Rate Your Skills

[Overread]

but Dr. Who is not on at the moment!

 

[Mike_E]

but Dr. Who is not on at the moment!

So how is the new guy working out?

It takes forever to get that show over here.

 

[Marc Kurth]

i gave my self above average, now i know my pictures aren't so good but i feel in the past 2 years i have really came far from not knowing what f-stops were to now being able to help others out in explaining all camera functions

I've been shooting since the late 60's and I continue to learn how to see. I shoot with some very talented people, so I am happy to rate myself as a strong average.

Marc

 

[Battou]

Battou - there is understandings ones limitations - certainly we all need to understand our own limits, but if you take it too far then you get into a rut. You can easily get to the point where you see yourself as not worth a damn and then you get into the slippery slope of going further down - you put in less effort and get worse results out and that reinforces the negative self view - then it snowballs!
You do sound like you have been through a lot of hard times and are still living through times which are not so easy - but determined to make an improvement - your view now looks more posetive then your initial post which seemed to me to be very negative.
I think I would be right in saying that your right on the boarderline - I would like to see you a little more self confident, it won't lead to what you fear because your not that sort of person and if you feel better about yourself and what you CAN do then that can help carry you through bad times - rather than just dwelling on the negative side. No matter how good it is to face ones problems if you only dwell upon them then they will drag you down.


Out of interest what goals have you set (just with photography)? Have you set any in stone or just in writing?

Yes, I am on the boarderline, this is by design. Confidence? I have no lack when it comes to confidence. I know how to stroke my ego when needed. I have people lining up asking me for advise or to take photos for them. I have one woman asking me to take insurance photos of her grandmothers china, I have man asking me to photograph his kids laccross games, another woman asking me to do her sons seinor protriats, one of the managers behind the photo counter asking me what camera she should buy and so many more. This boosts my ego further, but an ego is something I have limited use for.

There are two things that will cause the self detruction you are getting at. One is a complete lack of confidence like that you are refferring to where people truly believe they are not worth a damn and don't have what it takes that snowballs straight into depression. The other is an over developed ego. Believing that one is better than they are leads only to repeted dissapointment. As time goes by the accumulated dissapointment takes it's toll, they put in less effort and get worse results out and that reinforces the negative self view, then it snowballs, straight into depression, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

A little trick I have learned over the years, Find a happy middle ground. I create a delicate balence by controling my ego with self doubt and visa versa. I have the confidence to know I can overcome any rut I find myself in, I am also not so arrogent to believe I am impervious to setback. It's this balence that keeps me from going back to the mental facility. If it can work on somthing as complex as life, then it will without a doubt work for something as simple as a hobby. Control my setbacks, control my success and don't let either of them go to my head. I started to get cockey with that super telephoto lens and I need to put my self in check pretty quick as I am negotiating a session requested by my GF's aunt with some subjects I have wanted to photograph since before I got into wildlife photography as well as my upcomming first truly capable zoo session. I just do not want to walk into these next two major sessions to me with a cockey "I can do this" attitude, I want an attitude of "if I keep my head on my shoulders, I'll be fine". This way, regardless of how they turn out, I'll be pleased with the results.


As for my goals in photography, trickey question. In truth, I just want to be good enough to say I can do it and hold my own, what ever "it" maybe. A jack of all trades and a master of none. My goals in photography took a violent turn a couple years ago when I accepted an administrative position on the website who's banner displays prominately in my signature. Prior to that all I wanted out of a camera was to be able to photograph damage to vehicles, I took photography classes just so I could do that. Despite being certified in autobody repair and refinishing, I am not in that field. Wile I sit and baby sit two very well behaived and intellegent children I am left with time to kill, so when I was asked to fill the staff position on the website I jumped on it. It did not take long for me to come to the conclution that if I am to serve that website for any and all forms of photography to the best of my ability, then I should be a general photographer, with a gallery that is loaded with imagery that shows I know what a camera is and how it works, Something I feel one should expect from an administrator. Make no mistake, I do enjoy the work I do, compounding hobbies is an interesting challenge to say the least. Even if that website should be dismantled tomorrow I am still not going to put down my camera because the interest was there before the website came along, that's why I aws offered the position, I just lacked the motivation to find a goal and expand on it. At the risk of sounding redundant, if I think I am already there, I will go no where. My photography has come a long way for it so I have no regrets, and look forward to where it's going.


On an unrelated note, Overread, I should be getting some photos back later today that might interest you. Not sure yet if they worked or not but some goofin around shots I mentioned to you forever ago and you called insane but interesting to see if memory serves me correctly. :mrgreen:

 

[Overread]

Battou you sound a lot better (And more in control) that you did in yout first post
So good luck with things - but don't think that will stop me from trying to push a flash unit on you!
insane shots -- hmm 50mm bird shots? or is it some insane macro work?

So how is the new guy working out?

It takes forever to get that show over here.

Honestly the first new series was a shambles - the new doctor had the wrong accent, wrong looks, wrong attitude and the general cast felt like they had never left inner London - It was very poor quality and a very bad start.
The new guy (Trennet?) is a lot better - more life to him and a bit more doctor like - though he is still not like the others before himself, a bit too new and trippy in a way. I much prefered the guy they got for the Mellenium film - far more like the doctor of old. I don't really like much of the new stuff, but this latest guy is at least watchable without me wanting to tear out my tv and throw it in the pond.
Though he is apparently leaving now and there is supposed to be a 3rd new doctor at some point (I think) to continue things one. I just hope we don't end up with a very very young "Child Dr. Who" on kids hour as a result of the new life its got (If they do I am going out to abuct someone important nad force the BBC to put back the 80s and early 90s kids shows!)

 

[prodigy2k7]

What is average...

 

[kundalini]

Everybody wants "average" defined.

Average is average you numbskulls. Take the best and the worst..... somewhere in the middle is average.

I rate myself below average. (doesn't take a lot of words, really)

 

[Battou]

Battou you sound a lot better (And more in control) that you did in yout first post
So good luck with things - but don't think that will stop me from trying to push a flash unit on you!
insane shots -- hmm 50mm bird shots? or is it some insane macro work?

I regret to say it but the rolls I sent out last Tuesday are still not in but any who


...that is kinda ironic actually, I have had several sparrows, robins and black capped chickadees in 50mm range but did not have the 50mm with me....so no, and insane macro work is standard issue for me (though I need to look into some 55mm macro filters for further insanity) so no there too. It has something to do with a peskey song by The Who.

What is average...

Bout five and a half

 

[abraxas]

...
Average is average you numbskulls. ...

 

[Overread]

there is lies - damn lies - and statistics

averages are statistics

 

[Arch]

Where's the option for uber?



(j/k)

However, the answer is always dependent on its parameters, and i suspect that most, if not all, who have posted in this thread are above average (whether you like it or not) if compared to the entire population.

Basically,
In a room full of randoms, you are likely above average.
In a room full of randoms and pros you are likely average.
In a room full of pro's you are likely below average.

 

[mrodgers]

Everybody wants "average" defined.

Average is average you numbskulls. Take the best and the worst..... somewhere in the middle is average.

I rate myself below average. (doesn't take a lot of words, really)

100 people in the world take pictures. The worst is rated at a 2 and the best is rated at a 98. You are rated at 40. If 97 of the rest are rated at 10 or below, does that put you at average or above average?

Same 100 people are spread out across the rating scale, now where do you stand?

We don't know how many people in the world take pictures, or use a camera. We could guess at just about everyone, as everyone takes pictures at family functions or vacation at the least. How many people do you see out and about taking "vacation" pictures compared to people looking at their camera, changing settings, moving around inspecting the scene to be captured, and taking the shot? I would guess you see many more people taking the "vacation" pictures than people setting up for a shot.

But, do we include people who are taking "vacation" pictures when we rate ourselves? Do we include only people who have more than a P&S camera? Do we include only people who have an expensive dSLR (thus, I am now out of the equation...) It's not that average needs to be defined, but the sample of the population needs to be defined so that average can be determined.

As I said before, the question is too general, thus it must be assumed that the average would be of all people taking pictures. Thus, anyone participating in the activity of photography over the activity of "vacation shots" would be above average. I would go further and say that anyone participating in this forum is above average because if you are participating in a photography forum, you are interested in learning more, thus are above the average which would be somewhere in higher end of "vacation shooters".

That is why average needs to be determined, or more specifically, what sampling of the population we are talking about needs to be determined.

EDIT: While I typed this, Arch pretty much said the same thing, only far shorter

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Hm! I'm not clear as to whether this is about one's ability to take pictures or one's knowledge of Photography as a whole.
In either case it has no real relevance as I think all such speculations are a waste of time.
You can either do it or you can't.
If you can't does it matter? And if it does then you'd better learn how.

 

[Overread]

yah but now we have to determin what a Pro truly is

someone that makes money off their kit is the official meaning, but I am gussing that Arch is not using the term in that usage, but rather to determin those who have a high degree of skill within photography - however we have now got to define this aspect as well.

 

[tsaraleksi]

I rated myself above average, though I'm not totally sure that is accurate-- depends on the sample size. I spend a lot of time and energy working on photography and have seen a fairly steady improvement over the time I've been at it-- though I am always a bit jealous to see people who can't figure out what way to point the camera improving meteorically in the space of a few months (took me a bit longer... ). That said, given that I think it's fair to say that I could walk into 90% of photographic situations with the confidence that I'll come away with something useable if not good/excellent, I think that puts me somewhat above average.

I'm never particularly satisfied though, and I think that's a good thing.