The "Sin" Of Being A RFF Amateur

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ClaremontPhoto said:
Thank you.




Now I'm confused again.
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Jon:

Read again carefully. I grant that Ruben's way of writing is not easily comprehended by many. English is not his first language, may not even be his second. And he writes with emotion, which I suspect is how he lives. 😉 Combine those two aspects, and sometimes its difficult, especially as we often read quickly, which is often our nature in the world of internet forums.

I'm not trying to endorse or validate what Ruben says, that is not for me to do.

Earl
 
Roger Hicks said:
Hold on. You're in the wrong place for this. This isn't the Ministry of Arguments.

(How long can we keep this going...?)

Cheers,

R.
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And indeed this is an example of my being wrong. I misremembered this as the Ministry of Arguments.

But then, in the 1950s, Kodak was known to many as the Ministry of Photography...

Cheers,

R.
 
I am reading a new book I got for Christmas "On Being A Photographer" by David Hurn in conversation will Bill Jay. If someone looked at my photos and said, you need direction, go a read this book, he would have offered me great advice.

I have read Ansel Adams series. Again, these are great books.

I think that good advice from an expert photographer IS to seek knowledge elsewhere. Internet forums can offer critique, but no one here can teach me to compose and shoot a better photograph unless they are with me. I don't understand why an expert photographer on the internet telling someone to go to a Junior college to improve is bad advice. If I really am interested in photography, and in making exquist photographs, the expert has given me the best why to achieve that goal.

BTW, some of the very things we are talking about are addressed in the book "On Being a Photographer." Within the first few chapters I learned some very vaulable lessons that made me say out loud "Well, I wish I knew that before, but that makes sense." (I can be a slow learner at times.)
 
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Crawdiddy.. I kinda like the guys w attitude and condescension, it's entertaining. I can have a chuckle when I read it and walk away from it any time . Why "call someone on it" they've already been called on it since they were at public school in grade 6, they're used to it and they won't be stopped by us.

I enjoy it for what it is.. a lot of typing. That's how I see it.

FWIW, I don't mind hearing or reading the facts and some people are here who know them, there are also some here who don't. That is the rub.
 
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jan normandale said:
I enjoy it for what it is.. a lot of typing. That's how I see it.

FWIW, I don't mind hearing or reading the facts and some people are here who know them, there are also some here who don't. That is the rub.
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Certainly nothing wrong with that approach. If I were a good Buddhist, I could probably do it as well. But when I hear someone blathering who's full of s***, I sometimes like to tell them so. Just as if, while dining, they have a big blob of Marinara sauce on their cheek. It's just common courtesy. What if they don't know?
 
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Dear Crawdiddy,

I don't recall your offending me, nor do I wish to offend you, but if you re-read some of your own posts, I suggest that possibly your own mode of presentation could also be seen on occasion as condescending and arrogant, not least your assumption that you can invariably tell when someone is 'full of s***'.

We all give the wrong signals sometimes, and those signals can be interpreted in different ways according to countless preconceptions that arise from culture, education, intelligence, tiredness and the amount of alcohol on board, among other things. The same applies to our responses to those stimuli.

Cheers,

R. (on the point of going to bed, after sharing a bottle of Cahors with my wife over a dinner of fenek stufat and a large Grant's by way of a nightcap).
 
Roger Hicks said:
Dear Crawdiddy,

I don't recall your offending me, nor do I wish to offend you, but if you re-read some of your own posts, I suggest that possibly your own mode of presentation could also be seen on occasion as condescending and arrogant, not least your assumption that you can invariably tell when someone is 'full of s***'.
Cheers,

R. (on the point of going to bed, after sharing a bottle of Cahors with my wife over a dinner of fenek stufat and a large Grant's by way of a nightcap).
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Point taken, Roger. I will "eat my own dog food," since I'm asking others to partake. But it doesn't sound as exotic as your fare. I'm not sure what that is, but I think it is Maltese.
 
Pitxu said:
I must point out that from now on there will be no chronological order to my avatars.

I say this so that you will not think that I can grow a beard in a few hours, or that my barber has gone mad...😉

edit: My age may seem to be variable also..🙂
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I thought you were in possession of a time machine as quite clearly you have been bouncing back and forth through the last three decades or so, stylistically at least. The first Avatar I saw of yours reminded me of Julia Margaret Camerons snaps of George Bernard Shaw, you subsequently moved through Viv Stanshall, Frank Zappa, my mate Les, to what now resembles Bollywood Heart-throb Mr Anil Kapoor.

(Posted @ 23:45 GMT 13/01/08 - it will probably be different the next time I look!)

As for the rest of this thread I find it most amusing to see how quickly things go off topic (pot calling kettle black I know).

For my two-pennorth I will say that I enjoy most of what I read here, I find it useful to improve my understanding of the subject (Rangefinder Photography), in an entertaining way. The gallery shows me that I am not far behind many who post, but miles behind the best. It shows me targets to aim for and illustrates the in-between stages. I also admire Ruben who clearly wears his heart on his sleeve. It is obvious that Ruben feels strongly about his art, tries to improve on his technique and often asks for our input to help him "understand" accepted great works, or brings his own favourites to the table. Just the sort of thing this Forum should be about IMHO.

The novices here can make ourselves feel good, the middling crew can improve, amnd the expertsd can teach us all a bit, or alot, according to inclination.

When things get nasty here I just look away.
 
jan normandale said:
Crawdiddy.. I kinda like the guys w attitude and condescension, it's entertaining. I can have a chuckle when I read it and walk away from it any time . Why "call someone on it" they've already been called on it since they were at public school in grade 6, they're used to it and they won't be stopped by us.

I enjoy it for what it is.. a lot of typing. That's how I see it.

FWIW, I don't mind hearing or reading the facts and some people are here who know them, there are also some here who don't. That is the rub.
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I think Jan has the right attitude when it comes to Internet forums, though like Crawdiddy, I get sick of the attitude too.

Some people have tried to compare this type of forum to the old camera clubs etc. but I think the two are miles apart if for one reason only. Just imagine a cross section of RFFers sitting down together 'face to face' to critique some of their photo's or talk equipment and out comes some of that 'attitude' that some feel is their right to spout. I would imagine a couple of things happening,

1. Perhaps (as I have recently learned) if they were all from New York, a healthy shouting match would now commence, with I suppose the loudest being decided the winner.

2. The 'offender' would find him or herself alone for the rest of the night until they learn to play with others.

3. Somebody would get a punch in the face.

When people are 'face to face', we do moderate what we say. In some cultures it's called having social skills. The internet takes this away. You can, and many people do, say what ever they like with no fear of the social reprecussions that will follow. Off course we can add lack of nuance etc. that adds to the problem but for many is just used as a cop out when they are rude or abrupt.

The simple rule I try to keep to, is don't type anything that you wouldn't say to somebody in person. It may not be as much fun, but it would certainly be a nicer place. And I don't accept that there isn't a 'civilised' and helpful way to critique a members images. It just takes empathy and little bit of humility.

Oh, and lastly on the topic of qualifications and such - who cares? Just a little reminder in case we are all taking this too seriously, the internet is 'fantasy'. I could say I am a Professor of Astrophysics (I am not) but who would know? Don't think for an instance that people haven't created an alter ego of exactly who they want to be - how can we prove otherwise? And if it gets a little hot, they just vanish and recreate themselves under another name - too easy!

As George Costanza once said, 'It's not a lie if you truely believe it'...

I take it all with a grain of salt and judge people by how they express themselves across a number of posts. But still its all a guess 🙂

Cheers,

John

(edited typo)
 
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I find it funny that a major contributor to this thread has the same name as a character in an Edgar Allen Poe short story.
 
crawdiddy said:
Point taken, Roger. I will "eat my own dog food," since I'm asking others to partake. But it doesn't sound as exotic as your fare. I'm not sure what that is, but I think it is Maltese.
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It is indeed Maltese: how did you know? Very few would spot that. I lived there for 4 years as a boy (52-54 and 58-60); my brother was born there and has dual Maltese/British citizenship.

It's not really very exotic. Joint a rabbit and marinade in red wine with chopped shallots, garlic, capers and tarragon for 1-5 days. Strain off (and keep) the marinade. Fry the rabbit in olive oil; set aside. Chop some more shallot and garlic, and some onion and celery; fry these together with the marinade vegetables. Add some tomato puree and the marinade. Cook with the rabbit until done: about 1/2 hour.

Responses to others: well, there's Wiki for you, and yes, I prefer Laphroaig to Grant's but can't afford to drink it every day, at least not in quantity.

Cheers,

Roger
 
Pitxu said:
Rabbit stew?

Sound's like too much work to me, I'll stick to my beans on toast....😉
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Yes! I enjoy my beans on toast.

Flour, water, and yeast to make the bread.

Then small white beans, tomato, and seasoning.

Tomorrow I can have beans on toast.

Seriously.
 
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