Today, a photographer does not need to know...

My daughter takes dance classes at our local "Family Museum". The Family Museum is basically a hands-on science museum for kids. Today, they had a big photography exhibit that I found quite interesting. While browsing all the photographs and reading the commentary that accompanied them, I came across this comment:

I'd be curious to hear your reactions, if any, to that quote.

guess its how you define photographer. a polaroid doesn't need math and knowledge.
a working pro certainly does. everyday mom and dad can freely snap away without knowing. its a pretty vague and awful statement that should have been clarified.

it is sad that som many people have great digital tools without knowing how to use them

in the end, those of us with a full working knowledge of the ins and outs will suffer a hit right now being undercut by newbs, but int he end will rise above to meet the actual needs of clients.

The whole statement just goes to show how little the writer actually knows about photography.

Mark

Mark_Cohran wrote in post #2165213
The whole statement just goes to show how little the writer actually knows about photography.

Mark

I think it was just poorly stated. They could be talking about old leicas and the like where you had to know BDE in order to get a proper exposure or something. Who knows.

coreypolis wrote in post #2165222
I think it was just poorly stated. They could be talking about old leicas and the like where you had to know BDE in order to get a proper exposure or something. Who knows.

True, but "calculate an f-stop" - I don't calculate it. I just know what it is.

Mark

I am a studio lighting course at the local museum and it is tought useing film. ever student in there has a film base camera except for me. luckily I have understanding of film camera seeing that I have taken three years in film photography. I have to agree that this guy does not know what he is talking about. People go out and buy non DSLR cameras and automaticaly think that they are a photographer. People can get good shoots from these cameras but how many good shoots. But with this the camera is doing to work for you. The camera can only go so far. Knowing the aperture and f-stop and how to use the correctly will only deliver better pictures and more accurate picutres.

I feel more comfortable useing the camera on Manual then on Fully Auto.

Also the younger kids that are in the class are take a class at the local highschool and this is tought in film as well. so I guess once you learn the appature and f-stop you will always use them.

That kind of statement is from a picture taker. Not an artist using the medium of photography. They will never understand the art of photography.

BTBeilke wrote in post #2165129
My daughter takes dance classes at our local "Family Museum". The Family Museum is basically a hands-on science museum for kids. Today, they had a big photography exhibit that I found quite interesting. While browsing all the photographs and reading the commentary that accompanied them, I came across this comment:


I'd be curious to hear your reactions, if any, to that quote.

yuck.. don't let my niece hear that.. I won't buy her a DSLR until she learns how to use one correctly. I don't need anybody telling her its not necessary...

sari

saravrose wrote in post #2165300
yuck.. don't let my niece hear that.. I won't buy her a DSLR until she learns how to use one correctly. I don't need anybody telling her its not necessary...

sari

I've been teaching high school kids photograph off and on for 10 years now. I stress the basics of exposure and composition - they have to know how their camera's work and how to correct for exposure in conditions the camera has trouble compensating for before I'll let them print anything. That museum is doing a disservice to the next generation of photographers.

Mark

It seems as though the responses in this thread are looking at the camera world through DSLR-colored glasses. The statement applies to point & shoot cameras, although perhaps the person who wrote it does not at all know that. Taken in that context, there's nothing wrong with the statement.

Museum curators that write this stuff often don't know what they are talking about imo.

T.Hogan wrote in post #2165282
That kind of statement is from a picture taker. Not an artist using the medium of photography. They will never understand the art of photography.

You have found a perfect way to post messages that get totally ignored.

As to the museum statement: Someone has been reading too many Canon brochures.

BTBeilke wrote in post #2165129
came across this comment:

Quote:
With the help from digital cameras, photography has become easier and faster than ever before. Today a photographer does not need to know what aperture means or how to calculate the f-stop in order to take great pictures."

I'd be curious to hear your reactions, if any, to that quote

Gee that same quotation could have been said about the fully automatic exposure cameras that were available in the early 1960's and depended upon selenium cell meters mounted on the external surface of the camera body, changing only to say, "With the help from selenium cell auto exposure cameras, photography has become easier and faster than ever before. Today a photographer does not need to know what aperture means or how to calculate the f-stop in order to take great pictures." !

It should have stated, "With the help from digital cameras, photography has become easier and faster and less expensive per shot than ever before. Today a photographer does not need to go to the drugstore or photo store or wait to see their processed photos in order to take and print great pictures."

Morgandy wrote in post #2165513
It seems as though the responses in this thread are looking at the camera world through DSLR-colored glasses. The statement applies to point & shoot cameras, although perhaps the person who wrote it does not at all know that. Taken in that context, there's nothing wrong with the statement.

Sorry but there is everything wrong with that statement when applied to digital cameras...it is not new! See my post before this one, to see that the statement they made was true FORTY years ago! It is as ludicrous as Dan Quayle having claimed that their presidential administration had invented the internet!

Mark_Cohran wrote in post #2165354
I've been teaching high school kids photograph off and on for 10 years now. I stress the basics of exposure and composition - they have to know how their camera's work and how to correct for exposure in conditions the camera has trouble compensating for before I'll let them print anything. That museum is doing a disservice to the next generation of photographers.

Mark

agree.. I figure it does buy me a few years.. I'm not sure if a seven year old can grasp much more than apperture and composition.. but she does both of those very well... But, when she gets to be eleven/twelve or so and shows me that she can use the manual modes and has the basic principals down then she'll get her own camera.. until then. she has a perfectly fine 4MP point and shoot.. it's even Canon..

Those statements run all over the place from all points of view and people.. Mostly from folks who have never tried it.. Or from people who assume that the SLR market is an expensive version of disposable cameras..

sari.