Comments on: Free Photography Will Save the World — and Nine Other Myths http://rising.blackstar.com/free-photography-will-save-the-world-and-nine-other-myths.html Professional Photography Blog Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:56:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ryan Hollowayhttp://rising.blackstar.com/free-photography-will-save-the-world-and-nine-other-myths.html/comment-page-1#comment-2217 Ryan Holloway Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:21:41 +0000 http://rising.blackstar.com/?p=1594#comment-2217 I have to agree with the above comment, I've taken a few classes, and talked and shared pictures and exchanged websites with a lot of people, photography can be easy to lean for a few people, but for the majority of people it just does not come naturally and they really have to work at it.Ryanwww.ryanhollowayphotography.com I have to agree with the above comment, I've taken a few classes, and talked and shared pictures and exchanged websites with a lot of people, photography can be easy to lean for a few people, but for the majority of people it just does not come naturally and they really have to work at it.

Ryan

http://www.ryanhollowayphotography.com

]]> By: Mike Foxhttp://rising.blackstar.com/free-photography-will-save-the-world-and-nine-other-myths.html/comment-page-1#comment-2207 Mike Fox Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:11:00 +0000 http://rising.blackstar.com/?p=1594#comment-2207 Paul makes many excellent points (not a huge surprise), and I hope that my blog is one of the non-narcisstic variety!As with any business, there are cycles to be observed. One day everybody is making a fortune from iStockPhoto. The next, it is so saturated with subpar images that the entire business model falls in to question. Digital Railroad and Photoshelter are the next big things - and then they scale back or die off.The important thing is to stop yourself being in denial. With the rapid evolution of technology, particularly in the digital age, we have a more urgent need (and the opportunities) to regularly reinvent ourselves. Documentary photography IS still extremely important but with a declining print readership, how are we going to deliver the important messages that come from documentary photography, to an audience that might be empowered to make a difference?Video and stills? I really believe that some stories are best told using video, whereas others are best told using still photographs. Then again, some stories are best told in words. It is important to remember, when taking photographs, "what am I trying to achieve with this shot?" Do you want to sell something? Tell a story? Create something to hang on a wall? Capture a memorable event? Would a portrait photograph be best shot as a still photograph or a video?Final point, in this ramble. Just because somebody has a camera does not make them a photographer. That's like saying someone who owns a piano is a pianist. Yes, almost anyone can hold a camera to their eye, point it at a subject, and press a button. But how powerful will the resulting image be? Will it be effective in doing anything other than being a not very well thought-out photograph of a random subject? I do not agree that "photography has always been easy to learn." It's easy to learn how to use a camera but not necessarily so easy to learn how to take a great photograph. And that is why, despite all the nay-sayers, a for-free photographers (frown), and wannabe pro's, there will always be room for a professional photographer, but only those that react to the need to reinvent how they do business, and those who readily accept their customers' needs change over time, will survive. Paul makes many excellent points (not a huge surprise), and I hope that my blog is one of the non-narcisstic variety!

As with any business, there are cycles to be observed. One day everybody is making a fortune from iStockPhoto. The next, it is so saturated with subpar images that the entire business model falls in to question. Digital Railroad and Photoshelter are the next big things - and then they scale back or die off.

The important thing is to stop yourself being in denial. With the rapid evolution of technology, particularly in the digital age, we have a more urgent need (and the opportunities) to regularly reinvent ourselves. Documentary photography IS still extremely important but with a declining print readership, how are we going to deliver the important messages that come from documentary photography, to an audience that might be empowered to make a difference?

Video and stills? I really believe that some stories are best told using video, whereas others are best told using still photographs. Then again, some stories are best told in words. It is important to remember, when taking photographs, "what am I trying to achieve with this shot?" Do you want to sell something? Tell a story? Create something to hang on a wall? Capture a memorable event? Would a portrait photograph be best shot as a still photograph or a video?

Final point, in this ramble. Just because somebody has a camera does not make them a photographer. That's like saying someone who owns a piano is a pianist. Yes, almost anyone can hold a camera to their eye, point it at a subject, and press a button. But how powerful will the resulting image be? Will it be effective in doing anything other than being a not very well thought-out photograph of a random subject? I do not agree that "photography has always been easy to learn." It's easy to learn how to use a camera but not necessarily so easy to learn how to take a great photograph. And that is why, despite all the nay-sayers, a for-free photographers (frown), and wannabe pro's, there will always be room for a professional photographer, but only those that react to the need to reinvent how they do business, and those who readily accept their customers' needs change over time, will survive.

]]> By: Bobhttp://rising.blackstar.com/free-photography-will-save-the-world-and-nine-other-myths.html/comment-page-1#comment-2202 Bob Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:48:57 +0000 http://rising.blackstar.com/?p=1594#comment-2202 Most photographers have biases. Most of those involved in documentary photography, for example, think that their portion of the medium is so important that photographs from other POVs isn't truly PHOTOGRAPHY. Most photographers have biases. Most of those involved in documentary photography, for example, think that their portion of the medium is so important that photographs from other POVs isn't truly PHOTOGRAPHY.

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