ABC TV "Master Snap"

Ross Chambers · Jun 15, 2012

Did anyone else watch ABC's odd competitive photography show last night (Thursday)?

I know the aspirants used digital cameras so it may be out of bounds on this forum but it's still photography.

I did feel a little sympathy for the 3 contestants; they were presented with high end (is there any other sort?) Hasselblad cameras which were tethered to Macs, a studio, a very full complement of lights and a subject each to make a portrait.

Would it not be more friendly to allow them to use the camera with which they were most at home and as we all know becomes second nature to use well?

One of the subjects was Dick Smith whose opening words were that Harold Cazneaux was his grandfather. Smith at one point attempted to assist the poor soul with his struggles to master the Hasselblad.

Maybe when they set up a future landscape or architectural episode they will give the DSLR experienced contestants that Linhof that appears in the promo. I'd enjoy that.

SMBooth · Jun 15, 2012

I liked Dick comment that "film was much more reliable than that electronic stuff"

hoffy · Jun 15, 2012

See this thread Ross:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

quickbrownfox · Jun 16, 2012

haha i watched it last night and thought it was pretty good. admittedly if i had heard of it earlier i wouldve thought it a more serious program but for a bit of light hearted fun i thought it was alright. hey, my mrs watched it all the way through and normally that stuff bores her to tears.
my only real critisism is andrew g is a little bombastic for the lower key tone and it was a little uncomfortable watching the celebs with the contestants..

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 16, 2012

Fancy giving a housewife a Hasselblad H2, throw in a millionaire, seasoned actor and a stage performer and told to get some good photos and be judged no less than the Curator of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Photography!? With nerves jangling, slip-ups galore and a virtually non-existent foundation knowledgge of the camera they were using, I reckon they each and every one pulled the stunt off very commendably. The pics of Vince Colissimo were good by my standards, ditto Dick Smith. The series gets more adventurous now, often shifting into the outdoors.

hoffy · Jun 16, 2012

Poisson Du Jour said:
Fancy giving a housewife a Hasselblad H2, throw in a millionaire, seasoned actor and a stage performer and told to get some good photos and be judged no less than the Curator of the Australian Centre for Contemporary Photography!? With nerves jangling, slip-ups galore and a virtually non-existent foundation knowledgge of the camera they were using, I reckon they each and every one pulled the stunt off very commendably. The pics of Vince Colissimo were good by my standards, ditto Dick Smith. The series gets more adventurous now, often shifting into the outdoors.

Tell me more....it sounds like you are a bit more intimate with it then you are letting on?

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 16, 2012

A friend of my sister's is in the ABC production team (general content) in Melbourne nothing spectacular; some members of my family have frequent contact with ABC, SBS, 7 and TEN through work with Vision Australia. The lass and Siss share some common interests in terms of hobbies, and Photo Finish was touched upon as a Twinings-and-bikkies discussion. I guess you'll just have to be glued to the box for future week's instalments; I'll miss next week as I am travelling with cameras...

Yamaotoko · Jun 16, 2012

You're kidding, they've MADE such a show?! Just the other week my partner was watching 'The Voice', we got talking about how many similar shows have been around, and the old 'geeze, what will they come up with next' speculations. I mentioned how the thought of a photography based telnet show made me feel sick... Laura reassured me, saying "Don't worry, that will never happen!" She's usually got her finger on the pulse in this department, so I trusted her... I'm going to wake her up right now and give her a piece of my mind!

sage · Jun 16, 2012

They already had one run before on, Picture This.

cepwin · Jun 16, 2012

sounds fun! Im going to have to see if I can find it on the web
update: I watched it....it was fun to watch...it would be a bit nerve wracking to photograph a celeb especially if I was a fan of theirs

ezwriter · Jun 17, 2012

Never heard of this show and TV.guide.com doesnt show any listings. Whens it on? thx

hoffy · Jun 17, 2012

ezwriter said:
Never heard of this show and TV.guide.com doesnt show any listings. Whens it on? thx

Not sure of your location, but this is the ABC as in Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Its on Thursday nights @ 8PM, or you can watch it on iView afterwards - (may not be blocked for international viewers):

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/22887

tomtraubert · Jun 20, 2012

I liked it better than I thought I would. I think that Dick Smith is now a real APUG champion for what he said in the show.

lxdude · Jun 20, 2012

hoffy said:
Not sure of your location, but this is the ABC as in Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Its on Thursday nights @ 8PM, or you can watch it on iView afterwards - (may not be blocked for international viewers):

http://www.abc.net.au/iview/#/view/22887

Not available outside Australia, "copyright reasons".

LJH · Jun 20, 2012

lxdude said:
Not available outside Australia, "copyright reasons".

You're not missing much

Lightweight fluff, IMO.

Hopefully, this week's episode will have a bit more substance.

tomtraubert · Jun 20, 2012

Perhaps this link will work outside of Australia (it's not on iView):
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/photofinish/pages/s3525319.htm

SMBooth · Jun 20, 2012

Lightweight, but better than watching Laura Bingle misspell her own name.

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 20, 2012

It moves to the landscape in tonight's instalment. This should be very interesting. And if we can have another earthquake bang on cue when a Hasselblad shutter fires, that would be just gooooood!

Yamaotoko · Jun 20, 2012

Poisson Du Jour said:
And if we can have another earthquake bang on cue when a Hasselblad shutter fires, that would be just gooooood!

No no, I want to see them given an Arca Swiss and sent out into the field

LJH · Jun 20, 2012

SteveR said:
No no, I want to see them given an Arca Swiss and sent out into the field

I want to see them load an 11x14 film holder in a Harrison Jumbo tent!

Poisson Du Jour · Jun 20, 2012

Unfortunately it's a no on all counts. They're all shooting digital.
Somewhere along the line in the series a Linhof Technika will be taken for a walk.

Yamaotoko · Jun 20, 2012

LJH said:
I want to see them load an 11x14 film holder in a Harrison Jumbo tent!

Now that's just cruel!

Ross Chambers · Jun 21, 2012

SteveR said:
No no, I want to see them given an Arca Swiss and sent out into the field

I want to see them in a darkroom with an enlarger and a box of paper. But I'm probably just being a film curmudgeon.

Seriously though, aren't printing and finishing skills part of it all? The first episode appeared to say that what came out of the camera was it, no modification of any kind, digital or otherwise.

hoffy · Jun 21, 2012

Ross Chambers said:
I want to see them in a darkroom with an enlarger and a box of paper. But I'm probably just being a film curmudgeon.

Seriously though, aren't printing and finishing skills part of it all? The first episode appeared to say that what came out of the camera was it, no modification of any kind, digital or otherwise.

For that kind of photography, I didn't have a problem with that - yes finishing is a skill, but also is getting as much right as you can in camera.

LJH · Jun 21, 2012

God, that was painful...

ABC TV "Master Snap"

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