Philosophy of Photography

[thelps]

I thought I'd start a thread on the Philosophy of Photography and other musings. From time to time I have thoughts and ideas that rather than arguments of thoughts like eg: the "film vs. digital" debates. Please weigh in on the current topic or advance a new idea in a post here if you like.

[thelps]

First up I have been considering this constant upgrading of hardware many of us do.

Should we just stick to the camera and lenses we already have for some years and get to know them better rather than constantly changing?

Does the time frame of new products come to soon? With new products the world is driven by economics and hence are aspects of our images then tainted by these economics. Would our images improve better over time sticking to one device rather than relearning and having to familiarize. Perhaps we are hitting reset with our learning curve each time we change to a new camera.

On the flip side we are seeing a lot of images, with the advent of the Internet combined with Digital cameras there is a plethora of work. I have seen some astounding stuff but also a lot of .... so should we be upgrading to keep pace.

Me, I am partially a gear-head, but my income dictates some slowing of gear changeover.
Your thoughts?

[bbodine9]

I tend to agree with you. It seems like many folks are jumping constantly to new equipment in the hopes it will improve the outcome. I am still using the Olympus E-1 and Sigma DP-1 both of which are getting some age on them but yet can produce quality photos under the right conditions. They are still better cameras than I am a photographer!

[AlbertTRAL]

Tim I agree completely with what you say, generally speaking, being also driven by technology. This is one of the main reasons why I chose a GXR. This body is running into its third year of existence (pretty long life nowadays), but on the other hand, has a module with the last Sony sensor available for APS-C, the A16 (K-5, D7000, NEX 5-N, K01...). If we compare this to analog film, leaving at one side better performing aids such as faster AF or more digital filters or effects, etc...and we concentrate in the IQ (noise, dynamic range, sensitivity -colour and tonal-...) with the GXR we have a system that we can upgrade almost as a film camera, where changing the film, we had the latest sensor technology...obviously I am thinking mainly of the A12-M, which can be considered almost as a pluggable sensor.
Now we must just wait for the new high dynamic range B&W module, or... a foveon module, or... a FF module, or... a new fuji organic technology sensor!!??? who knows, but I am sure that we will only need to understand the sensor response (as with film) not all the rest we would need to go through if it was a completely new camera! Fortunately!!! Because, as you say, I am becoming too old to rock&roll...but too young to die (Jethro Tull)

[autochrome]

I agree with you that's exactly why I chose the GXR!
BOTH must at once: slowly getting used to a camera, and when we propose an evolution really attractive, we need to adopt it: this is the case on the Leica, which I once possessed and this is the case today with the GXR, and virtually any other camera !
Regards

[jfk]

Tim, thank you for this nice idea of philosophy of photography!
-two short remarks to the quality of the current hardware:
1. The quality of the prints derived from the gxr m-mount with my summicon 50mm easily tops as well my leica m6 prints as well as my hasselblad film prints.
2. The prints of for example Alfred Stieglitz or Tina Modotti are of really low quality in a contemporary technical view - but what does this matter??

I think we should not anymore think about "upgrading" - we should go out and take some nice photographs - the only money I personally will spend in the future is for a few good lenses!

with best regards

Eckhard

[thelps]

Thanks guys, I don't want to stifle sales but its about the photographs. JFK's comments about "topping" IQ suggests that some people may slow in the equipment race. Others will always want the latest.

Content is King.

[thelps]

Another thought I had on this topic is some people buy/sell not only to keep apace with latest tech but to get some higher return value on their initial expenditure.

[quester]

Thanks Tim, for opening a line of discussion that gives an opportunity to get some perspective on this craft/art/hobby. If by any chance you run out of subjects you were considering for this discourse, I have two humble suggestions which I am offering, as they have given me a lot of headache :
1) Is photography creative?
2) The right to privacy (in connection with street and documentary photography)
Perhaps these have been thrashed to smithereens already, but would be interesting to do a re-run with this nice forum...!

As for the topic you have raised as the opening question in this thread - "hardware vs. everything else" - I can only say that I view myself as a minimalist in anything that is connected to "gear". Once I get past the learner's level of gear, I am usually content with the next level up, and this is true not only in photography.
I have had the same guitar for about 20 years. I have had the same bicycle for the last 12 years. These are items that I sometimes see people around me "upgrading" every few years. For me, the ones I have get the "job" done.
My Ricoh PX is my first digital camera, and actually the first camera I have ever bought for myself. Until about 6 years ago, I was using, quite rarely, a Pentax K-1000 film camera that came part and parcel with my wife ( ), and before that I was using a Pentax Asahi H-2 that belonged to my father. I would never have considered buying a camera when I had these - photography just didn't interest me enough.
I'm not even sure why I decided that I wanted to re-try photgraphy as a hobby again - I believe that it was mainly because digital made things so much easier and cheaper, and also that I had started to travel abroad a bit, and I was sorry that I didn't have images of places and people that I might not see again.
Of course, I don't see myself as a professional in photography, music or biking - in which case I would probably see things very differently.

I am treating the PX as my "learning" gear, using it to mainly reflect on what interests me in photography, and it seems pretty obvious to me right now that once I will come across the right camera for me, the PX will be given away - like my previous bike and guitar.

I would like to believe that this liking of minimalism is born not only out of necessity (dictates of budget and priorities), but is something that has its value for me in all walks of life. However, until I win the lottery, I cannot truly say that my belief has been tested....

On the other hand, if someone has a great passion for something (and is always "upgrading"), and chooses to place this above everything else (even if I feel that his motivation is not completely based on self-awareness) - I certainly don't feel that I am in a position to judge him. As long as the outcome is a more harmonious life, I think rather that I should look on it as one more interesting piece of the human mosaic.

[MarcusEyre1]

Hi Tim, and thanks for starting what is a most interesting in-depth thread.
I have recently begun to consider my own philosophy of photography, as I guess each of us eventually gets around to doing, as thoughts/feelings and hence questions arise in pursuit of our hobby/profession. As it is, for each one of us, quite personal and pretty much introspective, I'll not go into too much detail. All points brought up are very valid things for us to ponder and work out where we stand, based on who we are, how we feel, what we think... but I guess what I personally consider most important is how what I do affects others.....in good ways or not so good ways, in ways they appreciate, or ways they do not.
As for gear, yeah I've overdone it. But I've learnt from that. A couple of trusted cameras (from a trusted and worthy brand) to help me reach potential (where's that?) is all, I've come to realise, that I need.
For now I intend to stick with what I've got and practice this wonderful, creative, peaceful art I have in front of me that I enjoy so much......