PHOTOGRAPHY POPULARITY, WHY?

[PEDRO TRONCOSO]

I'M TRYING TO COLLECT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MATTER. PLEASE SEND YOUR OPINION. LONG OR SHORT TEXT, WHATEVER YOU WANT. STATE YOUR LEVEL AS A PHOTOGRAPHER PLEASE. I'M A SIXTY YEARS OLD CHILEAN PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER, LIVING IN BRAZIL FOR THE PAST 27 YEARS. FROM TIME TO TIME I'M INVITED TO SPEECH IN LOCAL JOURNALISM COLLEGE AND PHOTO CLUBS, I HAVE MY OWN THEORY ABOUT IT, BUT I WANT TO KNOW THE OTHER PEOPLE OPINION. THANKS FOR ANY HELP, BE KIND WITH MY ENGLISH. PLEASE WRITE TO:phototron@hotmail.com

[robertwgross]

Pedro, your English is fine. However, on the Internet, if you use ALL CAPS, that is equivalent to shouting.

I think there is a recent popularity in digital photography because it allows many users to get good photos with less and less cost. Modern technology allows us to make mistakes much faster than we ever could make before.

---Bob Gross---

[PEDRO TRONCOSO]

thank you bob, I won't shout again, but I mean photography, digital or film, just photography, light writing, capture of real images to a paper , film ,cd, metal, glass or any kind of material with the purpose of showing this images to others. comercial photography is out of this. (i'm a comercial photographer).

[arpi]

thank you bob, I won't shout again, but I mean photography, digital or film, just photography, light writing, capture of real images to a paper , film ,cd, metal, glass or any kind of material with the purpose of showing this images to others. comercial photography is out of this. (i'm a comercial photographer).

I guess you answered it already. Why is photography popular? because they want to show images to other people, including to themselves. :p

[tckadventures]

You Know, the whole photographing ordeal is yes primarily the joy of recounting those many memorable occaisions, however after stating the obvious 'my' other joy of taking photos now especially with digital is the art of it all. I am new with photography on the whole, as when there was no digital all the film stuff was sooo expensive and as i didn't want to waste film it took a long time to actually get the film developed therefore also my learning ability. Now my whole outlook has changed and so has the ability to comprehend all the technical stuff as I can see in an instant what I have done. But the ability to change/improve in PS is great. My pics that were thought to be once just ok are really something now and getting better each time I press those buttons. Not to mention all you great guys out there helping Newbie feeble minds to comprehend photography a little better.

[robertwgross]

Back in the old days, we made images of bison hunts, and we made those on the walls of caves. What did it accomplish? I don't know. It just made the time pass until bison hunting season came around again.

We had a problem then. We would get dust spots on the cave walls, so our bison images weren't quite perfect.

---Bob Gross---

[blinking8s]

i like the attention i get from girls at events and stuff

:)

[Andy_T]

Pedro,

also take a look at these threads:
Why do you take pictures? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=81119)
Why do you take photos? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=48488)

2 threads, with nearly the same wording, that asked this question before.
It captures some opinions on the issue.

Best regards,
Andy

[Jon, The Elder]

I'm in there with Rgross - getting the raw umber and the sienna ground down just right was always a challenge- that and dragging a Bison down into the cave and propping him up for a model. Very labor intensive !

[PhotosGuy]

Setiprime, our new resident expert on images of quadrupeds, will be happy to answer all your questions on Bison imaging! Be sure to find out how he handles the issue of "image degradation due to campfire smoke"! :D;)

[bigun]

Back in the old days, we made images of bison hunts, and we made those on the walls of caves. What did it accomplish? I don't know. It just made the time pass until bison hunting season came around again.

We had a problem then. We would get dust spots on the cave walls, so our bison images weren't quite perfect.

---Bob Gross---

So do we use the copperrock method for getting rid of the dust spots??:) :)

[CyberPet]

Of course the technology has made it possible for anyone with a computer (and many do have computers now) take photos with a digital camera. Nowadays you get a camera with your cell phone, you get a deal with a cheap camera to the printer you buy for your computer. I.e. cameras are everywhere and people can see their mages instantly (and many people are impatient and don't want to wait an hour, a day or a week to see their prints, they want to see them NOW!). Instant gratification is a big reason, as well as the many cheap cameras that you now can get.

I see it about the same way as when the personal computers came big in the mid 80's. Anyone could use a computer (Macintosh was a breakthrough here). Anyone could be their own Desktop jockey and make their own printed materials. It didn't mean they were good at it and it looked good. Those of us who had an education (graphical, typographical and design) was still making better printed material than those happy amateurs. Something that was very complicated before, with typesetter machines (or even before that, led types) and you really needed to know your cicero's.

Today some professional photographers are complaining about those amateurs with their point and shoot cameras (or even better equipment), but the fact is still there. It takes training, and some skill to manage to capture good images. A great photographer can capture a great image that will be on the cover of Time magazine with a point and shoot, as well as with a 1Ds Mark II. A great designer can make a great printed original with the simplest graphical tools as well, even if he/she would make it easier with a faster machine and better software. While those with a really expensive machine and software, still won't be able to make a good designed pamphlet.

I'm rambling here a bit, but all comes down to availability. Most people can afford a digital camera, they can take pictures, print it from their computer or show it on the computer, but it takes more to become a good photographer.

Btw, my husband complains I never show him the photo's I take.... so I wonder for whom I take the photo's. I think it's just for my own satisfaction. :D

[Curtis N]

Technology makes it cheap to make pictures.

You don't even need a computer. You can take your CF card to most any retail photo lab and view the images there and order prints only from the "good" ones.

The internet makes it easy to share them.

[Danny Boy]

I'm cracking up w/ the whole Bison/cave reference. Maybe back then people used PhotoRock to post-process the pictures. :)

[sixshot]

A question I have never thought of. I suppose just to capture an image in a way I see it and wish others to see it too. Doesn't always work out like that though!!