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Re: [OM] The Gotcha of the Great

Subject: Re: [OM] The Gotcha of the Great
From: Moose <olymoose@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:50:09 -0700
Another in an occasional series of objections to the attribution of 
knowledge, experience and opinions of another onto me.
A RANT

Ken Norton wrote:
> <Snip 3.5 PPs in which the only pronoun is "I" and the statements are clearly 
> attributable to the writer>. ... You know, for example, how well Velvia 
> enhances colors during the "golden hours"--it takes what is beautiful and 
> extends it into another dimension.
>   

Well, no, I don't. I've never much liked what I've seen from Velvia and 
have never shot it myself.

> But this comes at a price--not just monetory, but psychological.  You end up 
> not shooting pictures because you are constantly asking yourself: "Is this 
> Velvia-worthy?"  Because of this questioning, you end up NOT taking the
> picture because you know in your heart th at the picture just isn't good 
> enough to commit to a film of this quality. As a result, you miss many 
> photographic opportunities through this "pre-edit" process.
>   

Assuming for the moment that I agreed with you about Velvia and was used 
to using it - I still don't agree that your experience is mine. Why not 
write it like you own what you are saying?

"[I] end up not shooting pictures because [I] am constantly asking 
[my]self: "Is this Velvia-worthy?" Because of this questioning, [I] end 
up NOT taking the picture because [I] know in [m]y heart that the 
picture just isn't good enough to commit to a film of this quality. As a 
result, [I] miss many photographic opportunities through this "pre-edit" 
process. [I'll bet many of you have similar experiences.]"

You are a talented and respected photographer and, at least around here, 
an acknowledged expert on films. So talk like one!

> A massive advantage of digital over great film is that you are more likely to 
> take pictures of things that you'd never commit a frame of expensive film to. 

It is true of me that I took, and take, a lot more images with DSLRs 
than I had in similar circumstances with film.

> Granted, nearly all of these pictures are "tossers", but once in a while one 
> of these "also-ran" photographs is a winner.
>   

This has not been my experience. Although I have not checked for some 
time, it became clear early on in my own, personal, DSLR experience that 
my ratio of keepers stayed at least as high as it had been recently with 
film. I simply ended up with more images that I liked enough to want to 
keep from any given shoot.

Now that may not be true for you, and may or may not be true for any 
others here. If you look back to when I've posted about my experience in 
this area before, you will find that I was careful to make it clear that 
I was talking about only my personal experience, not gratuitously 
generalizing for others.

> The key to survival in the film world is to be willing to waste photographs 
> on experimental or secondary pictures. If you can't get beyond the "Gotcha of 
> the Great", then it may pay to have a second camera loaded with low-cost film 
> or even a digital camera.  Save the expensive film for the "I'm making a 
> statement with this photograph". This way, by using dual cameras you won't 
> miss out on the low hanging fruit while you reach for the highest apple.
>   

I don't agree. I don't shoot much film these days, but I've always 
believed that anything worth the trouble of hauling myself and equipment 
out to shoot and worth a shot is worth the best film. The processing 
costs the same for either. Nowadays, they all my film gets scanned, and 
the time and effort is the same, no matter the cost/quality of the film.

If it's not worth the good stuff, why shoot it? Vacation shots around 
the camp, kids on vacation snaps? Put a decent digicam in your pocket or 
on your belt for that stuff.  I get better snaps myself that way, 
anyway. The scenic that doesn't seem great? Take a chance with the good 
stuff. I often am sure about the great ones, although not always right. 
But the others I'm not sure of sometimes are better than I expected. Why 
wouldn't I want the "also-ran" that turns out ot be a winner on the good 
film?

I know, you are vastly more experienced than I, taller, too. So I would 
listen to your advice based on your own experience and consider how it 
might inform my shooting. But put in the way you so often do, as some 
universal experience, when so clearly some of it isn't, and you just 
piss me off, so I can't hear the value in what you say.

A. Deaf Moose
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