4 ms·

Years ago, I dismissed photography as a pretentious hobby that would be rendered obsolete as smartphone cameras and digital improvements became more ubiquitous,

Years ago, I dismissed photography as a pretentious hobby that would be rendered obsolete as smartphone cameras and digital improvements became more ubiquitous, but I have since learned to appreciate the talent behind a good photo. I only bring this up because I had a similar experience with these photos that I had locally. My Hudson Valley town is a delicate balance of many cultures (primarily white, black, and Central American) and our downtown reflects that blend. Most folks would be quick to dismiss one small storefront with a messy front window of leather goods, sculptures, and various Latin American flags, but inside is an expert leather craftsman from Ecuador who makes most of his products by hand. I never would have bothered entering the store until a local photographer (once recognized as the "town's photo laureate") featured the store in a few social media posts. Some combination of sharing the craftsman's story and recognizing the beauty throughout the store struck the interest of the rest of the town. Suddenly the eccentric storefront became a destination for everyone (kind of like this colored pencil man's stall)

jan_Inkepa 5y ago
I tend to dislike photographs of myself. I once spent Christmas at a gathering hosted by a photographer. He spent the evening walking around taking photographs of people/the general goings on. I remember seeing the photographs after and looking at myself/others and thinking "The respect that the photographer has for the people in these photographs is immense". And yeah we all seemed to be having a good time, but there's some extra layer of dignity/worth/soul that he managed to endow everything with, and I felt so grateful to be able to see myself captured in that way. Your comment reminded me a bit of that.
totalZero 5y ago
Any idea what his town of origin might be? The leather workers in the southern highlands of Ecuador (talabarteros, often specializing in saddles) are exceptional.
2muchcoffeeman 5y ago
Years ago, I dismissed photography as a pretentious hobby that would be rendered obsolete as smartphone cameras and digital improvements became more ubiquitous You just listed a couple tools for photography though. If anything they will lower the barrier of entry for photography and more people will participate (pretty much what happened)
anta40 5y ago
>> Years ago, I dismissed photography as a pretentious hobby that would be rendered obsolete as smartphone cameras and digital improvements became more ubiquitous. Actually, smartphone cameras make photography even much more accessible. I don't want to sound old, but perhaps you remember 3 or 4 decades ago where all people took pictures with film. It's a limited media (usually 36 frames or less on bigger formats). No instant feedback (have to send them to film lab to be developed or do it on your own darkroom). And for some, indeed photography was a relatively expensive hobby. Now the barrier is much much lower. Smartphone camera techs are getting better. And you don't need high end PC running Lightroom/Photoshop etc for image editing. Simply use smartphone apps. These are good enough for most of us, social media oriented persons. Sure, if you want better image quality, eventually you'll upgrade to camera with bigger image sensor (M43, APSC etc) like the pros do. I'd say smartphone cameras render compact digital point & shoot useless, instead.
- deepGem 5y ago
  I think the olden days of photography with the limits on the rolls etc, created some great photographers. You didn't have an infinite supply of film at your disposal so every shot had to be thought through. Action and sports photography is an exception to this since you just click as many photos as you can to capture the right moment. So I wonder if the explosion of digital cameras and smartphones have helped in creating better photographers. One argument could be that now there are lot more people who are taking up photography and some of them eventually will figure out the intricacies of the craft and become better photographers. Kind of like the 80-20 rule. On the flip side there is also a lot of noise (people just clicking photos), which is fine I think.
  - vr46 5y ago
    It is definitely easier and quicker to skill up as a budding photographer now as feedback is instantaneous, and tutorials/tips are widespread. As a budding photographer back at the beginning of the 1990s, I sank a fortune into Fuji slide film, which had a processing-paid envelope in the box and the fastest turnaround of anything by post. Mail on Monday, arrives there Tuesday and is processed and returned, back to you Wednesday. 36 pictures. I was one of maybe a dozen people on campus with an SLR camera.
Stratoscope 5y ago
When a photographer compliments another photographer, they rarely say "you have a good camera." They say "you have a good eye."

jan_Inkepa 5y ago

I tend to dislike photographs of myself. I once spent Christmas at a gathering hosted by a photographer. He spent the evening walking around taking photographs of people/the general goings on. I remember seeing the photographs after and looking at myself/others and thinking "The respect that the photographer has for the people in these photographs is immense". And yeah we all seemed to be having a good time, but there's some extra layer of dignity/worth/soul that he managed to endow everything with, and I felt so grateful to be able to see myself captured in that way. Your comment reminded me a bit of that.

totalZero 5y ago

Any idea what his town of origin might be? The leather workers in the southern highlands of Ecuador (talabarteros, often specializing in saddles) are exceptional.

2muchcoffeeman 5y ago

Years ago, I dismissed photography as a pretentious hobby that would be rendered obsolete as smartphone cameras and digital improvements became more ubiquitous You just listed a couple tools for photography though. If anything they will lower the barrier of entry for photography and more people will participate (pretty much what happened)

anta40 5y ago

>> Years ago, I dismissed photography as a pretentious hobby that would be rendered obsolete as smartphone cameras and digital improvements became more ubiquitous. Actually, smartphone cameras make photography even much more accessible. I don't want to sound old, but perhaps you remember 3 or 4 decades ago where all people took pictures with film. It's a limited media (usually 36 frames or less on bigger formats). No instant feedback (have to send them to film lab to be developed or do it on your own darkroom). And for some, indeed photography was a relatively expensive hobby. Now the barrier is much much lower. Smartphone camera techs are getting better. And you don't need high end PC running Lightroom/Photoshop etc for image editing. Simply use smartphone apps. These are good enough for most of us, social media oriented persons. Sure, if you want better image quality, eventually you'll upgrade to camera with bigger image sensor (M43, APSC etc) like the pros do. I'd say smartphone cameras render compact digital point & shoot useless, instead.

deepGem 5y ago
I think the olden days of photography with the limits on the rolls etc, created some great photographers. You didn't have an infinite supply of film at your disposal so every shot had to be thought through. Action and sports photography is an exception to this since you just click as many photos as you can to capture the right moment. So I wonder if the explosion of digital cameras and smartphones have helped in creating better photographers. One argument could be that now there are lot more people who are taking up photography and some of them eventually will figure out the intricacies of the craft and become better photographers. Kind of like the 80-20 rule. On the flip side there is also a lot of noise (people just clicking photos), which is fine I think.
- vr46 5y ago
  It is definitely easier and quicker to skill up as a budding photographer now as feedback is instantaneous, and tutorials/tips are widespread. As a budding photographer back at the beginning of the 1990s, I sank a fortune into Fuji slide film, which had a processing-paid envelope in the box and the fastest turnaround of anything by post. Mail on Monday, arrives there Tuesday and is processed and returned, back to you Wednesday. 36 pictures. I was one of maybe a dozen people on campus with an SLR camera.

Stratoscope 5y ago

When a photographer compliments another photographer, they rarely say "you have a good camera." They say "you have a good eye."