...October portraits

[Frank Petronio]

I thinking having an opinion is a good thing, nobody is insulting anyone, my comment is just that the soft trend is overplayed. I've engaged in it myself and have made tons of awful photos. You don't have to agree with me but this delicacy and frail defensiveness imply a lack of confidence. Not every child is above average and gets a trophy for participating online! Assert yourselves you limp lensers!

[Randy]

Seriously though, why do we debate the tools and techniques so much rather than the images themselves? As Duke Ellington said, "If it sounds good, it is good!" We should equally apply that - if it looks good, it is good, regardless of tools/technique/medium/etc.

One of those sentiments I wish I had the sense to say.

I find, when it comes to sharp OR soft images - if it was made by someone else, it looks great. If it was made by me, it sucks.

[C. D. Keth]

if it was made by someone else, it looks great. If it was made by me, it sucks.

Spoken like an artist. Nobody even knows how many paintings Van Gogh burned. We do know that he painted over quite a few to reuse the canvasses.

[ScottPhotoCo]

I guess, in my opinion, the answer comes down to the question "Why do you make photographs." Personally, I shoot for me. Sometimes I like really soft DOF or even out of focus pictures. I want an image to make me feel something, and what moves me may not move other people. If I'm shooting a commissioned image then it's more about what the commissioner wants but still applying my style and approach to it.

As is often said "Opinions are like @ssholes. Everyone has one and most of them stink."

Personally I look at the images here as inspiration, both to get off my butt and shoot as well as things to try or to avoid. To blanket statement that something is crap because it's a style you don't happen to appreciate at the time is just a statement of insecurity or superiority. I look at comments as perspectives. I appreciate the perspectives that take the time to share thoughts and ideas but not the ones that generalize. That's MY stinky opinion and I'm sticking to it.


Tim
www.ScottPhoto.co

[mathieu Bauwens]

portraits of Alicia for the blog http://inspirationalfriday.com/







Nagaoka, 180mm S Symar, Kodak Tri xpan @ 800, D76

[Frank Petronio]

I'll post some photos too... here is a portrait of a lamp.

[Frank Petronio]

And, if you look really, really close you can see a nipple because I used a sharp lens.

[C. D. Keth]

And, if you look really, really close you can see a nipple because I used a sharp lens.

Good thing you're not a pictorialist.

[Jim Cole]

I'll post some photos too... here is a portrait of a lamp.

Bravo, Frank!

[Frank Petronio]

Just wait until I get an Aero-Ektar on my Ebony with asymmetrical tilts and the Schneider 110XL and do it in Wet Plate, then it will be art....