Write it Richard, we all (younger) would like to read. It maight even get a plece on "front-page" of this forum. There is a link for the maintainer at the very bottom for contributions...
Write it Richard, we all (younger) would like to read. It maight even get a plece on "front-page" of this forum. There is a link for the maintainer at the very bottom for contributions...
Dear gps: To answer your question very directly. What do I have to offer that cannot be found elsewhere in the internet?
Answer: My opinions, perspective and outlook...after an award winning career that allowed me to live in a nice house, drive nice cars, and raise and educate two children who are now very successful adults.
If your looking for answers to questions about 'what adapter or step up ring to use for a filter, or the field coverage on a 210mm Symar....look elsewhere. You are not obliged to read what I write.
Richard, you are correct that there is already a surplus of folks competing to recommend their favorite gear.
Also, not much future in discussing materials, as they quickly disappear from production. (Is Plus-X really superior to Ektapan?)
I have always maintained that AA founded an entire industry of people writing books and giving seminars and workshops devoted to explaining what he really meant to say in his Basic Photo Series about the Zone System. No shortage there, either.
One thing I don’t hear enough about is basic lighting and subject beautification. Light is our stock in trade; it is what we photograph. Light has quality and character. The only way to make a subject look good is to make the light look good. Before the exposure is made. Even before the camera is taken out of the case. Few writers ever get into this.
Finally, one thing I never hear about at all is how to earn a comfortable living making pictures.
After leaving Art Center, I ran myself ragged for forty years here in the Northeast Rust Belt illustrating advertising for manufacturers who were going bankrupt or moving to China faster than they could pay my bill.
After you left Art Center, it was off to NYC to (as they used to say) “seek your fortune”. It could be extremely useful to the newbies to learn just where I went wrong and you succeeded. Location is, indeed, everything.
Also, the ability to make great photographs is perhaps secondary only to the ability to get paid for them. I think it was Weegee who once when asked if a picture was worth a thousand words replied, “No. A picture is worth a thousand bucks.”
And, while you’re at it, a few tips on the construction of that spectacular new darkroom might be in order. If Better Homes & Gardens had a darkroom issue, you’d definitely be in it. On the cover!
I, too, await the first installment...
By the way, who is this "gps" and why is he here?
Mike
“You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?”
Keep on keeping on, Richard.
It might be more handy if your notes could be in a dedicated site. Do you have a provider? Need help in that regard? Feel free to ask.
A friend of mine is still working as a news photographer in Denver at 61 years-old, and while he still does remarkable work, and is in amazing physical condition, the age discrimination thing makes life difficult. (Just how many Pulitzers does a guy have to earn to be given a little respect?)
More power to you!
I would like to read your notes.
jj - a child of sixty (not the sixties!)
Richard,
You bet! I'd love to read more---there is plenty of boring technical stuff on photography but reading true accounts and real life experiences puts a "face" on all that.
One of my favorite Ansel Adams books is "The Making of 40 Photographs"---not because its instructional---heck I wouldn't even know where to get a Ziess Jewel or those old time papers and films Adams used back then(if they are even still being made)---but because the stories are so interesting. Every time I reread a chapter I feel like I've just been visiting with an old friend. The same with Edward Weston's Day Books. I'm surprised no one has used those books for movie plotlines.
I'd love to read your stories: Go for it!
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
You write, I'll happily read.
Of course some of us are interested! Every person offers a unique perspective on life.
It'd be really nice if it was a web page somewhere that you could add to as you feel like. That would give us readers a cance to carry on from the last instalment or to go back and refresh our memor on some point.
Dear Richard,
you asked if we think your posts could be of interest to us. To answer that question I thought you could tell us more what you have to offer that is original. Did my question make you angry to that point that you start to give me advice about what I should read and where? Oh, thanks a lot for this advice but sincerely - keep it for yourself next time or give it to those who ask you to have it. Happy birthday!
Richard, I would love to read your "photographer's notebook"! I think it would be fascinating and entertainingThanks for offering to share your valuable insights and let us know when the first installment is available.
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