Rant @ IA photogs

[boostedb16]

It sounds like you just discovered owning a DSLR isn't what it's made out to be.

Feel free to remove my name since I've never once talked down to anyone owning an entry level DSLR, quote me if you have found otherwise. In case you forgot it wasn't that long ago I was still using point & shoot.

Nobody inspired me, individual photos I saw in magazines and online is what inspired me. I was still shooting with a point & shoot when Nemesis, AP, Jaime, etc. had DSLR's, 3 to 4+ years ago there were only a small handful of people producing quality car photos on here. As far a IA goes, THEY WERE the pioneers of automotive photography here and I am sure were an inspiration to many other members. I can't speak for them on who they were inspired by.

I don't recall ever using the term "bandwagon" for new DSLR owners but I will be glad to now. Yes owning a DSLR is jumping on the bandwagon for 90% of the people getting them. Only because someone else had one is why they got one, thinking there photos will be miraculously better, which leads to my only rants...


I've had 4 "rants" on this forum.

1) If you're buying a DSLR to shoot on auto then what is the point? Photos with a low to mid range point & shoot can look just as good as any consumer DSLR with a kit/generic lens, especially with cars. Every day I read it, "sorry the pictures are blurry, I need a better camera like a DSLR". No, they're blurry because someone was shooting 1/8" shutter speed hand held. People think they'll automatically have a better photo because they spent $400-1,000+ on a camera. A camera is just a tool, a disposable one at that, you just have to learn how to use it. A tripod and/or the time delay shutter is your friend, use it if you want crisp shots...whether it be with a P&S or DSLR. If you don't intend on investing in quality lenses then a point & shoot is the way to go.

2) Composition is something you have or you learn. No camera can make someones composition better. Rules are meant to be broken but the rule of 1/3rd's isn't always one of them. Be aware of your surroundings, background, foreground, etc. Power poles sticking out of the roof of a car is a distraction. Shooting through a fence with the car blurry in the background is not artistic, it's a picture of a fence.

3) HDR is not adjusting the levels or lighting & shadows. HDR does not look like a vector image that's been painted with Illustrator. HDR is a way to combine multiple shots to create a photo you couldn't normally take otherwise. It looks realistic like any normal photograph. I bet most people see HDR images everyday and don't even realize it only because the white areas don't look like toasted marshmallows.

4) A photo shoot only pertains to commercial advertising and fashion photography. Pictures of cars are snap shots, doesn't matter if it's a $200 or a $15,000 camera setup they are still snap shots. If you shoot a car for a newspaper or newsletter it's an editorial shoot. If you shoot a car for print advertisement advertising a product then it's a photo shoot. Shooting your gf isn't a photoshoot any more than a 4 year old blowing out their birthday candles, shooting your gf for a comp card is.

i agree with the auto setting. my wife wanted a d40 and i bought her one. all she used was the auto setting. i tried to explain that her camera could do so much more. i ended up using it more than she did. if all your going to use is auto then your wasting your money.

[A.P. Photography]

Ok, let me say that there are some noobs on here that actually have an interest and want to get into photography. I have no problem with any of you doing this and I will give feedback and help when warranted. I am very blunt when it comes to feedback but that is what helps you get better. When I started shooting, I posted my photos on the big photog forums and got ripped apart. A shot I thought was great and well executed, they tore apart like a fat woman at an all you can eat buffet. So it was either get better or sell the gear. I didn't get upset but took what they told me and pushed myself to get better.

It takes time to devlop your skill and style. Remeber this, "You can't just jump in the ring with Ali cause you think you can box?" Same thing with photography, you can't just jump in with a camera and expect perfect images, it takes time and training.


Hey Chad, that white duck must have been a Pron photographer.

[Jaimecbr900]

Based on the idea that Airmax posted on here, I'm going to start a reference thread where we can all share ideas and tips on how to shoot better pictures. Notice I said PICTURES, and NOT "photoshoot" or advocating DSLR vs P&S.

I'm going to dig up some of the books I've read and liked. I've got literally a mini-library of books and magazines that helped me realize the nuts and bolts of things. It does NOT tell you how to reproduce someone's work, as Changaroo stated. It does teach you techniques and more importantly theories/reasoning behind some shots. The Ansel Adams quote is exactly right, but HOW do YOU know WHERE to stand????? By reading and practicing. No other way around it. Just like weight loss, there is no real magic pill. People always telling everyone "great pics" to get some pos reps is a false sense of security. Much like actually PLAYING Golf, which for some reason people think is "easy", posting your work on an actual photography site is a humbling experience. You'll either pack up your equipment and sell it or get better. No real in-between. You have to have thick skin because they will tear down even pics you thought were great. I personally don't totally agree with that approach myself, but it does work for some.

I'll leave everyone with this:

You don't just walk into a Hospital or Police station and start using lingo or phrases you HEARD on some TV show and think YOU are somehow at their same level simply because you TALK like them. Right?

This is why some people take offense to trendy people who have no idea what comes out of their mouth any more than the guy that walks into the Hospital thinking he's a Surgeon because he watches Grey's Anatomy on TV.