Your opinion on Philip Greenspun's work?

<p>Board locked up and then posted the same message three times. This is a removal. </p>

<p>Mr. Gubin…</p>

<p>You are a day late and a dollar short. May I refer you to my prior comment regarding the subject in this thread time stamped Mar 12, 2013; 07:43 p.m? Don’t want you to feel left out so please consider it repeated to you. </p>

<p>A. T. Burke </p>

<p>Board locked up and then posted the same message three times. This is a removal. </p>

<p>I come very late to this thread but must say it prompted me to look at Greenspun’s writing – previously I was not aware of this or him. I read and added a comment to his article on street photography.<br>

Based on this (which may or may not be unfair), I must say I agree with the OP. The article I read was overlong, sloppy and of very dubious value as advice to newcomers – and sadly in this respect very typical of the “expertise” on offer at PN. </p>

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<p>I browsed the 'learning' section on portraiture, architecture, landscape, etc.<br /> I think he has some good photos but overall I am not very impressed.<br /> What do you think?</p>

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<p>I read the guy's articles many years ago mostly for the film and gear reviews. Most of what he said in those realms I found to be true in my experience. Greenspun is a busy guy. You should read his bio. Most people don't do half of what he's done. Let alone make amazing art while doing it. The pictures he included with the articles I read were adequate. The message got across.</p>

<p>Anyway welcome to the forum. Please don't be one of those picture Nazis who discards perfectly good advice simply because someone didn't post their entire portfolio or because you think they posted some duds. I understand some of your concerns when it comes to composition, but Greenspun provided a lot of good information on a number of other topics so I tend to cut him and people like him some slack. After all where would most pro athletes be if they never listened to a coach that didn't have multiple Superbowl or NBA Championship rings?</p>

<p><em>You should read his bio.</em><br>

I did, This guy is an electrical/software engineer. Period. As a photographer, his skills are sub-average amateur. The only thing that makes him stand out is an apparent desire to project himself as a photography expert, which he is forced to do through words in the absence of any images of any merit whatsoever.</p>

Wow. That's harsh. Maybe you could use a "this is my opinion and..." disclaimer, because a lot of us have no difficulty in

finding some merits in his photos. You don't have to be a working pro to make photos with artistic merits.

 

Also, I'd point out that most of his work that you see around here is more than 10 years old. Styles have changed, and

now there's a lot of emphasis, in the area of "photos that impress the average viewer," on eye catching colors and

contrasts and other sorts of visual appeal that are instantly apparent on the computer monitor and/or show off the

technical abilities of DSLRs and postprocessing software. E.g., what's in the currently popular section on 500 pix. And

how Ken Rockwell will show a photo of a garbage can if the lid is a bright enough orange or can be made bright enough

in a one-click effects app. And a popular obsession with things that are easy to write about, like sharpness and rule of

thirds. All of that isn't what most of Greenspun's work is showing.

<p>I've learned a lot about how camera equipment works from Greenspun's articles, and more on topic with this thread, I personally really like his photos. No, they aren't breathtaking Photoshop-enhanced art, but they capture a photographic style that I much enjoy. And personally, as someone who enjoys photography for my own artistic expression rather than for money, I try to take photographs in the same style.</p>