Photographic Paradoxes Post (PPP)

[goamules]

Forums are great for hearing opinions from the experienced, or the questions from the novice. As I've been photographing with large format, wetplate, and vintage 35mm I've noticed some paradoxes, things that just seem to contradict. I thought we should start a post listing some of the things we've found people do that just seem counter intuitive. Please add yours!

1.

35mm photographers demand lenses with maximum resolution to enlarge tiny, thumbnail 35mm negatives to 8x10.
Large format photographers want soft focus lenses to contact print softness on inherently sharp 8x10s.

[Vaughn]

Who wants soft focus lenses for 8x10's?! Yuck...

2) LF photographers hurry up to wait...

[Brian Sims]

Stitching 20 DSLR images to achieve the resolution of 4x5.
Hand-held action photos with 4x5 (and yes, I did my time with a Speed Graphic. The battery pack for the strobe must have been 20 lbs).

[Peter Gomena]

Lots of people say they love my pictures but nobody ever wants to actually buy one.

[johnmsanderson]

Lots of people say they love my pictures but nobody ever wants to actually buy one.

+1

[ROL]

Lots of people say they love my pictures but nobody ever wants to actually buy one.

I'll piggyback off of that: "I can't afford one of your fine art prints – can I buy one of your mistakes?"

Really, seriously not kidding this time.

[E. von Hoegh]

......
Large format photographers want soft focus lenses to contact print softness on inherently sharp 8x10s.

I don't use, own, or approve of soft-focus lenses.

[goamules]

Another paradox;

A photographer who buys 2-10 exotic lenses, but then only wants to buy old, cheap, expired film.

[DrTang]

expensive camera, lens sitting on top of a rickey, old lightweight tripod


expensive lighting gear being held up with the cheapest, lightest light stands

[Kirk Gittings]

Film photographers who drive to their location in a $30k truck, use modern manufactured VCs and lenses, digital spot meter, filters, commercial film, safe light, commercial papers, commercial chemicals, enlarger, commercial mat board, frames etc. and call their prints "hand made".