William, No need to debate with me as I agree wholeheartedly. The first 6 years with a camera for me were with a manual camera (Practica, Olympus OM-1, Pentax MX) and a 50mm lens. I learned more about light and photography through that setup than anything since.
Bruce Friday, November 8, 2002, 2:31:24 PM, you wrote: WR> ----- Original Message ----- WR> From: Marnie Parker WR> Subject: Re: Pentax Upgrade >> In a message dated 11/8/2002 7:31:52 AM Eastern Standard Time, WR> [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: >> >> > Getting any Pentax 50mm lens will improve your image quality >> > tremendously, and the discipline that the single focal WR> length >> > forces on you will improve your photography at least as much >> > again. >> > This is one of those areas where you don't run into the law >> > of >> > diminishing returns ever. >> > >> > William Robb >> >> No one has suggested that to me before. Discipline? As in WR> walking forward and back and moving around to get a good shot, WR> instead of zooming? >> >> Could you clarify? It's intriquing. WR> I can do better than that. I went back to the archives, where I WR> found myself one voice in the wilderness, thinking I was the WR> only person who had ever taught a class in photographic theory. WR> Here are some excerpts, including my obvious frustration I was WR> feeling because a few numb brains just weren't getting it. >> "The photographer's lack of discipline is independent of the WR> camera." >> - P�l Jensen WR> Good quote, and completely irrelevant to the topic. WR> I teach dog obedience. WR> Is the dog's lack of discipline independant of the handler? WR> Dicipline needs to be learned. WR> A student of photography is not a photographer. WR> For that matter, most photographers these days are not WR> photographers. WR> Often, they are trying to do brain surgery with a hockey stick. WR> Zooms can actually have exactly the opposite effect on WR> composition, by adding another group of variables to the WR> compositional equation. WR> In theory, there is probably nothing wrong with using a zoom to WR> learn the fundaments of photography, the same way there is WR> probably nothing wrong with using an auto everything camera set WR> on manual everything. WR> In practice, however, people will tend to take shortcuts. WR> Why learn about exposure when the automatic camera makes it so WR> easy for me? WR> Why learn about working for good composition when the zoom lens WR> makes it so much easier to just stand in one spot and pretend I WR> am composing? WR> Sure, no problem, whatever works for you. But if you have a WR> fixed lens, you may have to be a bit more creative in selecting WR> your vantage point. WR> The idea of being a student of photography should be to find WR> creative ways to get a good picture, not to take the cheap and WR> dirty way out. WR> Prime lenses force more creative thinking on the student by WR> imposing one field of view. This creative process will serve the WR> student well, no matter what lenses are chosen down the road. WR> I believe there is a photographic equivalent of music theory WR> that the student needs to learn, in order to excel at the art WR> and craft of photography. Visual theory at it's most basic is WR> the building blocks of imagery, whether photographic or other. WR> Theory such as how light interacts with shape and form, how WR> perspective changes depending on angle of view. This is best WR> learned with simple tools, anything else complicates the WR> learning process. WR> If one is learning to compose music, one starts with a single WR> instrument, such as a piano. I think it very rare for a student WR> of music composition to start by composing a full orchestral WR> symphony. WR> I played the trumpet when I was younger. WR> A simple instrument, with only 3 keys. WR> In a way, perhaps there is an equivalency here, as a camera only WR> has 3 controls for making pictures, no matter how many buttons, WR> control dials, and inscrutable custom functions they put on the WR> camera to complicate things for us. WR> But, I digress. WR> I never got really good at the trumpet, in my hands the WR> instrument had all the positive attributes of a chainsaw with a WR> burned out governor. WR> I learned enough about music to realize I would never be a WR> Sousa, or an Armstrong. WR> Hell, when I figured out I would never be an Alpert, I gave up WR> the trumpet. WR> I found other fish to fry. I discovered cameras. WR> I also discovered that much of what I learned from music was WR> applicable to photography at one level or another. WR> I may have a tin ear, but I found I have a pretty good eye for WR> pictures. WR> What I learned playing the trumpet, albeit badly, was that there WR> is a need to learn the basics. One needs to learn scales, and WR> finger patterns on the keys to make the notes come out the way WR> they are supposed to. One needs to learn how to blow into the WR> instrument in the right way to make the right noise. WR> One needs to learn that when giving a Christmas concert outdoors WR> when it is -30, the mouthpiece should be kept in an inside WR> pocket to keep it warm between songs. WR> Some lessons are learned harder than others. WR> One needs to have a thick skin to not be overly discouraged by WR> failure, or the embarrassment of having a trumpet stuck to ones WR> face in front of the Prime Minister. WR> But, I digress. WR> In photography, one needs to learn about light and shadow first. WR> One doesn't need a zoom lens for this. Often, the added visual WR> confusion that a zoom can create can interrupt this learning WR> process. WR> I am not saying there is not a place for zoom lenses in WR> photography. The zoom, in the hands of a skilled and visually WR> adept person is a powerful tool. WR> All I am saying is that it is not the tool to learn the very WR> basics of visual theory with. WR> For this, a prime lens, and one that closely matches the human WR> eye's field of vision is preferable. By sticking with a WR> "natural" perspective to start, we can learn more easily how WR> what we see in three dimensions will translate to two, or how WR> what we see in colour will translate to black and white. WR> By learning the fundaments first, with simple tools, I think we WR> will be better visual artists later. WR> I really do think that limiting a beginning student to simple WR> equipment and making them work hard to get a good image from WR> that equipment is the best way to teach them visualization. WR> Giving the student a single field of view teaches them to WR> explore the subject in depth until they find the pictures hidden WR> there that are suited to the lens in use. WR> For the student, the process of learning visualization is more WR> important than getting some sort of money shot. WR> Learning the basics first, with basic equipment, is still the WR> best way to learn the craft. WR> The whole friggin point isn't about whether the zoom is a better WR> compositional tool or not. It's not about composition at all. WR> It's about learning how to see what light does when it hits an WR> object, how that gets translated into an image. This is best WR> learned with a 50mm lens (if we are using the 35mm format as an WR> example). It matches (more or less) the field of view of the WR> human eye, and consequently, produces a picture with a WR> perspective we can immediately relate to. WR> The idea is to learn one thing at a time, and learn it well. WR> First, learn what light does, that controls everything else. WR> Composition is secondary to this, as compositional needs will WR> change depending on the angle of light hitting the object. WR> Not my fault a bunch of idiots think this is bullshit. WR> People that have this figured out are better photographers. WR> Look back at the subject line. The word "Student" should say WR> something about where I am coming from. WR> You can learn what I am talking about with any lens, it doesn't WR> matter if you use a zoom, or a friggin fisheye. WR> You will learn it faster, and better with a standard focal WR> length prime lens, one that doesn't allow you to cheat, just WR> because you want the instant gratification of easy composition. WR> Some of this stuff is work. WR> Remember, this is just one persons opinion, but it is formed WR> from more than 30 years of photography, and 20 years of on and WR> off teaching. Others may agree with me, or not. I really don't WR> care, and I won't debate the validity of my comments. WR> Thanks WR> William Robb
