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Thread: SLM's photographic, artistic conundrum/crisis

  1. #21
    反重力 Rikadyn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sad, little man View Post
    In a way I feel like even more of a fraud than that guy because at least he is actually living off of his photos. I feel like it detracts from people struggling to make a living at photography or any type of art for me to call myself a photographer because I don't have to walk the tightrope of being good enough at it to be able to support myself.

    Anyway, someone saw me taking photos at an event last night, and he said he wanted to hire me to take photos of him doing stand-up comedy. I explained to him that I'm just taking photos like this for my own enjoyment. He understood the value in hiring a photographer that isn't trying to make money at it. So, I gave him my contact info.

    So up to this point, I have been given a small plastic toy horse as payment for taking one set of photos, and now I have one possible lead for another job. I think I have one of the most successful photography businesses in history, among people who have not and do not intend to start a photography business.
    You might actually enjoy checking out Zack Arias, he started his actual career shooting for local bands and stuff in Atlanta. He's also a really approachable down to earth cat.

  2. #22
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    The reason I hate myself this week is that I can't really think of another art form outside of photography where the quality of your art is so heavily dependent on the tools you use to make it.

    I have spent a lot of money on my camera and lenses now (made possible by a job I have come to hate but gives me ample disposable income), and I feel like this gives me an unfair advantage over people with lesser cameras. So, when people say my photos are so great, I feel like the credit is undeserved because a lot of the quality of the photo came from having a good camera and not my own skill.

    Someone said they wanted to make an oil painting of a photo I took. Yay.

  3. #23
    Corvette Enthusiast Kchrpm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sad, little man View Post
    So, when people say my photos are so great, I feel like the credit is undeserved because a lot of the quality of the photo came from having a good camera and not my own skill.
    There are a couple of ways to think about that.

    1) Be grateful that you have the humility to understand that point and continue on your current path.
    2) Test yourself by getting/using lesser equipment. DigitalRev has done multiple videos where they give a cheap/old/terrible camera to a professional photographer, who then goes out and takes (mostly) excellent photos with them. Just like giving a fast driver a slow car, they will learn to focus on the finer details of composition and lighting, and not just bathe in the power of their equipment.
    Get that weak shit off my track

  4. #24
    反重力 Rikadyn's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sad, little man View Post
    where the quality of your art is so heavily dependent on the tools you use to make it.
    it's not.

  5. #25
    What does the Bat say? Jason's Avatar
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    I don't know why I decided to come in here again. Its just pissing me off.

  6. #26
    What does the Bat say? Jason's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kchrpm View Post
    There are a couple of ways to think about that.

    1) Be grateful that you have the humility to understand that point and continue on your current path.
    2) Test yourself by getting/using lesser equipment. DigitalRev has done multiple videos where they give a cheap/old/terrible camera to a professional photographer, who then goes out and takes (mostly) excellent photos with them. Just like giving a fast driver a slow car, they will learn to focus on the finer details of composition and lighting, and not just bathe in the power of their equipment.
    Some of my most popular/liked imagery is done with a $25 piece of shit lens attached to a mediocre mirrorless camera. So I guess by SLM's measure, I'm worthless, because I didn't make said images with even shittier equipment.

    Or something.

  7. #27
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    Jason, you seem to be taking this extremely personally, it's not meant to be, and I'm struggling how you extrapolated all of that from my last post. In fact what you're saying is essentially the complete opposite of what I said in the last post.

    I'm saying that I don't feel like compliments I receive on photos are as deserved when taken with a very good camera/lens. Carrying that logic out to the logical conclusion, it would follow that I feel that compliments received on photos taken with a crappy camera/lens would be very much deserved. And indeed, I do think that.

    But it seems like you've completely inverted what I've said. How did you get to the conclusion that I would think you were worthless for using cheap equipment?


    Anyway, I guess the thing is, I'm a perfectionist about things like this. So for my own fulfillment and satisfaction, I want to capture the best image possible, so I want the best equipment. But then when other people really like the photos, it makes me wonder if they would really think as highly of it if it wasn't taken with the same good equipment. I guess I feel like in an age where almost every photo was taken with a phone, people will admire any photos taken with a decent camera just because of their comparable quality.

    I've seen the DigitalRev videos. Yes, the composition of the photos is good, but of course the photo quality is crap. If I'm capturing a situation, I want to do it as much justice as I can. And most of the photos I take are in awful lighting conditions, so just getting any kind of usable photo that isn't pitch black requires good equipment, or a flash, which I refuse to use.

    Again, what it really comes down to is that I am an emotionally conflicted individual, and my feelings and opinions should be viewed and dismissed in the same way that random background noise is.

  8. #28
    What does the Bat say? Jason's Avatar
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    I'm taking it personally because you keep shitting all over photography while acting like you're some sort of godsend.

    I think I'll follow your advice and ignore your 'background noise'.

  9. #29
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    Ok. So is there anything I could say to make you not hate me, or are you pretty much set at this point?

  10. #30
    反重力 Rikadyn's Avatar
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    "Best equipment possible"

    So when you getting a Hassie or Phase?

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