Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/04/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Ted, you're a lucky man....doing what you enjoy doing in life. I reckon to be successful in any profession, you have to enjoy it to get there. - --- Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca> wrote: > bdcolen wrote: > > >>But don't forget that they are often involved in > assignments that > > extend for months, and involve travel to difficult > and distant places, > > places where you can't easily return - or can't > return at all - to get > > the one shot you missed. <<< > > Hi B.D., > That's a factor many photographers, amateurs in > particular, do not think of > when they get off on large amounts of film use, > usually decrying the amount > and, "if I shot that amount of film I too could be > as good as etc etc...." > Absolutely not true! > > The difference is the experienced photojournalist > "writes with their > cameras" instead of plinking one or two frames here > and there. Simply > because the amateur or casual shooter has never done > a major documentary on > a location they'll not likely if ever return to ever > again. And in some > cases have never done an in-depth "self project" on > where they live. > > Since my beginning days I've never thought about the > amount of film I shoot, > period. As it's a non-issue. The most important > thing has always been and > still is to this day ".... shoot everything that > motivates you toward the > success of the assignment...." Or project I'm > working on! > > Kit McChesney wrote: > >>> Maybe this will make you feel better, but there > is probably a greater > > percentage of pictures that are "successful" than > the few that are > > published in any magazine or newspaper.<<< > > Nearly always! That's why I said the 90% not used > aren't throw a ways. > > >>And it may be that some of those pictures are even > "better" than > > the ones that are published.<<< > > Quite often that's the case no matter whom you are > shooting for on large > film use assignments. > > > I would also venture to say that if it takes > 20,000 shots per story, > > someone is wasting lots of film, and maybe the > photographers aren't that > > good after all. <<<<, > > Not so at all, simply because the "really good guys > and gals" never relate > to how much film, they relate to the motivating > moment to the eye. Quite > often it's the experience of shooting years that > lets the photographer have > a better eye than the inexperienced amateur. > However, not always. > > >>I'm sure if I took 20,000 shots (and I don't > consider myself a half-bad > > photographer) I could get five or six pictures, or > even a dozen (most > > National Geographic stories don't have much more > than that) that would > > pass muster for just about any publication!<<< > > I suppose one could ask...." have you ever shot any > major assignments for > self or published?" > Please take that not as a reflection on your ability > as it's quite possible > you maybe one of the, what I call... unsung heroes > of the amateur > photographer world. (If you are or were a > professional please accept my > apology.) Who in fact, if given a true opportunity > may just be the hidden > "worlds Greatest unknown photographer" because the > situation to shoot a > major shoot has never been offered. Therefore one > remains a complete > unknown. > > > Kit (who at age 15 wrote a letter to the editor of > National Geographic > > asking "what do I have to do to become a National > Geographic > > photographer?" and who later found out that there > were many other > > equally or even more interesting things to do in > the world!)<<< > > Kit dear lady.... never! Nothing beats free roaming > the world shooting all > kinds of life situations day after day, year after > year. Meeting new people, > being involved in situations many only see on TV or > in magazines. And my > gosh the wonderful things one learns in real-time > and not by reading a book > or looking at the idiot box screen. Love it and wish > I could live it over > another ten times more! :-) > > And the best part? Being paid to do what you love > with great passion, with a > never ending life of enjoyment, enjoying it with > never a word of retiring. > ;-) ;-) Me? I'm not retiring, that's quitting. When > I go it's going to be > right in the middle of shooting something wonderful > with the last image > being my best! ;-) Oh yeah and a Leica of whatever > model clutched in my > steely grip! :-) > > Of course I suppose if you worked your life doing > really what you wanted wit > h great passion, then that's cool, good on you. As > there are thousands in > the cold cruel world doing a "job" they hate and > would give their eye teeth > to be a free wheeling do your own thing > photojournalist . > > Or as one guy said to me..." is that all you do for > a living go around the > world going click click with those little black > cameras? Geesh what a > racket, I'm going to get me one of those and live > like that." > Then I explained the reality of somethings in life > and he got the message. > Returned to fixing furnaces. :-) True story. :-) > > Kit again wrote: > >>Yes, imagine the practice that taking 43,000 shots > will give you! (And the > labor paying for all the film! That's a whole 'lot > of dishes to wash!)<<< > > Naw when yer working like that someone else is > paying the film bill. :-) > However, if it's perceived you're blowing film just > for something to do > without any kind of picture success rate...... > you'll be in very deep > doo-doo big time and possibly be dropped as a > shooter for whomever your > client is. Then your final job may well be washing > dishes! ;-) > ted > > > > > > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? The New Yahoo! Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo http://search.yahoo.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html