Jared Polin & Ken Rockwell

JennyGW said:
No, he has silly hair so he is a very silly person. It's a fact: Ask Freud. It is true, he is an idiot without the silly hair, but it is also true, IMHO, that the hair makes him look stupid. So therefore, even if he was not stupid, which we know he is, his hair makes him look stupid.

I wonder how much of our lives we could waste judging not IF he is stupid, but HOW stupid he is, instead of talking about a good photographer - that being, someone else (who may have stupid hair, and still be amazing, lolol).

Sir SR, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! hahahahaha

These are a photography forums, we're all on the SAME SIDE.

All future requests for an argument will be laughed at :) It's my new year's resolution, get used to it, lol :D
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We will have to disagree.

You are (pre) judging him because he has a big Afro. Dress it up with Freud all you like.

As I said his videos prove that he's a little bit of a tool.
 
Sir SR said:
We will have to disagree.

You are (pre) judging him because he has a big Afro. Dress it up with Freud all you like.

As I said his videos prove that he's a little bit of a tool.
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He looks like a plonker, his tagline 'froknowsphoto' makes him seem like even more of a plonker, and his videos also prove he's a plonker. Pre-judging or not, the guy's a plonker.
 
PMN said:
He looks like a plonker, his tagline 'froknowsphoto' makes him seem like even more of a plonker, and his videos also prove he's a plonker. Pre-judging or not, the guy's a plonker.
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Again I don't disagree.
 
freud isnt in a good position to comment on anyone elses hair ;)
 
Sir SR said:
We will have to disagree.

You are (pre) judging him because he has a big Afro. Dress it up with Freud all you like.

As I said his videos prove that he's a little bit of a tool.
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I am making fun of the situation. I'm sorry you can't see that :)
 
PMN said:
He looks like a plonker, his tagline 'froknowsphoto' makes him seem like even more of a plonker, and his videos also prove he's a plonker. Pre-judging or not, the guy's a plonker.
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You get my vote, lol
 
PMN said:
I've just spent 3 weeks in the US, believe me, he doesn't represent the majority...
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He's loud, obnoxious and has preconceived notions about things.

Not so sure I agree....
 
I don't know the most about photography but it doesn't take much to realise they're both as bad as each other.

Although saying that I do watch a few or Jarid's reviews on equipment, purely for the simple fact they are in depth and I like the way he goes through sample shots in detail. Apart from that my ears bleed all the rest of the time, and the sniff test? wtf...
 
Hmm I was going to reply earlier when talk of dials was mentioned which have letters on them! Sorry but it's taken me a while after taking my 1D MKIV & turning it over & around & upside down, I even opened the memory & battery compartments. But I still can't find a wheel with letters on. I suppose I had better send it to Canon to get one stuck to it. Or I could make one out of a bottle top & colour it in
 
retrosi said:
Hmm I was going to reply earlier when talk of dials was mentioned which have letters on them! Sorry but it's taken me a while after taking my 1D MKIV & turning it over & around & upside down, I even opened the memory & battery compartments. But I still can't find a wheel with letters on. I suppose I had better send it to Canon to get one stuck to it. Or I could make one out of a bottle top & colour it in
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Better do. You don't know what you're missing without pro mode!
 
PMN said:
He looks like a plonker, his tagline 'froknowsphoto' makes him seem like even more of a plonker, and his videos also prove he's a plonker. Pre-judging or not, the guy's a plonker.
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Actually, he's a very popular plonker who appeals to his 'target' audience. In fact that even means he is smart (I'm giving him the benefit of doubt - LOL) due to realising there is a gap in the market that he could fill - & make money from. You are not his target audience & probably never will be so why would he even care about what you think - he doesn't think he will make money that way.
 
Diving Pete said:
Actually, he's a very popular plonker who appeals to his 'target' audience. In fact that even means he is smart (I'm giving him the benefit of doubt - LOL) due to realising there is a gap in the market that he could fill - & make money from. You are not his target audience & probably never will be so why would he even care about what you think - he doesn't think he will make money that way.
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I'm very much aware of all that...
 
I personally don't care for the style of presentation in the attached video, but that's probably because I'm an adult British person. We have to understand that there are quite profound cultural differences between ourselves and our friends across the pond. I've lived all over the world (including America, on three occasions) and when I lived in the States I think I experienced a far larger cultural divide than I ever did in Europe. This is not a criticism of the United States, I'm simply saying that there are differences (as one should expect, although curiously my American friends and acquaintances always tend to assume that we do exactly as they do). I spent most of my time in California, but it did highlight the fact that 'college humour' is fairly widespread and many of the males I encountered didn't appear to grow out of it. Again, not a criticism, just an observation. In that regard the gentleman in the video will indeed appeal to a wide audience. What we might consider to be puerile and tiresome will be enjoyed by many of his countrymen, and perhaps a smaller and much younger audience on this side of the water.

For what it's worth, I rather like his hair - there's absolutely nothing wrong with expressing your individuality, especially if you're a photographer. He has his target clients, just as we have ours. I do find his delivery boring and a little immature or however - not my cup of tea at all.

As for Ken Rockwell, I have nothing much to say about him - some good, some bad.
 
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@Lindsay D Yep, I agree. Whether I like or dislike Mr Polin is of no consequence whatsoever; it's an opinion I'm perfectly entitled to and it doesn't affect anyone else in the grand scheme of things. What gets on my wick a bit is when people make such sweeping statements about entire populations of other countries. I'm pretty well travelled, I've visited around 45 countries ranging from places like the US and Japan to Greenland, the middle east, weird out of the way corners of Russia, etc, many of them multiple times. There are cultural diversities everywhere, even from town to town, and somewhere like the US has such a monumental range of cultures that to make such generalisations is nothing short of plain stupidity and ignorance.
 
Has anyone actually taken the time to have a look at some of Polins work? He's actually a very good and accomplished photographer - some of his Matisyahu concert shots are fantastic.

Also, if you go right back to some of his earlier uploads on YouTube (when he was less about selling merch) you'll find some great, easy to follow tutorials. They were invaluable to me as a beginner.

I think we, as a nation, sometimes need to unclench our bums a bit and accept that there's nothing wrong with a little bit of eccentricity. Not all educational content needs to be delivered in the fashion of Harry Enfields 'Mr Cholmondley-Warner'.
 
danny_bhoy said:
Has anyone actually taken the time to have a look at some of Polins work? He's actually a very good and accomplished photographer - some of his Matisyahu concert shots are fantastic.
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I've had a good look round his website. He's just another decent photographer to me, nothing outstanding at all. No doubting he's decent though.
 
PMN said:
I've had a good look round his website. He's just another decent photographer to me, nothing outstanding at all. No doubting he's decent though.
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Maybe 'fantastic' was a bit OOT :) - he's very good though and it makes a refreshing change for a YouTube reviewer to actually have an accomplished body of work to back up their statements.
 
PMN said:
There are cultural diversities everywhere, even from town to town, and somewhere like the US has such a monumental range of cultures that to make such generalisations is nothing short of plain stupidity and ignorance.
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That is very true, however I will say that visiting somewhere and actually living in that country are very different things. By living in the States I was able to form some pretty good 'generalisations' and observations about Californian society for example, just as any American living over here would be entitled to do the same. In my opinion, providing the person making the statement has genuine experience of the nation in question, generalisations can often be quite accurate. I will say this though, I heard some outlandish assumptions from Americans when remarking on British people - and with very few exceptions those individuals have never been outside of their own state boundaries. This may sound like a ridiculous cliche, but on a number of occasions I was actually asked (by some surprisingly academic people) if I knew the Queen, and how much it might cost to attend a state banquet. I have been asked if there is electricity in the village I live in, and if we have anything resembling modern technology. I have seen surprise expressed very directly when some of my American colleagues realised I was computer literate, or that I have an okay set of teeth (none of which caused me any offence I stress, and I remain genuinely fond of the people I met). I saw surprisingly little awareness that the UK is a world leader in discovery, innovation and medicine.

I think you would very rarely hear such sweeping statements uttered on this side of the ocean and I will say that the British are, in my opinion, far less prone to stereotyping than some of the cultures I have encountered. But I think it's worth saying that many of the generalisations we might make about our American cousins they would be quick to agree with, just as their feelings about British reserve and stand-offishness are things we might identify with. It is not necessarily a bad thing to talk about our differences (when suitably informed), although political correctness can get in the way at times.
 
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@Lindsay D We actually seem to be talking about two different things here. I'm not talking about the world views of the average American citizen (if such a thing even exists), I'm talking specifically about why @ohms12 feels qualified to judge an entire nation based on a single individual.

I haven't spent a huge amount of time in the US but in general I found it more friendly and polite than the UK, I've also had the same impression from the thousands of Americans I've worked with here in the UK over the last 15 years. To be honest the last thing I want to see when I'm overseas is a Brit, I think we're amongst the most ignorant and obnoxious travellers in the world.
 
Lindsay D said:
Ugh - not sure why that has come up in bold and italics - not intended.
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It is interestingly enough a link to your profile :cool:

As for your statement in there, I do agree with it, whilst never lived in the USA I have visited and have worked closely with many Americans (both military and civvy street), they can have a surprisingly good sense of humour too (oops there's another generalisation ...). I have friends and colleagues from Georgia, Texas, LA, East coast, Chicago and chalk and cheese springs to mind.

As for Mr Polin and Mr Rockwell, well live and let live I say :)
 
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PMN said:
@Lindsay D....I haven't spent a huge amount of time in the US but in general I found it more friendly and polite than the UK, I've also had the same impression from the thousands of Americans I've worked with here in the UK over the last 15 years. To be honest the last thing I want to see when I'm overseas is a Brit, I think we're amongst the most ignorant and obnoxious travellers in the world.
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I've thought this for years. I've been to New York five or six times now and, even though that is well renowned in the US for being hard-nosed and unfriendly, the people there were still a damn site more polite and courteous than the majority of Brits.
 
PMN said:
@Lindsay D

I haven't spent a huge amount of time in the US but in general I found it more friendly and polite than the UK, I've also had the same impression from the thousands of Americans I've worked with here in the UK over the last 15 years. To be honest the last thing I want to see when I'm overseas is a Brit, I think we're amongst the most ignorant and obnoxious travellers in the world.
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In the time I spent in the States, my car never got vandalised. Over here, I always worry when I have to leave it in a public car park, given the delightful British past time of keying. Another generalisation - but I think an accurate one, based on years of experience on both sides. I found the Americans I encountered to be extremely open and friendly, but perhaps not 'polite' in our sense of the word.

I agree that I will not want to interact with British people when I am enjoying time overseas, however I suspect what you are referring to might be the atrocious behaviour of British football fans and the behaviour of young British holidaymakers in certain recreational destinations. I think of them as irresponsible and thuggish, rather than being genuine travellers. In terms of honest travel, I think the Brits are amongst the very best.
 
Lindsay D said:
however I suspect what you are referring to might be the atrocious behaviour of British football fans and the behaviour of young British holidaymakers in certain recreational destinations..
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I don't 'do' those kinds of places, so no, you're way off the mark there. The vast majority of my serious travels have been on business and very much not to the kinds of places the Brit club 18-30 gang may frequent. I do have a degree of intelligence, I'm not going to go to Ibiza in the height of summer and whinge about how loud it is...
 
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danny_bhoy said:
I've thought this for years. I've been to New York five or six times now and, even though that is well renowned in the US for being hard-nosed and unfriendly, the people there were still a damn site more polite and courteous than the majority of Brits.
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With respect to the service and retail sectors, I agree that Americans see the value in friendliness and courtesy - definitely much nicer than over here. However, the last time I lived in California (nearly 17 years ago) there was a distinct anti-British flavour (quite different to the previous occasions I had lived there) and I did encounter hostility. This was from individuals who didn't know me and had never met me before - I have been personally blamed for the ills of the world and the fate of the Irish, for the conduct of Oliver Cromwell and William III. I once went to an Irish pub in a well-known part of town and was refused service on the basis of my nationality. I can list many more experiences, which the casual visitor is unlikely to have - but once again, if you actually live somewhere then the impression you form is very different to that he might come away with as a tourist.
 
Lindsay D said:
....I found the Americans I encountered to be extremely open and friendly, but perhaps not 'polite' in our sense of the word..
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Lindsay I think there is an unfortunate misconception on behalf of most Brits that the open and friendly manner of most Americans is either false or OTT. I've always found it to be genuine.

An American pal of mine once came to stay over here for a few weeks and was genuinely shocked when he would say "have a nice day" after being served at shops etc and would be met by blank looks or sniggering.
 
PMN said:
I don't 'do' those kinds of places, so no, you're way off the mark there. The vast majority of my serious travels have been on business and very much not to the kinds of places the Brit club 18-30 gang may frequent. I do have a degree of intelligence, I'm not going to go to Ibiza in the height of summer and whinge about how loud it is...
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No, no - to be clear, I wasn't suggesting that 'you' did those kinds of places, merely that you might have been thinking of them - and I thought they are good examples of what you were talking about. You have completely taken my comment the wrong way.
 
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PMN said:
Why would I comment on places I've never been? That would fit squarely into the 'ignorance' category which is what I have such a problem in this thread with! o_O
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Once again, I understand you weren't commentating on them - but I was, because I thought they were good examples of the kind of awful behaviour that the British can get up to when overseas (and like you, I haven't done those places either, but there is plenty of evidence out there to support what I'm saying). I wanted to make a distinction between that kind of thing and the people who travel in a respectful way.
 
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Lindsay D said:
With respect to the service and retail sectors, I agree that Americans see the value in friendliness and courtesy - definitely much nicer than over here. However, the last time I lived in California (nearly 17 years ago) there was a distinct anti-British flavour (quite different to the previous occasions I had lived there) and I did encounter hostility. This was from individuals who didn't know me and had never met me before - I have been personally blamed for the ills of the world and the fate of the Irish, for the conduct of Oliver Cromwell and William III. I once went to an Irish pub in a well-known part of town and was refused service on the basis of my nationality. I can list many more experiences, which the casual visitor is unlikely to have - but once again, if you actually live somewhere then the impression you form is very different to that he might come away with as a tourist.
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I don't doubt any of that for a second. It's just kinda unfortunate, and a bit saddening really, that people ridicule or even dislike Americans for things that could and should be perceived as positive, life-affirming qualities. Openness, politeness, courteousness, positivity and optimism are something that we could do with a damn site more of in this country.
 
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Lindsay D said:
Once again, I understand you weren't commentating on them - but I was, because I thought they were good examples of the kind of awful behaviour that the British can get up to when overseas (and like you, I haven't done those places either, but there is plenty of evidence out there to support what I'm saying). I wanted to make a distinction between that kind of thing and the people who travel in a respectful way.
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That genuinely wasn't how I understood your original post (which may well have been a misunderstanding on my part) but I think I see your point now! :)
 
danny_bhoy said:
An American pal of mine once came to stay over here for a few weeks and was genuinely shocked when he would say "have a nice day" after being served at shops etc and would be met by blank looks or sniggering.
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I think that's just an example of our cultural differences - your friend should not be shocked. I used to get incredulous looks in the workplace in the States because I used to say please and thank you! Again, just cultural differences and I would not expect my American friends to talk the same, feel the same, or act the same as we do.
 
Lindsay D said:
I think that's just an example of our cultural differences - your friend should not be shocked. I used to get incredulous looks in the workplace in the States because I used to say please and thank you! Again, just cultural differences and I would not expect my American friends to talk the same, feel the same, or act the same as we do.
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I see exactly what you're saying Lyndsay but I'm not entirely convinced.

To be honest, when someone is dumbstruck or even finds it laughable to be wished a nice day, I think that's more a damming indictment of our attitude as a nation than merely differences in the ways in which we talk.
 
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