Its NOT All About the IMAGE!

[CameraQuest]

I've seen a lot of threads and articles and blogs blubbering about variations on the theme of ITS ALL ABOUT THE IMAGE.
NONSENSE.

While the viewer of an image may only see the image

the photographer knows the all the details
like what camera
what lens
why THAT camera
why THAT lens
why THAT crop
why THAT subject
why THAT subject at THAT time
why THAT subject at THAT time in THAT light
how THAT lens gives a different rendering than their other lenses
how difficult it was to take the shot
or get that particular outfit to use
or get that expression
or any of a practically endless amount of details
that only the photographer has the satisfaction of knowing
it gets to be a lot more fun quickly if you are talking film - then you add film, developing, printing, ah the smell of Dektol in the morning!

for me personally
I get just as much satisfaction from the background story
as I do from the final image
that is especially true if I used a rare hard to find camera or lens

if someone only sees the image,
that's OK with me
but to me they are missing half of the story.

Its NOT all about the image!

Pride and craftsmanship how that image was taken
is every bit as important, at least to me personally.

Gearheads unite and be proud!

Stephen

 

[btgc]

Personally I like a book "Talking Photography" by Frank Van Riper, for a reason he tells a lot about how this or that pictures were planned and captured. Gear, light, decisions, how he printed it. Agree, if we are serious about craft then technical details can't be just dismissed as irrelevant.

 

[semrich]

Stephen, well said, it mirrors my thoughts exactly when I might talk about the process.

 

[tunalegs]

The image is all about the image, and the process is all about the process. At least for me. Otherwise I wouldn't do things the way I do.

 

[Morca007]

Well, I guess some people are more amused by technology than art.

 

[dct]

Well said, Stephen. As much as I'm proud of the few real keepers I get out of a whole day (this is the image part of the discussion), I really like the hours invested before and during the capturing. This includes the gear preparation, cleaning, selecting the right bag (ok, ok, other threads for that 😉 ), clothes, then the travel and finally the work on place. Choosing the right lens, trying different view locations, settings, the shots itself...
There are quiet many activities involved and all of this is "making photography" in my opinion, if I go for a photographing day.
Later on I will enjoy the good images too, yes.

 

[mfogiel]

http://theonlinephotographer.typepa...2/12/open-mike-the-geeky-tweaker-dilemma.html

 

[Sarcophilus Harrisii]

I've seen a lot of threads and articles and blogs blubbering about variations on the theme of ITS ALL ABOUT THE IMAGE.
NONSENSE.

While the viewer of an image may only see the image

the photographer knows the all the details
like what camera
what lens
why THAT camera
why THAT lens
why THAT crop
why THAT subject
why THAT subject at THAT time
why THAT subject at THAT time in THAT light
how THAT lens gives a different rendering than their other lenses
how difficult it was to take the shot
or get that particular outfit to use
or get that expression
or any of a practically endless amount of details
that only the photographer has the satisfaction of knowing
it gets to be a lot more fun quickly if you are talking film - then you add film, developing, printing, ah the smell of Dektol in the morning!

for me personally
I get just as much satisfaction from the background story
as I do from the final image
that is especially true if I used a rare hard to find camera or lens

if someone only sees the image,
that's OK with me
but to me they are missing half of the story.

Its NOT all about the image!

Pride and craftsmanship how that image was taken
is every bit as important, at least to me personally.

Gearheads unite and be proud!

Stephen

I'll go along with all of that.
Cheers
Brett

 

[Photo_Smith]

It's about the creative process, knowing how to use your equipment to make a pre-visualised theme a reality. The image is just one goal, an important one for sure.
I think the 'it's only the image crowd' are normally made up of more inexperienced folks who don't understand a process and the journey in image making can be very important.
Who would travel oif they didn't like the journey

 

[steveniphoto]

"You’ve got to deal with how photographs look, what’s there, not how they’re made."

"Photos have no narrative content. They only describe light on surface."

"Photographers mistake the emotion they feel while taking the picture as judgment that the photograph is good."

-Garry Winogrand.

 

[dabick42]

In my view, the image only REALLY becomes an over-riding priority if you're a professional photographer and your livelihood depends on pleasing your clients.

To me, as a lifelong amateur, the quality and characteristics of the tools I use to obtain the image matter just as much as the image itself.

I love using all-metal precision instruments like old Leicas and Nikons that were made in an era when quality of build, continuity of spare parts and ease of repair and overhaul were prime manufacturing considerations.

Sadly, only hobbyists can indulge such sentiments nowadays. Professionals are tied to the treadmill of constant technological advances that promise them an ''edge'' over their commercial rivals and for whom this year's ''wunderkamera'' is next year's landfill....

 

[thegman]

For me, it's an enjoyable hobby, and that's not just about images, it's about getting out and about, and also not ashamed to admit it's also about the sexy cameras.

 

[robklurfield]

Sometimes the backstory is more interesting than the image.

 

[igi]

Well, not everyone will understand any of those technical details... leave it to the geeks. For everyone, it's easier to understand and connect with the image itself.

That's why it's all about the image.

 

[Jamie123]

It's all about money. 😉

 

[santino]

to me it's all about joy. let's say you've just ruined a roll by missdeveloping or whatever... what remains are the memories and also joy...and by using e.g. a leica or contax i get more joy then by using lets say a canon dslr. so it's not all about the final image since i'm not a professional but enthusiast.

 

[Photo_Smith]

Not for the geeks but for the photographers. For the man in the street it might be 'oh that's a nice photograph' and move on. I'd say for most people with a passing interest it isn't all about a single image, in the same way people can appreciate a body of 'work' from great painters, musicians and writers doesn't just mean a single book or CDs are 'what it's all about'.

The final output is just that, to think that it is the 'be all' for everyone just cheapens the process.

 

[Richard G]

I enjoyed your post but I think we are indulging you a little as the boss. Nevertheless, immersion in the activity of photography is one of the great satisfactions of the pursuit. See Barnwulf's marvellous quote from Giacometti in his signature. Yesterday I was showing a friend some of my photos on the iPhone and he could not credit that I could remember exactly what lens I had used for a particular photograph last year or five years ago. Thanks to being absorbed in the task that produced the photo I could hardly forget which lens it was, with how wide I chose the aperture, and what effect the bright light had on how shallow I could make the depth of field, and how this or that 50mm lens would handle these constraints etc etc. Not for nothing all those rolls of Winogrand, many many rolls exposed but never even developed.

 

[aad]

I'm sure most members will agree with you, Stephen, as hobbyists-but even I (as a hobbyist) could never try to explain the camera details to anyone viewing photos. Maybe who is in the photo, or why I was there-but never the camera details.

 

[CarlRadford]

Its about the story that the image relates...

Its about the story that the image relates...

giving context to the image in the form of what are seeking to say could add to the context. Camera craft is used to try to ensure the image is made in a certain way or style. What drives you to make images, where, when and why is often interesting - but I personally am not interested in the technical details of camera and lens etc.