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Less Posturing, More Shooting: A Rant.
May 29th, 2008
This one’s a rant. Sorry. If you came here for plucky comic relief, move along.
I’m not gonna lie to you folks, the more time I spend online reading the interactions of some of the photographers out there, the more disappointed I get. Some of the arguing going on is enough to make Jesus drink gin from a cat bowl, and I’m not far behind.
Yesterday I read a thread that got downright vituperative about whether images shot with digital cameras were “photographs.” The week previously I read a thread about Joe McNally’s use of multiple strobes on an ad hoc photo shoot in the desert, and the amount of petty dissent I read in that column was staggering.
So I’m working on this theory and it goes thusly: Arrogance and receptivity are mutually exclusive. Receptivity is key to both creating great photographs and appreciating them. And so in the resulting absence of great photography or the ability to appreciate the images of others, we’re left with one thing only – technique and the endless opinions about it. Hence the in-fighting. You don’t find the humble there. You don’t find the artists with vision there.
That is the only explanation I can come up with for how a handful of people with considerably less talent, experience, and expertise can bone-pick about Joe McNally’s choices. Joe is no god, but he makes his choices as an artist and he creates gorgeous photographs – that alone ought to be enough to convert anyone to a posture of humility. And from that posture would flow learning, and better photographs, even if your choices of technique would be different. They should be different. You are you, and Joe is Joe. The technique you need to express your unique vision will be different from the technique of another – but it makes yours no better, his no less valid.
So, can I say something – photographer to photographer? Let it go. Spend less time posturing – this is not a contest. For the love of Ansel Adams, just get out there and shoot something you love. Is it art? Is it photography? Is it pure? Should you use a flash? Is film better than a digital sensor? These are all smokescreens and discussing them ad nauseum is nothing more than a counterfeit. Don’t mistake talking about photography for the act of capturing your vision. One makes you a photographer, the other makes you a talker. And if you must talk, precede it with good old-fashioned listening and some humility. Pretty please.
Thus endeth the rant. I’m going to dig out the cat bowl.
I concur.
Had to take time out to thank you for the “for the love of Ansel Adams” line. Nice!
Having a busy old week David but am stopping by each day for my fix from the pixelatedboy.
I also concur and have to say, you know what, let them get on with it. The recent nonsense posted about the McNally strobes was laughable and you’ve got to ask why anyone would get so hot and bothered about how many strobes he uses. Who cares, apart from him and possibly his client (not that there was one here I don’t think)?
Anyway, it’s a justified rant I’d say and keep ‘em coming ;o)
I read those posts on McNally’s use of strobes. They were laughable. While there may be many ways to get to point B, those critics never bothered to appreciate the arrival – the result. And I think the results of that desert shoot speak for themselves. I wish I could do that. I do.
You know.. i really take issue with the angle of tilt on your headshot image. I really think that since you call yourself a photographer you really must..
*sips gin*
You know.. I should be more respectful… Thanks SO much for saying something that has been in my head for a VERY long time. That was such welcome relief in the AM.
Here’s to Nepal!
RC
Such is the nature of jealousy -
Yeah, I’m going to have to quote you again in the future “make Jesus drink gin from a cat bowl” – that is wonderful.
I was wondering why Mr. McNally’s blog post the other day was rehashing the Sahara shoot – now it is clear, and yes, dissappointing.
Why people don’t embrace the opportunity to learn from others is baffling. Baffling but no longer surprising.
David,
Thanks for the chuckle. I’m sorry but this is perfect comic relief. People writing about what’s wrong in the world instead of doing something to make it better is an oxymoron.
I agree. Part of my informal education to photography involved trolling the forums for useful information. I got to a point where the forums had less and less useful information. I have left them almost completely and only check back occasionally to get the pulse of the online photography crowd.
I like your theory. That’s a concept that I’m going to crazy-glue to the inside of my skull. Sometimes clashing ideas bring a spark of truth. Most often it just makes noise.
I finally got over to Joe’s site to see what all the clamour was about. Wow. You just can’t argue with those results. The man knows some things about the craft.
Hey David thanks for all you share. You, Joe, Scott, Moose, Jay. All get to do things i would kill to do. & i thank all you for sharing your knowledge. After reading crap like that it just makes me stop reading blogs for awhile. Oh yeah where are their Dubai shoots ?