Internet Experts: Who to listen to?

Thanks for all the input. When I was just starting in photography I was recommended to check out Ken Rockwell from a Nikon forum. I had to get a base of knowledge to determine the signal to noise ratio.

I'm not an experienced or pro by any stretch of the imagination (just look at my questions ;) ) But I do want to learn (always want to increase my knowledge). It's always going to be a challenge to 'test' user supplied information. What I've been doing to judge is seeing if the pictures they use appeal to me :)
 
I don't trust anyone without a large collection of stellar photographs or a test bench and a degree in a field that deals with testing methodology.

and I don't trust the guys with the photos to tell me about the gear or the bench guys to tell me about good photographs.

my suggestion is to forget about all of that, buy a camera that inspires you to take pictures, a good photo book or two and a metric tonne of a versatile film then just go take some pictures.
 
redisburning said:
I don't trust anyone without a large collection of stellar photographs or a test bench and a degree in a field that deals with testing methodology.
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When it comes to trusting people this is the first lesson you have to follow:

big-butts-cannot-lie.jpeg



On a more serious note, whenever I want to know what the pictures taken with a lens look like I specifically try to avoid looking at stellar photographs that came from it. I usually try to find the most awful pictures I can find so I'm sure I can focus on the technical aspects and not be fooled by an aesthetically pleasing picture.
 
Roger Hicks said:
over 40 books published...

Listen to some of them, and you will be amazed that silver halide photography ever succeeded at all, given that it is so difficult, complicated, and expensive.
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LOL, so it takes 40 books to explain what could have been done in one...
 
Great question.

Look at my signature.
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<creep> That one signature is the reason why there's hope. </creep>

Now if only we could get everyone here to prepend "it's my opinion that" to their pontifications, we could improve the S/N level to something a bit less than ∞
 
Hi,

Isn't "insight" usually 100% someone's opinion? And the mechanics of it could be covered in a page at the most although application takes a lot longer.

As for KR, look at the reasons people oppose him and you might begin to understand. OTOH, I could be wrong. And that will leave you up the proverbial creek etc, etc.

Have fun. David
 
Many times it's not what you say but how you say it. Everything anyone writes is just their opinion, but sometimes it is presented as an absolute and with the suggestion is that if you don't agree, you are a moron. Doesn't happen too often, but some folks should practice better manners.
 
For the most par t I have given up on photo forums (withe exception of this one) and only go to blogs. I don't need any gear talk but find discussion about the "why's and what for's" more interesting.
 
But isn't almost anything one says one's opinion?
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Sometimes, the obvious needs stating repeatedly. I suppose it doesn't help that there are very few "non-fiction" books written in that idiom. I have the uneasy sense that there are an awful lot of dead trees covered in opinion masquerading as fact.
 
FrankS said:
Many times it's not what you say but how you say it. Everything anyone writes is just their opinion, but sometimes it is presented as an absolute and with the suggestion is that if you don't agree, you are a moron. Doesn't happen too often, but some folks should practice better manners.
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Dear Frank,

In all fairness, some people ARE morons.

Especially those who think they are the only ones with the key to Life, the Universe and Everything. Including (especially) photography.

And, of course, some things aren't opinion: they're quite easily demonstrable. For example, if you want anything like conventional image quality, and have the faintest idea how to use an exposure meter, the penalties for overexposing conventional B+W film by a stop or two (bigger grain, reduced sharpness) are a lot smaller than the penalties for underexposing by a stop or more.

Likewise, unless you're a really bad photographer, or are engaged in extremely arcane research, it's seldom a good idea to put the fixer in before the developer.

Cheers,

R.
 
Addendum, given the title of the thread:

Some 46 years ago, at a school speech day/prize day/Founder's Day at my old school, the guest speaker gave the etymology of 'expert'. It's from 'ex', meaning 'a has been' and 'spurt', meaning 'a drip under pressure'.

Cheers,

R.
 
Sejanus.Aelianus said:
Sometimes, the obvious needs stating repeatedly. I suppose it doesn't help that there are very few "non-fiction" books written in that idiom. I have the uneasy sense that there are an awful lot of dead trees covered in opinion masquerading as fact.
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Maybe. But while opinions are subjective beliefs, they are still beliefs that the person who has them holds. You can't expect someone to constantly apologize for their own opinions.

I think we're generally quite aware of what is an opinion and what is a fact. If I ask my friend who's near a window how the weather is outside and he says 'It's raining' then I assume that's a fact. If he says 'It's pretty awful' then I'm pretty aware that it's his opinion.

The preface 'It is my opinion that..' is, in the best case, a somewhat simple form of courtesy. But it can and is also used as a way to stifle any kind of discussion. When people run out of arguments they often just say 'well, that's my opinion'.
 
My $.02:

1) totally ignore anyone who talks about cameras, lenses or other equipment. They will only lead you to believe that is what makes a difference in you making good photographs.

2) assign very little significance to anyone who talks about technique, especially that part that relates to cameras, lenses or other equipment. Same reason as 1). Realize those who talk about photography style are only talking about what works for them and may not work for you.

3) pay good attention to great photographs. Analyze why it is a great photograph. These great photos are found everywhere 24/7 such as in books, magazines, advertising, and news reports. Occasionally you will find a great photo in a photo specific publication but this is an incredibly small portion of the good photos out there.
 
You can't expect someone to constantly apologize for their own opinions.
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Oh, I can think of a lot of people who should, but I don't think that listing them here would add anything useful to the conversation.

That is, of course, just my opinion :D
 
For hardware analysis, Sean Reid stands out.

For writing on photography, no one equals Bill Jay.

As in everything else in life, best to be open-minded, learn from wherever you can, and draw your own conclusions.

John
 
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