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How many differant kinds of Photographers are there?


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Reading the on and on flap about the M8's problems makes me think I could get more from the opinions if I knew what kind of photographer these folks are.

 

Type A. Loves to create and take pictures and treats his camera like a tool.

 

Type B. Loves searching for the precision expected in photgraphic equipment and likes putting together a complete selection of lenses.

 

Type C. A working professsional who has the perfect blend of the Type A and Type B as it is necessary to be that way to make it in the business world.

 

I personally fall into the Type A category. That's not to say I'm as creative as I would like to be but to me I don't go to pieces if my camera exhibits a little banding as my D200 has on 2 out of 5000 occasions. In my case, I could definitly live with the M8. I hope to have one soon.

 

One of my favorite photographers was W. Eugene Smith who shot for Magunm. He was an alcholoc, worked with whatever equipment any manufacturer would give him and then hocked it for drinking money when he was between assignments and broke. But he captured every grain of passion possible in his images.

 

I have another hobby, I'm an amateur machinist. In that hobby I am no doubt a Type B. That is to say I enjoy putting together a complete machine shop more than using it. It may have something to do with the fact that I'm not that skilled at using it but enjoy some success in the acquistion effort !!

 

How do you size yourself up? Type A, B or C

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hi ray,

 

very interesting questions. i've been following the m8 discussion with interest, though i'll never be able to afford it (or more importantly, the lenses).

 

i'd like to add a category: the post-processor. if you enjoy this work, then the camera becomes relevant in a different way. you need certain elements for your modifications.

 

after a year with the d2 and d-lux 2 exclusively, i've been working with two simple fuji's: f30 and 6000fd. the second has raw and good software. the color is much cruder than with the panasonic/leicas, however i like the bold contrasts.

 

elsewhere i mentioned the difference between manet and ingres. the first dealt with patches of opaque color, making the viewer aware this is paint (fuji's). the second layered thin coats to give depth and an illusion of reality (leica).

 

but, my feeling is, no digital camera gives its best without post-processing. that's the nature of the present beast.

 

wayne

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How about another category: the anal photographer. Someone who doesn't shoot much until he is happy with his equipment. I am probably such a photographer, sad to say. I wish I could just shoot away, but when I know there are problems, I tend to hold back and think too much about it.

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interesting answers.

almost no 'b' photogs in the leica-forum?

didn't know that yet.

 

-tim-

 

That's how I read it Tim. But, I think there are a lot of B's, they are the ones who can't get past a little noise at ISO 10,000 in a hot kitchen with the lights out. I think there are a lot of people on the photography forums who have no clue how good they have it today and expect to much from present technology. My D200 was beat up by most forums for banding. I've had it happen only twice and even then it had to be pointed out to me as it just wasn't that big of a deal !!

 

I love taking pictures and I love post processing on my own and not relying on some lab guy I don't know.

 

So one guy on another thread post some really nice stage images shot with the harshest of light immagenable and another "photographer" states he's not so sure he's looking forward to getting his M8 back" Implying this images are trash!! Somebody should give the guy a box of Tri-X and tell him to do better ! LOL Yes sir, I think we got a lot of Tybe B's who aren't owning up to it.

 

Carstenw, I admire your honesty! I'm pretty much that way on a lot of topics in my life. It's why I weigh 265 instead of 200. There's always a reason I can't exercise !!

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Hi Ray,

 

In defense of Type B; no disrespect meant, but I think that you might be generalizing a bit. I consider myself a bit of a Type B also but I do like pictures for their content and not for their sharpness or noise level; and I am sure there are others in this forum like me who contribute in technical threads extensively. Here are a few pictures I made in difficult lighting; I like them even though there is a lot of grain in them. Putting people in pre-conceived compartments can be quite misleading.

 

Another thing to consider is that this particular part of forum is primarily a technical forum and one is supposed to post pictures in other parts of this form meant for posting pictures; although I break this rule myself since I like talking about and posting pictures :)

 

Furrukh

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so i guess you're just as embarassed as i am?

maybe the confession is a job too hard for many of the collectors. it feels much nicer to be the 'a'-type, doesn't it? i personally hope that i'm category 'a', of course, because i wouldn't know which lines to count if someone asked me to, and i couldn't care less about the special subtype of lens hood i'm using. on the other hand i'm sure that for a clear 'a' i might like my m (and the tri-x, damn right) a little bit too much. maybe that's just because the tool is close to perfection, nothing to add, nothing to take away from it.

 

you do know the seven levels of photographers by ken rockwell, dont you?

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/7.htm

 

;) -tim-

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Carstenw, I admire your honesty! I'm pretty much that way on a lot of topics in my life. It's why I weigh 265 instead of 200. There's always a reason I can't exercise !!

 

:) I am not quite at 265, but I am over what I want to be, and just like you, there always seems to be a reason not to exercise. Weather, other obligations, whatever. This year I will sign up with the gym as soon as I can afford it, hopefully February. I want to reverse this trend. And I want to reverse the anal-photo trend too. I am allowing myself four lenses (CV15, 28/2 Asph, 50 Lux Asph, Apo-75 Ashp) and then I have to just take pictures. I am half-way there, and within a month or a tax-return, I ought to have the other two. Then I buckle down and see what I can do. At least, that is the plan...

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OK, upon looking at the definitions provided here and in Rockwell's article, I would be an A/B, Level 8 photographer.

 

I use all of my gear to make images, including rarities like a LHSA/0.58 and a 35 Aspherical.

 

I also have accumulated a fairly complete set of lenses, not for the purpose of collecting, but for the purpose of experiencing new challenges.

 

And on the Rockwell scale (nothing to do with hardness), I would be at tier 8, which I self-define as a muse. I have had numerous colleagues and friends who are totally disassociated tell me that they use my photography as a source of inspiration for their own art, which is usually dancing or painting.

 

e.

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:)This year I will sign up with the gym as soon as I can afford it, hopefully February. I want to reverse this trend.

 

I read some interesting statistics about Gym membership from the owner of a Gym.... 25% of people only go 2-10 times, 56% of people give up totally after 3 months, and 83% have given up after 6 months. So, unless you KNOW you will stick at it (set aside your good intentions at this point), and won't find the same old excuses not to go (as I did), save your Gym money for other things. You can get excercise other ways. I am also above where I want to be, but if you put your mind to it, you can lose weight without going to the Gym!

 

Regarding ABC..... Hmm.... difficult one. I guess a mixture of A+C, with more emphasis on A. I just like taking pictures, and the tools should not get in the way. When the tools get in the way, you can't concentrate on taking pictures....

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I guess I am in the B camp - I very much enjoy looking at other people's photographs but when it comes to taking my own, I view the world through an engineer's eyes, not an artist's eyes. I'm also a stickler for detail and agree with Carsten that I don't much enjoy using a camera which is still a work in progress. Right now, I prefer using my D2x to my M8.

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