As in "We dont need no stinking experts!", or (slightly more politely) "I think the people of this country have had enough of experts..." (Michael Gove, MP).
:) :) :)
David
April 16, 2023
39
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It seems to me that all Internet photography forums have some of each of the following:
1) extremely technical members with VERY detailed/technical knowledge who also produce amazing imagery
2) completely non-technical members who are creatives and produce amazing images and could care less about the “technical flurf” as it all about the images.Then also….
3) members who drool technical knowledge but who create images that are little more than “ducks in a pond in flat light”. …. “Look at my new lens!!!!”
4) members who have no technical knowledge and create images that are little more than “ducks in a pond in flat light” …… ‘went to the lake today….”Then also
5) members who are a bit technical and a bit creative and are able to create images, with skill, regardless off the tools, that are “quite good/accomplished” but not “great”…. They aren’t winning global awards but they are paying the bills (if they are pros).
I am in group 5. And I think that the bulk of members on these forums are too.
Groups #1 and #2 dislike each other. But they have something in common: they make great images. So, they get along.
Groups 3 and 4 are generally internet PITA’s as, frankly and IMO, they are in it for “ego” and not growth.
Group 5 (which I believe are most members) is along for the ride, trying to learn and become better by producing better and better conceptual imagery - the kind of stuff that really takes you there and makes you think. They don’t fight, they ask. They probe. They want to learn.
This site, and all sites are dependent on the productive wisdom of groups 1, 2 and 5. Groups 3 and 4 rarely contribute to the discussion other than “look at my new lens” or “went to the lake today” but they inject a lot of the turmoil. I think that we should each ask ourselves which group we are in as it will help to self-moderate.
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Which of those groups are you in?
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You didn't even read it, did you. 😅
Well, this is a forum, and people are coming to ask technical questions. There is nothing wrong to be keen on the technology, help others, while not taking any picture. And why should not medioker pictures be welcome? How do you want this people to learn, if they cannot come and get constructive critique on their medioker, or even miserable job? This is when it goes too far. This need for clean habitat for personal liking. World is not like that.
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Thank you adk38. I missed that.
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the opposite to Dunning-Kruger is " functional stupidity" look that up 😂
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My daughter is nearly in her last year at uni. and i love listening to her on line lectures in biology,(due to covid) advice from photography forums is dribble by comparison.
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If only there was a group 0. Then I could fit in.
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Mate they left us out. the ones that go out and actually make and post quality images 😁😁
im waiting for the invent of a user gallery so when members comment they better have a good look at your images before as to make a fool of themselves with a s....a comment. eg: " you dont know what your talking about" -
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Well, yes, but there is a big difference between a full time student at the culmination of, what maybe 17 years of education, and someone who picked up a camera yesterday thinking "this might be fun". My wife has two undergraduate science degrees, and a masters and many decades working at the heart of government policy, she's no intellectual slouch, but she really struggles with learning the rudiments of photographic technology. She wants to take pictures, not undertake another course of education. For many people having to learn stuff is just enough to put them off a casual hobby. And having to learn stuff that is presented in a more technical way that it needs to be is the nail in the coffin. Beginners don't necessarily start out as passionate enthusiasts willing to put in the time and commitment. Catch 'em at the beginning and don't scare them off or they'll be straight back to their phones.
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I can totally agree with this. my daughter is 20 and loves film photography. so i set her up with a couple of pentax 35mm film cameras. she hated them so i gave her a konica lexio 35mm high-end fully auto compact and she loves it. only last week i picked up a olympus trip 35 for her and she put the 1st roll in today so im hoping the camera worked.
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In my view it's a mistake to tar all 'beginners' with the same brush. It's a very varied group of people with different motivations and ambitions. The only common factor is that they consider themselves to be new to photography. For many the best advice is 'use the scene modes' or such like, because for what they want and where they see themselves going, the camera automation will do as good a job as they want to be done. Other decide that they really want to learn the theory of photography, and for those it's a really go idea if they get told the actual theory of photography - not a new bowdlerised version which is neither 'theory' nor is of any use in underpinning how you operate a camera.
And for those that think beginners will be put off by the over-technical discussions - please face up to the fact that you are causing it. It is these people that start these discussions when they insist on challenging the established (since the 1890's) theory of photography.
It's not hard at all to explain the basic theory in a very simple way which is accessible to beginners that have decided that is how they want to approach it. What is hard is explaining it to a non-beginner whose mind has been clouded by incorrect notions and is unwilling to revisit their own learning. -
I have a different view on the latest state of dpreview. Some of the mods left, some are probably discouraged, and the place got free speech friendlier (but not by much). It is like the glasnost before communism collapsed in Eastern Europe.
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I am reminded of Professor Eric Laithwaite long ago describing the linear motor quite simply:
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We sure do spend a lot of time here discussing how to interact with beginners, in spite of the fact that there are very few beginners here.
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Way back in about 1970, the science boys at my school (and I was on the periphery) built a linear motor from the professor's design. We set it up in the school yard with the windings static and put a flat sheet of metal on top. Turned the power on and the flat sheet of metal shot across the yard and embedded itself in the chemistry building brickwork. It was lucky there was no-one in the way 🤦♂️
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Carl Sagan made a career out of making complex topics relatable to the laymen. He seemed to be universally loved. Granted the internet didn’t exist then.
Neil DeGrasse Tyson has attempted to take that mantle and run with it. I see a lot of comments of him coming off as an arrogant prick. Key & Peele do a rather funny bit about NDT at home interacting with his wife.
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Eric wasn't quite so good at explaining gravity and gyros, though....
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Which has always been the way, The problem is they are becoming more opinionated. Politics, media and marketing play to the ignorant sense of self, knowing that they will get a result. With no regard to the consequences.
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I'm here :-) I have plenty of experience in IT, DTP and printing, but have only been attempting to take proper photographs for a few months.
