Photography or Cameras? What would you give up?

[Pablito]

Who in the world thought up such a poll!!!

Raid

I appreciate this, Raid.

The great ballet dancer Margot Fonteyn once sad, "To take one's work seriously is essential, to take oneself seriously is lethal" (I paraphrase)

 

[Jamie123]

A camera, for me, is a tool. Having said that, if I had the money I'd buy myself lots and lots of those tools.

Anyways, I'm a student and even after I get my degree I most likely will not be making a lot of money so I think I'm never going to be a collector.

 

[HuubL]

I figured i'm much better a collector than a photographer i will ever be.

Pherdinand, I figure this means you are the first REAL photographer responding to this thread. Let's be honest, we all want to be good photographers, but being a really good photographer is infinitely more difficult than being a collector.

 

[raid]

The goal of this thread is to get an interesting discussion going as we already see in the making. Thanks.

Raid

 

[raid]

No, no, I'm not a collector - I use all of my cameras, honestly, yes, I really do 😉

Alan: Are you by any chance quoting me ...? 😀

Raid

 

[raid]

then why not just ask the question directly?

Joe: We get more interesting feedback this way. A poll by itself is boring to a statistician (like myself). There has to be more ...

Raid

 

[back alley]

but what do we mean by 'photographer'?

does it means thinking about photography a majority of the time?
does it mean taking photos at most of the opportunities presented?
does it mean having a camera nearby at all times?
does it mean staying abreast of current trends in both art & gear?
does it mean being a 'good' photographer?

if the above is true then i consider myself a 'photographer'!

many here are collectors which even more confuse with fondler.
some here consider gear talk as anti photography.
some here think if they ignore/don't participate in gear talk that that makes them a better person and an even better photographer.
hogwash!

joe

 

[raid]

This is good stuff, Joe. Doesn't it feel good to spell things out?

Raid

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

but what do we mean by 'photographer'?

does it means thinking about photography a majority of the time?
does it mean taking photos at most of the opportunities presented?
does it mean having a camera nearby at all times?
does it mean staying abreast of current trends in both art & gear?
does it mean being a 'good' photographer?

if the above is true then i consider myself a 'photographer'!

many here are collectors which even more confuse with fondler.
some here consider gear talk as anti photography.
some here think if they ignore/don't participate in gear talk that that makes them a better person and an even better photographer.
hogwash!

joe

Joe:


You are a good guy doing a good job.

RFF caters for fondlers and for collectors. Dual audience.

You know that.

Stephen Gandy knows that also.

You also know that us photographers are not much into gear, and that that the collectors are not really into photography in a meaningful way. There is, however, a small crossover.

We all get along well together.

Why muddy the waters trying to make out out like we are in opposition? Especially given your privileged position on RFF.

Chill.

Enjoy the diversity.

 

[lynn]

Joe:


You are a good guy doing a good job.

RFF caters for fondlers and for collectors. Dual audience.

You know that.

Stephen Gandy knows that also.

You also know that us photographers are not much into gear, and that that the collectors are not really into photography in a meaningful way. There is, however, a small crossover.

We all get along well together.

Why muddy the waters trying to make out out like we are in opposition? Especially given your privileged position on RFF.

Chill.

Enjoy the diversity.

I don't fondle. I collect in order to create. RFF caters, too, for me, and countless others who simply share enthusiasm, and vision.

And stirring doesn't necessarily muddy, either. Sometimes it just shifts sands.

 

[back alley]

Joe:


You are a good guy doing a good job.

RFF caters for fondlers and for collectors. Dual audience.

You know that.

Stephen Gandy knows that also.

You also know that us photographers are not much into gear, and that that the collectors are not really into photography in a meaningful way. There is, however, a small crossover.

We all get along well together.

Why muddy the waters trying to make out out like we are in opposition? Especially given your privileged position on RFF.

Chill.

Enjoy the diversity.

Why muddy the waters trying to make out out like we are in opposition?

well jon, it seems what we have here is a failure to communicate!
from my pov, it is you that is trying to insert the wedge that would separate rff members.
i have the impression that you think photographers are better than fondlers and collectors.
i have the impression that you see yourself as a photographer and therefore better than the collectors and fondlers.

i see myself as a photographer and most definitely not a collector but a part time fondler.

and my position here hardly feels priveleged.

joe

 

[Jocko]

You also know that us photographers are not much into gear, and that that the collectors are not really into photography in a meaningful way. There is, however, a small crossover..

Absolutely not Jon - rather a very large and largely silent majority. Perhaps such people are not "photographers" in the unique way you understand it - but they certainly love photography. I draw. In a very real sense I feel that drawing expresses my inner nature more powerfully than photography does. But let me assure you, that choice of pens, paper, ink and so on are vitally important to me. A specific tool gives me enormous sensual pleasure as I use it to express myself in a very precise way. I have had many chats with other artists over our chosen materials. Does that make me a pen collector?

Love the medium, love the tools. The photographer does both. It's the difference between walking and hopping.

Ian

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

I wish we were all all here in the same room. Talking face to face,

The internet is so difficult to understand each other.

I completely appreciate collectors and photographers, and the cross overs.

 

[raid]

I used to do only photography and with one camera when I was a student. I don't know what happened that led me to buy more cameras over the years. I grew attached to the camera equipment as much as to the photography with the equipment. It is great when we can afford doing both. I also feel that most people here are somehow doing both.

There is in my opinion absolutely nothing wrong with both or either.
I am hoping that one day we will build a new house and that then I will have my "Camera Room" so that I can see most of my camera equipemnt each day.

I have two little daughters that "must be photographed", so I will stay busy taking photos too.

Raid

 

[back alley]

I wish we were all all here in the same room. Talking face to face,

The internet is so difficult to understand each other.

I completely appreciate collectors and photographers, and the cross overs.

i find the forum/internet very frustrating at times like this.
i am not sure how i come across to others (though my cyber stalkers make their views quite clear) but i honestly do not go looking for fights.
and i am very serious about my photography - just not all that serious about myself😉

anyway, yes, it would be nice to meet up face to face to iron out the communication wrinkles.

joe

 

[gb hill]

It seems to me!... How can one call theirself a photographer and NOT be an appreciater of photographic equipment like camera & such. I'm sure all collectors started out as users. I am certainly no collector. Every camera I buy is to me a user. Just so happens that some get used more than others. And as soon as I make up my mind which body I wan't, Stephen is gonna get an order from me.🙂

 

[raid]

It seems to me!... How can one call theirself a photographer and NOT be an appreciater of photographic equipment like camera & such. I'm sure all collectors started out as users. I am certainly no collector. Every camera I buy is to me a user. Just so happens that some get used more than others. And as soon as I make up my mind which body I wan't, Stephen is gonna get an order from me.🙂

gb hill: I have a feeling that most RF members are like you are. 10% of the respondants have chosen to leave photography of this hypothetical situation were true and they had to make a choice.

Raid

 

[pvdhaar]

I guess collecting applies to the hunter/gatherer instinct in us. And discovering a gem in a garage sale probably satisfies that instinct. For a while at least. When the sensation of achievement wears off, what's left but to look for the next find? Sounds a lot like an addiction.. with a camera collection as a byproduct, which I think is only marginally more exciting than a stamp collection..

Given that sentiment, I'm continuously amazed about why each time after I purge my photoequipment, the cupboards slowly start filling up with gear again..

 

[mike goldberg]

I can't vote in the poll.
It is set up as "either-or."

I love photography... it is a part of me since my pre-teens.
I love cameras & good glass. Mostly, I collect to use a camera,
rather than let it gather dust.

Well, with one user/photographer/collector, there IS going to be some dust.
Example:

I have a Kiev 4a; it's fairly good and has some quirks I do not enjoy.
A Fed-2 just arrived, and it looks really good with an older J8 left over
from another deal.

I do intend to sell off some stuff eventually. As for now... perhaps I'll sell 2 EOS
Adapters. And how did I get into all this? In a more serious way, it began with Photography and a Topcon camera in the late 1960's ;-)
Cheers, mike

 

[pesphoto]

Im a shooter, since finding rff Ive bought and tried many cameras, but usually once I use it for a while, I sell it to try something else. The few that Ive really enjoyed using I've kept and continued using.