Saving a file

[joseph_barbano]

Whenever I push the shutter on any of my digital cameras, all I feel

is "I'm saving a file". Not taking a photo at all.

 

Whenever I read a current photo magazine, all I see is how to save a

lousy photo using PS, fix a terrible exposure, use a new filter.

Almost nothing about nailing the exposure, getting the composition,

using dynamic range. In fact most of the pictures are now a genre

that is driven by technology and not talent.

 

Whenever, I read this forum and digital comes up, all I see is

complaining about Leica and how great Canon and Nikon are and how

little difeerence there is between Leicas and every other camera.

That's ridiculous.

 

Leica has some serious difficulties and who knows how they will pull

through. All I know is that having owned Nikons, Canon, and Leicas,

there's no comparison in picture quality. Leica essentially created

photography and the standards by which mouch of photography is

judged.

 

I recently visited Mexico and took my R8s. I could have taken my

digital stuff. The pics would have been easier; but they wouldn't

have been better.

[Uhooru]

An interesting observation regarding camera talk was nicely expressed by the editor of lens

craft magazine. He assayed the photo mags at the local commercial bookstore, and noticed

that out of the several mags there, the vast majority were dedicated to mostly equipment,

not photographs. Try it sometime, its a real eye opener and shows the incredible marketing

that is behind photography today.

[al_kaplan1]

Yup, they've become like the hi-fi magazines used to be (maybe still are). Nobody talked about the music.

[Spearhead]

There are excellent photography magazines. The newsstand stuff was never about photography, always about cameras. Check out Aperture, Blind Spot, Hamburger Eyes, Nueva Luz - these are just magazines here in the US. No camera talk, just photographs and discussions of photography (no discussion at all in HE.)

[michael s.]

Two that I like are <a href=http://www.bandwmag.com/current/index.html>"B & W"</a> and <a href=http://www.lenswork.com/overviewcurrentissue.htm>"LensWork"</a>. Both are usually available at places such as Barnes & Noble and Borders, and other bookstores. They are not at all gear oriented. Unless I'm mistaken, the websites I've linked do not contain the currently featured portfolios. To see those, you've got to browse the magazines themselves. But the websites will show you what the mags look like. (Keep in mind when you look for it that "LensWork" is a smaller format magazine.)

[ellis_vener_photography]

<I>In fact most of the pictures are now a genre that is driven by technology and not

talent.</I><P>Reads like the complaint painters made about photographers.

Photo magazines are mostly about tips to "improve the quality" of a photograph. This has

ALWAYS been true.<P>Your problem is psychological. If you are a good, careful

photographer with slide film the techniques you have honed are directly applicable to

photography with a DSLR. I tend to do very little manipulation to my images made wit ha

DSLR cameras -- becasue I generally getthe exposure, the composition and more

importantly my my sense of timing and the light right to start with: most amateurs and

more than a few "pros" don't.<P>Since Leica hasn't made a DSLR until very, recently of

course it is hard to compare a leica DSLR to a Canon or Nikon DSLR. Leicas do feel

different to use and Leica glass is objectively (pardon the pun) better in the wide to normal

focal length range. Ther are a lot of careful pjhotographers who use Canon bodies who

have switch to Leica wide angle glass.<P>But I'll say this in parting: I get higher technical

quality images out a Nikon D2x than I ever have out of ANY 35mm camera, SLR or

rangefinder. Good night!

[michael s.]

I was at least partly mistaken. You can see a pdf preview of the current issue of "Lenswork" <a href=http://www.lenswork.com/lwq58s.pdf>here</a>. Take a look.

[tekkie]

Bravo Joseph.............you nailed it!

I feel like cameras just became like camera phones...................Comp USA sells them now.

 

There is nothing like the trust of something that works well though.

 

I have two sons......I made a decision last week..they know I love photography. They will get

my share of Minox and Leica when I kick the bucket. All electronic stuff wlll pass.LOL

[tekkie]

Agrees on the quality of Lenswork. It's the only publication worth buying if you want see what

nice photos look like. Frequency modulated screening at its best.

[Uhooru]

Yep Jeff there's some great mags. You'll find very few of them at the local Barnes and

Nobels/Borders etc. as my post said. Yes if you look for them they are available easy

enough online. I love HE, contrary to your post, there is some talk, very little, and some of

the adds are as interesting as some of the photos. Of course the point is if you've been

around for a while and already know a little, you eventually get some stimulation from

books, magazines and dare say museams, but for most beginners, its gonna be 20 mags

about how big their lens is. That's why folks like you are so helpful, you can steer the

interested ones to some good materials, I'm quite greatful for Bystander by the way, a

solid and intersting "textbook" on street photography.

[joseph_barbano]

Last week, my friend who owns a camera store let me try out a D2X with three high end zooms. It's an impressive piece of electronics. The images weren't better than my Leicas; on the contrary. However, the experience was diffferent. Just saving files...

[Brad_]

<I>Whenever, I read this forum and digital comes up, all I see is complaining about Leica

</I><P>

 

Do you have an example handy (and remarks by leica owners don't count)?<P><P>

 

<I>Leica essentially created photography</i><P>

 

Really now...

[Brad_]

And to add to Jeff's list, there's <a href="http://www.eyemazing.info"><B>Eyemazing

</b></a>. Beautiful large color and B&W printing, about 18"x12" - the last issue has 184

pages of outstanding photography from about a dozen photographers - and not a single

camera manufacturer's ad. Published in the Netherlands.<P>

 

For something grittier, check out <a href= "http://

www.shotsmag.com/"><B>Shots Magazine</b></a>. Also no ads.

[ian blacklaw richardson]

Might I recommend the UK's Amateur Photographer. It is a well balanced

journal in that it publishes readers' pictures (of a high quality) and critiques of newly released cameras with in-depth appraisals and a readers' page where photograpers can exchange ideas and comment on current issues. This magazine also has the input of Ivor Matanle, the veritable Oracle of Classic Cameras.

[Spearhead]

There are also quite a few online "magazines" that are showing some of the most interesting photography around. I highly recommend <a href="http://www.zonezero.com/">Zone Zero,<a/> which resembles a magazine in many respects, although it mixes in many aspects of web sites like persistence. There's also <a href="http://www.digitaljournalist.org/">Digital Journalist</a> which is a standout among many others and resembles a periodical in its structure. One of the great things about the web is that it gives us access to many great photographers who would have trouble getting into the miniscule number of publications that are actually about photography rather than equipment.

[Uhooru]

Thanx Brad and Jeff. You guys have probably already seen the very intersting <a href="http://www.stopmotionstudies.net/">SMS</a>. (Got this from Grant). There was one called photo eye, but my link seems to be dead. BTW, if you or anyone else have any interesing links on photography, particularly but not neccessary confined to street photography or any other interesting work please feel free to pass them along to me. I'll be happy to give you any thing I have.