Garry Edwards
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So, once again, my impartiality has been called into question on another thread – I’m starting a new thread on this subject because I don’t want to further derail the existing thread
This happens from time to time and frankly I don’t like it because I think it’s unfair. And I think it’s unfair partly because I think it’s obvious to anyone with more than 1 brain cell that I am associated with Lencarta (the advertiser status, plus my signature, makes this very obvious) and partly because when I find myself mentioning Lencarta I usually remember to point out that similar equipment is available from other suppliers too.
Perhaps the only solution that would satisfy some people would be for me to stop posting altogether because, on a forum at least, I may come across as showing bias. People who actually talk to me though know better. A lot of people who have been on the Lencarta-sponsored lighting workshops, held at my own studio, have seen me using other makes of lights on these workshops, and nobody who has attended any of these workshops has ever heard me trying to sell them the idea of buying any particular make of light – all that I have ever said on this subject is that people should avoid the junk sold on places like Ebay, and that it’s best to stick with known brands.
But I post on forums because I feel that I have some knowledge that should be shared. Over the years, I’ve done just about every sort of photography there is except sports and news, I’m far from expert in the fields of baby and family photography because I lost interest in those fields a very long time ago, and I have very little to say about hotshoe flashgun use because, although I do use hotshoe flashguns quite a lot, there are plenty of people who know far more about them than I do, these people can give much better information than I can. That leaves me with my own specialities, which are basically product, beauty and fashion photography. I also know a fair bit about the various studio lighting equipment that’s on the market, but as it’s difficult to answer questions on other people’s equipment without appearing to be critical of it, I think it best to keep away from that subject.
The reality is that almost everyone who posts on forums has some kind of bias, it’s unavoidable. Sometimes the bias is commercial, e.g. I clearly earn money from Lencarta, other people who post on forums may earn money from other people, whether or not they say so. And some of the reviewers for camera magazines are sponsored by equipment suppliers (but certainly not all of them). And then there are the people who have no commercial interests but who have strongly held personal views but often limited experience, these people often end up strongly recommending the gear that they themselves use. This happens a lot with camera makes, but it happens with lighting too.
It’s just a fact of life that the people who have the most specialised knowledge find it difficult to be truly impartial. For example, I spent years battling against a national parks authority who refused us planning permission. We ended up, twice, taking our case to the “Independent Planning Inspectorate”. Unfortunately though, the Public Inquiries are far from independent, because the Inspector who hears the case came up through the ranks of the people we’re fighting against, it isn’t fair but it’s inevitable because these are the only people who have enough specialist knowledge of planning law.
Another example is my main hobby, which is clay pigeon shooting. Now, I’m a pretty good shot, but I’m never going to be picked to shoot for my country. I get a lot of advice from top shooters, and pretty well all of them are sponsored by one manufacturer or another. None of them ever try to get me to change to the make that sponsors them, but if they did then, because I’m not terminally stupid, I wouldn’t allow it to influence my buying decisions.
I’ve written a number of blog entries on the Lencarta lighting blog. These are mainly tutorials, where I try to explain the principles involved in dealing with various lighting problems. There is an obvious bias there towards Lencarta because Lencarta pays for the blog, but I have never suggested that Lencarta equipment is needed to carry out these lighting exercises, and I have never said anything similar on this or any other lighting forum either.
And, finally, anyone who thinks that any advice that I give on this forum isn’t worth reading doesn’t have to read it.
If anyone has any suggestions that will help me to avoid the problem of bias, assuming that the problem actually does exist, I would welcome those suggestions.
This happens from time to time and frankly I don’t like it because I think it’s unfair. And I think it’s unfair partly because I think it’s obvious to anyone with more than 1 brain cell that I am associated with Lencarta (the advertiser status, plus my signature, makes this very obvious) and partly because when I find myself mentioning Lencarta I usually remember to point out that similar equipment is available from other suppliers too.
Perhaps the only solution that would satisfy some people would be for me to stop posting altogether because, on a forum at least, I may come across as showing bias. People who actually talk to me though know better. A lot of people who have been on the Lencarta-sponsored lighting workshops, held at my own studio, have seen me using other makes of lights on these workshops, and nobody who has attended any of these workshops has ever heard me trying to sell them the idea of buying any particular make of light – all that I have ever said on this subject is that people should avoid the junk sold on places like Ebay, and that it’s best to stick with known brands.
But I post on forums because I feel that I have some knowledge that should be shared. Over the years, I’ve done just about every sort of photography there is except sports and news, I’m far from expert in the fields of baby and family photography because I lost interest in those fields a very long time ago, and I have very little to say about hotshoe flashgun use because, although I do use hotshoe flashguns quite a lot, there are plenty of people who know far more about them than I do, these people can give much better information than I can. That leaves me with my own specialities, which are basically product, beauty and fashion photography. I also know a fair bit about the various studio lighting equipment that’s on the market, but as it’s difficult to answer questions on other people’s equipment without appearing to be critical of it, I think it best to keep away from that subject.
The reality is that almost everyone who posts on forums has some kind of bias, it’s unavoidable. Sometimes the bias is commercial, e.g. I clearly earn money from Lencarta, other people who post on forums may earn money from other people, whether or not they say so. And some of the reviewers for camera magazines are sponsored by equipment suppliers (but certainly not all of them). And then there are the people who have no commercial interests but who have strongly held personal views but often limited experience, these people often end up strongly recommending the gear that they themselves use. This happens a lot with camera makes, but it happens with lighting too.
It’s just a fact of life that the people who have the most specialised knowledge find it difficult to be truly impartial. For example, I spent years battling against a national parks authority who refused us planning permission. We ended up, twice, taking our case to the “Independent Planning Inspectorate”. Unfortunately though, the Public Inquiries are far from independent, because the Inspector who hears the case came up through the ranks of the people we’re fighting against, it isn’t fair but it’s inevitable because these are the only people who have enough specialist knowledge of planning law.
Another example is my main hobby, which is clay pigeon shooting. Now, I’m a pretty good shot, but I’m never going to be picked to shoot for my country. I get a lot of advice from top shooters, and pretty well all of them are sponsored by one manufacturer or another. None of them ever try to get me to change to the make that sponsors them, but if they did then, because I’m not terminally stupid, I wouldn’t allow it to influence my buying decisions.
I’ve written a number of blog entries on the Lencarta lighting blog. These are mainly tutorials, where I try to explain the principles involved in dealing with various lighting problems. There is an obvious bias there towards Lencarta because Lencarta pays for the blog, but I have never suggested that Lencarta equipment is needed to carry out these lighting exercises, and I have never said anything similar on this or any other lighting forum either.
And, finally, anyone who thinks that any advice that I give on this forum isn’t worth reading doesn’t have to read it.
If anyone has any suggestions that will help me to avoid the problem of bias, assuming that the problem actually does exist, I would welcome those suggestions.
. Go figure the minor hole in that plan
actually maybe I shouldn't have said that 
