Raising the bar

this is a great topic and I was happy to stir things up a bit.

Anyone who has any kind of camera and is interested in photography will be a much keener observer of the world around him, from micro to infinity. Hail to these people, starting with the great ones. Man Ray, Andre Kertesz, Dorothea Lange, Ansel Adams and Henri Cartier-Bresson to name afew.

The power of observation increases with a camera, even to grandma in the backyard with a point and shoot. I have nothing against digital; that is where the money is and where improvements will be made.Its great for commercial use as Wild Blue will tell you. But keep in mind, Ansel Adams once spent three days at the Snake River overlook by Jackson Hole waiting fot the light he wanted and his one shot. The modern digital photographer would stop for five minutes, take 20 pictures, and head down to road.
 
Ah, Roger, the person who would spend only 5 minutes taking in that beautiful view of the Tetons would be the type who would would have done the same back in the film days. Even today's digital shooters who are doing breath-taking work know enough to shoot when the light is the best.

I was delighted to eliminate the nasty chemistry from the "good ol' days" of film. At one time, one of our studios handled amateur film/print processing... there were plenty of people back in the day who shot their vacation photos (on film) through the windshield. :roll: :mrgreen:

The medium doesn't make one a better image-maker... that is a matter of imagination, dedication, and desire. Ansel packed around a view camera; give a duffer a view camera and they will still produce crap. I like having a little pocket camera to capture images...

IMG_2945SunriseE.jpg

Morn2e.jpg

I don't recall seeing any dolphin photos in Ansel's work. :wink:

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Roger, I concur with your linking photography & a more powerful keener observation of the world around, though not so much in how that would pertain to using film or digital. I equate photography & the keener observation of the world with the same skill increased as used by a hunter. Both have to have very keen powers of observation & often are trying to get the perfect shot, that to be exceptional needs an enhancement of natural born talent. Starting from a very early age, hunting has been a passion of mine continuing for most of my life & now that I've lost the desire to kill, the gun has been exchanged for a camera & if I'm not just having fun using my limited artistic abilities capturing memories, I'm again on the hunt with the bears the most preferred specie.

Jay
 
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