This is a post I did not read¹

[retinax]

Dear Forum,

A few years ago I was walking around a flea market and saw Pentax Spotmatic with 55 1.8. Like the one mum used to have, I thought, they do sell film in the drugstore, I thought. Not expensive for some fun, I thought. It had appeared to work on the flea market, but when I put film in it, the mirror got stuck at the top after a few shots. I googled the problem and found this forum. Re-lubing some levers under the bottom plate didn't reliably fix it so I had it serviced. These days I go through a few dozen rolls of film every year with this one capable camera and now three lenses. I spend way more time thinking about my photography than about cameras and lenses, which is why I'm saying goodbye to this gear-centric forum, it has no appeal to me at all. Best wishes to you all!

I know we have much better writers than myself, please contribute!


¹Comment by Out to Lunch in the "This is a picture I did not take"-thread https://rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=170147

 

[sebastel]

I know we have much better writers than myself, please contribute!

all has been said already, just not by everyone.

 

[peterm1]

I am not sure what retinax is getting at when referring to my post in that other thread.

For greater clarity (some people do not "do" irony) and just in case my motives in making my post were not clear, I should say this. I was being happily and gently satirical at ourselves - referring to our common tendency in this forum to be over interested in gear not photography.

My benign intent is, I hope apparent by the smiley faces in that post. 🙂 🙂 🙂

 

[retinax]

I am not sure what retinax is getting at when referring to my post in that other thread.

For greater clarity (some people do not "do" irony) and just in case my motives in making my post were not clear, I should say this. I was being happily and gently satirical at ourselves - referring to our common tendency in this forum to be over interested in gear not photography.

My benign intent is, I hope apparent by the smiley faces in that post. 🙂 🙂 🙂

Sorry, Peter, for the mix-up, nothing to do with your post. Edited.
But incidentally what you write here,
"For greater clarity (some people do not "do" irony) and just in case my motives in making my post were not clear, I should say this. I was being happily and gently satirical at ourselves - referring to our common tendency in this forum to be over interested in gear not photography"
could also describe my post above. I hoped people would join in this little collective fiction writing project that's inspired by the link and someone else's post in the other thread. For clarity, the post I "quoted" above is fictional.

 

[peterm1]

Sorry, Peter, for the mix-up, nothing to do with your post. Edited.
But incidentally what you write here,
"For greater clarity (some people do not "do" irony) and just in case my motives in making my post were not clear, I should say this. I was being happily and gently satirical at ourselves - referring to our common tendency in this forum to be over interested in gear not photography"
could also describe my post above. I hoped people would join in this little collective fiction writing project that's inspired by the link and someone else's post in the other thread. For clarity, the post I "quoted" above is fictional.

OK thanks. Good one.

 

[peterm1]

I suppose in reference to Out to Lunches comment: "William Eggleston thought words and pictures had very little to do with each other. I wonder if words and no pictures will do any better." which I agree with, I could add the following.

Words are what photographers had before photographers had cameras (I will spend another smiley face here 🙂 )

Final thought....... A picture may, as they say, be worth a thousand words. But as a very visual person I can only say: "In that case they better be damn good words!" 🙂

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Total bs is quoted in OP. It is like those starbacks social warriors with ten bucks coffee and overpriced for status only Macs barking at capitalism.
I met Helen , Robert, Ivan and many others who are into photography.
Here is word, no word. And many personal photography projects.
And next to philosophical threads about photography.
Just make your choice and contribute.
If not RFF, I would not know, get access to the article about Winogrand, would not know about Jane Bown and others. I even wouldn’t have free darkroom paper, which helps a lot with photography. I could see Fort Waine, Vietnam and Atlantic Canada here. I could see how people at any age are able to take pictures.
It is about choices we make. Find and support by giving and participating or throwing some bs.

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

To the common criticism that RFF is a gear-centric forum and not a art-centric forum, sorry, the making of ART has always been a gear-centric pursuit.
Early man chose from many burnt sticks, the right burnt stick to draw animals on the walls of caves. Fine artists of all time had to be chemists and mechanics to paint on wood or canvas, and photographers have to choose gear, take care of it, choose film, develop it, and print it in order to make their art, or photos, if like me, you aren't an artist.
I come to RFF to see photos to inspire my hobby, and there are plenty of photos for that, and to read gear opinions by people who make photos.
I personally have never met a Pure Artist who wasn't crafty, and enjoyed his or her gear, and had plenty of it.


Do not read this post!