zhangyue
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
|
 p.7 #3 · Fuji's marketing concept? | |
gdanmitchell wrote:
There is a fascinating essay about perfection in creative art in today’s issue of the New York Times. It is written by a concert pianist (my academic training and career were in the music field), though it can be extrapolated to most other arts and beyond.
It is about the problem with the obsession with supposed technical perfection in creative work, something that ultimately is a distraction from what we actually value in it. We might hear a performance (or see a photographic print) and remark, “that is technically perfect!” But who cares? What we really care about is responses like, “That is beautiful!” or “I’m moved by that!” or “it brought me to tears.”
Perfection in artistic expression does not exist. Excellence does. And excellence does not require perfection.
Excellence (particularly in vision and expression) is a big deal. Excellence in the technical media has value, of course, but fetisizing small differences in technical specs (or the perfection of hitting keys on the piano) is to miss the point. It is a distraction.
It really does matter whether or not one can make a good photograph with any gear —iPhone, GFX100sii, Instamatic, Rollei TLR. The “argument is always drifts to” what you’do with the gear, what you create with it, because that IS the fundamental purpose for making photographs.
It is certainly possible to discuss technical specs without reference to the point of making photographs. But discussing them in the context of what the medium is actually used for and how it affects viewers seems not irrelevant, but as relevant as it can possibly be.
I’m not saying that the quality of gear is irrelevant. That would be nonsensical. But some perspective on what role it actually plays in the effectiveness of the work is critical. I think about gear, how it works, what makes it better or worse… but that is not the point of photography, and when we obsess over small technical things to the point that they seem to be the most important thing about photographs, we are missing the entire point of the medium.
...Show more →
Dan, I suggest you spend less time on gear forums and focus more on perfecting your craftsmanship in photography. Forget about the gear for a moment—buy a Nikon P900 that covers 24–2000 mm if you want versatility. At the end of the day, it’s really about content, lighting, and storytelling. Those are far more important than technical specs. Spend your money on traveling. Spend your time learning, perfecting your vision and skills. A 10-megapixel artistic photo is far more interesting and appreciated than a 50-megapixel 5Ds shot. It’s always the image first; things like resolution, SNR, and shiny gear are second or third.
I actually fully agree with you on this. But should people really agree with you every single time just so that your message feels validated?
Do you see the problem with the reply you gave? you have some personal standard and apply it universally to topic you participate. On one hand, you hang around gear forums daily (or at least often—I can’t know for sure since I only visit here once or twice a month), actively participating in technical or gear-related threads. On the other hand, you take every opportunity to lecture people that gear is not important and that your own choices make perfect sense. Do you feel insecure about your achievements in photography, or do you just desperately need attention to reinforce your understanding of photography by repeating it to others?
Aren’t you tired of the repetition?
When people talk about sensor size, you jump in saying the difference is “small”—enough is enough. When people ask about lens sharpness, you say sharpness isn’t everything—enough is enough, it’s about light and content. When people talk about SNR, you say SNR doesn’t matter and everything is “good enough.” When people ask about AF, you say AF has been good enough for a long time and it all depends on how you use it.
In this case, all I was doing was pointing out technical misconceptions regarding sensor size, format conversion, noise, and SNR (some of which came from you). Yet somehow, you and others still steered the discussion back to artistic vision and craftsmanship.
Honestly, I sincerely believe photography—unlike gear—is very personal. It’s all about yourself, how you feel, and how you find enjoyment in it. There’s nothing to show off and nothing to lecture others about. This forum should be a place to share joy and help people, whether the topic is gear or artistic vision. But the way you communicate often comes across as passive-aggressive, talking down to others to display your “wisdom” (at least you seem to think so). It feels like you constantly seek validation, and many times this leads to endless arguments in the threads you join. I’m personally tired of seeing this happen again and again, so I decided to say something.
Now goodbye. May the vision be with you.
|
