> -----Original Message----- > From: PDML [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Bruce Walker > > On Tue, Apr 7, 2015 at 4:31 PM, Charles Robinson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> On Apr 7, 2015, at 12:46 , John <[email protected]> wrote: > >> > >> Ran across this one while wandering around the web. > >> > >> http://lensbaby.com/usa/velvet56.php > >> > >> 56mm f/1.6 manual focus. Seems to be reasonably priced. > >> > >> Generally I wouldn't mention such except that it is one of the few > >> I've seen that IS available in Pentax K-mount. > >> > >> Start's shipping 13 April. > >> > > > > I've never understood the appeal of the "Lensbaby" line.. > > > > Isn't it just a way to get "Instamatic" quality shots from your multi-thousand > dollar digital setup? What is the appeal? > > Are you saying that is wrong? > > If you buy the same camera that everyone does, and use the same lenses > that everyone does, using the best technically perfect techniques that > (almost) everyone does, then aside from your unique viewpoint and subject, > you'll get the same looking shots as everyone does. > > What if you want to stand out from the crowd; look different? Then change > one of the constants in the chain. > > It's that simple.
You just get a lot of gimmicky shots that very rapidly tire and become dated. Show me a great photographer whose work has lasted for more than 15 minutes and you'll see that they don't have gimmicks, they have something interesting to say, a personal vision and the ability to communicate it. Great photography is about the subject matter, not the technique. Technical skills are there to serve the subject, and should be invisible. As an example, take a look at a collection of David Douglas Duncan's work. The stuff for which he is remembered is simple and direct, but he also spent an inordinate amount of time playing with fancy filters which produced multiple images, and kaleidoscopic stuff and similar garbage which just looks embarrassing amidst his great work, like something from a copy of Amateur Photographer 1968. > aside from your unique viewpoint and subject, > you'll get the same looking shots as everyone does. Er, yes - it's the viewpoint and subject that make the photograph B -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
