LF Generation Gap ?

[nicol_verheem]

Thought I had to share this with the community:

Yesterday I was taking pictures of Avalon Bay (Catalina Island) from the pier with my 4x5 Arca. With the reflex viewer, a fair amount of rise and tilt, a cokin filter holder + ND grad, I guess it was quite a imposing setup. Standing in an area with lots of feet traffic, many passers by looked on with interest.

A ~45 yr old woman remarked "They make digital these days, you know! Slips right into your pocket". To which I just laughed and replied "different blokes, different strokes".

A ~18yr old girl (and cute at that) walk by and said "That's a rad looking camera". I was speechless.

Seems the youth of today is not as stupid as we make them...

[Michael Graves]

Thought I had to share this with the community:

Yesterday I was taking pictures of Avalon Bay (Catalina Island) from the pier with my 4x5 Arca. With the reflex viewer, a fair amount of rise and tilt, a cokin filter holder + ND grad, I guess it was quite a imposing setup. Standing in an area with lots of feet traffic, many passers by looked on with interest.

A ~45 yr old woman remarked "They make digital these days, you know! Slips right into your pocket". To which I just laughed and replied "different blokes, different strokes".

A ~18yr old girl (and cute at that) walk by and said "That's a rad looking camera". I was speechless.

Seems the youth of today is not as stupid as we make them...

My 21-year-od daughter constantly begs me to call her when I'm going on a picture-taking expedition. She then claims my 5x7 Eastman #2 as "her" camera and has made some remarkably good photographs with it. We spent Easter Sunday together shooting. I had my Toyo 810M and she had the Eastman. My wife has her own Speed Graphic outfit. Now if I could just get my son to catch the bug, I could really bankrupt myself buying film.

[Marko]

Seems the youth of today is not as stupid as we make them...

Yes, it seems our parents and grandparents were much more successful at it.

[Michael Graves]

Yes, it seems our parents and grandparents were much more successful at it.

Stupidity isn't really a generational issue. It's been around since the dawn of human history. But we always like to think that we were brighter than our forefathers, and therefore, our offspring will be brighter than us. Sadly, the ratio of intellect doesn't seem to improve from generation to generation. I'm just happy that it doesn't seem to get any less. And that there are still those of the upcoming generation that has an appreciation for film.

[Marko]

Stupidity isn't really a generational issue. It's been around since the dawn of human history. But we always like to think that we were brighter than our forefathers, and therefore, our offspring will be brighter than us. Sadly, the ratio of intellect doesn't seem to improve from generation to generation. I'm just happy that it doesn't seem to get any less. And that there are still those of the upcoming generation that has an appreciation for film.

Of course stupidity is generational - it gets noticeably refined with each generation. But it seems our kids are putting a stop to the trend, even reversing it somewhat.

[Ash]

I'm 19.

[Frank Petronio]

My models like the big camera.

[Bob Bell]

I was out yesterday with a Canon 30D, 1.4x, 500/4 IS with camo lens wrap, on a wimberley gimbel, and a Gitzo CF tripod and the only person who says something is this old guy with a cane (on a hiking trail mind you) accusing me of being a federal agent spying on people when I was actually shooting a hawk hunting for food.

I don't think it matters what you shoot, if it is different than a drebel and a kit lens, some people are going to make comments.

[artedetimo]

I have had similar experiences. "Wow thats a dinosaur"; my response to the jab, "yeah the camera is older than I am. You remember these?"... the younger folk "Your looking all Ansel Adams like, cool!"

I am 29 so I am in the middle in terms of age (maybe), but I am starting to resent those weekend warrior Boomer types carrying around the $5-10k digital getups as their weekend hobbies, shooting butterflies, deer and jays and the like. It is obnoxious and such a Boomer way of doing things; like a red Ferrari. I only take out my DSLR when I have to and am embarrassed when I do... I think of myself as "consumer sellout whore" when I wave it around, and even more so when I get middle aged guys lusting over my L glass...

I am much more proud that I know how to use my LF field camera than the fact that I own L glass. One is about knowledge and respecting tradition and history, the other is about consuming, entertainment, marketing, and the latest trends. I don't think "us" young people are any smarter or stupider, just developing our own sense of values and coming out from the shadow of Boomer selloutism.

[Marko]

Well, we need to make up our minds:

- We either want to ridicule other people's choice of activities/equipment OR we want them to respect ours.

- We either consider ourselves smart OR we consider our kids stupid, regardless of the kind of camera they choose.

As for the proverbial cake, those of us talking about "kids" or "younger generation" should consider switching to bran muffin or something along those lines instead and start being nice to our kids because they will be picking our nursing homes some day...