======================================================= -> This is The 'SPORRS' Mailing List -> Info File: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs/infosporrs.htm -> Note: Remember to include your name in each list post or reply. -> Please delete all unnecessary quoted text from the original message! =======================================================
Dave Cohen wrote: > > ======================================================= > -> This is The 'SPORRS' Mailing List > -> Info File: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs/infosporrs.htm > -> Note: Remember to include your name in each list post or reply. > -> Please delete all unnecessary quoted text from the original message! > ======================================================= > > Sam Reeves wrote: > > > I can't believe all of the work is "darkroom" related (i.e. burning & > > dodging). > > You know something helpful here, instead of whining about superior personal > technique or beliefs, would be to tell us what papers, developers and > contrast filters that you print with, at what apertures, and for what > times, whether or not you do gradated test strips when your initial 'zone' > or paper selection is 'off', and from all of this, which papers and paper > developer combinations that you like these days, at those times, and then > post some shots to look at and discuss. > > Taking a "my type of photography is best because I just don't know much > about yours" is not very educational or informative to anyone else on this > list. > > I currently, personally prefer the 'digital darkroom' and mostly shooting > with color in mind for my finished output, and I try to keep an open > photographic mind, try to stay creative without any self imposed > limitations, and I appreciate the choices that are available to me whether > I choose to use them or not. Because of this, I seem to be able to achieve > 'superior' B&W prints to many of the over zealous and cocky (mostly > younger) photographic students at the campus who seem to try exceedingly > hard at specializing in an extremely narrow area or technique. This > despite the fact that I rarely work in a darkroom anymore, and I do not > consider myself a great B&W shooter. What is the moral of this? You can > say that understanding what you are doing and what you are trying to > achieve is often more important than repetitiously committing the same > mistakes because of some "my method or vision must be best" enigma. > > With that in mind, how can young shooters primarily working in B&W and with > only prime lenses possibly offer valid advice on proper color transparency > use and with zoom lenses when these are not their areas of experience and > success, but rather their areas of irritation? They can't. > > Seeing with light (and tonal range) is a key element in photography, > regardless of what photographic philosophy that you subscribe to and how > broad a view that you take while being creative. > > Saying that the Zone system is best, the prime lens is best, B&W is best, > or any other narrow general assumption of anything else is ridiculous > unless you are using the knowledge and experience necessary to teach, not > preach, because there is no cast iron right and wrong while addressing a > general audience, and forming such narrow views certainly is not creatively > healthy for one's self. > > And Sam says: > > Part of Ted's success I have to believe comes from studying zone > > system, which all of his prints exhibit those perfect shadow densities > and > > correct highlight detail. I'd be interested to know how or who Ted got > his > > B&W education from. > > I'd be willing to bet that Ted got it from ongoing experience, since no one > can give you something like that, only guidance and instruction. And "got" > indicates that you believe that there is a point where you have learned > something to a degree where you can learn no more, and this is a common > mistake I see at the campus. I remind myself of this whenever I feel like > I know everything and have just hosed a shot. > We preach that very concept in the field of news photography...when you are certain that you have quit learning and know everything is the hint that you are about to really screw something up in a big way. I could bore you with many stories from my personal career about how true this adage is, but all I'll tell you is that one recent day, this veteran news cameraman (me) went to a hot assignment in a particularly cocky mood, got there and found he'd forgotten one critical piece of equipment: his camera. Re: Ted Benson. I don't know who Ted's mentors were, but I do know that he's a graduate of the very fine San Jose State photojornalism program here in California; that school's PJ program, plus a few others (Univ. of Mo., Ohio U., Western Kentucky U.) are probably the best places in the world to get a photojournalism education...something to get you going, anyway, before your real learning starts...in the trenches. --David R. Busse Diamond Bar, California ======================================================= -> SPORRS: 'Serious Photographers Of Railroad Related Subjects' -> Web Site: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs/ -> Message © 1998 SPORRS® - All Rights Reserved =======================================================
