I went into it thinking I would dislike it, but surprisingly I didn't. I didn't hear him say not to look at other photographs, especially great ones. What I heard was him saying that when he's shooting he's not specifically thinking about other photos.
Just as he's not thinking about equipment, he's just shooting. He didn't say that equipment isn't important, just that he doesn't obsess over it. I didn't hear him say he's a font of creativity, just that he wants to get his creative ideas from within. I thought he made some valid points. Cheers, frank --- Original Message --- From: Darren Addy <pixelsmi...@gmail.com> Sent: January 17, 2013 1/17/13 To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <pdml@pdml.net> Subject: Re: OT - on gear, technique and inspiration Yes, I tended to agree with Larry. He was very good as speaking in metaphor (I tend to think that same way, so I appreciated that). But I guess specifically, what I disliked about his attitude was that he came across as presenting himself as font of creativity and he can't contaminate that by looking at what others have done. Well, I hate to break it to you, but that's how you learn. In fact, if he was honest, that's how HE learned. That's why cooking shows are so popular, for example. You see the ingredients (and equipment) that they use and you get inspired to try it yourself. Now an experienced cook is going to be able to get as good (or better) results even if they don't use exactly the same ingredients or equipment because they know what they are doing. A true kitchen artist can just be thrown into a room with a set number of ingredients and create something great. But they are fooling themselves if they think they got to that point without "standing on the shoulders" of other who came before them, learning their ways and copying their recipes. I think it is similar with learning anything, like portraiture. You have to learn some basics with regards to flattering lighting for different facial types, etc. You have to learn how/why setting shoulders and slight head tilts towards either the lower or higher shoulder makes one look masculine or rather feminine. You didn't invent that. You didn't discover that. It just IS. But when you are starting out you need to learn to see that. In time, I think we tend to start taking what we have learned and thinking that we always knew it (or worse, that we originated it) when we did no such thing. This guy is just "further down the tunnel" than most and so now he wants to establish that fact with his audience and belittle the approach of learning from tear sheets? Please. His basic point regarding how your success or creativity is not completely dependent upon a particular piece of equipment? Yeah, I think most of us already know that. But that doesn't mean that we don't still accumulate equipment for whatever reason - if only out of curiousity/experience with something we haven't worked with before. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
