Another article to irritate people

[Bruce Barlow]

My article "Old Guys" apparently pissed off a lot of people, judging from the feedback.

Well, if that one irritated you, this one surely will:

http://circleofthesunproductions.com...hotography.pdf

A painter friend has already asked to give it to all her students. But they're painters.

Cheers! Enjoy! Get mad!

[Daniel Stone]

I don't see why we should "get mad"? Practice makes perfect. Heck, look at those young prodigies out of asia who play piano pieces so gracefully at the age of 8 that make the "masters" fail! I mean, if you REALLY want to master your craft/technique, then you HAVE TO PRACTICE! There was an article a few months back(and I believe also a book) about "Tiger Moms" or something of the like. So many people call it "cruel and unusual" to not let the children have/go to sleep-overs, attend birthday parties, EAT/snack, UNTIL they had done their exercises(not just in music IIRC). I call it GENIUS. Parents KNOWING that they HAVE to push their children to SUCCEED at something helped to foster the same feeling of "getting it done" in the children as well. "Cruel and unusual": well, to some it might seem cruel, but unusual? Definitely... Those kids are able to play piano/violin,etc.. better that 99% of other kids their age. That's something they can be proud of, children AND parents.

Personally, I've taken up light-painting still-lifes with my small digicam, late at night when the rest of the family has gone to bed. I use a single Nikon flash, with reflectors, mirrors, etc., to "build" a photograph, in addition to "painting" more detail into shadows, highlights, etc...

Being able to transfer this knowledge onto MF or LF film use for final shots lets me learn faster(digital feedback on the screen), rather than wasting money on Polaroid test prints.

"practice makes perfect" someone much wiser than me stated a LONG time ago. I believe in that whole-heartedly.

I also blame it on today's "instant gratification" culture. Instant payment for items bought/sold, next-day shipping, download-what-you-want-NOW, etc... IMO, its just feeding the problem of impatience. Patience, and practice, again IMO, go hand in hand. People for the most part give up when the going gets tough. But the go-getters get it done, and when they do, people marvel at their achievement. As they should.

thanks for sharing!

-Dan

[Dan Fromm]

What's irritating about that? Practice certainly doesn't make perfect, but thoughtful practice does make better.

Y'r Casals story strikes a chord. I used to use the 3d suite's allemande as an audition piece, still try to play at least a movement from a Bach suite daily. But you got the rule slightly wrong. One does each hard spot until its been done at least ten times in a row without error. A couple or three successes isn't enough.

I'm not sure that photography is quite the same, though, because it calls for relatively more thinking and relatively less muscle memory. But certainly directed practice -- didn't get the desired result? Analyze why not, test the analysis, repeat until the desired result is obtained consistently. -- helps a lot.

While I was at y'r site I found and read old guys. Y'r friend and inspiration Friesen isn't old yet. My friend and inspiration Stanley H. Weitzman is old and he's one of the youngest people I know. Google Stan, he has the most impressive CV I've ever seen and is more impressive as a person. And inspiring, too, if I haven't been clear.

[Nathan Potter]

Not angry (mad). Nice writeup and well said. Sometimes I think my lifes' work has been all practice and I have yet to make a fine and memorable image.

But I'm on my way of solving the "old guy" problem.

Before I croak I need an agreement from some enterprising photographer/camera maker to take my skeletal remains and use the bones to build a large format camera.
I think this is very attractive due to the porous, light and strong characteristics of bone. Ritter, any interest?

Thus this camera would be used indefinitely after I'm gone to extend the possibility of me making a great photograph sometime in the future and so exacerbating the dilemma of me failing to do so in my lifetime. Clearly I'll rest in peace easier and all the years of practice will not have been in vain, even if that image is made by my successors and even if I never see it.

Nate Potter, Austin TX

[William Whitaker]

Good article! Vaguely Picker-esque?...

[bob carnie]

First thing that came to my mind after reading a couple of paragraphs.
those three binders of newsletters are a mere 2 ft from me on a shelf.
Someday will read through them all again.

Good article! Vaguely Picker-esque?...

[Bill Burk]

Thanks Bruce,

Nice workshop handout.

Nathan, First thing came to mind when you said you wanted your remains to be turned into a camera, here's someone for that job.. www.boyofblue.com

[jp]

It's not irritating, it's encouraging us to do more of something we love.

I disagree that practice makes perfect (and no you didn't say that, but it comes to mind easily on this topic), but practice is a valuable process regardless. Even when one has talent, it takes some practice as you've outlined to go from good to great at something.

[Vaughn]

Life is practice.

The trick is to practice correctly...

[Jim Galli]

Ever look at my website. All that stuff is practice. I'm a poor editor, so you get to look at it. You may find a dozen times over the years I've been posting where I tell some zealous newbie the best piece of equipment they can get is a dumpster bin outside the door of the darkroom. Odd how no one wants to hear that. The ones who flatly refuse that advice are the ones who are gone in 6 months. Off to another instant fame.