What do you think about this, Roger?

[Juan Valdenebro]

Several thoughts on your comment:

1. It might be more appropriate go to art school to learn how to be a better photographic artist, not to a camera store. I've yet to run into a highly experienced/published or well-employed photographic artist working at a camera store. Most are selling gear for a reason. 😉 (NOTE: I'm sure there are exceptions!)

2. If the question was asked in a different way-- more appropriate to the situation, the answer might have been different. What if the question was, "I have a Pentax K-1000 and think better equipment might help he achieve results like that guy who's art is featured over their in your gallery. What do you have, or what kind of equipment should I consider looking for?" What if the question was, "To get that kind of depth of field, which would be a better film to try: 100 ASA or 400 pushed to 3200?"

3. The question asked would have been more appropriate, and probably accurately answered, at the gallery opening. Even more obtuse questions like, "Is that bokeh I see in those two prints?" probably could have been addressed.

Had these three points been known to the OP a totally different comment would likely to have posted and you might not be assuming that the clerk "had a bad day" or was "doing his job poorly". 🙂

You're in your right to believe the man had a wonderful day, and did -for that customer's question- a great job.

Cheers,

Juan

 

[antiquark]

"Do you know what camera and film Steve used to capture those images?"

It would have been interesting if you preceded your question with the statement "I, also, would like to take pictures like that..."

Then you have a clear reason for wanting to know about the equipment.

 

[Gumby]

You're in your right to believe the man had a wonderful day, and did -for that customer's question- a great job.

I didn't say he did a great job, amigo. I said he probably did the best he could do given the question asked. But thanks for validating my right to an opinion that differs. 🙂

BTW, I'll be at that shop around noon today... will I see you there? If so, lunch is on me.

 

[Proteus617]

... After a period of selling off a bunch of gear i used an old brownie hawkeye that I found. I liked the results I was able to get:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Brownie&w=9286123@N04&s=int

My $2 Hawkeye is a source of endless frustration. It consistently produces more interesting images than it has a right to, throwing a wrench into my gear acquisition schemes.

http://i103.photobucket.com/albums/m137/Proteus617/14470002-Copy.jpg

 

[andredossantos]

nice work, proteus617!

 

[John Camp]

The $2 Hawkeye makes the case for gear questions and discussions. It's a nice photo, but the photo editor of the local paper probably wouldn't be interested in it, because it would look really crappy on newsprint. For that kind of work, you need a camera that can consistently produce sharp photos under a wide range of conditions. If you see a gallery full of fast-moving street photos, it's a good bet they weren't produced with an Ebony 4x5 (although they *could* be, which would be an interesting finding in itself.) In any case, when you see work that you like, it seems natural to me to inquire after the gear. I primarily use cameras as note-taking instruments, and do my artwork with paint. I can promise you that painters spend a lot of time talking about tools -- in fact, when working with acrylics, say, I find specifically that I really want to lay down most of the paint with varieties of the Princeton 6300 brushes, but find that they don't work well for skin-tones, for which I need a much finer, softer brush. If you'd like to see the extent to which painters argue about tools, check a site like naturalpigments.com or amien.org.

The hardest parts of any art conversation (photos, or paint, or whatever) is the individual process. It's interesting and enjoyable and important to talk about tools, and the same about ideas, because those are the things you *can* talk about, and they are important. The hard part that doesn't get talked about much, is the process, because it's so intangible. Two people can walk along a street with identical cameras and one will take good pictures and the other won't. It's a matter of sensibility, and where that comes from, is the great mystery of art.

 

[Hector Negron]

You must be pretty bored and/or isolated to be going around picking senseless arguments with clerks.

There's an old Spanish proverb, roughly translated:

"Ask a cow it's opinion, it will tell you "moo""

 

[dee]

Sometimes an expensive brush does not work - I have been creating visuals , effectively on photocopy paper bonded to foamboard - inexpensive brushes have a harder feel and worked better when a wash will not work .
As ever , it's the correct tool for the job .
If we don't talk techniques and equipment - how do we learn / share / teach , even ?

 

[Sparrow]

Sometimes an expensive brush does not work - I have been creating visuals , effectively on photocopy paper bonded to foamboard - inexpensive brushes have a harder feel and worked better when a wash will not work .
As ever , it's the correct tool for the job .
If we don't talk techniques and equipment - how do we learn / share / teach , even ?

at one time a German company called V+R made a range of designer length fine hog-hair brushes, best by far for laying down a flat wash, when I was using them every day I could flat wash even the staining colours like Windsor purple and Viridian.
I have a few 7s and 8s left that outlasted the need for that skill, don't know why i keep them