Are you aiming for mastery in a specific genre or type or exploring various styles and situations? (Page 2): I shoot birds, bugs and occasionally other things that move. I also...

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

I shoot birds, bugs and occasionally other things that move. I also construct and post composite images. I occasionally force myself to take pictures of things to use in my composites. These generally are of snapshot quality. I just checked my Lightroom Catalog and found I have 187 pictures in my "Landscape" file, most of which I would be embarrassed to post.

My equipment is geared to my shooting preferences. Camera is a Nikon D7200 crop frame chosen to extend the reach of my primary lenses: Nikkor 70-300 Kit Lens, Nikkor 200-500 and Tamron 90mm macro. I don't own a wide angle or even a nifty fifty.

User ID

Longshadow wrote:

Style <> interests.
Style is the way (method) one interprets/captures their subject of interest.

One can have varied interests and one style.
Or, I suppose one can have different styles for different subjects (interests).

Amen. I have no specific subject interests. I even believe that specialized subject interest is detrimental to making really interesing pix.

At one point I noticed that to some degree I have developed a prefered *style* or maybe an "anti style" style. Where possible I go for honest squared up views, and subjects at or nearly on center. No interest in "interesting angles", no fancy concern about an "artistic composition". Just head-on straight ahead.

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Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

User ID wrote:

Amen. I have no specific subject interests. I even believe that specialized subject interest is detrimental to making really interesing pix.

At one point I noticed that to some degree I have developed a prefered *style* or maybe an "anti style" style. Where possible I go for an honest squared up view. Not interested in "interesting angles", no fancy concern about an "artistic composition".

Interesting is relative...

I believe I have an eclectic style.

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

I'm an ad hoc learner/shooter. I gravitate to motion and lately have been doing alot of bird/animal/surfing with the occasional landscape...I post and sell my pageantry images and that's pretty much what got me started in digital (circa 2002), but I get interested in something (like shooting thru a light table) and will gear up and try to learn it as I go. I stress good/great equipment, that way when things don't go as right as I would like, I know exactly where the blame lies. ;0)

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

chasgroh wrote:

I'm an ad hoc learner/shooter. I gravitate to motion and lately have been doing alot of bird/animal/surfing with the occasional landscape...I post and sell my pageantry images and that's pretty much what got me started in digital (circa 2002), but I get interested in something (like shooting thru a light table) and will gear up and try to learn it as I go. I stress good/great equipment, that way when things don't go as right as I would like, I know exactly where the blame lies. ;0)

Good/great is relative to the user's opinion and requirements.

My T1i is great for me, and my Sony H-1 does a great job too.

terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains

Longshadow wrote:

Interesting is relative...

I believe I have an eclectic style.

When I was studying photography, one of the questions that students asked a lot was: "How do I develop my style?" The answer was always the same: "Just keep shooting and your style will take care of itself."

After about 40 years, I think my style is no style.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

terryMc wrote:

When I was studying photography, one of the questions that students asked a lot was: "How do I develop my style?" The answer was always the same: "Just keep shooting and your style will take care of itself."

After about 40 years, I think my style is no style.

A distinct possibility!

Timmers Loc: San Antonio Texas.

JZA B1 wrote:

I see some people only posting landscapes. Or only... (show quote)

Have done it all, but doing necked ladies most of all, (typical boy!).

I once joked with Ansel about a 'filler 'image in one of his books that showed an 'S' curving road with car on it, Similar car almost the same spot on the same road. I joked about bad days shoot trying to make images, later sent a copy of mine to him and he sent back the copy from the book, signed. Both shots were 'turkey's', don't know what I did with it...fun times.

User ID

Longshadow wrote:

Good/great is relative to the user's opinion and requirements.

My T1i is great for me, and my Sony H-1 does a great job too.

Since you keep mentioning the relativity of it all, Im posting, primarily for you, but acoarst also for whoever needs it, a superb portrait, suitable for framing, of Dr. Relativity himself:

(Download)

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

User ID wrote:

Amen. I have no specific subject interests. I even believe that specialized subject interest is detrimental to making really interesing pix.

At one point I noticed that to some degree I have developed a prefered *style* or maybe an "anti style" style. Where possible I go for honest squared up views, and subjects at or nearly on center. No interest in "interesting angles", no fancy concern about an "artistic composition". Just head-on straight ahead.

A veritable feast for the eyes 🤍🤍🤍🤍🤍

Timmers Loc: San Antonio Texas.

User ID wrote:

Since you keep mentioning the relativity of it all, I am posting, mainly for you but also for whoever, a fine potrait of your guru, suitable for framing:

Guru?

This is Einstein, I was barley out of diapers when he died. In high school I met Dick Feynman, no math, I'm dyslexic, but a lot about color. Three years later with the founding of The Friends of Photography I met and worked with Ansel, Imogene and several others.

Then I played with Daddy's toys (see) Leica Summarex85cm f15 black paint, and made the portrait of Lexi in high school.

Some here like that some of us have meet giants, and can speak to that knowledge of the makers of our world, so what is your point?

Here is another fun fact; the guy (a Leica fan and Daddy Toys) who pushed through CPR and changed the world of medical practices, he was my father Joseph Paul Summa DDS, ACS (Doctor of Dental Surgery-Perio, American Collage of Surgeons).

Daddy's Leica toys, Leica Summarex85cm f15 black paint.

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Lexi, high school portrait made with Daddy's toy, Leica Summarex85cm f15 black paint, Leica IIIc, Kodak Tri-X.
Lexi, high school portrait made with Daddy's toy,...

Portrait of Me in my mid 40's by Arnold Newman (c. Arnold Newman estate) he used my Karden Bi 4X5 on Tri-X.

User ID

Is serendipity a style ? Is it somehow a theme, which would be a type of subject rather than a style ? Or is the shutter button more akin to the lever on a slot machine ?

Maybe preparedness is a skill that elevates it beyond the slot machine, but preparedness still doesnt assure a winner every time, so still not hugely far beyond the slot machine.

An observation: Serendipity practiced (?) in a certain type of environment is a recognized genre, called "Street".

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RickL Loc: Vail, Az

JZA B1 wrote:

I see some people only posting landscapes. Or only... (show quote)

I have been enjoying photography of all varieties since my teens and am now 80. As a teen I went to a Pawn Shop and purchased a a Rollie and used that all over Europe. In my early 20’s I purchased my first Nikon camera and have been using Nikons ever since. When I retired five years ago, Marilyn, my wife and I took up primarily nature photography but also still do landscape photography as well. We photograph, primarily, birds because we enjoy identifying them and cataloging new ones. Marilyn shoots with a Nikon D850 and I with a Nikon Z8.

Bill_de Loc: US

User ID wrote:

Since you keep mentioning the relativity of it all, Im posting, primarily for you, but acoarst also for whoever needs it, a superb portrait, suitable for framing, of Dr. Relativity himself:

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terryMc Loc: Arizona's White Mountains

Timmers wrote:

Guru? br br This is Einstein, I was barley out of... (show quote)

Wow, am I ever impressed.

You know what though, I won a toaster once...