tonmestrom

When I studied photography we were required to shoot only with a standard lens for two years, so 50mm or 80mm. It's a very good way to improve your composition skills but regarding your question I've found that there is not a thing you can't do with a standard lens. Although I have more lenses I would be happy to go on whatever trip with nothing more than a standard lens.

first of all I haven't had a problem in London sofar. Secondly if you let influence yourself by any poster or sign than the best option might be to pack it up and find a studio or something else to do. Lastly, it's what we would call a storm in a glass of water. Best to be ignored

Thanks for the link Michael, it's hilarious

I always take the shower caps I find in hotel rooms. They are perfect for it

I've worked with a Hasselblad and a Yashica Mat there. You should take the Yashica for this trip. Lightweight, excellent and easy and fast to use while they won't hear you from 2 blocks away

I think we can all agree on both statements. So we'll dabble along

 

Thanks, all of you

"There's so little good (or even marginally acceptable) street photography being displayed that the usual unedited garbage is what has come to define street photography in the average viewer's mind"

 

Dave, isn't this a yes on my question?

 

"Street photography is an exceptionally expressive and difficult genre to master, but I think that unfortunately, it's becoming marginalized by virtue of the indiscriminate way that it's often presented"

 

and another? One by the way that I agree very much on.

 

"I miss way more fine shots than those I grab. I also pass up on many fine shots because I'd rather commit them to memory"

 

I think that's the only truth there is

@Orville, thanks for your elaborate answer. It's obvious enough you really thought this trough. Have checked out your work, Love it.

 

@Stephen, you sure have a point with which I agree. Most that are presented as street are in reality no more than snaps. In a way you say the same as Orville.

 

@John. I'm not sure about the States but I think here in Europe it is compared to other kinds of photography. I'm not complaining myself. My question was more in general but Orville has a few good points. For instance contemporary street work is compared to dead photographers and the sheer amount of perseverance it takes. Here it's very hard to convince gallery's to except street photography because they see no commercial value.

 

And let's not forget. Thanks to you all for your comments. Maybe we'll bump into eachother someday.

I'm fairly new here on PN so it's probably asked more than once. Any of you

have an idea why street photography in general is so undervalued?

@ Josh: the point you're making seems valid enough and I believe in an instant that it happened the way you described. The same though is the case with written comments/critiques. You can't change human nature. Most will respond in an adult way, some will not. What strikes me most is that on a lot of photo's positive comments are written that simply don't deserve it. Probably because a lot of people just don't dare to write what they really think for all the reasons you gave.

 

In the short time I've been here I've seen some people consistently giving eachother high ratings on photo's that a lot of us would bin without a second thought. If that's what makes them happy, I've no problem with that.

 

Whatever system you design, it will show the same flaws. The only solution is to find some people here that you get to know a bit better and that you can trust to say to you honestly you've made a crappy photo so you know you can trust their judgment when they tell you you've made a good one.

 

I'm still a bit browsing but in all honesty I think you run a damned good site here

just the other day one of my comments on a thread was removed in the cc section (Ananymous by Michael Howard March 10th). Although I can't see a reason for it, it wasn't disrespectful to anyone and valid within the context of the discussion, I sure would like to have a notification if this kind of thing happens.

 

Other than that, you can write guidelines as many as you like but you won't be able to cover all as you said yourself. I think it's a wellknown fact that most people to read those statements anyway. It's just that most people conform to the basic rules of decency anyway, at least in my experience.

I see my comment was removed. I'm propably on his blacklist now

I welcome every honest comment be it from a novice or a professional, be it from someone with a posted portfolio or not. I welcome the fact that people take the trouble to leave a comment at all.

 

No one forces you accept them or dismiss them. I read them all carefully because some of them have real merit. In the end it all comes down to just one thing, people will like your work or they don't. In a way it's even more objecive here. When you've got an exhibit in a serious gallery mostly people will come who have an affinity with art and are in general more knowledgeable. But that in itself is enough to create some kind of bias because there will be a supposition that you HAVE to be good to have made it into an art gallery in the first place.

Spencer, apart from Bob's question of giving some examples which you haven't done yet would you be so kind to state what are YOUR criteria of what a good photo should be? It would have been nice if you'd done that to start with.

David no, I wasn't referring to a particular photo or category let alone a photographer. I didn't have to because I see lots of comments that are coloured by personal likes, dislikes or morals even even you like. I was merely curious on what others thought of that and on what grounds they give their comments for which once again I want to thank you all.

 

Believe you me, if I would have a problem myself with a comment or critique, this wouldn't e my place of choice to resolve things.

 

I might well bite your head of in the future over a photo as I hope you will do likewise for me.

Thanks guys. Yes "Like" and "See" are intertwined but for me the problem is that when I see someone leave a comment like "It's outright Porn"(not on one of my photo's btw)I for sure know what they don't like. Problem is is that a comment on that particular photo or about the photographer? Yes "Why" is part of it.

I don't think you have to have a degree in art or photography to write a substantiated comment (although it might help of course)

I never get morally outraged nor sexually stimulated of any photo's on this site whether it's birds or nudes. More to the point if I would be I don't think that I would let it shine trough in my comment. Funny thing is that in number of cases the comment doesn't even seem to relate to the actual content. I guess that's what meant to start with.

Gonna kick in an open door here. It seems to me that a lot of people, if they

leave a comment or critique at all, comment on what they like rather than on

what they see.

 

Just as an example. I'm not into birdphotography, wouldn't know where to start

to get even a half decent one. But I can appricaite the craftsmanship and

patience it takes to produce them while I think some of them are really very

very good photo's as such.

 

Something similar applies to nudes. Although I haven't seen that many good

ones, comments in general seem to concentrate on the morals (or supposed lack

of it) of the photographer, or on the beauty of the model sometimes seemingly

in awe that someone else is capable to get women to take their clothes of in

the first place.

 

So I sure would like to know what criteria you use?

if your budget allows there is really no contest with prices going down in this ridiculous rate. Despite of what you said buy a used Leica M6. You'll have top quality that will last you a lifetime.

If you don't want that buy a Pentax LX which is also one of the greats

I agree on the advice about the books of Kelby and Eismann. They are a good place to start. I use photoshop every day professionally as well as for my own pleasure and alsways on the latest version because every update makes life easier. In essence though you'll probably find that from all the possibilities the program offers you you'll only use a very limited amount. It's not so much a step learning curve but getting familiar with those endless possibilities and finding out what works best for you. I just checked the web and it seems that Kelby promotes a 7-step system now which could be something for you.

In my opinion you should stay away from filters. While I've got lots of them I hardly ever use them. There is a good reason for it too. I want to master that myself so I've got more control over it in the end. I wish you lots of succes.

Thanks all,

 

Fred now I know. I've uploaded it before Thanks for the explanation and making it clear

 

Gordon, thanks, as always

 

Josh, thanks also

 

and finally. Ratings for me are just useful for getting that extra exposure. I think that's one of the reasons why we're her.

it seems that my photo's who were rated very good can't be found in the top

gallery's. Posted one yesterday wich received 16 ratings (A: 5.88 O: 6,25).

While I can find photo's with fewer ratings and lower scores mine just seem to

disappear. Now I don't mind about those ratings as such. What I would like

though is the extra exposure if, like in this case, it seems merited. It's not

the first time either. Maybe I just don't know how the system works. Anyway,

could use some advice on this.

Thanks for your trouble.Regards, Ton

Darius, it seems you feel rather sorry for yourself. People will put you only in a box if you let them, or if you talk yourself into one which in my opinion you do in a very obvious way

 

"Don, I meant that we should have more interest in the Critique Forum"

I think Fred answered this in the best possible way.

 

To Matt, glad I found your puppie pics via this thread. Shots like those you can upload any day. They're are not only adorable byt high quality as well (got two black labs myself, know how patient you've got to be to get those right)

You're absulutely right Lex. I've worked the Nikon F3HP also and although they are virtually alike the LX wins by miles. Pentax has to this day always been slow to develop, produce, and market camera's and lenses that belong to the very top.

Most people should be over the moon if they just once in their lifetime would make a photo that could even remotely compare to an original Salgado. Of Avedon it's a well known fact that he kept his assistents at work on any given photo till it would be perfect in every detail even if it took months. It's that uncompromising quest for perfection that makes a real great photographer. You can show me work of Salgado or any of his peers every day for the rest of my life.

I'm with David Scott. Pentax LX. I've still one in perfect working order. Had the shutter adjusted to specification in order to get perfect zones. After more then 10 years it's still working perfect (I regularly check test negatives with a calibrated professional densitometer). Apart from that you can virtually roll it around on the beach, it's so perfectly sealed no sand will ever reach the interior. And all this from a real Nikon adept.