Have you hugged our pictures today?

[Asher Kelman]

We have some great political discussions. These are important and a special part of OPF. But remember the saying, "Where's the beef?" So I ask, where's photography? We need to attend to that and not divert energy to just political discussion.


A wish and a plea: these discussions are fine but they need to be balanced by photography!

1. So if we write anywhere here on politics, social or other such important issues, let's also comment on other threads and post photographs. Otherwise our forum is hurt.
   
   
2. Make sure each thread is balanced with pictures and the other threads are not neglected. See what Gary Ayala, et al have done in Nill Toulme's thread, here.
   
   
3. Have we responded to other people's threads and their pictures? Let's not allow any picture to get orphaned. Several of us do our best to critique pictures. Feedback works best balanced by all our viewpoints. That then makes for really useful feedback for the photographer. So are we doing this enough? Even pointing out one good and one questionable feature of the image helps.

So what do you think? How are we doing as far as balance is concerned?

Asher

 

[Kathy Rappaport]

Photography first

Well, Asher, I don't mind a bit on controversy now and again. And some technique and discussion of art are important. Occasional bantering too. Off topic is welcome. Even politics and religion. But again all balanced. When we get off balance we lose our focus. Let's not do that too often. We don't want to chase good people away who are saying "Where's the photography?"

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

So what do you think? How are we doing as far as balance is concerned?

Piss poor.

But then, I'm not big on delayed gratification. If I add something to a thread discussing politics, or sex, or folk medicine, somebody will insult me in just a few minutes (just like on DPR), whereas if I publish "The Fascinating Story of the a* and b* Chrominance Axes", I don't get anything for three weeks, and then Cem says, "Wow, I'm sorry I didn't respond to that".

But that's right, you were asking for more photographs. I lost my head.

I guess I should work on, "The Fascinating Story of the a* and b* Chrominance Axes (Illustrated, including never-before-seen photos of the street on which the L*a*b model was developed, in a dense fog, with one streetlight)".

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi, Asher,



Piss poor.

But then, I'm not big on delayed gratification. If I add something to a thread discussing politics, or sex, or folk medicine, somebody will insult me in just a few minutes (just like on DPR), whereas if I publish "The Fascinating Story of the a* and b* Chrominance Axes", I don't get anything for three weeks, and then Cem says, "Wow, I'm sorry I didn't respond to that".

But that's right, you were asking for more photographs. I lost my head.

I guess I should work on, "The Fascinating Story of the a* and b* Chrominance Axes (Illustrated, including never-before-seen photos of the street on which the L*a*b model was developed, in a dense fog, with one streetlight)".

Best regards,

Doug

Doug,

We need you as you are! When you get few responses on technical articles it's because we read that and are satisfied with your clear explanation many times. A lot of folk are simply scared to write about technical matters. They take pictures but know little about what makes photons work to make pictures. So consider yourself as a special case. You consider technical matters carefully and really vet your own work so generally it is coherent. It's like going to an ice cream store and getting a cone. We do have to pay! Even then, we say "Thank you"! I agree you do not get enough of that, but believe me the feeling is there!

Our political discussions are important. We can't just pretend tensions do not exist between different points of view in our various overlapping constituencies. We just need balance!

Balance:

I.

A rant speaks loud, an image longer,
So show the pictures we long for!
Outbursts to make us seethe,
Fighting words for the common good!
But images move the air to breathe,
And then our points are understood!

Writing can express our rage,
With pictures, makes a better page!
“Show and tell!” is what we learned,
A picture’s worth a thousand words!

Pictures so extend our reach,
Isn’t that a better speech?


Asher

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

We need you as you are!

Well, that's how you have me!

When you get few responses on technical articles it's because we read that and are satisfied with your clear explanation many times.

Well, I hope so. And of course I don't expect all who pass here to be interested in that particular stratum of photography

We can't just pretend tensions do not exist between different points of view in our various overlapping constituencies. We just need balance!

I think there is a very reasonable balance attained.

I'll close with an anecdote on imaging and politics. Near where I used to leave, in East Dallas, we have la wonderful lake, White Rock Lake, and not to far from my old house it terminates in a dam ahead of a spillway from which a substantial waterway heads further south.

There was a horrific rain- and windstorm, and it resulted in part of the retaining wall that forms the approach to the dam being washed away.

After the worst of the storm subsided, I went up to shoot the aftermath. I found crews from all the major network TV outlets jockeying for position along a small strip of land, the only site that that afforded a good view of the damage. They were setting up for live coverage for the suppertime news.

I went over to shoot the breeze with these guys. I said to the cameraman for the local Fox station., "I'll bet it's tough in tight situations like this, seeing that you have to be to the right of everyone else" here. He got a big kick out of it, and I understand it later made the rounds of the TV news community.

I felt a little overpowered with my Canon EF 70-200 IS, given that most of these guys had Canon lenses on their cameras that were about 60 times the price!

I like your poem, although there is a little discontinuity in the grammatical rhythm in the last stanza.

Best regards,

Doug

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi, Asher, (in political discussions)

I think there is a very reasonable balance attained.

I hope so, although sometimes we have a few really hot-headed unexamined opinions that are demeaning to say the least. Still, we can take that too. But we need to watch ourselves!

I'll close with an anecdote on imaging and politics. Near where I used to leave, in East Dallas, we have la wonderful lake, White Rock Lake, and not to far from my old house it terminates in a dam ahead of a spillway from which a substantial waterway heads further south.

There was a horrific rain- and windstorm, and it resulted in part of the retaining wall that forms the approach to the dam being washed away.

After the worst of the storm subsided, I went up to shoot the aftermath. I found crews from all the major network TV outlets jockeying for position along a small strip of land, the only site that that afforded a good view of the damage. They were setting up for live coverage for the suppertime news.

I went over to shoot the breeze with these guys. I said to the cameraman for the local Fox station., "I'll bet it's tough in tight situations like this, seeing that you have to be to the right of everyone else" here. He got a big kick out of it, and I understand it later made the rounds of the TV news community.

I felt a little overpowered with my Canon EF 70-200 IS, given that most of these guys had Canon lenses on their cameras that were about 60 times the price!

So where on earth are your pictures of the melée? what about the washed away structures, the raging waters?

I like your poem, although there is a little discontinuity in the grammatical rhythm in the last stanza.

Yes, it's just hatched and needs some work, for sure! The following too!

II. Pictures, Pictures, Pictures!

Words, words, words! Wonderful words,
They wiggle so many ways,
Entice, be nice, bark, be smart!
Explain, complain, exort, retort
Divert, reteat, fight defend,
"My puns are finer!"
"The last word is mine sir!"
Stubborn to the very end!

Words are fine, sir, and some romance!
But with shade and line are so much finer!
A speech of passion once or twice,
But ponder a picture going farther,
Why not wine and dine her?

So post those pictures! The scene by the river bank was well described. But all those pictures are sitting, waiting, waiting!

Asher

 

[Doug Kerr]

Hi, Asher,

So where on earth are your pictures of the melée? what about the washed away structures, the raging waters?

Oh, well, I'll dig those up and post them.

Doug