> On Oct 25, 2016, at 10:31 AM, Ken Waller <[email protected]> wrote: > > Your involvement with stock photography changed your goal relative to most of > us on this list and retaining your captures maked sense. You were shooting > for reasons other than casual photography. > > I know that the vast majority of my photography up to about the last 20 years > was to simply record things with a few real 'keepers' amongst the rest. > > About 20 years ago I started to attempt to refine my photography and produce > 'wall hangers' so to speak and stop recording the more mundane subjects out > there. > > It was the collection of these 'keepers' that made me stop and weed out most > of the previous 20 plus years of my photography. > > With a much improved eye and careful editing I now have a few thousand images > I truly regard as 'keepers’.
I somewhat agree with you Ken. If one’s goal is to produce a select set of “wall hangers” that are worthy of one’s careful craftsmanship, then one shouldn’t waste time shooting what is obviously going to be a poor shot due to lighting issues, too much wind causing subject movement, intrusive elements in the composition, etc. But there are many other reasons for taking pictures. Dan and Brian talk about capturing memories of places (e.g., a poorly lit Grand Canyon.) For many people, it is about capturing memories of people and occasions (and places). I am in occasional contact with a few from my high school class. There was a recent reunion (which I could not attend.) My friend Ingrid afterwards walked to a landmark waterfall, her husband took a P&S or cellphone image of her on the path behind the falls. She posted it on Facebook, commented how happy she was to have been able to visit the place. I have struggled with that waterfall. Lighting is poor in the gorge, too many people on the path, most of whom want that shot under the falls. It is possible but highly unpopular to set up a tripod on the narrow pathway. It is possible to do a decent portrait but it takes care and luck. Someone commented on Ingrid’s photo, gushing about what a wonderful shot it was. It wasn’t wonderful. It was approaching pretty awful. Poor focus, camera movement, subject too small to be recognizable unless you knew who you were looking at. But for Ingrid and others, it was wonderful because it captured her in a moment in time, at a special place she is too seldom able to visit. stan > > > -----Original Message----- >> From: ann sanfedele <[email protected]> >> Subject: Re: PESO: A tree grows in Badlands. >> >> the black and whitenegatives are in numbered and dated looseleaf binders >> and sometimes help me find key slides, as I shot both together. >> >> From about 1980 on I was in a stock agency I still am but don't give >> them anything anymore.. so I kept careful notes and such.. but without >> thetrip markers I could give them the wrong info. Also, I over shot in >> film. I've only tossed the most greviously duplicate OTF or >> unidentifiable shots.. Mine go back to 1965.. >> >> The ones from the early days only take up a couple of drawers .. are >> mostly nostalgia and frequently not that good... I'm guessing I have >> well over 100,000 slides. 25,000 bw negs and drawers from prints, not >> sure how many. I have room for them, so they stay. I'd never have been >> able to do my new calendar without keeping the fillers. There are >> precious memories among thosethat I wouldn't show to the list - more >> important than the qualityof the images... gott'm in steel filing cabinets. >> >> But then I'm a keeper of things in general, a collector by nature.... as >> those to Chez Ashley can testify. I have a couple of years on you in >> length of time shooting.. since there are many more years behind me than >> in front of me, I see no reason to toss thingsthat are small and tidy... >> I've mainly regrettedparting with some things more than keeping them. >> >> Good morning gang.. >> >> ann >> >> >> On 10/25/2016 12:19 AM, Ken Waller wrote: >>> Ann - I might have agreed with you a few years ago before I went >>> through approximately 35,000 edited slides I'd accmulated over 40+ >>> years of photography. I discarded all but a thousand or so and wound >>> up wondering why I had ever kept them as I had seldom reviewed any for >>> many years. >>> >>> Kenneth Waller >>> http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "ann sanfedele" <[email protected]> >>> Subject: Re: PESO: A tree grows in Badlands. >>> >>> >>>> Ken - sometimes we take photos just to remember the moment..., when >>>> you know you won't have another chance... the geometry is nice enough >>>> here. >>>> >>>> My solution in this situation in days of film was to slap on a red >>>> filteron the camera with the bW film in it... Dan could do the same >>>> in photo shop and >>>> >>>> improve it quite a bit I think... >>>> >>>> I hardly shot anything at that particular location it isn't a very >>>> handsome spot.. but I do often use photos as trip markers... I was >>>> thinking of looking to >>>> >>>> see if I met that tree back in the 80's... I know I drove over that >>>> bridge in 2001. scary bridge!acrophobia city. When I was there two >>>> dogs were having >>>> >>>> a tussleand I mainly photo'ed them >>>> >>>> ann >>>> >>>> >>>> On 10/24/2016 4:25 PM, Ken Waller wrote: >>>>>> I appreciate that as others have stated the light isn't wonderful, >>>>>> but sometimes you have to work with what you have and live with >>>>>> it. >>>>> >>>>> Not to be elitist about this, but I wouldn't take this shot if the >>>>> light wasn't acceptable - I don't see a reason to capture the image >>>>> when I know it already has major faults built it - YMMV >>>>> >>>>> Kenneth Waller >>>>> http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/kennethwaller >>>>> >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Malcolm Smith" >>>>> <[email protected]> >>>>> Subject: RE: PESO: A tree grows in Badlands. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> Daniel J. Matyola wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> A shot from my recent trip to New Mexico: >>>>>> http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=18302690&size=lg >>>>>> >>>>>> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ >>>>>> >>>>>> I like it. I appreciate that as others have stated the light isn't >>>>>> wonderful, but sometimes you have to work with what you have and >>>>>> live with >>>>>> it. >>>>>> >>>>>> I had a difference of opinion recently with a photographer with >>>>>> letters >>>>>> after his name for this medium; he was not adverse to changing (quite >>>>>> dramatically) light or removing elements from the photo with >>>>>> software. I'm >>>>>> happy to use Lightroom to enhance the image and remove spots, but >>>>>> otherwise >>>>>> it stops being what you saw. I have no doubt an artist would simply >>>>>> paint >>>>>> what he wanted. I've looked at your image several times Dan, and >>>>>> I've taken >>>>>> many pictures which would benefit from a more dramatic sky. I still >>>>>> like >>>>>> this as it stands. >>>>>> >>>>>> Malcolm > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
