Photo Prog on Channel 4

rwotton said:
are you able to mention what books yet? or is it a little hush hush for the timebeing. good luck with them.
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One is a year long project with 6 photographers taking a photo every day in Liverpool to document the Capital of Culture. Another I'm waiting to hear back on but I'll provide details later.
 
petemc said:
I have a strict rule about my photography and well photography in general. I only manipulate the light my camera caught. Once I start adding elements into the shot I'm not a photographer anymore because I didn't photograph that scene. I made it. I did feel that a lot of them were trying a bit too hard to make photos, by setting up certain elements. They were at Brighton pier in stormy weather, surely plenty of chances for a good street photo. I do appreciate that its easy to criticise from my couch, and I know I wouldn't have got a good studio photo but thats because its not my thing. Maybe that was what they wanted, people who may have talent and wanted to push them outside their comfort zones to make good TV. I dunno. I saw some of the photos on the site from people who entered and I guess I was expecting something more.

I am annoyed at their choices somewhat given some of the people who entered from here. Of course I would have loved to have been picked, it'd be stupid if I said I wasn't. However, I currently have a photo in a national gallery, I'm opening an exhibition in 7 weeks and I'm working on 2 books. So screw em :p
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Peter - I understand your rule with your photography and dare say you are able to (try and) argue the old film -vs- digital debate - what I was saying merely echos many subscribers of publications such as Digital Photography where the manipulation can be as important and exciting as the compoisiton itself. Then again, each to their own.

Good luck with the books and gallery etc.
 
Regardless of the merits or otherwise of the selection process, at least they all have the bottle to take part, and put their skills on display in front of millions. I'd go to pieces as well if I had to photography Germaine Greer, knowing that millions were watching me! I'm looking forward to the rest of the series, and learning from not only what the photographers do but also the critique they receive. Sure, I'll no doubt disagree with some of it, but I can only learn and improve from it.

Cathy
 
petemc. if you alter an image , in photoshop, or whatever, you still have to have the artistic eye to be able to produce the image you require.sorry , but thats my opinion.
if we like to think of photography as a form of artwork, why not use any tools at our disposal.?
and the winner is.......channel 4. theyve certainly generated interest on here. positive and negative.
 
inaneredstripe said:
petemc. if you alter an image , in photoshop, or whatever, you still have to have the artistic eye to be able to produce the image you require.sorry , but thats my opinion.
if we like to think of photography as a form of artwork, why not use any tools at our disposal.?
and the winner is.......channel 4. theyve certainly generated interest on here. positive and negative.
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Don't be sorry :p I thought I said something here but I can't find it so maybe I missed it. I've seen plenty of brilliantly done photo-manipulations. I know a lot of people who aren't photographers but use a camera to produce artwork. I'm not against it at all. However, on whats meant to be a photography show about photographers where the judges are saying that they should get things right in camera and binned one girl who used Photoshop on 2 of her images, I am against digital-manipulation. I consider myself a photographer, and as I've stated I don't feel that I should be adding elements into my photos because its crossing a line. I could do anything then. Better sky, better buildings, some cheerleaders. Once I've crossed that line how can anyone trust what they see in my photos to be honest?
 
Pete - would love to see one of your photographs with some cheerleaders in :D :D :D ! lol
 
I thought the programme was great irrespective of what I thought about the individual efforts - and the photo of the kids in Brighton with the sign referring to them being on crack was way over the top IMO. But bravo to Channel 4 for screening it in primetime on a Sunday evening. Makes a change from the usual property porn and makeover shows.
 
inaneredstripe said:
petemc. if you alter an image , in photoshop, or whatever, you still have to have the artistic eye to be able to produce the image you require.sorry , but thats my opinion.
if we like to think of photography as a form of artwork, why not use any tools at our disposal.?
and the winner is.......channel 4. theyve certainly generated interest on here. positive and negative.
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There is a line, beyond which you cannot go and still call your work a photograph....by definition.
Where you draw that line is up to you, but anything certainly does not go imo, tools or not.

anyway, I found Tarlyn's & Ed's submissions to go with Jay's, for those that missed it, still looking for the others.
Tarlyn and Jay got the boot btw, can't imagine why Jay went:shrug:
 
if they chose these photographers on merit of who could read exposure etc the best then they would have had a list of people that would have taken forever to sort, they are looking a photographer with a trained eye or one with a good untrained eye.
 
Looking at Ed's page you can see his next submissions for series two already (thought this would have been stopped by Channel 4 even though filmed months ago?)

It seems that he got through to the final too as there is a series three listing - although no photographs.
 
I found the programme very interesting. I didn't know what to expect, but it turned out similar to something like Masterchef in format.

I found it a bit weird that they were forcing the photographers to take images that may not have been their style. I doubt David Bailey would ever need too, or ever has taken macro shots to prove he was a good photographer for example. A cook may need to master different cooking styles, but a photographer does not. That doesn't mean they shouldn't try others styles, but to be judged whether they are a good photographer on a form of photography which is alien to them doesn't make much sense. I don't see how this programme could work any other way though. :shrug:

What they were looking for in the contestants only C4 can say. Some kind of eye for a picture, and not technical mastery is obvious. I know a pro photographer who didn't know what the different light meters did/do, does it stop him from get great pictures and I assume making a living, evidently not. As long as one can manipulate the equipment to get the desired results, who cares what the photographer knows or not.

I found contestants being told off for over manipulating images quite funny, given that Martin Parr was one of the judges, as I've found his images to be over saturated cack. :lol:

I agree that the chap should have been eliminated for crossing the moral line to add the crack poster into the image. Not because it was added, but because of what it said about the people who had been friendly enough to let the chap take their picture.

I'll watch the rest of the series to see what happens. It is good to have photography on TV in primetime, even if it is C4 up against Emmerdale and Coronation Street. :bonk: Considering the amount of cameras sold in this country, shows about photography are very sparce.


Like I said, I'll keep watch, just a pity I now know who is going to win. :thumbsdown:
 
redhed17 said:
What they were looking for in the contestants only C4 can say. Some kind of eye for a picture, and not technical mastery is obvious.
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This is a brief run down of what happened at the half-day workshop I went to. I think there were about 12 groups of 8 interviewed over a week. Out of these 100 or so people they chose 12 and over a day they got it down to the final 6. None of the people in my group made it to the show.

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=317633&postcount=32
 
Vinny said:
Galleries:
Aron Brown
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What a load of manure. Aron, a) wants to spell his own name correctly and b) realise that he's not a photographer but simple a very very poor excuse for a Mark Thomas wannabe.

The man's not making any statements, he's just doing nob gags (happy birthday mum) and pratt falls (oops), but not very good ones.
 
I think the lack of flickr responsies agrees too!!
 
Arons work is to contrived, to try hard, not that great and not funny in my opinion. The least funny comedians are the ones who think they are the best.
 
NorthernNikon said:
What a load of manure. Aron, a) wants to spell his own name correctly and b) realise that he's not a photographer but simple a very very poor excuse for a Mark Thomas wannabe.

The man's not making any statements, he's just doing nob gags (happy birthday mum) and pratt falls (oops), but not very good ones.
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So you didn't like him Barney? :D

Actually I think the bloke was a complete waste of lenses!:thumbsdown:
 
I saw this the other day, an I didn't think the photos were at all bad really. I wasn't impressed with Arons really though as he seems to be concentrating on what he can do to make a shot amusing than what he can do to take a good shot.

I've never really taken photos of strangers though and found it interesting how they interacted with the public and how the public responded to them. Confidence has always been an issue for me, but I hope to have a crack at some shots of random people when the weather gets better :)

Rob
 
I am just pleased as hell that there's some type of digital photography programme on TV - FINALLY !
Even if Channel 4 nicked my idea ;):lol::lol::lol:
 
I really liked the episode last night. Preferred it to the first one and I'm glad the two women went through - I thought they were the best last night.
 
I agree with smarty. I think the girls' far outshone the boys and look forward to the final.

I also agree with alisonD. A regular photography show would be great, but more for people interested in photography and less for reality junkies (I thought the editing of the guy doing the masters degree in documentary photograhy (can't remember his name) exiting while Aron was shown group-hugging was a bit uncalled for...

A magazine format would be great. Could it be the next great TV format craze. The only ones I can think of are the much abused Sky at Night and Top Gear.
 
One day tv program makers may wake up and realise how many cameras are used/owned in the UK. Can we start a petition and give Gordon something to think about?
 
Slipper-one said:
One day tv program makers may wake up and realise how many cameras are used/owned in the UK. Can we start a petition and give Gordon something to think about?
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I know, somebodys missing a trick here, I can't believe there aren't more.
We have fishing shows coming out of our ears, okay so fishing is popular, but I'd like to see the stats on UK fishing rod v camera ownership:suspect:
 
joxby said:
I know, somebodys missing a trick here, I can't believe there aren't more.
We have fishing shows coming out of our ears, okay so fishing is popular, but I'd like to see the stats on UK fishing rod v camera ownership:suspect:
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I can pretty much guarantee there are loads of photography based shows in planning, who knows how many will make it through to production, and then to air, but it aint easy getting a show comissioned...maybe one day there will be as many photography shows as there are fishing ;) we can hope at least! :p
 
I've thought that for awhile about the lack of TV progs about cameras. :cuckoo: The prog makers seem to have a lack of imagination when it comes to programme design.

It is the same about video games, every show has been aimed at kids. More money is made from video games than movies, :eek: yet this market is left untouched, as is the camera market by TV.

Now maybe if it was a show about taking pictures of people cooking food, or games about selling houses then they could join the the multitude of similar progs on TV. ;) :lol:
 
I really enjoyed the final episode. I knew Lizz would win because her work spoke to people. Lucinda's photos were technically better but I just didn't get the point of people in a library.
 
didn't really like any of the pictures in the final,
Lucinda's were too staged and couldn't really see the point in any of them - not really my thing, any of them

Liz's were ok, but she left the 'better' ones out of the final, could of cost her, good job the judges looked at them anyway

maybe it was the shots she didnt show that won it for her :shrug:

Perhaps Liz can afford a Nikon strap for her camera now, and chuck that EOS one away!
 
rob.e said:
I saw this the other day, an I didn't think the photos were at all bad really. I wasn't impressed with Arons really though as he seems to be concentrating on what he can do to make a shot amusing than what he can do to take a good shot.

I've never really taken photos of strangers though and found it interesting how they interacted with the public and how the public responded to them. Confidence has always been an issue for me, but I hope to have a crack at some shots of random people when the weather gets better :)

Rob
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taking photos of strangers is hard at first, but easy when u get used to it. u just have to move in fast and talk to them. i used to take photos of strangers for a living, its all about being confident so they dont think ur a weirdo.
 
there is a good horror novel about a papparzzi guy by james herbert its called "creed" its rather good
 
The final program was worth watching. The first two programmes were terrible! A total waste of time!
 
I was kinda half watching it, why was one of the girls using a canon strap on a nikon camera?
 
Maybe because the canon one was cheaper, or if she got it from a friend - who knows, not that it matters of course!

Damn, I just got back from Glasgow. I'll watch the repeat at 2.00 am, did that last week! :)
 
i think the ed guy i think it as the guy who thought the sun shone out of his arse and wud win automatically was rubbish personally
 
Liz really shouldn't have left out those personal images. They were by far the best. Lucinda will get work as a commercial photographer, but the idea was to produce a book and gallery. People don't really go to look at fashion work in a gallery, its usually more meaningful.
 
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