Beginners help on wedding/portrait pics

[JerryPH]

If you have nothing technical to contribute besides "google it", and you are annoyed by the subject it is not very helpful to the OP.

Where *you* get insulted from being told to do a search, someone else takes the hint and does it. Now, who do you think is going to get the answer faster and in a more complete manner? The one who gets insulted and complains or the person who smiles says "yeah, I forgot about that, good idea!"?

Now, should there be a beginner section? SURE! Do we need to repeat the same questions over and over and over? A huge resounding NO. Thats one of a forum's greatest assets, a knowledge base!

If you want social interaction... go to the off topic areas. If you want answers... SEARCH first, then if your results are not satisfactory... ask away!

The reasons are simple. How many times do you see the "what camera should I buy" threads? How many times is the answer the same? Would you rather spend time reading something interesting or looking at questions that you've already read 5 times in the last day by 5 different people again?


People tend to get lazy and want everything handed to them on a silver platter. Me? I don't wait for someone to do that... I am proactive about my education. As an example, maybe thats why someone with under 1 year's experience with a dSLR has already shot 4 weddings and a 50th anniversary with GREAT success in that time, and also why someone with that short of a time in the field is a CONTRIBUTOR to the site, and not just someone with questions.


I sincerely do appreciate when some refer to me as a senior contributor or someone knowledgeable... makes me feel fantastic, but really... I am nothing compared to the some of the incredible talent pool here... but just imagine if MORE people had my attitude?

I'll leave it at that.

 

[JerryPH]

Dont be discouraged,It`s ok to be new to something, it`s ok to ask questions,it is NOT ok to deride someone because they do,I`m thinking of getting a Moderator in on this.Newbies don`t need some of the rubbish we`ve just copped, in fact we don`t need it at all.

Do you see what I mean? You look at this and want to complain. You want to now start PMing mods (you think they don't see this post? think again ).

What you see as an insult (do a search!), a wiser person WILL see as advice and do it... and guess what? THEY will have the answer... while you will have wasted time whining and complaining.

Are people really like that outside in the real world? I am sure they are, but I can guarantee you that I have never met one, and maybe if I did, perhaps I infected them with a little positive proactive outlook and they aren't like that around me.

Imagine the amount of time you invested in your posts in this thread... now, how many photographic questions could you have answered with a search in this time frame? Just a little food for thought.

 

[Eddie666]

The reasons are simple. How many times do you see the "what camera should I buy" threads? How many times is the answer the same?

I have searched that, especially when I wanted to know what one to buy but the response should and tends to be "What are you using it for"? This person then gets SPECIFIC help to their needs. You wouldn't suggest the same camera for someone interested in different aspects of photography.

People tend to get lazy and want everything handed to them on a silver platter. Me? I don't wait for someone to do that... I am proactive about my education. As an example, maybe thats why someone with under 1 year's experience with a dSLR has already shot 4 weddings and a 50th anniversary with GREAT success in that time, and also why someone with that short of a time in the field is a CONTRIBUTOR to the site, and not just someone with questions.

Well done oh great photographer with 1 years experience and 4 weddings etc who contributes to the site as well as asking questions!

I contribute to other posts of peoples images but mainly yes I do ask questions... why? because I'm a BEGINNER! I need to ask questions to learn, same as you had loads of questions when you were starting out. I only wanted about 2 people to answer my Q about what flash to use, then you come in and say "I'm not going to help you, look for yourself. What's the point? Just stay out of the convo if you have no intentions of helping.

I sincerely do appreciate when some refer to me as a senior contributor or someone knowledgeable... makes me feel fantastic, but really... I am nothing compared to the some of the incredible talent pool here... but just imagine if MORE people had my attitude?

I'll leave it at that.

Yeah imagine it. Nobody would ever learn anything and beginners would be lost for help. Great site we have then isn't it!

 

[JerryPH]

Well done oh great photographer with 1 years experience and 4 weddings etc who contributes to the site as well as asking questions!

Wow, talk about someone that is purposely missing the boat JUST to be argumentative.

I have searched that, especially when I wanted to know what one to buy but the response should and tends to be "What are you using it for"? This person then gets SPECIFIC help to their needs. You wouldn't suggest the same camera for someone interested in different aspects of photography.

You see? If works, you just proved my very point! Had you not done a search, instead of asking what kind of camera you needed, you saw "this person" get SPECIFIC help, and you did not need to ask that question again for the 25th time. Dude, you are PROVING my point perfectly!!!

I contribute to other posts of peoples images but mainly yes I do ask questions... why? because I'm a BEGINNER! I need to ask questions to learn, same as you had loads of questions when you were starting out. I only wanted about 2 people to answer my Q about what flash to use, then you come in and say "I'm not going to help you, look for yourself. What's the point? Just stay out of the convo if you have no intentions of helping.

So, let me see... becuase you are a beginner, you do not need to search on your own, you need someone to hand hold you through EACH and EVERY question you will ever have here, am I getting that right? Because you are a beginner, this site owes you a personal response, right? You have absolutely NO responsibility or desire or impetus to press a single button, enter your question and get the answer NOW, right?

How old are you? 6?

Yeah imagine it. Nobody would ever learn anything and beginners would be lost for help. Great site we have then isn't it!

It is the best photography site I have found, and at one point, I was a member at over 30 of them. I stayed here. As for you... because of your attitude, I can guarantee YOU will be lost for help for a LONG time, posting here or not. You want everything on a silver platter. Sorry, life is not like that... hate to disappoint you.

Grow up, will you??

 

[Eddie666]

Wow, talk about someone that is purposely missing the boat JUST to be argumentative.



So, let me see... becuase you are a beginner, you do not need to search on your own, you need someone to hand hold you through EACH and EVERY question you will ever have here, am I getting that right? Because you are a beginner, this site owes you a personal response, right? You have absolutely NO responsibility or desire or impetus to press a single button, enter your question and get the answer NOW, right?

How old are you? 6?



It is the best photography site I have found, and at one point, I was a member at over 30 of them. I stayed here. As for you... because of your attitude, I can guarantee YOU will be lost for help for a LONG time, posting here or not. You want everything on a silver platter. Sorry, life is not like that... hate to disappoint you.

Grow up, will you??

I agree it is a good/brilliant site for all aspects of photography.... shame though, with this attitude towards beginners, it will quickly die out.

I've already admitted I don't know hardly anything about the subject as I am new to it, I DID try the search (Which you never asked me if I did) and there were things in the responses to the posts I didn't understand.

 

[dEARlEADER]

why do I get the impression that you're as big of a douche in real life as you are online?

There is no need for name slinging like this. It doesn't help forward the forum.

 

[dEARlEADER]

Where *you* get insulted from being told to do a search, someone else takes the hint and does it. Now, who do you think is going to get the answer faster and in a more complete manner? The one who gets insulted and complains or the person who smiles says "yeah, I forgot about that, good idea!"?

I personally don't get insulted by being told to search. I have never been told to search. However noob's here like the OP are so fresh to the forum that telling them to go search could be construed as unwelcoming. If the best you can conjure up is "go search" at least use more productive way like how the gruff but loveable JIP did in this thread:

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124665

If you don't have time to do this, then leave it for the next person.

Now, should there be a beginner section? SURE! Do we need to repeat the same questions over and over and over? A huge resounding NO. Thats one of a forum's greatest assets, a knowledge base!

Jerry... why do I feel like I'm beating my head against a brick wall? Scroll through the threads of the beginners forum and tell me what here could not be answered by way of google? Everything has been covered and it is only logical that in this particular beginners forum that questions will be repeated time and time again. Beginners don't often have much extra to talk about beside beginners type things.

The reasons are simple. How many times do you see the "what camera should I buy" threads? How many times is the answer the same? Would you rather spend time reading something interesting or looking at questions that you've already read 5 times in the last day by 5 different people again?

Jerry, you are under no obligation to read or respond to a "what camera should I buy" thread. You act as if this is work put on your desk that you must complete. It takes no time at all to read a subject line and move on to something more desirable if the subject is not within your taste. Further, if something "interesting" is your goal to keep you stimulated I would suggest you frequent the subforums more geared for professionals and prosumers. You should also be asking yourself why post counts to repetitive threads are so high. Look at the Canon vs Nikon or Raw vs JPEG threads... every week they come up and every week they garner 50+ responses. These are hot topics and they allow noobs to respond and form their first opinions and get comfortable with the forum.

You pontificate the use of search by your own example of having 2000 posts to this forum with only 2 questions ever asked. You suggest that if everyone was like you this forum would be a better place. My response to this would be this forum would be dead because nobody will be asking any questions and as such, the forums archive would be deficient. Aside from the gallery, technical information and advice for everything photography can be found using google.

I appreciate your methodology of proper research from several sources before posting questions. I try to do the same. I also appreciate the constructive advise you provide to the forum. It was your help and pictures of I think a St. Paticks day parade that convinced me to get my Nikkor 18-200. However, I don't agree with your idealolgy that somehow the beginners forum is able to exist without repetitive questions. This is like fitting a square peg in a round hole. By arguing this point I am no way intending to disrespect you.

 

[PhotoDonkey]

I think the point you're all missing is that Jerry WAS trying to help facilitate a quicker answer to your question (and future questions) by suggesting you do a search.

I understand the feeling that the beginner's forum would be useless if nobody asked questions but did searches, however I think the opposite is true. Answers to unasked questions would be provided more quickly because "senior members" wouldn't have to spend as much time answering the same question over and over again.

I for one appreciate Jerry reminding us to do a quick search, because if he hadn't, there are alot of questions I wouldn't have had answered in a timely manner because I didn't have the presence of mind to do a search first.

 

[Alfred D.]

Thanks again, Jerry.
And dEARI.

 

[asfixiate]

in all honesty...I've always taken what JerryPH says as helpful and straightforward advice. Nothing sugar coated and nothing honkey dorey. If you ask what color the sky is he tells you to look at the sky...This is advice that allows you to become self dependant and not rely on everyone else.

If you sit there and bash him he's going to defend himself...he's staying helpful still though.

 

[JerryPH]

I suppose the thought could be something like:

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach that man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime".

Someone needs to show others that there is more than one way to learn things other than posting a well repeated question and wait on their butts for an answer.

I'm not the only one doing it. Poor MAV has modified his sig and increased it to a gigantic font size to attract attention, but it is STILL getting little results.

Just feels like banging your head into a wall some days.

 

[asfixiate]

this is the world we live in. Internet has made humans useless.

 

[dEARlEADER]

I suppose the thought could be something like:

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach that man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime".

Someone needs to show others that there is more than one way to learn things other than posting a well repeated question and wait on their butts for an answer.

I'm not the only one doing it. Poor MAV has modified his sig and increased it to a gigantic font size to attract attention, but it is STILL getting little results.

Just feels like banging your head into a wall some days.

lol....

 

[dEARlEADER]

I suppose the thought could be something like:

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach that man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime".

Someone needs to show others that there is more than one way to learn things other than posting a well repeated question and wait on their butts for an answer.

I'm not the only one doing it. Poor MAV has modified his sig and increased it to a gigantic font size to attract attention, but it is STILL getting little results.

Just feels like banging your head into a wall some days.

It could also "feed the starving man a fish to live another day.... and tomorrow he will realize he needs to start learning to fish or he won't live very long"

 

[dEARlEADER]

this is the world we live in. Internet has made humans useless.

lol.... here were are..... a bunch of useless humans on the internet...