Philosophy

Sam

I have been corresponding with a newer member of Digital Grin. I am deliberately being vague here. He / she was kind enough to share his / her ideas with regard to a question I posted.

One thing that did strike me was the comment that he / she didn't want to post this on an open forum. Didn't want to post all the secrets. Not really clear if he / she was serious or was hesitant to post openly.

I responded back with: "Also I don't worry about posting information on Digital Grin. I have learned a lot more there that I can give back.

There really aren't any secrets. Knowing how to do something and doing it are two different things.

I have no problem in helping someone become the best photographer they can be. Because someone is a better photographer that I am doesn't diminish me in any way.

You will only get back what your willing to give.

I know that many of the long time members here have a similar philosophy, but I thought I would just throw this out for discussion.

Sam

zoomer

Whatever "secrets" people may think they have....there is someone much better than they are that knew their "secret" a long time ago.

Also todays "secrets" are tomorrows "whatevers" if you are continuing to grow.

My philosophy is "what goes around comes around". I help whenever I can.

I am with you Sam.

r3t1awr3yd

If I put a hundred dollar bill in my hand and make a fist, I'll never lose my hundred but I'll never be able to gain anything either.
If I put a hundred dollar bill in my hand and hold it with an open palm, I might lose my hundred but I may be able to gain something greater.

Sam wrote: »

There really aren't any secrets. Knowing how to do something and doing it are two different things.

It seems to me that all the great photographers put everything out there for anyone to learn. You're right though, without putting new found knowledge into practice, it's just a waste of time anyways lol.

Plus what about all the fun of recreating something using your own method but achieving similar results?

*just trying to help forward conversation*

As a musician I'm well aware that the majority of pop music is made from three chords (I - IV - V) but somehow we (humans) manage to make a gabagillion songs from those stupid three chords lol.

angevin1

Sam wrote: »

There really aren't any secrets. Knowing how to do something and doing it are two different things.

Sam

as is doing it effectively, etc!

I have learned so very many useful things here, have several old posts even bookmarked for various things that I know I will forget the technique by the time I decide to use it.


I try to add to the conversation when I can, comment when I feel like it and have seen good advice about all sorts of things discussed here!

Same thing has happened to me a time or two, and that was weird, (because "hey...what do I know?") One of those that contacted me, flew right around my skill level like she were in a jet and me, still riding my bike. The other just wants answers with no work.

It's all work, even if someone gives you the answer!

zoomer

Perfect example:
5 years ago I asked one of the local photographer what his secret was to getting such amazing color, he gave me a strange look and said he did not know. He just processed them normally, no secrets.
At the time I thought he was holding out on me.

Now people ask me how I get my colors, and I tell them I do not know, I just process them normally.
It is a journey, small changes over time gained with experience, there is no golden ticket.

Some people get VERY lucky and find a mentor that will hand them the information that will give them a big jump on the learning process most of us had to learn over years through trial and error.

So really Sam's comment is spot on. Knowing how to do it and then actually doing it, well there can be quite a journey involved to get there.

Foques

I don't know who to quote here.. you all are saying what I am thinking.

Svennie

The biggest secret to photography is creativity. So Corbijn can show me all his processing and equipement, but only Corbijn can make a Corbijn ;-)

agunther

I love sharing whatever I think I know. It actually helps me. The more I think about a subject, the more I discover. Sometimes I write a tutorial and I realize, there are some gaps that I was able to bridge intuitively, but that I had to research in order to explain them. Through this research I sometimes discover new "angles".
I enjoy interacting and I often get stimulating questions. All in all, I don't believe that it matters how much I tell people. If somebody wishes to imitate my work, they will only become copies of someone else. I think we must achieve more than that, find our own style and eventually go beyond techniques that we learned from others.
Frankly speaking, the only thing you really need is complete mastery over your tools (camera), so that those don't get in your way. Creative aspects of photography should always come from within and not follow some sort of blueprint anyways.
I usually share my thoughts on composition, light, how I approach a subject and whatnot in blog posts, since I know people enjoy those.

NeilL

agunther wrote: »

I love sharing whatever I think I know. It actually helps me. The more I think about a subject, the more I discover. Sometimes I write a tutorial and I realize, there are some gaps that I was able to bridge intuitively, but that I had to research in order to explain them. Through this research I sometimes discover new "angles".
I enjoy interacting and I often get stimulating questions. All in all, I don't believe that it matters how much I tell people. If somebody wishes to imitate my work, they will only become copies of someone else. I think we must achieve more than that, find our own style and eventually go beyond techniques that we learned from others.
Frankly speaking, the only thing you really need is complete mastery over your tools (camera), so that those don't get in your way. Creative aspects of photography should always come from within and not follow some sort of blueprint anyways.
I usually share my thoughts on composition, light, how I approach a subject and whatnot in blog posts, since I know people enjoy those.

I agree with a lot of this, agunther -

* growth needs the stimulation of other talents. Just looking at someone else's photo "steals" a lot of secrets. Then there is the subject. Where is the photo which doesn't owe much to what is in it?! Hasn't the photographer "stolen" from the subject and called it their own?! Sometimes called "cross-fertilisation", so who owns what? And what you take from someone is never your secret to keep, and what you make from something you have taken is in debt.

* the best work comes through mastery of the means and the medium, and which modern photographer can say, "My photo is all my own work!", down to the building of the camera and lenses, the computer software etc?! There are a lot of "secrets" in a photo that even the photographer doesn't know! Hubris in this field is delusional.

However, I do believe that ideas, techniques, styles the nature of which which is a unique formula of cross-fertilisation, obtained technology and the life of the photographer, and which is essential to their reputation and livelihood can justifiably be protected from free and complete access to all comers and askers. This is not totally a loss to us, because while we must follow our betters, we must become better ourselves in total isolation. So "secrets" force us to find our own secrets.

Neil