I've become a photo snob! yikes!

I'm putting together an album/scrapbook for my younger son's coach. I've asked all the parents to send photos for me to include their child in the album (or else, it'd be an album of my own kid! LOL).

While I'll admit, I am by no means, a professional, or even that great..... I am amazed at some of the photos that I've gotten sent to me. Now some are because they were taking stills from video or from camera phones, but still!

Anyways .... I guess I've become a snob. It's part of the reason I want to get better at taking sports photos... I've gotten some great shots, but I want to get more!

All you have to do is put in perspective. If those terrible photos were of your kids, they wouldn't be so bad.

Also you might want to check out "vernacular photography" and the snapshot genre as it applies to the art of photography.

20droger wrote in post #9834822
All you have to do is put in perspective. If those terrible photos were of your kids, they wouldn't be so bad.

I'm not saying any of the photos were terrible... I'm more talking about the quality of the photos.. and most parents have said they know, that they don't hvae the greatest quality photos. But some of the most telling/cutest photos of the kids are from cameras that aren't the greatest. The quality of the photo is what i'm referring to ... not the photo itself

I don't think your attitude on the quality of photos is "snobbish" at all. Where snobbery comes in, I think, is regarding peer status and equipment... believing that you have to *be* a certain level, or use certain equipment, lest you're not even capable of getting good results.

When I see parents snapping shots of their kids at the park with the crappy camera phone is really bugs me too. How hard is it to carry a little powershot ELPH camera or something with decent IQ, to capture those PRECIOUS life moments!?

DStanic wrote in post #9840511
When I see parents snapping shots of their kids at the park with the crappy camera phone is really bugs me too. How hard is it to carry a little powershot ELPH camera or something with decent IQ, to capture those PRECIOUS life moments!?

I think the same way... I know there are SOME camera phones that take decent pictures.... but really, if you're going to the park and are specifically there taking pictures, take a small camera with you.

But ..... I know not everyone can afford a good camera, or even a decent camera. Heck, I still think my little 6mg powershot takes pretty good pictures ... I'm just spoiled by my rebel!

What irks me is seeing pictures that look like they were taken with a camera phone in print. What a waste of good ink. I saw a hospital publication the other day with absolutely horrid pictures, a camera phone may have been used but if so it was a bad one. They actually listed the photographer's name as if they were credit worthy, it seems the bar has been lowered to ground level.

breal101 wrote in post #9840800
What irks me is seeing pictures that look like they were taken with a camera phone in print. What a waste of good ink. I saw a hospital publication the other day with absolutely horrid pictures, a camera phone may have been used but if so it was a bad one. They actually listed the photographer's name as if they were credit worthy, it seems the bar has been lowered to ground level.

And yet, some people still can't make it over the top. They'd trip on shadows.

mom2AnH wrote in post #9840531
But ..... I know not everyone can afford a good camera, or even a decent camera. Heck, I still think my little 6mg powershot takes pretty good pictures ... I'm just spoiled by my rebel!

I disagree..

There are LOTS of used P&S cameras out there. Go on craigslist or kijiji and people are practically giving them away. The only reason I got my newer SD700IS was because my S200 ELPH (2 megapixel) was slow and was not good on battery. But that old S200 can take beautiful shots especially outdoors and with good color reproduction. You could easily get a Powershot S1 IS, A60, or many other P&S for very very cheap these days, and that is only Canon offerings.

mom2AnH wrote in post #9840531
I think the same way... I know there are SOME camera phones that take decent pictures.... but really, if you're going to the park and are specifically there taking pictures, take a small camera with you.

But ..... I know not everyone can afford a good camera, or even a decent camera. Heck, I still think my little 6mg powershot takes pretty good pictures ... I'm just spoiled by my rebel!

I don't think that is true nowadays especially. People can pick up a new camera for very little money (even less for used).

Some people just dont care about the quality.

neilwood32 wrote in post #9846207
I don't think that is true nowadays especially. People can pick up a new camera for very little money (even less for used).

Some people just dont care about the quality.

I do agree though.... a decent P&S camera is not very expensive these days.....

well yea.... you are right. Some don't care about the quality. But, being a parent myself, if it's a pic of my kid, it's a good picture, whether it really is or not.

But then again... I have photos of my kids that I've taken that WOW, speak to me.. literally. While I'm not great, by any means I do enjoy a great picture of my boys..... and when I get that "winner" of a photo, I'm ecstatic and share it EVERWHERE!

It's not the camera that's the problem with taking bad pictures. I can give somebody my 5D II and can guarantee they'll take a bad picture with it. Actually it would probably be even worse with my 5D II from the sheer intimidation. Photography is a skill that requires discipline and an eye for composition and detail that most people simply have never learned. A photographer has to also detach from the excitement or emotion associated with the subject in order to adequately focus on the technical and compositional aspects of the shot.

Photographers need to realise that people value photographs for the memories and emotions that they trigger rather than the technical or artistic merit. That's why you can give somebody a horrible poorly composed and blurry photo of their kid that they'll absolutely adore. They may know that it's a bad picture but they don't really care.

Your "photo snobbery" is simply you starting to look at photographs with a photographer's eye.

mom2AnH wrote in post #9846576
But, being a parent myself, if it's a pic of my kid, it's a good picture, whether it really is or not.

Really? I've taken hundreds (more likely thousands) of pics of my kids that I think are total crap. Maybe I'm too critical.