Odd views on photography

[Josh66]

Its like, oh, ihop makes pancakes, thats so cliche that you want to make them at home. Oh, so and so took that picture, thats so cliche you want to take it yourself. *headscratch*

But a lot of this thread equates to someone not liking pancakes (for whatever reason) and someone else calling them an idiot for not liking pancakes. Some here are arguing against a matter of taste or preference, not a matter of skill, inteligence, or education.

Because someone finds landscape images boring does not preclude anyone else from enjoying them.
O||||||O did not tell anyone they are wrong for shooting or enjoying landscape images. He stated an opinion of taste. His opinion. His taste. No amount of arguing will invalidate his opinion.

EVER!

But remember, the thread was started by quoting someone who does think he holds the truth which cannot be challenged. Someone who does not like pancakes and who implies that all others who do like them are apparently wrong

The discussion afterwards was just the usual thing of half-reading and anticipating things not written, ending in the usual fight about nothing or at least not much.

I think even the text that was quoted in the OP is 'just somebody's opinion'. The way it was written, I guess could be interpreted as telling people what to do or how to live - but I didn't read it that way.

Just a guy expressing his opinions on what makes a good photo... Nothing more than that. Clearly, a lot of people here do not agree with him - but that isn't really shocking or anything.


All I'm saying is, I like what I like, and you aren't going to change my mind. I don't tell you what to shoot, don't tell me what to shoot (or what I can't ignore).

 

[chuasam]

One thing Buckster seemingly forgot to address in his exposition about the million school portraits per year--each portrait is of an entirely different, unique individual. Not the same chit, over and over and over, ad nauseum.

I have been a school photographer. It is indeed the same crap over and over ad nauseum...till you puke.
The only person who cares to look at school photos are the parents' (and relatives) of the said subject....and maybe someone else 20 years down the road.
School photos rank barely above Passport photos in terms of individuality.

 

[chuasam]

Its like, oh, ihop makes pancakes, thats so cliche that you want to make them at home. Oh, so and so took that picture, thats so cliche you want to take it yourself. *headscratch*

But a lot of this thread equates to someone not liking pancakes (for whatever reason) and someone else calling them an idiot for not liking pancakes. Some here are arguing against a matter of taste or preference, not a matter of skill, inteligence, or education.

Because someone finds landscape images boring does not preclude anyone else from enjoying them.
O||||||O did not tell anyone they are wrong for shooting or enjoying landscape images. He stated an opinion of taste. His opinion. His taste. No amount of arguing will invalidate his opinion.

EVER!

It seems to me more like, I hate pancakes but I love waffles, and someone calling them an idiot because they are essentially the dame thing in different form

I have no comment on the rest hah, I get that often things you type aren't quite how you would say them, and it should be assumed that its opinion unless stated otherwise (and backed up thoroughly!)

I love pancakes and waffles...I like waffles slightly more because they're crispier and can hold more syrup. mmmm But I'm not going to say no to Pancakes.
Many people post here with the goal of finding others to agree with their own prejudiced points of view. They're not here to open their minds to something new.
I like crepes more than Pancakes...mmm wait..Hotcakes are good too.

 

[Alex_B]

Just a guy expressing his opinions on what makes a good photo... Nothing more than that. Clearly, a lot of people here do not agree with him - but that isn't really shocking or anything.

Exactly, "what makes a good photo" ... not "what makes a good photo for him"

... whereas you clearly talked about the latter, he talked about the former, with quite some mission

All I'm saying is, I like what I like, and you aren't going to change my mind. I don't tell you what to shoot, don't tell me what to shoot (or what I can't ignore).

And here you agree with what those arguing with you are saying.

So I do not get the point of the fight righ t now


But maybe I am just too simple minded ...

 

[jake337]

I sort of agree...

Landscapes bore me. While I do appreciate the work Adams has done for the photographic field, his "work" never really did much for me.

This line in particular stands out to me:
"After all...you can not remember what never goes away."

Most landscapes are very 'forgettable', IMO...

It's funny when people say "landscapes bore me". This is a great example of how individualism and opinion can be one of the most irritating things conceivable. You mean to say, capturing a landscape and moment in time that will never happen again in the exact same way for the rest of time, that is as unique and timeless as any other type of photography, bores you?

Saying all landscapes are boring is just crap. Just plain nonsense.

It would be the equivalent of saying
All portrait photography is boring.
All sports photography is boring.
All abstract photography is boring.
All stock photography is boring.
All black and white photography is boring.
All wedding photography is boring.

Why not take it a step further? All photography is boring. By your logic, this is just the next logical step, right?

It's just a cumbersome over-generalization.

I keep an open mind and appreciate art and beauty in all mediums and forms.

I guess appreciating the beauty and finer points of our world are missed on some because it's just "boring".

I find landscape Art boring.....


Much more beautiful in person.


It's just not that interesting to me... Oh well, I guess all forms of photography are now boring to me based on your logic.


But that is not true.


I find landscape Art boring.....




That does not mean I find the act of trying to create landscape art boring, just the viewing.

 

[Bossy]

But a lot of this thread equates to someone not liking pancakes (for whatever reason) and someone else calling them an idiot for not liking pancakes. Some here are arguing against a matter of taste or preference, not a matter of skill, inteligence, or education.

Because someone finds landscape images boring does not preclude anyone else from enjoying them.
O||||||O did not tell anyone they are wrong for shooting or enjoying landscape images. He stated an opinion of taste. His opinion. His taste. No amount of arguing will invalidate his opinion.

EVER!

It seems to me more like, I hate pancakes but I love waffles, and someone calling them an idiot because they are essentially the dame thing in different form

I have no comment on the rest hah, I get that often things you type aren't quite how you would say them, and it should be assumed that its opinion unless stated otherwise (and backed up thoroughly!)

I love pancakes and waffles...I like waffles slightly more because they're crispier and can hold more syrup. mmmm But I'm not going to say no to Pancakes.
Many people post here with the goal of finding others to agree with their own prejudiced points of view. They're not here to open their minds to something new.
I like crepes more than Pancakes...mmm wait..Hotcakes are good too.

I think I'm more of a waffle girl too. Although when pancakes get all soggy with butter...YUM. Can you believe I've never had a good crepe??? Sad day.

​

 

[Alex_B]

It seems to me more like, I hate pancakes but I love waffles, and someone calling them an idiot because they are essentially the dame thing in different form

I have no comment on the rest hah, I get that often things you type aren't quite how you would say them, and it should be assumed that its opinion unless stated otherwise (and backed up thoroughly!)

I love pancakes and waffles...I like waffles slightly more because they're crispier and can hold more syrup. mmmm But I'm not going to say no to Pancakes.
Many people post here with the goal of finding others to agree with their own prejudiced points of view. They're not here to open their minds to something new.
I like crepes more than Pancakes...mmm wait..Hotcakes are good too.

I think I'm more of a waffle girl too. Although when pancakes get all soggy with butter...YUM. Can you believe I've never had a good crepe??? Sad day.

Try France for good crepes ... or my kitchen

 

[Compaq]

"I have a rule...to make a photo...There should be one of 2 criteria,
of why to take a photogragh...
The subject should be Alive or Rare.
anything...not fitting in this category...few if any pics should be taken
of it. (I am thinking mountains...here.)

Who are we to say mountains are not alive.

Mountains are born, mountains age, and mountains die. But they do so at a rate so much slower than human life.

The common fruit fly - Drosophila melanogaster - is often used for genetic studies because a new generation appears every 10 days or so. Drosophila melanogaster's shortest development time, from egg to adult, is 7 days, and that developement time is temperature controlled.

To a fruit fly, humans may seem as forever as mountains seem to be to people.

So I think the guy that wrote that has way to narrow a perspective on things.

Besides AFAIC, anyone that routinely uses ... , and that won't use the shift key when appropriate, has little credibility. I only read the part I quoted here, and skipped the rest on that basis alone.

This is interesting. Current paradigm would say that mountains and rocks and rivers and such things are not alive. However, virus, bacteria, plants, animals and humans are said to be alive. We live, but at different "levels". Plants spread their genetic material, and only that. Animals reproduce, but also wants satisfaction of their needs (such as hunger). Humans are as plants and animals, but it's said we also have the ability of problem solving. Thinking about something and come up with ways to succeed.

What is life, really? Basically just a set of chemical reactions, controlled by physical and chemical laws. We're made up of a handful of elements, put together in the most spectacular way. It's not surprising that many biochemists are believers of intelligent design, because the chemistry of life truly is amazing. Personally, I like to think of Nature as our God.

So, at which level would a mountain live? They're mobile, but "only" due to gravity. They are formed, or born, but "only" due to continental plates colliding. They do not have any genetic material. They don't strive for reproduction, as other life forms do.


But mountains are definitely not boring. That narrow minded guy smells of a person born and raised in the city. Someone who barely knows what a cow or sheep is, let alone ever seen one. He/she sees some trees in the city park, but never witnessed a grand forests. If what's written is the true opinions of this guy, I feel sorry for him or her.

 

[Josh66]

Just a guy expressing his opinions on what makes a good photo... Nothing more than that. Clearly, a lot of people here do not agree with him - but that isn't really shocking or anything.

Exactly, "what makes a good photo" ... not "what makes a good photo for him"

... whereas you clearly talked about the latter, he talked about the former, with quite some mission

All I'm saying is, I like what I like, and you aren't going to change my mind. I don't tell you what to shoot, don't tell me what to shoot (or what I can't ignore).

And here you agree with what those arguing with you are saying.

So I do not get the point of the fight righ t now


But maybe I am just too simple minded ...

I guess I just gave the guy the benefit of doubt. I didn't really interpret it as "this, and only this, is what makes a good photo". I think it was just his opinion on what interests him. He just wrote it in a way that left it open for interpretation.

As far as people arguing with me, I really don't know what that is all about. All I have been saying this whole time is that some subjects are boring to me. I guess some people just can't stand the thought that their favorite subject bores the **** out of some people.

Go shoot landscapes all you want, just don't expect me to jump in saying how awesome the photo is, lol.

 

[Diffuser]

ANother thing--the vast majority of people who are "moved" to take landscape photos are basically just collecting cliche images on film or digital captures--just re-creating "postcard images". Basically meaningless, straightforward renditions of well known,hackneyed, shopworn locations. These peoples' time and effort would be better spent buying a postcard or two at the giftshop or tourist info center, and then striking out on their own, away from the Ansel Adams roadside attractions locations and the tourist trap landscape locations, and into the actual "landscape".

I don't understand this, why? How can it be 'meaningless' when people are enjoying this and are learning and fine-tuning their skills? Isn't photography something about enjoyment in the first place, and not to impress others?
If it's all that meaningless and boring, might as well throw that camera into the bin and leave photography only for a few chosen ones ... and buy a postcard? How much fun is that? ;-)

 

[Alex_B]

Isn't photography something about enjoyment in the first place,

How could you ... we are not here to have fun young man!

 

[Diffuser]

Isn't photography something about enjoyment in the first place,

How could you ... we are not here to have fun young man!

Yeah, looks like it ;-)

Actually, it's the same smoke & mirrors with all forums on the Internet. I would have thought a photography related forum would be different or more professional in that aspect, but not ;-)
People apparently get together to share the same passion for something, but if you see or read too much about the same, people start nick-picking on each other.

Maybe this also happens when people spend a tiny bit too much time online judging one picture after another. I can see how after a few years the next landscape picture in-line just doesn't cut the cake anymore
up to the point that it's meaningless.

 

[spacefuzz]

Maybe this also happens when people spend a tiny bit too much time online judging one picture after another. I can see how after a few years the next landscape picture in-line just doesn't cut the cake anymore
up to the point that it's meaningless.

I have been in competitions where the judges actually will say, "oh another landscape sunset, 1 point". And then score a studio shot very highly. Its all opinion, and that is infuriating.

 

[Diffuser]

Maybe this also happens when people spend a tiny bit too much time online judging one picture after another. I can see how after a few years the next landscape picture in-line just doesn't cut the cake anymore
up to the point that it's meaningless.

I have been in competitions where the judges actually will say, "oh another landscape sunset, 1 point". And then score a studio shot very highly. Its all opinion, and that is infuriating.

I can see this happening when you say it like that ;-)

For me, being new to this all, it's quite shocking reading those various opinions people actually have about it. So I wonder if it might not be a better idea to stick to classes, books, learning material ... and keep an open and fresh mind.
It's a bit toxic to read that 'what you think is a lot of fun to learn and what can get accomplished', actually is quite boring and meaningless.

 

[bentcountershaft]

I was going to comment but I'm trying to come to terms with the fact that not everyone loves pancakes for the gifts from the gods that they are. I think maybe some people have never experienced real maple syrup.