Ansel Adams, I am not

[Robster970]

A friend and I went to an open evening organised by a local camera club to see what it was like - kind of a recruitment drive. Four of the members were doing presentations on why they joined. Things I noticed:

a) The first presenter put up a picture (can't remember by whom) but was taken for the FSA project. They asked us how much this picture went for in Auction recently. Most members laughed and shouted things like £1, 10p. I bravely stuck my head up and shouted £10,000 which was met with much derision until the presenter told them it had gone for somewhere in the region of £90,000. This, they could not understand.

b) They were only concerned with technical merit of imagery.

c) They whooped when one of the presenters was a local judge for competitions. He got sucked up to quite a lot. He could do or show no wrong.

They couldn't understand why me and my mate did not want to join when we told them that we felt the club was too restrictive and conservative. They said they needed young 'uns in (I'm 36!) but did not like to be challenged about their preconceived ways

They have a place in the world of photography but it's not a place I choose to inhabit.

 

[Pie 1]

They have a place in the world of photography but it's not a place I choose to inhabit.

Word!

 

[zenie]

They have a place in the world of photography but it's not a place I choose to inhabit.

I'm considering joining my local one but memebership is something like 150 quid a year

I wanna ruffle some feathers

 

[Robster970]

I'm considering joining my local one but memebership is something like 150 quid a year

I wanna ruffle some feathers

You know me Zenie, I can't shut-up. I was speechless with these guys. You'll go beserk.

 

[zenie]

You know me Zenie, I can't shut-up. I was speechless with these guys. You'll go beserk.

Beserk good or beserk bad?

 

[Robster970]

Beserk good or beserk bad?

I think you'll have about 45 mins of fun and then realise that they are so far out of your world that no form of reconcilliation is possible.

Camera clubs = Sheep, hierarchy, rules, conservative, artless, dogmatic, creative death.

I'd be interested if anybody here has a positive view of them

 

[Firky]

Camera clubs = Sheep, hierarchy, rules, conservative, artless, dogmatic, creative death.

Word. A bit like art school really

 

[zenie]

I think you'll have about 45 mins of fun and then realise that they are so far out of your world that no form of reconcilliation is possible.

Camera clubs = Sheep, hierarchy, rules, conservative, artless, dogmatic, creative death.

I'd be interested if anybody here has a positive view of them

Hmm could be a challenge then

Word. A bit like art school really

Not any I've been too

 

[Tox06]

I nearly joined mine, but what put me off was the snobbish insistence on photographic qualifications, like the Royal Photographic Society. Also, I couldn't give a sh1t if someone has a Pentax or a Nikon D550 million, and lenses that can do 18-50 billion at f1.2 or whatever. It just leaves me cold. This technical jargon is just a substitute for artistic integrity, (not that I have any), but if I want that sort of shite I can buy a magazine and be bored to death by the latest gear review.

 

[weltweit]

Camera clubs = Sheep, hierarchy, rules, conservative, artless, dogmatic, creative death.

I tend to agree with "creative death" thats what I found out myself.

I'd be interested if anybody here has a positive view of them

I do actually have one positive, if you want to make friends with other people who are photographers so you can find someone to perhaps go out shooting with and share your passion with, as life partners are often just not that interested, then a camera club can be an obvious place to look.

Of course they may be shooting for a competition where you may be doing it for pleasure.

I have made a lot of internet friendships with photographers all over the world and one or two that I have been able to meet with but the ones whose work I love the most are in London, Antwerp, America, Venezuala and Switzerland and I just don't get around that far that often

 

[Robster970]

that's as good as reason as any to join. personally, photography is a lone pursuit for me.

Word. Creative Asthma.

 

[weltweit]

I nearly joined mine, but what put me off was the snobbish insistence on photographic qualifications, like the Royal Photographic Society. Also, I couldn't give a sh1t if someone has a Pentax or a Nikon D550 million, and lenses that can do 18-50 billion at f1.2 or whatever.

The best in my humble opinion London street photographers I know of, dave lawrance, just uses his camera to make pictures.

take a look if you are interested in someone creative's view of London reality.
http://www.pbase.com/dave1/root

 

[Tox06]

The best in my humble opinion London street photographers I know of, dave lawrance, just uses his camera to make pictures.

take a look if you are interested in someone creative's view of London reality.
http://www.pbase.com/dave1/root

They really are excellent.


Wish I was as good.

 

[Stanley Edwards]

The best in my humble opinion London street photographers I know of, dave lawrance, just uses his camera to make pictures.

take a look if you are interested in someone creative's view of London reality.
http://www.pbase.com/dave1/root

Bit of a mix. Crap and very good.

Love this one:

 

[Firky]

The best in my humble opinion London street photographers I know of, dave lawrance, just uses his camera to make pictures.

take a look if you are interested in someone creative's view of London reality.
http://www.pbase.com/dave1/root

Not my cup of tea, but I like this guy, Alexander Bratell:

http://www.zetetic.co.uk/

 

[weltweit]

Not my cup of tea, but I like this guy, Alexander Bratell:

http://www.zetetic.co.uk/

Aha yes very nice stuff there, and a different kind of vision to the guy I linked to for sure.

This is something I find interesting, there are some photographers who seem to have a unique style, you can almost tell it is their image even if no one has told you and then there are people like me who have only been doing it for perhaps 7 years and like photographers with all sorts of styles, and yet or perhaps because of this, I seem to have failed yet to have developed my own style.

Perhaps such things only come with time.

 

[Firky]

I Don't worry about style. Let others give you a style. Style is a polite way of saying you're stagment, although I know people would disagree with me there. Style is the comfort zone of the unimaginitive - what is important is that you continue to create 'good' (as subjective as that is) pieces.

I like angles, light and patterns - I'd say much of my stuff has elements of that in it, but I apply it in a variety of ways. I hope!

 

[Robster970]

Style is a polite way of saying you're stagment, although I know people would disagree with me there. Style is the comfort zone of the unimaginitive

You're so full of horseshit sometimes.

How come I can spot one of your pics a mile off then

By your own perverse logic this would imply you are highly stagnated.

I'm off out to do some night photography......

 

[Firky]

What I mean is that I don't worry about trying to find a style, if I have one, I let other people identify it. So in a way you're agreeing with me.

And yeah, I'd agree I that I am highly stagnated - that is why I keep trying new things. Inevitably the results of which will have my stamp on. If you set out in a premeditated way - to develop a style, then you'll probably end with boring and repetetive results.

 

[Firky]

p.s

I am well aware I am an arrogant fuck

 

[Robster970]

I agree with that. Don't worry about developing a style. You eventually get one anyway by not trying.

You stagnated? Maybe. You've not been doing much until recently though so I'm not suprised.

Me? Nothing since April - suffering from uber-shitness, hence off out.

 

[Firky]

I take less photos when I am depressed - soft shite that i am.

 

[Robster970]

I take less photos when I am depressed - soft shite that i am.

glad to see you're feeling better then

after 6 months of doing nothing, this is my next project

www.photo-sight.co.uk/naked.html

 

[Firky]

I know, I helped Zenie reword bits for you

I have what I think is a wicked idea, it has nothing to do with photography as such - more of a study of societal and emotional impacts an individual has on others. I need to put it from my head on to paper, and it would take a huge amount of planning, but I really want to do it. Even though it would occupy a massive amount of space and hundreds if not thousands of people.

I'm too embarrased to tell anyone about it however

 

[Robster970]

I'm too embarrased to tell anyone about it however

out with it - come you can share your plans with a man who wants to see the elderly in the buff......

actually, pm me. i'm off out so will catch up later when I get back

 

[Firky]

I'll have to write it on paper first of all then email / pm you it, but I may... hhmm

some wine and a notepad methinks.

*tootles off*

 

[weltweit]

personally, photography is a lone pursuit for me.

Well it started as a lone pursuit for me too.

Then I made friends with some photographers abroad via an internet forum, travelled there to meet the main person I made friends with and there was a party of 5 photographers all there excited to meet me, we all natterred away about what photoraphers talk about, then we all went out shooting in the city and had a great time.

The group were often booked by friends (sometimes commercially) to shoot weddings and well you can imaging how many great candids they got with 5 good photographers shooting the reception etc ....

Anyhow just a great bunch of really nice people all enjoying it together, made me think *I want that here* and so I started and am working to get it here.