Does The Internet Help Or Hurt Photography?

the best thing to happen to digital photography (or photography in general) is the world wide web to share ideas and photos. Without it, we'd all be the annoying person bringing out the albums of photos that our friends and family have no interest in.

[Hyuni wrote:
='[Hyuni];12432705']th​e best thing to happen to digital photography (or photography in general) is the world wide web to share ideas and photos. Without it, we'd all be the annoying person bringing out the albums of photos that our friends and family have no interest in.

The internet is worth it just for this alone, particularly with work colleagues!

How I remember that sinking feeling you'd get when a colleague returned from a holiday clutching 6 packets of printed photographs and asking when you wanted to go for lunch ....

dwarrenr wrote in post #12432501
I don't disagree. I was simply trying to stay on topic.

Did i drift off topic?

mtimber wrote in post #12432800
Did i drift off topic?

LOL...well yeah. Duh! roftl :p

Jay, I wish I had a third option, both. I think that for the vast majority it has been nothing but helpful. The amount of technical information, product info, the sharing of ideas, the access to vast amounts of knowledge is unprecedented. Photographers today are better educated, know more about their craft, and are improving in larger numbers than ever before. The access to a larger audience has been very beneficial to the average hobbyist photographer. There are markets available that were not there before. Those that do this for the the shear pleasure of creating now have access to outlets to share their pics and in some cases to generate some income as well.

On the negative side, lot of info out there that is just plain wrong and it keeps going. Just look at the endless crop factor debates that continue to persist. Also, I think it has been very hard for the independent pros as they continue to see the value of their work decline as more photographers are able to deliver results every bit as good as they deliver. Also as the market floods with those trying to break into the business it makes it ever more difficult for the established pros to keep charging what they charge.

Looks like a landslide so far. I certainly agree with everyone who feels the net has been good for photography. It has significantly raised the bar as far as the quality of work a person should expect to produce before he/she can call themselves a pro.

There is a lot of junk out there, but also a lot of quality information that can only serve to improve the art form.

I got into photography in 1967. No internet for me.

I went to a couple of used bookstores and bought up 5 years of back issues of Modern Photography and Popular Photography. Piled them on the kitchen table and worked through them one at a time, cover-to-cover. Probably took me about six months.

I like the internet better.

The internet has increased the speed of my learning curve in a very drastic way. Particularly this site.

In addition to the internet, the advent of digital photography has also helped in a HUGE way - possibly more than the internet.
It has also, rightly or wrongly, made photography a whole lot more affordable and accessible to the beginner/casual photographer by making seeing their results sooner and easier (don't have to buy film, wait until you've finished the roll of film (not that you couldn't only shoot half a roll), and wait to process and get prints.
Comparatively, dslr's are so much more affordable and more readily available to the enthusiast/casual photographer than cameras have ever been with the added bonus of not having to wait to see your results or the cost that goes with it.

[Hyuni wrote:
='[Hyuni];12432705']th​e best thing to happen to digital photography (or photography in general) is the world wide web to share ideas and photos. Without it, we'd all be the annoying person bringing out the albums of photos that our friends and family have no interest in.

Instead we're the annoying person bringing out the computer to show, on an electronic screen, albums of photos that our friends and family have no interest in - or posting them on Facebook for the whole world to see (along with all the other cr@p that people put on Fb) even though the rest of the world has no interest in them.
Btw - guilty as charged (except for the Facebook thing)

I think your poll question is too general. What is "photography?" Buying prints? Selling prints? Making a living at photography? Learning it as a hobby?

I'm not trying to be a smart-ass with this response, but I think my answers to the poll would vary depending upon what aspect of photography I was thinking about.

For learning photography, I think it helps more than it hurts. Most folks familiar with learning from internet sites develop a feel for how to sift through the vast amounts of info.

For those trying to make a living with photography, I think at the moment the internet poses challenges more than it provides benefits. With the continued up trend in DSLR sales, more people think they - or anyone else - can take quality photos with the right gear.

For those trying to sell prints, I think the internet has made it more challenging.

Helps, otherwise I would never have known that bokeh was even a word, or that pixel-peeping was legal!

It helps.

I think two things have created a greatly improved level of photography on this planet.

Digital Cameras - instant feedback and no cost for developing film. You can experiment to your hearts content. Imagine getting 2000 film images developed each weekend as a hobbyist.

Internet - no way you could learn as quickly without it (on your own). There is just so much information at your finger tips.

I enjoyed photography for years before both. Read all of Ansel Adams books and worked with the zone system. B&W and home developing was pretty cheep. Colour film I just shot on Program. However since my first digital camera and the internet my learning curve just exploded in the last 5 years.

Definitely helps.

I display, and subsequently sell most of my photos online.
Utilising facebook, I can connect with a huge audience base.
When purchasing gear, I can research quicker and easier through the net, including prices, reviews and samples.
Places like this forum give me inspiration, ideas and techniques to try, much more than looking through a book.

The only bad side to the net, is I spend so much time in front of the computer

angryman wrote in post #12492537
The only bad side to the net, is I spend so much time in front of the computer

+1. No kidding. My family only recognizes me by the back of my head.