Photographer = intellectual?

[cyrus]

I have noticed that among the popular "mental baggage" (stereotypes?) of photographers - particularly LF photographers - is that they're highly intellectual. I wonder why that is? Perhaps its because portraits of well-known photographers (mostly early-mid 20th century?) are kinda somber, black-white affairs which makes them look like famous authors or other intellectual celebs of the period?

[Alan Davenport]

Does that mean photographers are also Democrats?

[tim atherton]

I have noticed that among the popular "mental baggage" (stereotypes?) of photographers - particularly LF photographers - is that they're highly intellectual. I wonder why that is? Perhaps its because portraits of well-known photographers (mostly early-mid 20th century?) are kinda somber, black-white affairs which makes them look like famous authors or other intellectual celebs of the period?

??

]

[Scott Davis]

Is there a problem with the association between photography and intellect? I would think to be a serious photographer (and while I know it can be a bit of a false assumption, for the purposes of this argument I'll say that the average LF photographer is more serious than the average 35mm/digital shooter), one has to have an above-average functioning cerebrum, or else they wouldn't be able to manage all the subtleties required to do what we do... composition, lighting, exposure, camera movements, n+ or n- development, cropping, burning and dodging, film and paper choices, developer choices, etc etc etc... to put yourself through all that, and to come out of it with an image that satisfies (at least oneself), you've got to have put some pretty serious thought into what you're doing, and have some reasons for doing it other than "it seemed like a good thing to do at the time".

[Ole Tjugen]

... you've got to have put some pretty serious thought into what you're doing, and have some reasons for doing it other than "it seemed like a good thing to do at the time".

Oddly enough my best pictures are those I took because "it seemed a good idea at the time", with whatever movements it took to make it "look right", exposure recorded as "sufficient", developed in whatever was at hand until I thought it was enough, and printed in much the same way.

Sometimes too much cerebral activity gets in the way of creativity.

[Ken Lee]

Intelligent ? Definitely.

Intellectual ? Not necessarily.

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Beyond the intellect, perhaps.

[Ron Marshall]

My wife commented that I am much more intellectual since starting LF. I told her it's just an act, I'm trying to fit in.

[Brian Ellis]

I have noticed that among the popular "mental baggage" (stereotypes?) of photographers - particularly LF photographers - is that they're highly intellectual.

Really? Have you looked at The Lounge in the last couple months?

[Walter Calahan]

What was the question?

[bruce terry]

Manny: " Hey look, that guy over there's surveying for one of them new condo developments."

Mo: "Naw, he's one of them old-fashioned giant-camera weirdos."

Jack: "Shoot, all that trouble for a pitcher my five-year-old could take in about one second? Guy must be pretty stupid."

(Derisive laughter from Manny, Mo and Jack)