Lilserenity
Well-known
I figured a few years ago I'd rather suck trying than suck being plagued with what if. 
Bob Michaels
nobody special
Tony: I am reading some implicit assumptions in your thinking. Thoughts like all good photographers do it for money and those who do not do it for money are at the level needing technical help.
There are some very good photographers out there who have chosen to earn a living in more financially rewarding fields. Some of them have made a conscious decision to isolate all economic aspects from their photography so that their endeavors are not influenced.
Some of those have mastered all technical aspects of photography long ago. In fact, I would say that some work at a higher level than the average commercial photographer of these days. When those are using critique of other experts, it is for the effectiveness of their skills in delivering a complex message or artistic interpretation.
Mlehrman
Mlehrman
What a wonderful conversation (and a theraputic one) this is. For better or worse, I post simply to share the delight I find in the hilarious city in which I live, and have little insight as to whether or not I "suck". But to have been accepted to any degree by this community has been an honor. Joking aside.
mfunnell
Shaken, so blurred
An interesting viewpoint to express in your first-ever post here. Welcome.
...Mike
shadowfox
Darkroom printing lives
There is a difference between saying:
"I suck, so what!"
and
"I suck, now what?"
"I suck, so what!"
and
"I suck, now what?"
Peter^
Well-known
Tony, I agree fully.
healyzh
Well-known
This brings up a good point. I for one love a good cat photo, and never really tire of seeing them. I even have a couple books around here of cat photo's.
At the same time I went to an exhibition by Robert Frank a couple weeks ago, and thought it was absolute crap. The exhibition was basically a very random blurry collection of polaroids with no real composition or framing apparent.
I'm sure the one is considered "art" and the other isn't, but I know which I enjoy. As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Of course a lot of what I shoot (and post on flickr) isn't that popular, and at times I find myself mystified by my shots that are popular. My 'core style' is anything but mainstream. Thankfully when it comes to photography, I'm my own boss, and the only one I have to actually please is myself. Still like I mentioned earlier I truly appreciate criticism as long as it includes what they don't like about it. And I'll give what people have to say serious consideration. Sometimes I'll totally disregard it, as it goes against my 'artistic vision', other times I'll act on it.
zauhar
Veteran
zeitguy
Newbie
How is sucking an issue, except for infants and vacuums? To reduce the whole complex domain of photography to a binary sucks/doesn't suck judgment is obviously touching a chord here.
"Suck" is a good social media word. Its a vote. It's not a judgment or an idea. It certainly doesn't reflect any significance beyond a seventh grader's ability to articulate a continuum of value.
This is an interesting thread, and I appreciate the sincerity of the posts here, even the jokey ones. We all need to deal with the inner seventh grader again and again during our lives. But my inner seventh grader never got near a camera. I was 19 before my editor put a Nikon F in my hand and sent me to New York to write up and photograph the first mass demonstration against the war in 1967. I published 30 of the 180+ negatives I shot that day. Pretty good ratio. My next job was taking photos of the Paul Butterfield Blues band. The band bought all the photos and hired me for their next gig. I did the wedding of a local woman who went on to become one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood, and she still has the photos on her wall. Not sucky at all.
Now my favorite photos I take tend to be of flowers and kitties. The occasional barn. Can you say they suck without even seeing them? If you can, then your opinion and use of the word "suck" is meaningless to me.
I am still using the same Nikon s2 rangefinder I bought as a first camera in 1968, along with the M3 I got last year. Not sucky.
Unfortunately I have been recently diagnosed with a serious liver disease that leaves me exhausted, short of breath, and in some pain for much of my waking time. I haven't had the energy to take any pictures for two months.
Now that sucks.
"Suck" is a good social media word. Its a vote. It's not a judgment or an idea. It certainly doesn't reflect any significance beyond a seventh grader's ability to articulate a continuum of value.
This is an interesting thread, and I appreciate the sincerity of the posts here, even the jokey ones. We all need to deal with the inner seventh grader again and again during our lives. But my inner seventh grader never got near a camera. I was 19 before my editor put a Nikon F in my hand and sent me to New York to write up and photograph the first mass demonstration against the war in 1967. I published 30 of the 180+ negatives I shot that day. Pretty good ratio. My next job was taking photos of the Paul Butterfield Blues band. The band bought all the photos and hired me for their next gig. I did the wedding of a local woman who went on to become one of the most powerful producers in Hollywood, and she still has the photos on her wall. Not sucky at all.
Now my favorite photos I take tend to be of flowers and kitties. The occasional barn. Can you say they suck without even seeing them? If you can, then your opinion and use of the word "suck" is meaningless to me.
I am still using the same Nikon s2 rangefinder I bought as a first camera in 1968, along with the M3 I got last year. Not sucky.
Unfortunately I have been recently diagnosed with a serious liver disease that leaves me exhausted, short of breath, and in some pain for much of my waking time. I haven't had the energy to take any pictures for two months.
Now that sucks.
zeitguy
Newbie
what sucks and what doesn't suck
what sucks and what doesn't suck
Sorry for the double post. The system logged me out when I tried to post, and when I logged back in it doubled the post. Does that suck, or is that a feature?
what sucks and what doesn't suck
Sorry for the double post. The system logged me out when I tried to post, and when I logged back in it doubled the post. Does that suck, or is that a feature?
---f
-
this is such a funny thread. I remember seeing a guys photoset on flickr of his cats, shot on an M9...
My thoughts were what a waste, with a tool like that, I'd be out there making the best of it. But I survive with my m4-2 (I miss my m2) and nifty 50. I usually get a couple shots from each roll that I would actually print, so I'm pleased with my results. My peers like my work, but I found my wife to be my best guage of my work. She doesn't sugarcoat her comments. It can be painful, but I've really grown from her critiques.
So rely on someone you can really trust.
My thoughts were what a waste, with a tool like that, I'd be out there making the best of it. But I survive with my m4-2 (I miss my m2) and nifty 50. I usually get a couple shots from each roll that I would actually print, so I'm pleased with my results. My peers like my work, but I found my wife to be my best guage of my work. She doesn't sugarcoat her comments. It can be painful, but I've really grown from her critiques.
So rely on someone you can really trust.
---f
-
Zane, that croc shot of it coming out of the water is really good. And I'm not being nice. Your cropping could've been better by getting tighter to the croc, too much empty space on top right. You also could've burned in some more tone around the croc's nose.
raid
Dad Photographer
I am trying to improve my photography skills each year, and even if my focus point is my family, I like what I am getting. It is very useful and rewarding when RFF members here single out some of my photos, and while this is certainly not the same as if I competed in some photo exhibition where entries are juried, it is as important to me. The public jury (so to speak) tells me that "they liked that image", which is nice to know.
I would not take a "sucking attitude" towards the photos made. Enjoy what you are doing, and that's pretty much how I feel about it.
I would not take a "sucking attitude" towards the photos made. Enjoy what you are doing, and that's pretty much how I feel about it.
jippiejee
Well-known
As long as my enthusiasm for photography makes me book flights to places in this world I'm curious after, instead of just googling them or watch the hollywood version on bluray, I don't mind sucking at it. I know I'm not Natgeo stuff. But at least I did walk that jungle trail in search of that little temple under the waterfall. Or got lost in the medina of Fez. The pictures will be memorable to me and photography is a big motivator for me to leave the comfort zone of home.
thirtyfivefifty
Noctilust survivor
I hate how photography has become such a popularity contest in a way.
After 6 years, I feel like I can sorta handle a camera properly.
I still think I suck though.
Doesn't help that I don't have real feedback.
zauhar
Veteran
Thanks for the very intelligent comments, and sorry that I also implied that kitty pictures might "suck". Honestly, I believe any subject can be made compelling if seen by the right eye.
I have not had a chronic affliction at this point in my life, but I know how illness and injury can derail everything you want to do. I pray that you can recover, if not fully than at least enough so that you can do the things you love.
Randy
jan normandale
Film is the other way
Not to discuss intellectual laziness or boredom on the part of Kenneth Jarecke but this topic has been previously written elsewhere on the internet. It's a tired old 'advice chestnut' that gets dragged out into the open from a dusty old drawer. There was a flurry of comments here on a similar blog post last year.
Like anyone poked with a sharp stick my first reaction is defensive. Really there's no need to be defensive. People take photographs for a million different reasons and the audiences are all different too. The permutations are incalculable for an average photographer. Some people thought and still think Lee Friedlander was a bad photographer because there were 'things' in his frame like lamp posts or car mirrors… I guess he sucked.
My point is Kenneth is guilty of trotting out a retread and trying to sell it. I'm not buying his line. I'm sure he could prove I suck and I bet I could do the same for him. It's a nice day. I'm going to do some photography.
Like anyone poked with a sharp stick my first reaction is defensive. Really there's no need to be defensive. People take photographs for a million different reasons and the audiences are all different too. The permutations are incalculable for an average photographer. Some people thought and still think Lee Friedlander was a bad photographer because there were 'things' in his frame like lamp posts or car mirrors… I guess he sucked.
My point is Kenneth is guilty of trotting out a retread and trying to sell it. I'm not buying his line. I'm sure he could prove I suck and I bet I could do the same for him. It's a nice day. I'm going to do some photography.
MikeL
Go Fish
I can't believe he is so sloppy with composition that his own shadow is present in a lot of frames. No one in my photography club would let that happen.
(
)Neare
Well-known
I can't believe he is so sloppy with composition that his own shadow is present in a lot of frames. No one in my photography club would let that happen.
(
Haha... yeah, photography clubs aren't the loosest of groups.