[Leica] Re: 4/3 cameras NOW STUDENTS USE?

[leica at screengang.com (Didier Ludwig)]

Ted

I have not much to add to Doug's post which says it better than I ever 
could. Of course there was a certain provocation factor in my statement, 
especially when posted on a list like the LUG. 

The youngsters neither have the knowledge nor the talent of you. They're not 
photographers. They're point'n'shooters. I should have said "Today's 
point'n'shooters are more talented than yesterdays point'n'shooters". 
Because the younger have an easier access to photo gear, shoot much more 
unpretentiously (as shooting has become something like a natural  activity) 
and online publishing can be done with a few clicks today - think flickr, 
smugmug producing giant point'n'shooters communities, posting and talking 
about pictures. Though there are billions of crappy pictures over there, 
sometimes I'm astonished what good pictures some photographically completely 
unambitious members have made. Some are really good probably without knowing 
it...

It's true most of them have no meaning about the art of photographing. One 
of my graphic design students recently admitted that he would be a bit 
jealous about my background as graphic designer and hobby photographer who 
had learned all that before the digital age. I feel indeed very lucky about 
that fact. Having the best of both. (BTW I asked him if he would know what 
the main tool of a graphic layouter was before desktop publishing - he 
believed "a pen" - but it was - a scalpel! Yes it was easy to recognize the 
graphic design apprentice amongst a group of young people - it was the guy 
with the fingers full of cuts :o)

Didier












>Didier Ludwig offered:
>>>The younger generation (which is probably more talented as we are, 
>>>because photographing is much more common today and kids start much 
>>>earlier to shoot) does less care about a red dot on a camera, though I 
>>>have noticed a certain interest for exotic gear amongst my students. <<
>
>Hi Didier,
>Question?  Do they have a strong knowledge of photography as in light, 
>eyes, action, composition and other factors that make  a well balanced 
>photograph?
>
>Or are they completely wound up in the numbers and digital jargon, while 
>letting the digi cam do everything.... therefore it's a good picture?
>
>ted


>I think what we're seeing it much wider access to happy snaps than before. 
>Over the decades there have been countless millions of family snapshots,
>vacation travellogs and the like but if they're not digital or digitized or
>if there's no web we're not going to be consciously aware of them unless
>somebody grabbed us by the collective shirt collar and said "let me show
>you my pictures of my toddler's birthday party!!"  These typically are a
>family's record of its good times rather than an attempt to make an image
>that provokes discussion or sets the viewer to dreaming of life outside his
>office cubicle.
>
>What is needed with digital P&S cameras and frequently with dSLR and now
>dRF cameras is required training in editing the photos for presentation. 
>It's like a digital camera owner feels like he has to display virtually
>every photo the camera makes.  Information overload on a grand scale!!  (I
>GUARANTEE that without brutal editing, the LUG would have gotten sick of my
>Bluebird photos.  I'd much rather show too few and have people want to see
>more than show too many and have people get tired of seeing them.)
>
>IMHO more people making happy snaps is a good thing and is good for
>photography because there will be some among those who start as happy
>snappers but who want to make the thought-provoking or beautiful or
>shocking photos that we take note of.  Their P&S cameras can do a pretty
>good job much of the time but those committed to making standout images
>will eventually run into the technical and aesthetic limitations of the P&S
>camera and will be driven to learn more about the tools and processes in
>order to make the photos they want.  As long as there are standout photos
>to compare with happy snaps, there will be students wanting to make photos
>that equal or surpass the standouts.
>
>Doug Herr