Announcing a new category: Photo Critique

I think it's safe to say that there are enough Nikon lenses (and

cameras) about, and most of them with distinctive enough

characteristics (albeit widely varying), to warrant having a Nikon

Photo Critique topic here. Besides, it will help us to get to know

one another.<P>

 

So, if you have any images shot with Nikon gear - and want some

feedback from your fellow Nikonists - post them here. See this <a

href=http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=002KLy>prime

r on how to upload images to a forum</a>.

And for those who want a Contax (gear) photo critique? And a Canon (gear) photo critique?? And a Lomo (gear) photo critique? I stil believe it is the "image" that counts, not the brand you shoot with.

Greets,

<i>"I stil believe it is the 'image' that counts, not the brand you shoot with"</i>

 

<p>No, Manu, that principle only applies in cases in which someone has posted a digitally modified image without any disclosure of how it was created, and someone then inquires about whether it was a real capture or a digital modification. When we're just talking about posting photos shot with cameras, it makes all the difference in the world what gear it was shot with. After all, how are the viewers going to know if you are a really $eriou$ photographer if they can't find out what gear you used?

 

<p>Anyway, it's a great gag, Doug. I think. I hope.

Is it April 1 already??

Ah, wisdom from the wiseacre set. I see your point, and raise you two. It's like this: I had serious reservations about having a "Nikon photo critique" category - I mean, in the end, who knows - or cares? - what something was shot with, right? Unless, that is, the shooting instrument is in some way highly distinctive - and I think we'd all agree, some of us reluctantly, that while Nikon gear is good-to-excellent, there isn't anything that could be called a "Nikon look"; or, if there is, it looks exactly like the "Canon look", "Pentax look", "Minolta look", "Olympus look" - in other words, the Nikon gear does its job well and and that's all it does. <P>

 

But then I thought back to the seventies, back in the marketing heyday for Nikon, when many of us first got bitten by the Nikon bug. Perhaps you remember. Nikon had its own in-house photography journal it published regularly, full of beautiful full color and black & white images; ran regular ads showcasing top-flight Nikon photographers' work; and once a year published a hardcover, large format Nikon Annual - I own three of those (in Japanese). And I got thinking, you know, it certainly wouldn't hurt to bring back some of that enthusiasm. If possible.<P>

 

Then there is the salient fact that this is, after all, the <I>Nikon</I> forum. If it were the Contax forum, it would make sense to talk about images made with contax equipment. <P>

 

Presumably, everyone who takes part here owns Nikon equipment. If participants in the Nikon forum are going to share and discuss images, doesn't it make sense that those images be made with Nikon equipment? Certainly other places on the web have galleries of images that were made using Nikon gear. <a href=http://www.nikonians.com/html/galleries/index.html>Here's one</a>. But hey, it's your forum. If you guys think it's a silly idea then we just won't do it.

Sheesh! Now I feel like a killjoy. Sorry about cracking wise, Doug, but I had the same thought you did -- that there isn't anything that could be called a "Nikon look" -- and so I didn't see the point of a separate Photo Critique category just for images made with Nikon equipment.

 

<p>(BTW, is that what you were actually thinking of? An actual new category in Photo Critique, like the ones for <a href="http://www.photo.net/gallery/photocritique/?rating_type=photocritique&topic_id=1481&category=Architecture">Architecture</a>, etc.? Or were you thinking of a thread in the Nikon forum that would have people posting images and commenting on them?)

 

<p>However, your explanation has kind of converted me. If the point is just to try to generate enthusiasm about creating images, I guess it shouldn't matter if it is done by using a somewhat arbitrary device (i.e., images created with Nikon equipment). If it works and gets people sharing images and thoughts on making them, then that's all to the good.

No matter what forum, this topic makes some people grumpy.

 

Yeah, Yep, Yessiree - Only the Image, Print, The Final Product, Blah, Blah, Blah, etc. matters. That's why we are all using pinhole cameras. No wait, I mean we're all shooting LF 8x10's. Sorry, my mistake, I mean we are all using P&S's with a fixed lens. Because gear does not matter! Doug, please change the name to the Print Forum. (What do we do with digital uploads, then? Another problem!)

 

It matters to some of us (albeit a miniscule minority) what equipment we are using, how we are using it, what we are doing with it, and so on. Maybe someone wants to see what a particular body or lens can do in a given situation. Or wants a hint on how to get better results with their NIKON GEAR. And what film type, what exposure, development, technique, and heaven help us, Photoshop manipulation, might best suit the project.

 

If someone wants to put up snaps for critique, at least one of us will take a look and chime in. Even if you did use a POS Canon, Contax, Leica, Pentax, Linhof, or anysuch garbage. If the whole idea offends you, skip the posts. (Fer cry'n out loud |;0)

 

P.S. Nice work, Doug!

I think a photo critique forum for Nikon equipment makes sense not in the angle of: "look what my F5 can do", but rather: "this photo shows the performance and distortion of a 18-35 zoom."

Thanks Ben. And Hil (you put it better than I did). And Dave.<P>

 

<I>were you thinking of a thread in the Nikon forum that would have people posting images

and commenting on them?</I><P>

 

That's exactly what I was thinking. Just a little something extra to share and talk about. Another way to flesh out the forum and - who knows? - maybe learn something. And I agree that it doesn't have to be, necessarily, shot with Nikon gear. But certainly that would be preferred, given the name of the forum. Anyway, the option to do this is there, for whoever wants to upload or critique.

I understand. Good luck!

"this photo shows the performance and distortion of a 18-35 zoom."

 

That type of image posting would be very useful indeed.