My mother was 90 last year. She received loads of lovely gift. I had a photobook prepared using old photos I had dug out of my brother and me taken over the years and added in images I had taken myself. The book documented her life with my dad, who had died about a year previously. It showed children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was totally overcome with emotion (and she is NOT an emotional lady). It was a ‘wonder gift’! Today the book sits prominently on a coffee table and she shows it to everyone. Phots mean nobody is ever forgotten and, in a sense, they are always with us. We might die, but photos help us to live on. Long live photography!
I bought my first camera in 1957 I was 7 years old, I am now real close to 73. I use film and digital. My film cameras go from Minox spy, 35mm, 620, 120 and 4x5lf, my digital are gopro, insta360, micro 4/3 and full frame. If I get tired 0f one I go to my closet for something different. HAVE A FANTASTIC NEW YEAR
Great video. An important addition to number one; call it 1A : Make photo books from for your photos. My wife makes photo books from each vacation, holiday, etc. she even makes family calendars for gifts each year. Files on a computer might as well not exist if not printed.
Very well said🙏 I have just finished setting up my photo enlarger today, 2023 is a year of film photography for me, why? While cleaning up my old desk, I discovered some black and white prints which I shot and printed myself decades ago, those looks and feelings absolutely blown me away, I wonder why on earth have I forgotten how wonderful film photography was? If a tool that suits my creative purpose then it is the best, not necessary has to be the latest technology. AI can never replace the value of traditional painting, same for photography.
gosh, you just reminded me of olympus 100 anniversary documentary. there are so many precious moment in life and these are the moments which is very precious to us. i used to carry huge systems, but it is restricting me to take part in family activities. now i only liked small cameras. preferably to fit in my pocket. so those people who is truly important to me will remember me as a person and not a walking lens.
Today, January 2nd, I started my photography early when I noticed the low morning sun cast long shadows on the grit used to prevent the footpath from icing up. Grit with shadows, wow, I didn't have a camera but my phone did the trick. A couple of hours later I set out with my E-M5 III and took a couple of hundred photos of things like hazel tree catkins, the black ash tree buds, winter crops growing in the fields, fungi, solitary trees in the middle of fields, oak leaves still on young trees (marcescence) and the sun and its reflections on a lake. I met a woman walking her dogs, she told me she likes my local photos so please put todays pictures on social media. I've been doing this, off and on, for 50 years. It makes me happy. But I rarely meet anyone else doing the same thing, although that has always been the case. I have thought of trying full frame (like I did in the 1970's) and as a retired 'engineer' the machinery (cameras) are fascinating, although getting pricey. I have the money for a halfway house - an X-T5 - but am also tempted by machines like a Canon 5D or 6D which are old and much cheaper.
I only need ONE reason to keep on with photography ! I fell so much more alive when I take my Camera outside, no matter if I take photos or not, just the thing that I look at every thing different when I bring my Camera are magic.
Thank you for many inspiring videos over the past year, like this one, for tips and recommendations beyond sharpness comparison and pixel counting. All the best for 2023!
As a 4x5 "shooter" (it's more like archery, but slower ;-)) current and future film prices have become prohibitive! Luckily there are more reasons to stay away from 8x10 … 😀 In the end it is the joy of photography that keeps me going, no matter what gear I use. That you admitted that gear is part of it is a good thing - it seems that more photographers give gear the right place (not the leading role, but an important supporting one ;-)). Have a good year 2023!
For the first time i learned photography back in 1989 with my brother Minolta slr camera 35mm film and i discover how fun it is. Then i bought Nikon FM to explore more in photography and get fun manually adjusting focus,aperture and shutter speed that keep me feel like pro. Year 2000 i sold my Nikon FM and quit photography and i just wonder how people get fun from digital camera that almost all in auto mode. Then in 2020 i start explore many camera model and brand just to compare and i found this channel and make me understand what camera is ideal for me. Panasonic Lumix GH5 for me is enough it will keep me go back to be my hobbies. For me everything you focus on and set shutter speed and what aperture you choice then finally you shot....(nice photo) that's what we would like to feel better then phone camera that nothing to do just click click click you can't feel anything.
As usual, Matti, you said it better than I could. I was in an EU country for the holidays, so I could send 4 boxes of photo gear to Tampere to be sold to other lovers of photography. Within the EU, there are no tariffs and duties. Most of my medium format is now gone. I noticed that the bulk and weight started to become a barrier to take pictures. What I have left is only the best of the best for me. Not in the sense of technology, but what suits me best. By selling a lot of gear, I can shoot more and with greater pleasure.
When using film, I like to try fun films like Lomo Purple, Infrared, Ilford Delta 3200, ADOX CMS 20 II, etc. Maybe you could get the crazy color map of Lomo purple in post. Maybe you could get that kind of anime look of infrared in post. Maybe you could get the grainy picture made of sand from Ilford in post. Maybe you could get that incredible detail of adox in post. But it would not be the same. A sheet of Portra in a 4*5" camera will make a look very hard to achieve by any other method. As for digital photography being too easy, I don't think so. It is the eye of the photographer that creates the image and not the equipment. For me, there are many fun phases to photography. Acquiring the gear. Choosing a location. Choosing the camera settings. Framing the picture. Post processing the picture. Creating a print. All of them are fun. If photography died for everyone else, I would still be out taking images.
Well said Matti. The act of taking pictures remains a form of communication, that will never go away. A phone camera can communicate an image to anyone in the world in an instant. That is where AI adds value for focusing, image edits and accessing the intended audience. Traditional photography is becoming more of an anachronism, even more so with film photography. To that end I now utilize my iPhone for 100% of my family photos and videos, especially evident with this recent holiday with family. So now my camera$ and lense$ are there to make my ‘art’, no hurry, manual mode taking my time with composition. And prints, even if AI sneaks into my workflow somewhere.. thanks!
I think the main reason for doing photography traditionally in the coming time will be for ourselves, you know you've been there and shot that picture, so it's for you.
And that video is saved in my "life inspiration" youtube playlist ! thank you for your wise words to start 2023 with hope and motivation ! Happy new year
Hi Matti, just to underline your thoughts: Yesteday I gave an entry level film camera of 1999 to a young lady. She wants to have the film experience that cannot be simmulated by AI. We talked about different types of grain, lenses and shutter sounds. I know quite a few young people that study IA and the things they are doing are just amazing, so I know AI will be huge but it is a different experience all together.
I totally agree! On #1 reason I kicked off the new year with awesome family pics on my APS-C yesterday that no AI can generate. On #4 reason I absolutely enjoy my cameras and lenses. Photography can be tactile and fun that’s impossible for AI or smartphone.
Hi Matti Happy New Year. I'm afraid I am struggling to love photography atm despite some great recent purchases. Maybe it started during covid; did I start to love buying gear more than taking pics during this time? Or is it that as a travel photography lover I struggle for motivation when I don't have somwhere new to visit? Even weekly trips to London are not doing it for me atm. Just sharing some thoughts, pls keep the videos coming in 2023, Rich.
Richard, I blame Boris for taking our freedom away. I used to love planning trips out somewhere new on Saturdays to take photos, and he stopped all that plunging thousands of us into depression and health problems from lack of exercise and lack of fresh air. Try to find somewhere or something that you'd like to go and see to photograph, and plan trips accordingly. Unfortunately at the moment, the train strikes don't help matters
Thanks. Maybe you should just take a brake and not think about photography for a while. I'm sure that sooner or later you'll start to see photos again and when that happens, take out your camera again😀
I started out as a boy with a Box Brownie, then a Voigtlander Vito B (which I still have), on to Pentax Spotmatic, and eventually to my favourite and best film cameras, Nikon F (F2AS, F2SB and F3). My first digital camera was a Panasonic GF2 (still have that), then Olympus and now I'm in the digital Leica world. I don't like phones, except for making occasional telephone calls and some of the 2FA stuff needed nowadays, but I can say that, whilst I've made some poor photos by film or digital, the very few that I've taken on other peoples' phones have been awful. To my mind, there's nothing more exciting than using a "proper" camera and lenses to make photographs which may happen spontaneously, but always with an understanding of the principles of photography and how to employ them to best effect. I processed and printed all my own films and transparencies, when altering the image wasn't very easy and often impossible, and I tend to think that many of the best photographs in the digital age have little or no PP; relying on the eye and skill of the photographer, equipped with the right "gear".
This year, my brother in law made a shitty pass saying he was going to be a photographer like me. He then proceeded to take photos of me while I was doing the Christmas family portrait. Then he asked if he could take photos of me with my camera so I had some. I accepted reluctantly and posed. Ofcourse he used the autofocus 40mm and all the photos were blurry and dark because he wasn't waiting for the speedlite to recycle.
As a non-photographer, I think the big failure of modern photography is too many photographers focused on taking the same old photos of stuff like mountains, sunsets, docks, or waterfalls. When I browse through sites like Flickr and 500px you feel like you've seen everything before. No matter how amazing it is, you can only see so many mountains before you feel like you've seen the photo. When you look at old photos from say 1900-1980 they were primarily documenting a particular thing whether it's poverty, pollution, or civil rights -- it was mostly photojournalism. In my opinion, if you want to remain relevant you have to focus on telling stories and documenting interesting subjects.
To follow up on my comment a few things that come to mind that could be cool projects. Take the next 2 years and primarily focus all your efforts one subject like: 1) Homelessness. You can focus on the people, the living conditions, crime, pain, effects on the community, activists, etc.. 2) Small Town America. Travel to small cities and share what life is like in small towns. Attend their community events, photograph the small cafes. The workers, schools, etc.. 3) Politics. Instead of picking a side you could try to highlight the deep divide politically in the country by showing each side. Think back at the civil rights movement and how photographers captures the faces of segregationists and those fighting for equal rights. 4) Immigration. Regardless of your position, the illegal immigration is something that needs to be covered. 5) Natural Disasters. If you want to travel you can find natural disasters all over the country. Document the destruction but also the people after. 6) Life in your state. Try to systematically document all major monuments, events, activities, tourist spots, etc.. Imagine someone in 500 years studying your images to understand what life was like in your state. What did people eat, what did they do for fun, where did they hang out, what kind of traditions did they have. The key here is systematic and thorough.
I wholeheartedly agree with most of what you have to say, except that I hope you're wrong about that last section, as I'm in the early stages of producing a book and it will have zero pictures of celebrities! Also, while I too like film (which I shot for decades and I still have some Nikon and Pentax gear), the hassle factor and availability of (noxious) chemicals have pushed me into a fully digital workflow (with which I sometimes emulate film looks). Digital may more more "accurate" (although no imaging system can replicate what we see), but IMO, film just looks better, just as "analog" music sounds better than digital. Bottom line: as long as I can trip a shutter, I'll keep making photographs!
Other reason: never before the photography was so cheap. An "old" small DSLR in perfect condition, like a Nikon d3300 (130usd), d5000 (100usd), d3000 (70usd), etc, can be purchased for little money with the kit lens, and lenses like Yongnuo 85mm 1.8 (90usd) and 40mm 2.8 (50usd) and others are dirt cheap. You can get a 200usd camera + 3 lenses bundle. Same in Canon (450D, T2i, T3, SL1, etc) and old Yongnuo, Sigma, Tamron or Tokina lenses. Sony have cheapo cameras (Nex3, Nex5, A3000, etc) but the lenses are pricier than DSLR's ones. So, it never has been so cheap!! And the pictures taken with that cameras are plenty for small prints (as a gift for family and friends) or social media. And if you know post process and know the light, the illumination, you can even make a pro level shoot and nobody will notice it was done with a cheap camera.
absolutely agree with point of ignoring haters... but where can we share our photography and get real feedback if not instagram for example? thanks for your content and shalom from tel-aviv.
Wow, film prices have really gone up. Just checked. I’m used to $5 for 5 pack of 120 TMY. It’s now $50 for the same. This is an unfortunate barrier to entry for many. Still, I might order a few packs for nostalgia sake if nothing else. Still have the Nikon Coolscan 135 and 120 scanners in the office…
@@mattisulanto These days scanning with a digital camera is as good and may be faster. If you still have the s1r, put that in 200MP hires mode. That'll pick up more than 6x7 can record.
Photography with proper cameras is important to capture the world as it is, without being "improved" with AI and algorithms. Capturing our own lives is a key reason that most of us enjoy photography. We also need photographers who value "real" photos that haven't been manipulated by AI. It's a horrible thought to think that most photos taken by smart phones in the future will be manipulated in some way by AI.
I suspect that with the growing capabilities of AI and its popularity, that film photography, and chemical prints will grow in popularity, as people want to "prove" that their photography is real. ;-) (yeah, that's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it's still a thought I've had and am curious about. I know that I now have that thought in mind with my own film photography)
Hmm.. Actually, having the images on physical film doesn’t necessarily prove anything. In the enthusiast community, there’s a very niche segment doing digital enlarger and digital negatives. Instead of projecting from the film negative, place a projector behind the enlarger instead. A U.K. company, De Vere has purpose built digital enlargers. There’s plenty of DIY options as well. WhenI used to do computer graphics many decades ago, my lab had a film recorder. Load the machine with film of choice. The machine exposed it with the specified image file. Back in the days of the original IBM PC this was the only practical way to get 20MP CG images onto broadly consumable media, projection or print.
AI will never be a threat to photography I think. Even pro photography will remain cause AI will not replace art and ideas behind it. And AI will not replace a photo showing us horrors of war. It can create same image, but it will be just a fantasy drawing, not document of real event. For hobbyists - will AI replace a photo of your kid playing games, or his first steps? Will it replace a feeling of getting a rare plane landing in a rain that you waited to photograph, or busy streets in a city when you asked stranger for a portrait and he said sure, not problem? No. Gear is just gear, smartphone may be as good or as bad as anything else, but photography will remain for a long time. Like every art has.
Again and again you get a like from me After spotting Ricoh's latest two cameras and buying them, I've found the joy in photography again, and the image quality is much better (in fact, it's fantastic) than what I get with my iPhone. Working without multiple lenses is also a liberation in my daily photography, because I almost always only take one of the cameras with me, because this way I feel more creative! I also have the tele adapter for the Ricoh GRIIIx, but I have only used it very little yet.....
My mother was 90 last year. She received loads of lovely gift. I had a photobook prepared using old photos I had dug out of my brother and me taken over the years and added in images I had taken myself. The book documented her life with my dad, who had died about a year previously. It showed children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was totally overcome with emotion (and she is NOT an emotional lady). It was a ‘wonder gift’! Today the book sits prominently on a coffee table and she shows it to everyone. Phots mean nobody is ever forgotten and, in a sense, they are always with us. We might die, but photos help us to live on. Long live photography!
Perfect example. Thanks.
Photography will exist even without what we call "traditional cameras". The art is eternal, the tools are transient.
I bought my first camera in 1957 I was 7 years old, I am now real close to 73. I use film and digital. My film cameras go from Minox spy, 35mm, 620, 120 and 4x5lf, my digital are gopro, insta360, micro 4/3 and full frame. If I get tired 0f one I go to my closet for something different. HAVE A FANTASTIC NEW YEAR
Thanks. I could afford a camera when I was 15😀
@@mattisulanto Yea mine cost a hole $2.75 US in 1957
Thank you so much for this video. I was in the same rut of not being able to love photography. This brought insight to photographing again.
You are so welcome!
Great video. An important addition to number one; call it 1A : Make photo books from for your photos. My wife makes photo books from each vacation, holiday, etc. she even makes family calendars for gifts each year. Files on a computer might as well not exist if not printed.
Thanks. Photo book is always a great idea😀
Very well said🙏 I have just finished setting up my photo enlarger today, 2023 is a year of film photography for me, why? While cleaning up my old desk, I discovered some black and white prints which I shot and printed myself decades ago, those looks and feelings absolutely blown me away, I wonder why on earth have I forgotten how wonderful film photography was? If a tool that suits my creative purpose then it is the best, not necessary has to be the latest technology. AI can never replace the value of traditional painting, same for photography.
Thanks. I get the same feelings when I look at my old prints. Film and analog photography was magic😀
Yes, you're right in every reason you exposed on your video. Well done! Have a great 2023! ¡Feliz año! 😃 🙌
Thanks, you too!
Happy 2023 Matti, travelling obviously agrees with you, happy and relaxed 🤙 A few coffees for the new year on the way, thanks for every post.
Thank you. It's the warm climate that does good things to me😀
gosh, you just reminded me of olympus 100 anniversary documentary. there are so many precious moment in life and these are the moments which is very precious to us. i used to carry huge systems, but it is restricting me to take part in family activities. now i only liked small cameras. preferably to fit in my pocket. so those people who is truly important to me will remember me as a person and not a walking lens.
Thanks! Walking lens. That's a good one😂
Matti; as usual you have excellent recommendations and insights; I wish you a great New Year!
Keep Shooting!
Thank you!
Today, January 2nd, I started my photography early when I noticed the low morning sun cast long shadows on the grit used to prevent the footpath from icing up. Grit with shadows, wow, I didn't have a camera but my phone did the trick. A couple of hours later I set out with my E-M5 III and took a couple of hundred photos of things like hazel tree catkins, the black ash tree buds, winter crops growing in the fields, fungi, solitary trees in the middle of fields, oak leaves still on young trees (marcescence) and the sun and its reflections on a lake. I met a woman walking her dogs, she told me she likes my local photos so please put todays pictures on social media.
I've been doing this, off and on, for 50 years. It makes me happy. But I rarely meet anyone else doing the same thing, although that has always been the case. I have thought of trying full frame (like I did in the 1970's) and as a retired 'engineer' the machinery (cameras) are fascinating, although getting pricey. I have the money for a halfway house - an X-T5 - but am also tempted by machines like a Canon 5D or 6D which are old and much cheaper.
Thank you for sharing. You can see something special😀
The journey is the destination 😉
Many times it is😀
very truly said and thank you sir. its always a pleasure to hear from you the naked truth.
Thank you.
Wonderful video and I agree, cameras and lenses are FUN!!!
Thanks.
This is your best one so far! :-) But never ever will I go back film!
Thanks. Maybe it's not necessary for us who have experienced film already😀
I only need ONE reason to keep on with photography ! I fell so much more alive when I take my Camera outside, no matter if I take photos or not, just the thing that I look at every thing different when I bring my Camera are magic.
Thanks. Hey, one reason is enough as long as it keeps you going.
@@mattisulanto I have other reasons, but I only need one ☺
This comment nailed it. I feel exactly the same!
At last, some sense advice and I totally agree with you Matti. Alun
Thank you.
Shoot film‼️Yes✌️
Thank you for many inspiring videos over the past year, like this one, for tips and recommendations beyond sharpness comparison and pixel counting. All the best for 2023!
Thank you too.
Thank you so much for your passion for photography and your honesty as a man with a camera...
Thank you.
As a 4x5 "shooter" (it's more like archery, but slower ;-)) current and future film prices have become prohibitive! Luckily there are more reasons to stay away from 8x10 … 😀 In the end it is the joy of photography that keeps me going, no matter what gear I use. That you admitted that gear is part of it is a good thing - it seems that more photographers give gear the right place (not the leading role, but an important supporting one ;-)). Have a good year 2023!
Thanks for your insights.
For the first time i learned photography back in 1989 with my brother Minolta slr camera 35mm film and i discover how fun it is. Then i bought Nikon FM to explore more in photography and get fun manually adjusting focus,aperture and shutter speed that keep me feel like pro. Year 2000 i sold my Nikon FM and quit photography and i just wonder how people get fun from digital camera that almost all in auto mode. Then in 2020 i start explore many camera model and brand just to compare and i found this channel and make me understand what camera is ideal for me. Panasonic Lumix GH5 for me is enough it will keep me go back to be my hobbies. For me everything you focus on and set shutter speed and what aperture you choice then finally you shot....(nice photo) that's what we would like to feel better then phone camera that nothing to do just click click click you can't feel anything.
Thanks for you backstory.
As usual, Matti, you said it better than I could. I was in an EU country for the holidays, so I could send 4 boxes of photo gear to Tampere to be sold to other lovers of photography. Within the EU, there are no tariffs and duties. Most of my medium format is now gone. I noticed that the bulk and weight started to become a barrier to take pictures. What I have left is only the best of the best for me. Not in the sense of technology, but what suits me best. By selling a lot of gear, I can shoot more and with greater pleasure.
Your smartphone is enough nowadays for 90% of usage.
Thanks. Less gear, better photos😀
@@gainde1137 enough for many shots, but not for the pleasure and personal touch. Too automatic and so, too standard.
Well said, Matti, happy new year!
Thanks.
When using film, I like to try fun films like Lomo Purple, Infrared, Ilford Delta 3200, ADOX CMS 20 II, etc. Maybe you could get the crazy color map of Lomo purple in post. Maybe you could get that kind of anime look of infrared in post. Maybe you could get the grainy picture made of sand from Ilford in post. Maybe you could get that incredible detail of adox in post. But it would not be the same. A sheet of Portra in a 4*5" camera will make a look very hard to achieve by any other method. As for digital photography being too easy, I don't think so. It is the eye of the photographer that creates the image and not the equipment. For me, there are many fun phases to photography. Acquiring the gear. Choosing a location. Choosing the camera settings. Framing the picture. Post processing the picture. Creating a print. All of them are fun. If photography died for everyone else, I would still be out taking images.
Thanks for your insights.
Well said Matti. The act of taking pictures remains a form of communication, that will never go away. A phone camera can communicate an image to anyone in the world in an instant. That is where AI adds value for focusing, image edits and accessing the intended audience. Traditional photography is becoming more of an anachronism, even more so with film photography. To that end I now utilize my iPhone for 100% of my family photos and videos, especially evident with this recent holiday with family. So now my camera$ and lense$ are there to make my ‘art’, no hurry, manual mode taking my time with composition. And prints, even if AI sneaks into my workflow somewhere.. thanks!
Thanks for sharing.
W O N D E R F U L
☮️💟📸
Thanks.
Right on Matti! And one could probably substitute photography with almost any creative activity if one simply uses corresponding vocabulary.
Thanks. Absolutely, any creative activity is good for you😀
I think the main reason for doing photography traditionally in the coming time will be for ourselves, you know you've been there and shot that picture, so it's for you.
Thanks for sharing.
And that video is saved in my "life inspiration" youtube playlist ! thank you for your wise words to start 2023 with hope and motivation ! Happy new year
Happy new year!! Thanks for watching.
Thanks for this motivating video. Best wishes for this great photography and video year !
Thanks to you too.
Hi Matti, just to underline your thoughts: Yesteday I gave an entry level film camera of 1999 to a young lady. She wants to have the film experience that cannot be simmulated by AI. We talked about different types of grain, lenses and shutter sounds. I know quite a few young people that study IA and the things they are doing are just amazing, so I know AI will be huge but it is a different experience all together.
Thanks for your thoughts.
I totally agree! On #1 reason I kicked off the new year with awesome family pics on my APS-C yesterday that no AI can generate. On #4 reason I absolutely enjoy my cameras and lenses. Photography can be tactile and fun that’s impossible for AI or smartphone.
Thanks. You can't beat the feeling of your favorite camera in your hand😀
@@mattisulanto absolutely!
Hi Matti Happy New Year. I'm afraid I am struggling to love photography atm despite some great recent purchases. Maybe it started during covid; did I start to love buying gear more than taking pics during this time? Or is it that as a travel photography lover I struggle for motivation when I don't have somwhere new to visit? Even weekly trips to London are not doing it for me atm. Just sharing some thoughts, pls keep the videos coming in 2023, Rich.
Richard, I blame Boris for taking our freedom away. I used to love planning trips out somewhere new on Saturdays to take photos, and he stopped all that plunging thousands of us into depression and health problems from lack of exercise and lack of fresh air. Try to find somewhere or something that you'd like to go and see to photograph, and plan trips accordingly. Unfortunately at the moment, the train strikes don't help matters
Thanks. Maybe you should just take a brake and not think about photography for a while. I'm sure that sooner or later you'll start to see photos again and when that happens, take out your camera again😀
I started out as a boy with a Box Brownie, then a Voigtlander Vito B (which I still have), on to Pentax Spotmatic, and eventually to my favourite and best film cameras, Nikon F (F2AS, F2SB and F3). My first digital camera was a Panasonic GF2 (still have that), then Olympus and now I'm in the digital Leica world. I don't like phones, except for making occasional telephone calls and some of the 2FA stuff needed nowadays, but I can say that, whilst I've made some poor photos by film or digital, the very few that I've taken on other peoples' phones have been awful.
To my mind, there's nothing more exciting than using a "proper" camera and lenses to make photographs which may happen spontaneously, but always with an understanding of the principles of photography and how to employ them to best effect. I processed and printed all my own films and transparencies, when altering the image wasn't very easy and often impossible, and I tend to think that many of the best photographs in the digital age have little or no PP; relying on the eye and skill of the photographer, equipped with the right "gear".
Thank you for sharing your backstory.
This year, my brother in law made a shitty pass saying he was going to be a photographer like me. He then proceeded to take photos of me while I was doing the Christmas family portrait. Then he asked if he could take photos of me with my camera so I had some. I accepted reluctantly and posed. Ofcourse he used the autofocus 40mm and all the photos were blurry and dark because he wasn't waiting for the speedlite to recycle.
It's not always as easy as it looks😀
Excellent, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
The problem is...We living of photography, and technology is surpassing us all.
As a non-photographer, I think the big failure of modern photography is too many photographers focused on taking the same old photos of stuff like mountains, sunsets, docks, or waterfalls. When I browse through sites like Flickr and 500px you feel like you've seen everything before. No matter how amazing it is, you can only see so many mountains before you feel like you've seen the photo. When you look at old photos from say 1900-1980 they were primarily documenting a particular thing whether it's poverty, pollution, or civil rights -- it was mostly photojournalism. In my opinion, if you want to remain relevant you have to focus on telling stories and documenting interesting subjects.
You nailed it and I couldn't have said that any better😀
To follow up on my comment a few things that come to mind that could be cool projects. Take the next 2 years and primarily focus all your efforts one subject like:
1) Homelessness. You can focus on the people, the living conditions, crime, pain, effects on the community, activists, etc..
2) Small Town America. Travel to small cities and share what life is like in small towns. Attend their community events, photograph the small cafes. The workers, schools, etc..
3) Politics. Instead of picking a side you could try to highlight the deep divide politically in the country by showing each side. Think back at the civil rights movement and how photographers captures the faces of segregationists and those fighting for equal rights.
4) Immigration. Regardless of your position, the illegal immigration is something that needs to be covered.
5) Natural Disasters. If you want to travel you can find natural disasters all over the country. Document the destruction but also the people after.
6) Life in your state. Try to systematically document all major monuments, events, activities, tourist spots, etc.. Imagine someone in 500 years studying your images to understand what life was like in your state. What did people eat, what did they do for fun, where did they hang out, what kind of traditions did they have. The key here is systematic and thorough.
I wholeheartedly agree with most of what you have to say, except that I hope you're wrong about that last section, as I'm in the early stages of producing a book and it will have zero pictures of celebrities! Also, while I too like film (which I shot for decades and I still have some Nikon and Pentax gear), the hassle factor and availability of (noxious) chemicals have pushed me into a fully digital workflow (with which I sometimes emulate film looks). Digital may more more "accurate" (although no imaging system can replicate what we see), but IMO, film just looks better, just as "analog" music sounds better than digital. Bottom line: as long as I can trip a shutter, I'll keep making photographs!
Thanks. I hope you'll have success with your book.
Other reason: never before the photography was so cheap. An "old" small DSLR in perfect condition, like a Nikon d3300 (130usd), d5000 (100usd), d3000 (70usd), etc, can be purchased for little money with the kit lens, and lenses like Yongnuo 85mm 1.8 (90usd) and 40mm 2.8 (50usd) and others are dirt cheap. You can get a 200usd camera + 3 lenses bundle. Same in Canon (450D, T2i, T3, SL1, etc) and old Yongnuo, Sigma, Tamron or Tokina lenses. Sony have cheapo cameras (Nex3, Nex5, A3000, etc) but the lenses are pricier than DSLR's ones.
So, it never has been so cheap!! And the pictures taken with that cameras are plenty for small prints (as a gift for family and friends) or social media. And if you know post process and know the light, the illumination, you can even make a pro level shoot and nobody will notice it was done with a cheap camera.
Thanks for sharing. Good point, photography is very affordable now.
absolutely agree with point of ignoring haters... but where can we share our photography and get real feedback if not instagram for example? thanks for your content and shalom from tel-aviv.
Thanks. It's very difficult to get real feedback. Workshops are a great place to learn photography and get feedback.
Right!
Thanks.
If I feel threatened by modern photography technologies on my camera , I just switch my camera to manual mode.
Thanks for sharing.
Wow, film prices have really gone up. Just checked. I’m used to $5 for 5 pack of 120 TMY. It’s now $50 for the same. This is an unfortunate barrier to entry for many.
Still, I might order a few packs for nostalgia sake if nothing else. Still have the Nikon Coolscan 135 and 120 scanners in the office…
I always wanted the 120 version, but it always seemed too expensive😀
@@mattisulanto These days scanning with a digital camera is as good and may be faster. If you still have the s1r, put that in 200MP hires mode. That'll pick up more than 6x7 can record.
@@RobertLeeAtYT Of course, but I can still want the Coolscan😀
Photography with proper cameras is important to capture the world as it is, without being "improved" with AI and algorithms. Capturing our own lives is a key reason that most of us enjoy photography. We also need photographers who value "real" photos that haven't been manipulated by AI. It's a horrible thought to think that most photos taken by smart phones in the future will be manipulated in some way by AI.
Thanks. Yes, if every photo was somehow enhanced it would terrible.
Danke!
Vielen dank auch.
Thanks!
Thank You.
You’re welcome!
BRAVO !!! zen billings in canada
Thanks😀
your most welcome !
I suspect that with the growing capabilities of AI and its popularity, that film photography, and chemical prints will grow in popularity, as people want to "prove" that their photography is real. ;-) (yeah, that's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it's still a thought I've had and am curious about. I know that I now have that thought in mind with my own film photography)
Hmm.. Actually, having the images on physical film doesn’t necessarily prove anything.
In the enthusiast community, there’s a very niche segment doing digital enlarger and digital negatives.
Instead of projecting from the film negative, place a projector behind the enlarger instead. A U.K. company, De Vere has purpose built digital enlargers. There’s plenty of DIY options as well.
WhenI used to do computer graphics many decades ago, my lab had a film recorder. Load the machine with film of choice. The machine exposed it with the specified image file. Back in the days of the original IBM PC this was the only practical way to get 20MP CG images onto broadly consumable media, projection or print.
Thanks.
Shooting digital typically means much more images to manage. Shooting film makes you more selective and focus on the subjects.
That is often true, but both can be fun😀
@@mattisulanto I can track my progress by the number of images I deleted. I enjoy manual focusing, the old fashion way
Danke
Thanks
Thanks
Thank You.
words of wisdom
Thank you.
AI will never be a threat to photography I think. Even pro photography will remain cause AI will not replace art and ideas behind it. And AI will not replace a photo showing us horrors of war. It can create same image, but it will be just a fantasy drawing, not document of real event.
For hobbyists - will AI replace a photo of your kid playing games, or his first steps? Will it replace a feeling of getting a rare plane landing in a rain that you waited to photograph, or busy streets in a city when you asked stranger for a portrait and he said sure, not problem? No.
Gear is just gear, smartphone may be as good or as bad as anything else, but photography will remain for a long time. Like every art has.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
No matter how smart ai gets it can’t capture every day life and moments. It doesn’t bother me in the least
Thanks.
👏👏👏😊🙏
AI kills quick
Was dead last year
This year will easily be better then.
Photography only dies when you put the camera away 😉 so the real question is, will photography die for you in 2023? 😊
Hope not 🤞
Thanks. I hope the same😀
Ciao Mattia Sulanti, sei Italiano? Perché parli con le mani come un pazzo. Or perhaps you like just move the air around you.
I like moving air.
Again and again you get a like from me
After spotting Ricoh's latest two cameras and buying them, I've found the joy in photography again, and the image quality is much better (in fact, it's fantastic) than what I get with my iPhone.
Working without multiple lenses is also a liberation in my daily photography, because I almost always only take one of the cameras with me, because this way I feel more creative!
I also have the tele adapter for the Ricoh GRIIIx, but I have only used it very little yet.....
Thanks so much. The GR, hard to beat the fun😀