How do I get to Carnegie Hall?

Bob Michaels just said some of the most important words seldom found in this or any other forum: shooting a lot doesn't make us better photographers. It's always surprised me how often the opposite words are taken for granted!

And about Keith's words: I totally agree... We must concentrate on one instrument. It's like any other science: to check results we must avoid as many changing factors as we can... FrankS is right too: we need different tools... Then we must concentrate on all of them, but deeply, and as Bob said, ONE BY ONE...

Cheers,

Juan
 
Great discussion Roger. Why do we photograph? Why do/did artists perform in Carnegie Hall? Practice does make perfect, but is that practice with a camera in hand, or practice on yourself and understanding "why" we photograph, why we paint, why we draw, why we play an instrument or sing? This discussion could go off in a number of tangents, much like a improvisation of a 24 bar solo in a jazz standard. Purpose has been mentioned and also about who we are pleasing? Which great photog said "I Need to satisfy my eye"? For me it's a personal expression that covers many type of photography from documentary to fine art. But maybe more importantly it's about expression from within. I think every photog should experience digital and analogue simply to appreciate purpose. Like BB King once said "It's not how fast you can play and how many notes you can hit, it's about how few notes you do play, the spaces between those notes and the emotion behind them" (paraphrased). When anything becomes a personal expression, a personal communication it ceases to have to please someone or something. It doesn't need to perform. It can though and really tell a story and share something vital. That's where photography works for me, in that it can make an impact.
 
How do I get to Carnegie Hall?

How about: ask somebody who has actually been there, metaphorically speaking. Send a PM to Bill for instance.

Also, I'm sure spending lots of time on-line will not be part of the recipe.

Roland.
 
there's an excellent book by Malcolm Gladwell titled "Outliers", the books suggests, among other things, that success in a field often comes from Talent and a magical 10,000 hours of practice, an example given was the Beatles who spent around 10,000 hours in Europe goings gigs before becoming big.
 
You got to have talent, sing, dance, or play a musical instrument, or tell really good jokes maybe.

Another method is Garmon. Mine has helped me thru twisting turning streets in pure dark to get me somewhere.
 
You need to have an idea or project which interest you enough that you like to work hard on it. And when it seem you get a result ask yourself if you could do it better, and try it. And of ocurse confronting yourself with other photographer/critiquer will help. Of course when you have your workready you need the correct contacts with the right people, having the right contacts is part of the hard work (PR).
robert
 
robert blu said:
You need to have an idea or project which interest you enough that you like to work hard on it. And when it seem you get a result ask yourself if you could do it better, and try it. And of ocurse confronting yourself with other photographer/critiquer will help. Of course when you have your work ready you need the correct contacts with the right people, having the right contacts is part of the hard work (PR).
robert
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Dear Robert,

Beautifully phrased! And, without doubt, one of the hardest parts.

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger Hicks said:
There's a quality threshold. Below it, a better camera/lens will give you better pics. Above it, the camera/lens can take better pics than you can. The threshold is very low. Above it, all you're buying is pleasure of use (which is not irrelevant) and maybe ergonomics . . .

Cheers,

R.
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This is from a guy with a $7000 M9!

I agree, to a point. But practice makes perfect--or not--depending on what you practice. I think self-criticism and feedback from others is important.

"Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result."
--Albert Einstein

"If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got."
--Moms Mabley.

Roger, hope to see you in France next year.

--Rob
 
I took the subway the last time I was at Carnegie Hall (really Zankel Hall, the smaller venue inside). The last show I saw there was saxophonist/bass clarinetist David Murray performing with a small group.

David is proof in support of Gladwell's 10,000 hour theory. )And, his wife, Ming, is a photographer.)

Practice may not make perfect, but it sure can make you better. David has recorded hundreds of albums; they keep getting better. And, everytime I'm fortunate enough to sneak a camera into a performance of his or my other favorite musicians, I manage to correct a mistake or two from my last shoot (while probably creating at least one new one in their place). Ah, sometimes the mistakes are better than the ones I didn't screw up. Serendipity, improvisation and accidents are not necessarily bad things, though they are more meaningful when you have some skill, otherwise everything is an accident and I'm not convinced that makes it art.
 
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