"I just want a camera too take pictures"

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connersz

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I have heard this phrase said in a number of ways but basically what they think they're saying is: "I don't need all these settings or the knowledge because I can take photo's without them"

What they are really saying is: "I don't give a ***** about how my photo's turn out and prefer not to think about it at all"

I hear comments like this quite often, simply because they don't know how to compose the shot themselves maybe?
 
London Headshots said:
Some people just want a camera to take pictures.
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Agreed. Not everyone is interested in photography. Some people just want to be able to snap pics of their kids/dogs/pets etc. Don't think its anything to do with assuming they can take pics with whatever they get
 
I was amazed at the full-auto caperbilities of a Canon G10 compact.
Even after digitally zooming in and cropping in PS the pics, the IQ was/is brill.
 
connersz said:
I have heard this phrase said in a number of ways but basically what they think they're saying is: "I don't need all these settings or the knowledge because I can take photo's without them"

What they are really saying is: "I don't give a ***** about how my photo's turn out and prefer not to think about it at all"

I hear comments like this quite often, simply because they don't know how to compose the shot themselves maybe?
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So please explain the BILLIONS of pictures on Facebook et al

Explain the joy that people get when they look at fading photlo set kf pictures of relatives friends close family from cheap and cheerful 126 and earlier format cameras? That is such an easy one to answer.

I think you need a reality check about their not gibing a **** about how their photos turn out.

I have worked through a treasure chest of photos gathered from across my wide family to create a history photobook. There are colour b/w & sepia shots in there. Some faded some torn and some with prople half in and half out..... etc

There are to date some 48 x 100 page photobooks bought and paid for.

The pleasure enjoyed is immense.

Tears and laughter. Not one negative comment.

That is what I call photography.

They don't give a fig sbout composition and technical excellence. Its the creation of memory and an evocative backward look on personal experience and those we have lost. The book includes an old picture of my fathrr and his 3 brothers that turned up on Facebook from a stranger. Only one of the foutr is still alive. Its black and white grainy and for us it is unique. We did not know it existed. It has a real value as it is the ONLY picture of the four brothers in a photograph. Technically awful. To the family PRICELESS.

So yes maybe most people do not think about the technique and techicalities of MAKING a picture. Why would they when they capture the moment they want without having to stop and think and lose the moment?

S
 
Hugh Jarse said:
So please explain the BILLIONS of pictures on Facebook et al

Explain the joy that people get when they look at fading photlo set kf pictures of relatives friends close family from cheap and cheerful 126 and earlier format cameras? That is such an easy one to answer.

I think you need a reality check about their not gibing a **** about how their photos turn out.

I have worked through a treasure chest of photos gathered from across my wide family to create a history photobook. There are colour b/w & sepia shots in there. Some faded some torn and some with prople half in and half out..... etc

There are to date some 48 x 100 page photobooks bought and paid for.

The pleasure enjoyed is immense.

Tears and laughter. Not one negative comment.

That is what I call photography.

They don't give a fig sbout composition and technical excellence. Its the creation of memory and an evocative backward look on personal experience and those we have lost. The book includes an old picture of my fathrr and his 3 brothers that turned up on Facebook from a stranger. Only one of the foutr is still alive. Its black and white grainy and for us it is unique. We did not know it existed. It has a real value as it is the ONLY picture of the four brothers in a photograph. Technically awful. To the family PRICELESS.

So yes maybe most people do not think about the technique and techicalities of MAKING a picture. Why would they when they capture the moment they want without having to stop and think and lose the moment?

S
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Yes! Of course, we mustn't forget that the majority of the general public enjoy taking pics with their cameras/phones and don't give a rats arse about the technical side/ artistry etc...just capturing what they see...nothing wrong with that!
 
connersz said:
I have heard this phrase said in a number of ways but basically what they think they're saying is: "I don't need all these settings or the knowledge because I can take photo's without them"

What they are really saying is: "I don't give a ***** about how my photo's turn out and prefer not to think about it at all"

I hear comments like this quite often, simply because they don't know how to compose the shot themselves maybe?
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Nothing to do with skill level, people just want to take pictures. Some people will want their pictures to be better enough so that they will get interested enough to improve their photography.

But most 'camera owners', aren't and will never be 'photographers'. And there's no good reason why we should expect them to be.

A minority of people believe that the gear does the work, that's just nuts and they'll either learn that or believe that they 'can't use the gear properly'. Look in the recent 'FX for pro's' threads to see how many actual 'photographers' think that the gear is important:lol:.

Bad gear can ruin your pictures, but good gear can't create good ones, it's just tools.
 
connersz said:
I have heard this phrase said in a number of ways but basically what they think they're saying is: "I don't need all these settings or the knowledge because I can take photo's without them"

What they are really saying is: "I don't give a ***** about how my photo's turn out and prefer not to think about it at all"

I hear comments like this quite often, simply because they don't know how to compose the shot themselves maybe?
Click to expand...


Not everyone is interested in Photography you know... that's not a crime or anything :)
 
You can be interested in taking photos without having to be interested in the technical aspects of taking them.
I fully understand the technical aspects but when using a modern compact (currently using an XF1) the automated settings are so good that I leave it to the camera most of the time.

Unless I deliberately want a slow shutter speed for some reason the camera will err on the side of decent shutter speed, large aperture before high ISO in the same way I would for 99% of my shots (bearing in mind you don't get into low DoF issues with a compact very easily)

I can then concentrate on trying to take interesting shots with good composition (i.e. photography) which is the MUCH harder part of photography for me.
 
As Phil said also the great thing about photography is its something available to everyone. It's not all about creating a technically perfect shot for everyone or understanding how their camera works, it's about pointing their camera at something and creating a memory of that event for them.
 
connersz said:
I have heard this phrase said in a number of ways but basically what they think they're saying is: "I don't need all these settings or the knowledge because I can take photo's without them"
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Which they can. For the majority of people it's the content of their picture which is most important, and if they are happy with their photos, great. :)
 
In fact, they are probably more content as they are happy with the image because of what's in the image and how it looks rather than obsessing whether it may have been made better if they spent more and had camera X or lens Y.

They are at peace with there photos
 
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This is a phrase people use out of jealousy, jealousy of skill and fear of failing to acquire said skill. Its easy to dismiss someone's work if you've never tried it yourself.
No different to technophobic people who say "smartphones are for stupid people".

They want to take nice photos, but don't want to try because other people are better at it.
Buying a cheap pos point'n'shoot means they can be proud of the good photos and blame the camera for the rest.

Fear of failure leads to fear of trying.
 
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Sadly some people just aren't wired in a artistic way, for them Picasso's Guernica is just an odd painting of lot of odd cartoony animals and people.

Secondly, sometimes you just want a snap of the family to stick on Facebook so uncle mike in america can see little timmy playing with the kite mike sent over as a birthday pressie.

I'll use green mode at times, for family snapshots.
 
Lyonspride said:
Buying a cheap pos point'n'shoot means they can be proud of the good photos and blame the camera for the rest.

Fear of failure leads to fear of trying.
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Rubbish. They just want to take shots as best they can, I don't hear people blaming the camera.
 
connersz said:
I have heard this phrase said in a number of ways but basically what they think they're saying is: "I don't need all these settings or the knowledge because I can take photo's without them"

What they are really saying is: "I don't give a ***** about how my photo's turn out and prefer not to think about it at all"

I hear comments like this quite often, simply because they don't know how to compose the shot themselves maybe?
Click to expand...

If you are anything like me and are always talking about your camera gear and photography ? then its possibly a nice way of them saying "shut up taking about cameras, your boring the hell out of me" ;).
 
I think you're mostly missing the point, the thread is about people who have to jump into a conversation about technical photography to make a point that they're bad about photography.

I didn't say it was a problem, just that it happens a lot and I don't understand it.

We was talking about photography at lunch time in the canteen and all the photographers were talking about flashes and white balance etc. when someone came out with "I just have a camera for taking pictures" the thing is all cameras are for this purpose presumably?
 
connersz said:
We was talking about photography at lunch time in the canteen and all the photographers were talking about flashes and white balance etc. when someone came out with "I just have a camera for taking pictures" the thing is all cameras are for this purpose presumably?
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They probably just wanted to change to a conversation topic they could contribute to. Lots of people say they just want a phone that can make calls when people start banging on about iPhones or a they just want a car that gets them from A to B when people are talking about horsepower and torque figures.
 
The original post comes across very elitist, I don't understand people who don't understand that some people just like to take a photo and no intention of getting into all the photography black art!
 
connersz said:
I hear comments like this quite often, simply because they don't know how to compose the shot themselves maybe?
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Maybe so, but that person will almost certainly do other things 1000 times better than you'll ever be able to. I think it's somewhat arrogant and narrow minded to expect everyone who picks a camera up to be a photographer; it doesn't work like that.

Let them do what they want to do, and if they want to get into it more seriously they will do of their own accord. It isn't your place to criticise them.
 
connersz said:
We was talking about photography at lunch time in the canteen and all the photographers were talking about flashes and white balance etc. when someone came out with "I just have a camera for taking pictures" the thing is all cameras are for this purpose presumably?
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Just following on from my last post (now I've read the thread again in a little more depth), I kind of know what you mean but why is this such a problem? Were they not just generally joining in the conversation? Not everyone's on the same level with all this stuff, maybe they felt a bit left out of the convo and were joining in in whatever way they could?
 
PMN said:
Just following on from my last post (now I've read the thread again in a little more depth), I kind of know what you mean but why is this such a problem?
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If you read the rest of my message in even more depth you will clearly see that I stated it's not a problem.
 
DazJW said:
They probably just wanted to change to a conversation topic they could contribute to. Lots of people say they just want a phone that can make calls when people start banging on about iPhones or a they just want a car that gets them from A to B when people are talking about horsepower and torque figures.
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Yeh you're right, I often find that a year later they decided that phone calls wasnt enough. Then they have an iPhone, Facebook on there the lot :D
 
A mate of mine just uses a basic digital compact in auto, sometimes in B&W mode. He studied art (and is one of those naturally gifted arty types anyway) and his shots always look great.

He also always looks great in photo's.

I hate him.
 
I bought a fujifilm bridge camera because i just wanted a camera to capture moments of my daughter growing up and holidays away etc. now ive had a little play with that im looking to upgrade to a DSLR camera.

I dont think its people being lazy its just people genuinely just want a camera that is capable of taking great snap shots which can then be saved, printed, uploaded to facebook etc.
 
connersz said:
"I don't need all these settings or the knowledge because I can take photo's without them"
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Kodak built a huge business on this principle using the slogan "You press the button, we do the rest" and made millions of simple cameras for ordinary people to document their lives without having any technical knowledge.

connersz said:
What they are really saying is: "I don't give a ***** about how my photo's turn out and prefer not to think about it at all"
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No. What they are really saying is "Excellent, a product which gives me what I want without me having to learn a new skill".

When Edwin Land was designing his Polaroid cameras, he used the term "Simplicity through complexity" to mean that he used complex mechanical and chemical processes to make the operation as simple as possible for the user. And that is a very good business principle.

The vast majority of cameras are sold to people who want to just point and shoot. People like us who come to forums to talk about and learn more about photography and want to have a greater understanding of what actually happens are very much in the minority. For the last thirty years (at least) it has been possible to buy cameras which in 95% of situations, will produce just as good a picture in automatic modes as most experienced photographers could get using manual modes and a bit more control. That was even true with Kodak's box cameras with no controls for focus, aperture or shutter speed. All you did was point it at the subject and push the lever which operated the single speed shutter. That combined with a lens fixed at about f8 and set for hyperfocal distance worked for 95% of shots people wanted to take (groups of people, etc.) and the excellent dynamic range of film meant that in most daylight conditions, there was enough of an image on the film to make an acceptable print.


Steve.
 
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I wish I'd never discovered the black art of photography as I spend far too much time wishing I had top of the range lenses and looking at other people's perfect pictures and I'd just bought a point and shoot and just been happy with that:)
 
Most folk just want to take nice pictures.

Photographers grow out of cameras, lenses, want to try new styles and end up spending money on upgrading as they find they "need" a faster lens, faster frame rate, better iso, longer reach, wider reach, the list goes on.

As long as folk are happy with the results they are getting from the equipment they have then all is good.

You don't need to know how an internal combustion engine works to be able to drive a car just as you don't need to know anything about photography to capture a nice image (other than how to turn the camera on and take the lens cap off if it has one)
 
ruffdog64 said:
I wish I'd never discovered the black art of photography as I spend far too much time wishing I had top of the range lenses and looking at other people's perfect pictures and I'd just bought a point and shoot and just been happy with that:)
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i wish i hadnt discovered it as i just send too much !!!!!!!
 
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