What I meant was copying photos as an exercise, not as a way to achieve an end product. Copying photos is like practicing a sports move with guidance from masters.
After practice, do your own thing and create in your own way.
Don't worry about your style. Further, copying lots of different photos won't pollute your "style".
Copying the masters is the way most things are learned, at least the fundamentals. Motorcycle roadracing, musical instruments, it's all on youtube now.
Unfortunately for us older shooters, we have 250,000 terrible photographs to chart our learning process.
outlawyer wrote:
Copying the masters is the way most things are learned, at least the fundamentals. Motorcycle roadracing, musical instruments, it's all on youtube now.
Unfortunately for us older shooters, we have 250,000 terrible photographs to chart our learning process.
:-) What is your age, outlawyer? And what you mentioned "unfortunately", does not really has changed. Whe had our masters in the past, too. And even so the younger ones now have OUR GREAT EXAMLES ( ) to copy or learn from, they still will and have to do their own terrible 250k photographs (it is just less expensive then in analogue times).
The veritable cornucopia of tutorials available now is staggering, on every subject you can imagine. In the old days there were books, of course, but all seemed to presume a fairly intricate knowledge of technical matters. (I'm thinking specifically of the Time/Life series "The Camera").
But the videos now are so much better as teaching tools, whether relating to photography or any other hobby/profession. The young whippersnappers don't know how good they have it.
Maybe "Copy" is not the right word used here. Exchange it with "orientation".
Of course one can learn a lot about photography in copying others pictures. But if you do it all around you will get a copy of an existing picture done by somebody before you. I guess that is what retrofocus wanted to say. Using an image you like as an orientation (I guess that is what Monito thought about) is a very good way to learn technics to achive a result you like.
outlawyer wrote:
The veritable cornucopia of tutorials available now is staggering, on every subject you can imagine. In the old days there were books, of course, but all seemed to presume a fairly intricate knowledge of technical matters. (I'm thinking specifically of the Time/Life series "The Camera").
But the videos now are so much better as teaching tools, whether relating to photography or any other hobby/profession. The young whippersnappers don't know how good they have it.
My age? I started with Daguerreotypes
- that was a couple of decades before me. You are right. The internet - that did not exist as a public resource of information even when I started into photography - provides all interested people a whole bunch of amazing knowledge. That is great. The easier access to it imo does not prevent the new generation of shooters from doing terrible photographs on their road to find into it. Of course the internet is a great tool to find a fast solution for a curent problem (often).
I myself still like to purchase a book about photography and read it and watch the pics with a cup of tea at infront of my fireplace on a stormy or rainy day to calm down. For me that turned out to seem more productive, then collecting information.
outlawyer wrote:
The veritable cornucopia of tutorials available now is staggering, on every subject you can imagine. In the old days there were books, of course, but all seemed to presume a fairly intricate knowledge of technical matters. (I'm thinking specifically of the Time/Life series "The Camera").
But the videos now are so much better as teaching tools, whether relating to photography or any other hobby/profession. The young whippersnappers don't know how good they have it.
My age? I started with Daguerreotypes
We have the Time/Life series "The Camera" it's many books' pages are well worn!
As for age questions...shhhh...I was still listening to 78s, 45s and LPs when I started, even reel-to-reel; there were no personal computers either...kite flying was cool tho, as were skateboards with metal wheels, Tang was great also
Several here have mentioned using previous images to copy/learn from and I'd agree it can help. I started with B&W, was inspired by those in the f64 group; Adams, Weston, Cunningham etc, there was Avedon, Henri Cartier-Bresson and many others. Early on it became clear there was much to learn, mostly about light.
One of my best teachers was, continues to be, light! Get up early, stay late as well for the "magic", but also experimenting during harsh high noon light as well a flat overcast days. In studio is a whole other matter, not my forte, but as of late has caught my interest and I'm glad I've got digital to experiment with
Like a few others have mentioned:
1. Have fun
2. Try to stay in manual. If you need to,drop to auto to get close ,look at settings,go back to manual and adjust.
3. Don't get caught up in lens, camera envy. Outgrow your gear.
4. Read and comprehend.
5. Ask question's
And what you mentioned "unfortunately", does not really has changed. Whe had our masters in the past, too. And even so the younger ones now have OUR GREAT EXAMLES ( 
