Depends on your budget and connections. Poor and don't "know" anyone use a kite. Rich and connected CIA spy satellite.
Now that lots of pictures are being taken by drones, how do you look down upon them? With another drone?
It's a bit weird: people into cars or motorcycles would probably appreciate artistic pictures of same. They enjoy driving, wrenching on, and looking at them. As far as tools go, I think the finest craftsmen respect their tools and are not dismissive of them. I feel the same, including cameras, and am not ashamed to admit it.
But I think there is a view among some photographers, who want to prove how serious they are, by stating that all that matters is the final resulting image, and collectors and fondlers are frowned upon. While that's a fine attitude for working commercial photographers, the majority of us on photo forums are hobbyists.
My question for you is: Why limit the enjoyment you can receive from our hobby by taking on the dour attitude of "serious" working photographers and being dismissive of those who can add to the enjoyment of a fine image, with an appreciation of our tools as objects of art in their own right, just as classic cars and motorcycles are not just means of travel from point A to B. Product photography is legitamate genre, and I get enjoyment out of creating and looking at creative/artistic Images of cameras. If you do too, don't be intimidated by the shaming culture of the too-serious photographers posing on our hobbyist forums.
At my advancing age, I am less and less worried about what others think, and simply look to maximize my enjoyment of my hobby, which by definition is "a pleasurable pastime." There are many facets of photography that make me happy, not just the final image, and I'm okay with that.
My advice to others is to lighten up and not take yourselves too seriously.
I don't know that I've seen so much of the 'it's the image, not the gear' attitude pertaining to pictures OF gear, but rather to discussions of gear being used being placed above the quality of the image - ie folks thinking that an image is inherently better because it was taken with a Hasselblad/Leica/etc. I love looking at well-made pictures of great (and even not-so-great) cameras too, and I appreciate conversations about gear to the extent that it explains how using that gear makes it possible/easier to make the image, but gear snobbery is boring at best.
It's easier to buy more gear than take a good picture. It's what makes manufacturers rich and the number of great photographers small.
But it's not necessarily one or the other. I have over 50 working cameras, way more than I need, but I'm quite happy with my photo results.
I have no where near 50 cameras and I'm quite happy with my photo results.
A more useful comparison would be how many great photographers are associated with numerous types of camera, compared to the greats who are known for their work one or two cameras. My observation would be the calibre of photograph is not associated with diversity or profusion of camera types.But it's not necessarily one or the other. I have over 50 working cameras, way more than I need, but I'm quite happy with my photo results.
A more useful comparison would be how many great photographers are associated with numerous types of camera, compared to the greats who are known for their work one or two cameras. My observation would be the calibre of photograph is not associated with diversity or profusion of camera types.
I'm not denying that collecting cameras is a hobby - it self evidently is. I'm questioning whether acquiring multiple cameras allows the user to make photographs that are of interest to people other than him/herself. This is not only a film issue, people spend considerable sums on the latest digital camera and I don't believe I'm sticking my neck out in saying most believe they'll become a better photographer by doing so.It doesn't matter.
Even if it were the case that the 100 Greatest Photographers of All Time used one and only one camera model, that has nothing to do with our enjoyment of our hobby. For those aspiring to be the next great photographer, fine, they can choose their own tools. My profession is engineering; for that I need to be good. But the enjoyment of photography and its tools is my hobby. I'm more than happy with my landscapes, cityscapes, tree, flower, and historical photographs. I like and use all my cameras. I will buy more. It doesn't bother me that I'm not the next Ansel Adams or an artist in the darkroom. What's important is that I enjoy what I do.
If I recall correctly your initial point was that people "look down" on pictures of cameras. That may be so if you post an image on a photographic site, but on a collectors site people will lap them up. By and large people only get shirty with photographers who don't get it, folk who post group shots with plenty of surroundings on a portrait site, or assume that a photograph taken on a street is the only criterion of street photography, or that HDR is the epitome of photographic creativity."I'm questioning whether acquiring multiple cameras allows the user to make photographs that are of interest to people other than him/herself."
You are questioning something that I am not suggesting. Whether or not anyone can make images that are of interest to others has very little to do with the number of cameras acquired (beyond offering a basic capability to capture an image in various situations.) You are offering a straw man argument.
I'm simply saying that one can be a collector and a photographer at the same time without detriment to either aspect of photography.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324715704578481214024861412
Do you have any of your images to share? Some of mine are in my signature link.
People see what they want to see and read what they want to read. On a gear site I recently saw a post that claimed Henri Cartier-Bresson was one of the worst photographers ever. Not overrated, or more than usually privileged, but among the worst photographers who picked up a camera.Not sure what you said, but found this interesting: "I would have to trust the judgement of the viewer to know whether a photograph is aesthetically interesting...)
I didn't request you made your images public and I haven't accessed them because it would be irrelevant to the wider point. My position is not based on my work versus your work, but whether photographs of cameras are of interest to non-collectors. Your initial inference was that people who didn't appreciate images of cameras were photo snobs. I don't see how you arrived at that position.I just think it would be fair for you to back up your assertion with pics of your own if you are taking the stand that many/multiple cameras are detrimental to photographic output, given that you have access to mine and i'm taking the opposing stand.
again: I'm simply saying that one can be a collector and a photographer at the same time without detriment to either aspect of photography.
For the record Frank I understood what you meant from the start........It's a bit weird: people into cars or motorcycles would probably appreciate artistic pictures of same. They enjoy driving, wrenching on, and looking at them. As far as tools go, I think the finest craftsmen respect their tools and are not dismissive of them. I feel the same, including cameras, and am not ashamed to admit it.
But I think there is a view among some photographers, who want to prove how serious they are, by stating that all that matters is the final resulting image, and collectors and fondlers are frowned upon. While that's a fine attitude for working commercial photographers, the majority of us on photo forums are hobbyists.
My question for you is: Why limit the enjoyment you can receive from our hobby by taking on the dour attitude of "serious" working photographers and being dismissive of those who can add to the enjoyment of a fine image, with an appreciation of our tools as objects of art in their own right, just as classic cars and motorcycles are not just means of travel from point A to B. Product photography is legitamate genre, and I get enjoyment out of creating and looking at creative/artistic Images of cameras. If you do too, don't be intimidated by the shaming culture of the too-serious photographers posing on our hobbyist forums.
At my advancing age, I am less and less worried about what others think, and simply look to maximize my enjoyment of my hobby, which by definition is "a pleasurable pastime." There are many facets of photography that make me happy, not just the final image, and I'm okay with that.
My advice to others is to lighten up and not take yourselves too seriously.
For the record Frank I understood what you meant from the start........
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?