User ID

Better late than never ....

User ID

Im not concerned with where beauty resides where it derives from ... "seeking beauty" doesnt interest me in the least. Ive got zero interest in blossoms, butterflys, sunsets, etc etc. "Finding beauty" and embalming it does not create beautiful images or interesting photos. Proof is all through the UHH Gallery.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Right! Good thing I learned it now I might have kept up doing it wrong.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

What you should be saying is "In my opinion, finding beauty etc does not create beautiful images..." And the fact that it's your opinion doesn't make it true.

There's no shortage of people who want to photograph flowers, insects, landscapes etc exactly because they do find them beautiful and enjoy trying to capture that beauty. You shouldn't be dismissive of those people or their interests just because it's not the type of photography that you enjoy or something that you relate to. If you don't relate to it, just move on. Nobody's forcing you to spend time checking out those images.

User ID

In *your* opinion ...... acoarst !

You want me to preface my remarks with "in my opinion" but then you fail to likewise preface your own.

Its clearly *your opinion* that remarks about aesthetics need such an unnecessary preface. Its common knowledge that all remarks about subjective matters are by nature opinions. If and when I decide to hire an editor I will most definitely keep you in mind. Til then, whatever commonly "goes without saying" will not be trumpeted from my quarter.

Back to aesthetics, searching out beauty and then enbalming it is not the key to making interesting or beautiful images. Proof of that surrounds us. Very many folks do enjoy the embalming process. On that we agree. The embalmers also like to share and compare their results and on that we agree. Theres no harm in all that, and on that we can at least somewhat agree.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Oh look - there's that opinion again. The fact that some people do it badly isn't "proof" that the process itself is wrong (or deficient in any way).

Some people are so sure of their opinions they make the assumption that if it's their opinion it must be true. TBH I'm not entirely convinced that you don't fall into that category. As evidence I can mention your frequently dismissive attitude. Apparently you're ready and willing to dismiss all of the people who seek out and photograph beauty as being misguided. That's a fair chunk of the photography community that you're writing off as being mistaken.

Or is your reference to enbalming a reference to what in your opinion is inappropriate editing? If it is, it's not the photography that's deserving of criticism - it's the editing, which is another subject altogether.

If you feel that you must share your negative criticisms with us, perhaps you should make it clear exactly who the intended target is. And perhaps you aren't aware of this but your criticisms tend to come across as rather scathing. If scathing isn't your real attitude, perhaps you could work on your delivery of such criticisms. Feedback can be an excellent thing but it needs to be delivered properly in order for it to have the desired effect.

User ID

Its not a problem of "some people do it badly". The majority do it adequately. But embalming is a science. Whether it can be an art I must allow would be venturing into the subjective. But I do tend to agree with my neighbor who practiced embalming for a living: "You seen one stiff, you seen them all".

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Every photograph that's ever been taken is a record of an instant in time - frozen, enbalmed or however you want to describe it. That's the nature of photography. To that you can add that the number of possible subjects is inherently limited. We can probably assume that most of those subjects have already been done, if not overdone. That applies to all of the styles that I've seen you posting - street photography, bands playing etc.

So should we all just give up if we can't find a subject that's original? Some people have a love of flowers and they enjoy trying to capture what it is about them that they like. If you don't share that love, does that give you the right to be dismissive? The same can be said about a love of insects, landscapes, pets, children etc etc. People who have a love of those subjects will decide for themselves when enough is enough. Nobody is forcing you to view their images.

Trying to capture beauty is a challenging pursuit. That challenge is one of the main things that keep people trying, despite the fact that the subjects are usually far from original. And when it's done well the results speak for themselves. That's another thing that keeps people trying.

Exceptional results are called exceptional for a reason. The thing is they wouldn't exist at all if the achiever of those results had just stopped trying. The desire for exceptional results is another thing that drives many people to keep trying and to improve - and it's got nothing to do with how original the subjects are.

That is by no means an exhaustive list of the reasons why people keep on shooting unoriginal subjects.

Chuck B

I compose still shot and view the product for adjustments.Action or impromptu shots are usually done with average settings and I know those will be finished in post processing

User ID

Given your essay length objections, you reeeeeally dont care for raw criticism. No reason to expect that would ever change, therefor I would anticipate hearing your routine response, over and over. No hey problemo, no surprises.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

You were criticising people who photograph unoriginal subjects and you likened that practice to embalming. I defended those people and that practice. There's much more that could have been said.

Chuck B

I like to compose in the camera for all stills.

User ID

I suppose we mostly all could say that. I think that still asks a secondary question. Even tho you "compose in the camera", do you leave some margin for minor adjustments, or do do try to get exact (or nearly exact) framing on the spot, feeling that youve already nailed it.

Acoarst the possible need for some margin would be somewhat dependent on subject type, and whether youre using a WYSIWYG viewfinder. Might you incude those things in your response ?

FWIW I always want a margin and one of my cameras even provides frame lines slightly smaller than full viewing area, very cool for users like me.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Yes. I think most “compose in camera” and it’s a good starting point, but subject dictates the crop and rarely is 2:3 the right aspect ratio.

User ID

I had intended to include an image of the "safety margin" frame lines with the post above, but life intervened. So heres that image. Theres also an IBIS target and an artificial horizon, so its a bit cluttered.

(Download)