Giving away your "secrets"

[jowensphoto]

If we don't share ideas, tricks, processes, etc, then what is the purpose of this forum?

A favorite quote, "I taught him everything he knows, but not everything I know." I think that's pretty key when it comes to everything. You can't just feed people the answers. They need to work just as hard as everyone else and develop their own style and processes.

 

[cgipson1]

Ok, for the record... and I won't be an ass and reveal the board, but I am giving up on it.

Apparently, 1.8-2.2 is the perfect portrait aperture. What the ever loving f***.

Don't tell me.. lots of MWAC Faux-pros?

 

[HughGuessWho]

A favorite quote, "I taught him everything he knows, but not everything I know." I think that's pretty key when it comes to everything. You can't just feed people the answers. They need to work just as hard as everyone else and develop their own style and processes.

Agreed. But I thinks that's the point. You CAN'T teach anyone all of your skills. You and I could read the same book about photography and your work will still be different than mine.

 

[jowensphoto]

Charlie, check your PMs.

 

[jowensphoto]

A favorite quote, "I taught him everything he knows, but not everything I know." I think that's pretty key when it comes to everything. You can't just feed people the answers. They need to work just as hard as everyone else and develop their own style and processes.

Agreed. But I thinks that's the point. You CAN'T teach anyone all of your skills. You and I could read the same book about photography and your work will still be different than mine.

In terms of post processing, sure you can come up with the exact same thing. You click the same buttons in the same sequence, and VOILA! Instant copycat recipe. Like actions in photochop.

 

[cgipson1]

There is also the fact, that until a person has the knowledge to know WHY you did what you did... WHAT your settings were at won't matter... because they are not there yet. Although sometimes knowing the settings may make something "click" for them.. and help them advance if they are ready.

 

[HughGuessWho]

In terms of post processing, sure you can come up with the exact same thing. You click the same buttons in the same sequence, and VOILA! Instant copycat recipe. Like actions in photochop.

We can agree to disagree. That would be the same as saying I could paint the same picture as you. There are things far beyond knowing what buttons to click.

 

[MTVision]

JW- one more thing. We see that question on here all the time, "HOW DO YOU GET THIS EFFECT?!"

Why should someone feel entitled to know the processes and techniques that may have taken the artist years or even decades to develop? What makes a person too good (well, we call them lazy) to sit down on their own and figure out their own processing? Even if it's similar to the inspiration, it won't be exactly the same.

Which leads me to a different topic... photoshop actions. Develop your own, cut down work time... all good. It kills me that so many "photographers" use purchased or free actions then use them and call it art. It's not art. It's a copy of someone else's vision.

Ok... it's been a long day. Soapbox over.

For now

Q

Most photoshop actions that you buy from someone else suck IMO.

 

[amolitor]

I'm not sure what makes me sadder, that someone would want to know what sequence of photoshop actions you performed to get a certain look, or that you'd want to hold your process that closely. If I see some post-processing effect I like in your work, I can probably produce an equivalent effect easily, and so can anyone who's not a total newbie. I know people DO ask that, but that they do makes me sad.

I probably won't bother though, because I think that post-processing is wildly overrated and that the twofold way (1) Stand in the right place and 2) Press the button at the right time) is the only thing that really matters.

 

[tirediron]

Ask me a question and I will give you a full and truthful answer*. I don't have any secret methods, or "personal tricks". I like photography and enjoy helping others learn. As Charlie mentioned, I get a bit annoyed by those who buy a camera, learn a few basic techniques and hang out their shingle, but I still enjoy teaching.

*As best I remember - for the camera side, that's usually about 99%. For the post-processing side? You're lucky if I remember 10%!

 

[amolitor]

I guess I should drop the commentary and simply say that, if anyone asks me how I got some effect, I will cheerfully tell them because I don't think it matters. My processes are uncomplicated and open to all.

 

[imagemaker46]

I have worked with some of the best sports photographers in the world, we share tips and techniques all the time. Some guys come up with amazing ideas, things that I would never have thought of, and the decent guys tell how it was done. I really don't have any time for photographers that "think" they are the only ones that have come up with some super secret way of doing things, chances are it has been done before.

I can use this short story that is related. A friend of mine built and raced a drag car years ago, one day he shows up to the track with a toggle switch on the back of the car, just before each race his partner would flick the switch, all the other drivers kept asking what it was for, he seemed to have an advantage. All he said was "it's a secret" Truth be told, it was just a toggle switch that was not connected to anything, but it gave him a psycological advantage. Photographers that want to hide things, all smoke and mirrors.

 

[amolitor]

Nice story, imagemaker

I race sailboats for fun. In any fleet that races together a fair bit, there are always "the top boats" who really have it figured out, and they tend to win a lot. There are two kinds of fleets:

- there's the kind where the "top boats" vanish when racing is done, the skippers and crew are Elsewhere in some secret Top Boat Club.
- the kind where the skippers of the "top boats" come around after the race and crawl all over your boat and recount the races, tell you where you messed up, and tell you how to go faster.

Guess which fleets I like to race in?

 

[sm4him]

When someone asks me what my process was for a photo...it's usually because they're trying to figure out just exactly WHERE I went horribly wrong.

Seriously: 99% of the time I don't think it matters whether you tell how you did it or not. Because one of these things will very likely be true:
1. Their skill level is such that, whether you tell them or not, they will be able to come close enough to duplicating your process to get a very similar result if they want, or
2. Their skill level is such that you could give them a specific, 100 step process and they STILL could not produce similar results.
3. In some very rare instances, they are actually interested in learning, and they will use your process to learn HOW to produce a particular result, and then they will adapt it to their own developing style.

I love helping beginners... as long as they are not claiming to be "PRO's" and charging for amateur crap! I have gotten so VERY frustrated with that, that it has severely impacted my enjoyment of helping beginners here! All because of one or two that I helped a lot in the past, that listened until they got to FB quality, and then went PRO.

If they are PRO's, they don't need my help.. IMO! (and they are STILL FB quality.. and probably always will be!)

Uh-oh. Did you stumble across my Professional Photography FB page? I really meant to talk to you about that...but see, a few weeks ago, someone complimented one of my photos and said I could totally sell them, so I figured I MUST be ready.
:sillysmi:
KIDDING! I assure you, this is one chick who is no danger of becoming a FB pro!

 

[fjrabon]

I'm not a great photographer by any means, but I absolutely have no problem answering any question anybody has about how I got something.

If I somehow managed to create a truly original technique (lol, yeah right), the true challenge is to use it, but keep innovating. Somebody else will figure it out quick enough anyway if it's really that great.