Photo Forum is Changing rant.

[Overread]

Antithesis - my understanding was not that it was conflict with the existing FAQs, but more that the title of Official FAQs gave the impression that the mods/admin had read and that the contents had been checked for factual accuracy - which is not the case. The name change however is irrelevent - its there and it is a good resource and collection of info being built up by the community.

As for the latter part that is wavering a little from this thread topic into a general comment/rant about the current state of affairs in the professional photography world

 

[abraxas]

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As for the latter part that is wavering a little from this thread topic into a general comment/rant about the current state of affairs in the professional photography world

Yes, what the hell is going on in that world?- I'll have to log on over there later and find out.

For now though, I'll settle for a bit of entertainment and watching a few of the pseudo experts in -Beginners- make little 13 year-old girls cry.

 

[Buszaj]

Might I add to my little story from two minutes ago that I learned most through reading posts here on TPF? And from viewing other posters' photos?

Same here, I've been here over a year, and I haven't posted a lot, reading the info is very useful.

 

[Mav]

I have not read anything other than the first post of this thread (and don't have time to read anything more really) and have only been a member here for about 6 months and lack the historical context required to notice the changes being mentioned, but... A few of us that post frequently in the Beginner's forum notably Antithesis got together and put up a great "Beginner's FAQ" thread specifically to address the repetetive "which camera" questions, along with help beginners find a lot of information they'd find helpful rather than just making the same old threads over and over again. Not only were we denied being able to even call it an "FAQ" in the first place (it IS an FAQ thread) but we were also denied being able to get it stickied. I dunno, but that seems pretty backwards to me. You can read the thread in my sig. A moderator gave reasoning as to why it couldn't be called an FAQ or stickied, none of which I agreed with.

Having run a few forums myself, I completely resepct forum owners and admins/mods to make their own decisions and run their forums the way they see fit, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it either, or even continue posting and contributing. I joined this forum specifically because it had a Beginners forum (unlike others), and because I like to help people out, and because I realize how ridiculously confusing and difficult it can be to get started off on the right foot in this hobby. But when TPF staff actively works against you it makes me reconsider why I even bother posting here. In nearly 10 years of being on forums, never have I seen a member created and organized "FAQ" thread with a lot of great info for other new members not only be denied "sticky" status, but also have its "FAQ" language stripped from it. Nuts.

$0.02

 

[Overread]

Antithesis - my understanding was not that it was conflict with the existing FAQs, but more that the title of Official FAQs gave the impression that the mods/admin had read and that the contents had been checked for factual accuracy - which is not the case. The name change however is irrelevent - its there and it is a good resource and collection of info being built up by the community.

quote me up there somewhere

As for the lack of sticky - well look at it this way. All sticky threads get ignored anyway by people, they exist not to be found, but instead to be linked to when someone asks a question that the sticky contains the answer to. So as long as people experienced in this site remember that it is there and link to it it should remain active.

 

[That One Guy]

Damnit! I was hoping the underlined word "are" would be a link to someone doing something really stupid.

me too, was clicking it like crazy. now my finger hurts.

Hope helps

 

[bblaine]

...I don't reply to those threads because I'm afraid of what I might say. People need to make use of the "Snapshots and Bloopers" section instead of posting in the "General Gallery." To me, a "Gallery" should have photos that you actually took time in making, you planned out, or you got really lucky (like a heron flying by, or a hawk catching a rabbit).

see this is where i am confused... you can only get lucky with animals (haha)? what about this...

...why is this a snapshot? i think i got lucky...

also, i do understand where you guys are coming from but im sure a lot of the new people can do without the snide remarks.

...and as for the new people, please, please, please use the search tool, a lot of camera and lens questions are asked many times each day. i'm new and i am sick of seeing them... and nobody is going to say canon is better than nikon because they don't want to start any crap, but we are all thinking it.

 

[Antithesis]

I have not read anything other than the first post of this thread (and don't have time to read anything more really) and have only been a member here for about 6 months and lack the historical context required to notice the changes being mentioned, but... A few of us that post frequently in the Beginner's forum notably Antithesis got together and put up a great "Beginner's FAQ" thread specifically to address the repetetive "which camera" questions, along with help beginners find a lot of information they'd find helpful rather than just making the same old threads over and over again. Not only were we denied being able to even call it an "FAQ" in the first place (it IS an FAQ thread) but we were also denied being able to get it stickied. I dunno, but that seems pretty backwards to me. You can read the thread in my sig. A moderator gave reasoning as to why it couldn't be called an FAQ or stickied, none of which I agreed with.

Having run a few forums myself, I completely resepct forum owners and admins/mods to make their own decisions and run their forums the way they see fit, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it either, or even continue posting and contributing. I joined this forum specifically because it had a Beginners forum (unlike others), and because I like to help people out, and because I realize how ridiculously confusing and difficult it can be to get started off on the right foot in this hobby. But when TPF staff actively works against you it makes me reconsider why I even bother posting here. In nearly 10 years of being on forums, never have I seen a member created and organized "FAQ" thread with a lot of great info for other new members not only be denied "sticky" status, but also have its "FAQ" language stripped from it. Nuts.

$0.02

I think the owners of the site just don't want to condone the use of possibly false information. I don't agree or disagree with it, because there are a lot of facts as well as answers in that thread to commonly asked questions.

My earlier rant extends from a lot of things, very much including threads on this forum. Mainly, people with no idea what their doing and not the slightest bit of formal training trying to shoot professionally. There are a plethora of "I just got a Rebel XTi from Ritz and I'm going to start shooting professionally, what do I do next!?!" type threads, and it's sort of a statement as to the quality of work that's starting to flood the scene, particularly with wedding photography.

I'm going through the rounds, getting a formal education in photography and assisting professionals almost every weekend. I'm busting my ass, and I guess I picked a bad time to start a career in this field because it might not even exist in a few years. I'm not saying anyone should just throw away their dreams because of how things are going, but atleast learn how to take a decent image before charging someone $1000 for rubbish.

 

[Antithesis]

...why is this a snapshot? i think i got lucky...

The image is horribly blown out. I'm sorry, but you need to learn to work with your meter a little better and think about burning and dodging in post, or at least just darken the faces a little bit more to try and bring those highlights back in your initial exposure. It's not meant to be a snide comment, but I'm just being honest. I would have thrown this image away because it's likely you lost all detail in the highlights.

 

[bblaine]

The image is horribly blown out. I'm sorry, but you need to learn to work with your meter a little better and think about burning and dodging in post, or at least just darken the faces a little bit more to try and bring those highlights back in your initial exposure. It's not meant to be a snide comment, but I'm just being honest. I would have thrown this image away because it's likely you lost all detail in the highlights.

see, alpha told me it wasn't blown out... this is part of the problem. and why would you throw a picture like this away? it is a beautiful picture, just because it doesn't follow the "rules" doesn't mean the memory should be lost forever...

 

[usayit]

...why is this a snapshot? i think i got lucky...

I wouldn't get too hung up on what people identify your photos as a snapshot. I like the photo and if you are happy with the results, that is all that counts. Those that dismiss your photo are also ignoring decades of excellent sports and journalism...

I've been a member of the TPF for a very long time. I too have seen the changes. I say about half the threads I participate ends up frustrating me. The closed minded attitude that has been creeping in is hurting this forum. People that have preconceived notions of what a photographer should shoot and with what equipment. Anything outside is dismissed much like bblaine's so call snapshot. From where I sit... it just looks like a bunch of people with a camera in one hand and their insecurities in the other.

God forbid anyone should carry a P&S, Canon non-L lens, Some expensive Nikkor, or some zoom that doesn't open up to f/2.8. God forbid someone posts a photo of their child's birthday party and ask for an opinion.

Oh and the other half of the threads... well big chunk just seem to get ignored.

But as someone already posted... its free speech and forums like these should remain free and open. The sheets are changing and I'm rolling with with it...

 

[usayit]

Antithesis... Good feedback regardless of whether or not you like the photo. At least you didn't just dismiss it.

 

[Rhys]

Oh dead. Another one of those threads.

The OP seemed to be indicating displeasure with the number of people that come on knowing little about cameras and wanting to make money doing photography. I have no problem with this or any honest way of making money.

I know some photographers that by trial and error have found settings that work. They're not really capable photographers in that they know what most of the controls do but they can make money from the photos they do. I'm all in favour of making money honestly - they don't claim to know photography - they just know how to make money from it. Heck, I don't really care what a lot of the fiddly little settings on the camera do since I shoot in RAW and can select most options post-exposure. All I select pre-exposure are mode AP/SP/M, ISO, AF Mode and IS if necessary. Metering is almost always matrix. Drive mode is almost always single shot. Flash I do tend to play with but for portraits, weddings etc where most of the time I either go for manual mode and let the camera/flash work out the exposure themselves or select aperture priority and use the flash solely for fill - again letting the camera/flash work out the exposure. It works 90% of the time and the rest I recover with RAW editing.

My technique may be frowned on but I don't really care - it works and I make money off it.

My niece uses her XTi with the built-in flash and kit lens. She makes money taking photos of belly dancers. She's quite good too and so are the images although she did shoot in JPEG.

I really wish people would not confuse knowing every little thing about a topic with making it into a business. The two things are entirely separate.

 

[Dave127]

New be chiming in here with my two cents.

I’ve been frustrated by a couple of things you have been to. I look at a lot of the photos and then look for the C&C to learn what is right and wrong. Unfortunately just about all I see is great, nice, I like it, but not much if any of what’s wrong. How are you supposed to learn if there is no real feed back?

I have posted some pics in the appropriate sections for C&C to learn what I need to do, and some times don’t get any feed back.

How are you supposed to learn when there isn’t any or much real critiques?

On another note, I find that the search doesn’t always find what you are looking for. But I do find a lot of the sticky threads very helpful.

I also feel more information should be posted with photos like, camera, lens, focal length, ISO, shutter speed, AP, any post production, etc. This would be helpful to the people critiquing and the rest that are trying to learn.

I try new and different things from time to time to see what I will get. I always shoot in raw, I almost always shoot in manual mode, because I believe that is one of the best ways to learn and not let the camera do the thinking. I may not get all the shots, but that’s the challenge.

I can’t really tell what is a snap shot vs art.

I’ve been reading books, but do fall asleep while trying to do so. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

I have run my own business for 11 years, and will give advise on such, but not on photos, because I don’t know any better.

I appreciate when someone with a lot more experience gives me advice, and wish I got more of it, because that’s what I’m looking for.

Again just my .02. Thanks Dave

 

[Alpha]

The image is horribly blown out. I'm sorry, but you need to learn to work with your meter a little better and think about burning and dodging in post, or at least just darken the faces a little bit more to try and bring those highlights back in your initial exposure. It's not meant to be a snide comment, but I'm just being honest. I would have thrown this image away because it's likely you lost all detail in the highlights.

I still think the shot if perfectly fine. It's great for what it is. Who cares if the surf is a little blown? The subjects are not. If you were standing on the beach on a bright sunny day looking at the reflections off of the waves, they would appear blindingly bright. There is no compelling reason to change that in the photo. If you'd like to go edit the life out of it, then yes it would be possible to burn more detail into the highlights. In fact, you could have shot it a stop under, with fill-flash. Hoo ****ing ra. This isn't an editorial fashion shoot. It's a photo of their kids for christ's sake.

Come off it.