An article with the ring of truth: Simplicity by Ken Rockwell

[tgtaylor]

I thought both articles were spot on. Thanks for the post!

[Noeyedear]

Hats off to Ken. His site gets the most free publicity of any photographic site on the Web. All he has to do is right an article and every other site/forum runs a thread with a link to his site. People Que up to demonstrate their superior thinking and knowledge.
The more outlandish or controversial he writes the bigger his audience.
I have to admire his marketing, I know I could of done it as well if not better, but alas I think he has cornered the market.

Kevin.

[Dirk Rösler]

Nothing beats endlessly arguing over subjective points of view on the web. Film vs. Digital even works still today, in many disguises. It's a publicity goldmine.

[QT Luong]

Didn't photographers such as Joel Meyerowitz and Richard Misrach use a single lens on their 8x10s ? Who else ?

[Tim Meisburger]

I don't know why so many people hate Ken, especially people on this forum. His audience are hobbyists (like me), not the super duper professionals who seem so happy to disparage him. After shooting rangefinders and SLRs for many years, I switched to digital and was bored to tears, and essentially gave up photography. I had a passing interest in LF, but living overseas had no easy access to equipment or people knowledgeable about LF. Reading Ken's site convinced me I could pick up LF on my own, and I did, and for that encouragement I and probable y many others, are thankful.

Those who think Ken is advocating a single lens do not understand his point, which admittedly he makes in an oblique way. His point is simple, its not the equipment that makes the photo, it is the photographer. And he is right. And he is doing his best to show those hobbyists that read the magazines and think the latest thing will make them a better photographer that it won't, that only thinking and practice will do that. And he is right.

Ken is an apostle of film, and those who denigrate and scoff at his efforts to convert the masses from their lofty art towers will have only themselves to blame if film does disappear, IMHO.

[Blueberrydesk]

Hi, my name is Paul. I'm a man, and I can think about more than one thing at once.

[Chris Strobel]

I like Rockwell but true, he isn't a photographer.

If Rockwell isn't a photographer based on the style and quality of his work as seen online, than neither are 90% of the folks on this forum myself included.

[Jim collum]

I don't know why so many people hate Ken, especially people on this forum. His audience are hobbyists (like me), not the super duper professionals who seem so happy to disparage him. After shooting rangefinders and SLRs for many years, I switched to digital and was bored to tears, and essentially gave up photography. I had a passing interest in LF, but living overseas had no easy access to equipment or people knowledgeable about LF. Reading Ken's site convinced me I could pick up LF on my own, and I did, and for that encouragement I and probable y many others, are thankful.

Those who think Ken is advocating a single lens do not understand his point, which admittedly he makes in an oblique way. His point is simple, its not the equipment that makes the photo, it is the photographer. And he is right. And he is doing his best to show those hobbyists that read the magazines and think the latest thing will make them a better photographer that it won't, that only thinking and practice will do that. And he is right.

Ken is an apostle of film, and those who denigrate and scoff at his efforts to convert the masses from their lofty art towers will have only themselves to blame if film does disappear, IMHO.

Sorry.. Ken is an apostle of Ken. His site is made up of mostly gear reviews (usually gear he has never seen.. let alone used). His goal isn't to educate.. it's to cause controversy to have people click thru his site. He is *very* good at what he does. The click thru's are his source of income.

The issue a lot of people (myself included) have with him, is that he relies on those who don't know any better to follow his advise. People who have experience can see this and get upset for the mis-information he tends to spread. There's very little originality in his content.. most of it is rehashing of old flame-bait.. that's been rehashed many many times before in other venues.

The problem i have with his 'simplicity is god' article.. is that it's just as bad as the other extreme. With this article, he'll have numerous novice photographers running around with a simple camera with a single lens. There's no problem with this, if this is what suits your style... but it's still focusing on the gear. The camera and lenses are just tools... no more, no less. having one or a dozen doesn't really make that much of a difference. If a woodworker can work their vision with a single handmade chisel, and that suits their style of creation.. then that's what works for them. If they use a dozen as well as a few made by Craftsman... ok

Ken rarely practices what he preaches... it changes depending on what he thinks will cause controversy.

[Marko]

Ken is an apostle of film, and those who denigrate and scoff at his efforts to convert the masses from their lofty art towers will have only themselves to blame if film does disappear, IMHO.

What Jim said.

If Ken Rockwell is all that keeps film from disappearing, then film certainly deserves to disappear. Very richly so.

[tom north]

What ya mean?
There's nothing worst than arriving on a shoot only to find you dont have enough stuff! An essential part of photography is good photo gadgets! You guys are forgettin about critical stuff like "Supercool Creativity Boosting Photographic Gadgets and Devices, 5 Handy Gadgets for Photographers, Wireless Gadgets for Photographers, The Coolest Gadgets for Photographers" and "All Gadgets All the Time". Simplicity is for simplistics who think to much about taking pictures and not enough about the aesthetic of attitude, behavior, comportment, appearance and style influenced by and a product of the Zeitgeist, well-being internal peace, serenity harmony and balance, narcissistic self-absorption, and expressing a desire to escape the mental straitjacket of creativity. You guys need to go out and buy something for your camera.