalal [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2001 1:49 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Learning To make a Photograph
Shel wrote:
<very snipped>
>Look at photographs. Not the crap in most magazines, but >carefully
examine the work of the great photographers, >regardless of their style.
Look at the work of photo >journalists, those who do documentary work,
fashion >photographers, and the like. Look at their prints whenever you
>can rather looking at their books or photos in magazines. I'm >willing to
bet that there are people on this list who have >never seen a photograph
made by Gene Smith or HC-B, or Helmut >Newton, or photographers of their
ilk, other than in books or >magazines. Look at the work of less
experienced photographers, >too. Go to galleries and exhibitions. Examine
the prints not >only from a contextual POV but from a technical perspective
as >well. Are your prints as sharp? Do your prints have the >detail in the
shadows? Are your highlights blown out? Why is >their print less/more
grainy than yours - you both use the same
>film?
Shel,
I'm really not clear on this email. You go on about how having a completely
manual camera will force one to make decisions about exposure as well as
learn quality of light and critical focusing. Clearly, an all manual camera
will certainly go a long way to helping you show what you don't understand
about the mechanics of taking a picture. But then you mention photographs by
Gene Smith, HC-B, and Helmet Newton. Gene Smith was an excellent
photographer and printer, although many of his photographs were staged and
heavily manipulated. And, there are times when he would print for days on
end fueled by stimulants. HC-B didn't do his own printing and half his
photographs show clear exposure errors, are not pin sharp, excessively
grainy, and have poor shadow detail. Maybe cause he didn't do his own
printing. I don't know if he even did his own developing. One story I've
read indicated that he shot most things at 1/125th @ f8 and let the printers
figure the rest out. Helmet Newton, who's photography you know I love, has
produced some of the most garish prints I've seen. Many are blurry. Often,
there is crappy shadow detail, excessive grain, blown out highlighs, and a
whole lot of contrast. Hell! He uses Tmax 100! Yuck!
Despite that, I love all three of those photographers' work. Why? Not cause
they shot manual cameras without meters or decided to go on some quest to
make sure they aren't lazy and understood every minute detail of making a
photograph. They had a vision, an artistic drive. They produced images that
went far beyond the technical and penetrated the psyche. In fact, their
images succeed despite all the technical flaws. Can you argue that owning an
all manual camera will give you an artistic vision? Cause I didn't catch
that part in your diatribe... <G>
Mark
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