Photography, expectations, standards, originality

[OM USer]

Originally Posted by Ricoh

This is what Henri Cartier-Bresson had to say:
"If there is no emotion, if there is no shock, if we do not react to the sensibility, we should not take a photo. It is the photo which takes us."

Sounds like the bunch of fools from Sky Arts Master Of Photography. Why do you need to shock? I can get emotional over a nice landscape and try to capture it in a photo but I'm not expecting the reult to change anyone's life or make them think about resolving human conflict. In fact the whole thing about landscapes can be the complete absence of person angst.

[Ricoh]

HCB musings can be difficult to understand at times; he was a deep thinker but my interpretation is this: He's saying if you don't have an emotional response to the scene, don't bother taking the shot. Remembering, of course, he was a reportage / street photographer with (mainly) human content, so an emotional response is his expectation. Contrast his images with the utter rubbish presented today by every Tom, Dick and Harry who think they're street photographers.
I've considered for some time attempting to reflect myself through my photography. Meaning capturing my emotional response to the scene, be it street, architectural, abstract or whatever. A simple example would be making a picture of a homeless person (incidentally I do not take the homeless), if you feel deep sympathy for the person, how would you express your feelings pictorially, it's all too easy to aim the camera and fire off a frame or two showing the person, but not showing your empathy. There for the grace of God etc... It's difficult to capture your own emotions but I'm working on it. The result is I'm taking far fewer photographs because I have to be more inward facing when I consider a scene.

[chorleyjeff]

Originally Posted by sapper

I remember when 6X6CM was considered miniature.

Blimey. You are even older than me. In those olden days size really did matter.

[chorleyjeff]

Originally Posted by DerekW

I had in "internship" at Kodak Stevenage in the work study department. One of my tasks was to do work study of the various assembly stages of the Instamatic cameras.

So my GAS affliction started with the birth of some cameras. I also got to visit the Retinette assembly line in Germany, this confirmed my GAS affliction.

Aha. Perhaps you saw my Retinette1A being built in 1958 when Kodachrome with an asa of 10 ruled.

[chorleyjeff]

Originally Posted by iso

When debating whether this, or that, sort of Club is preferable, the other factor to consider is whether the individual is a 'Clubber'...

How very true. At my local club you have to be a successful competition photographer or socially confident gregarious person to be fully engaged with club activity. Sadly I am neither so sit on the sidelines inspecting the ceiling tiles, carpet squares etc.

[Naughty Nigel]

Originally Posted by chorleyjeff

How very true. At my local club you have to be a successful competition photographer or socially confident gregarious person to be fully engaged with club activity. Sadly I am neither so sit on the sidelines inspecting the ceiling tiles, carpet squares etc.

Are there any funny handshakes involved?

[chorleyjeff]

Originally Posted by Naughty Nigel

Are there any funny handshakes involved?

Are women allowed funny handshakes ?
But in any case how would I know ?