A couple years back I saw a well-known photo educator on social media chastise his audience on this very issue. But his take was that we should all be using all those auto settings so we could concentrate on the photo. I was offended. Since I'm an old photographer I learned to shoot auto-nothing. And even with my R5 or GFX I still shoot manual. I want to control the image and not turn it over to an average. I don't want average. The only thing I do auto is focus and that's because my old eyes often fail me and my clients would not be happy with that. I'm now shooting some film again playing with my M4p, OM-1 and Fm2 and a few other old cameras and it's easy to move back to them since I'm used to manual and ...shooting with intent.
I understand this take... If one is a photojournalist and wants the average picture... no motion blur, no eyeball out of focus, etc, but... my take is that if you want anything different than what the camera has decided manipulating that thing you want to be different IS THE DISTRACTION. As always, do what works for you but I think the basic parameters of photography should be considered when deciding WHAT picture YOU want of any given scene. Maybe I'll write something titled "What I learned from owning a broken lens" at some point. Might be entertaining, possibly enlightening to some.
I would guess I'm in the same boat as you, Art. All manual, but my eyesight has gone downhill and I have a hard time focusing at times, so autofocus allows me to continue with what I love.
Good newsletter Bob. I agree with everything you said. I have to stop that. Last week I left my R6 at home when I visited Congaree NP with Anna, from your workshop. There were 3 of us with Hasselblad 500cm cameras wandering among giant loblolly pines and cypress trees. Didn’t have to turn anything off. Every kerplunk of that shutter required thought and intent. By the way, intent works fine. No fulness needed.
I like to make up words, I think I inherited it from my Grandfather. Glad to hear you were out and about... too cold for me until it is consistently above 50F,
I was happy with aperture priority for years until I realized that it was still auto iso. Slowly over the years I took back complete control of exposure because it made a difference. Recently shifted to a Sony A7CR not only for compact size but because it had fewer buttons. Now I am the master of the camera allowing only focus to be automated but very easily overridden to fine tune manually. It forces me to slow down and consider composition and lighting like the old days with my OM2S (spot meter was the pinnacle of automation back then!). Yet, when I want grab shoot, with a twist of the memory dial I can got to full automatic. I think of today’s incredible cameras as another tool in the toolbox, the old tools and techniques are just as important, we just have a richer and more powerful toolbox when we don’t forget the tried and true. What an era to be working as a photographer!!! We truly can have it all!
I shoot film more than I do digital so I don't have luxuries like Auto ISO LOL. Even when I shoot digital, I am typically in aperture priority mode and I manually control the ISO. I know with modern DSLR and mirrorless camera you don't have to watch the ISO like you did with early digital and it is convent but I like control when I can have it. When I can't, setting your aperture and letting the camera control the ISO and shutter is a great thing to have when you don't have time to fiddle with it. With film, I use film that I know has a wide latitude that I can underexpose (within a stop) and overexpose (within 2 to 3 stops) frames on the same roll and process and still get good useable images but that can still be limiting depending on the situation. In the end the camera is a tool, use it to fit the goal.
A couple years back I saw a well-known photo educator on social media chastise his audience on this very issue. But his take was that we should all be using all those auto settings so we could concentrate on the photo. I was offended. Since I'm an old photographer I learned to shoot auto-nothing. And even with my R5 or GFX I still shoot manual. I want to control the image and not turn it over to an average. I don't want average. The only thing I do auto is focus and that's because my old eyes often fail me and my clients would not be happy with that. I'm now shooting some film again playing with my M4p, OM-1 and Fm2 and a few other old cameras and it's easy to move back to them since I'm used to manual and ...shooting with intent.
I understand this take... If one is a photojournalist and wants the average picture... no motion blur, no eyeball out of focus, etc, but... my take is that if you want anything different than what the camera has decided manipulating that thing you want to be different IS THE DISTRACTION. As always, do what works for you but I think the basic parameters of photography should be considered when deciding WHAT picture YOU want of any given scene. Maybe I'll write something titled "What I learned from owning a broken lens" at some point. Might be entertaining, possibly enlightening to some.
I would guess I'm in the same boat as you, Art. All manual, but my eyesight has gone downhill and I have a hard time focusing at times, so autofocus allows me to continue with what I love.
Good newsletter Bob. I agree with everything you said. I have to stop that. Last week I left my R6 at home when I visited Congaree NP with Anna, from your workshop. There were 3 of us with Hasselblad 500cm cameras wandering among giant loblolly pines and cypress trees. Didn’t have to turn anything off. Every kerplunk of that shutter required thought and intent. By the way, intent works fine. No fulness needed.
I like to make up words, I think I inherited it from my Grandfather. Glad to hear you were out and about... too cold for me until it is consistently above 50F,
I was happy with aperture priority for years until I realized that it was still auto iso. Slowly over the years I took back complete control of exposure because it made a difference. Recently shifted to a Sony A7CR not only for compact size but because it had fewer buttons. Now I am the master of the camera allowing only focus to be automated but very easily overridden to fine tune manually. It forces me to slow down and consider composition and lighting like the old days with my OM2S (spot meter was the pinnacle of automation back then!). Yet, when I want grab shoot, with a twist of the memory dial I can got to full automatic. I think of today’s incredible cameras as another tool in the toolbox, the old tools and techniques are just as important, we just have a richer and more powerful toolbox when we don’t forget the tried and true. What an era to be working as a photographer!!! We truly can have it all!
Intent and fundamentals really do go a long way
We were near Columbia, SC. 50s and sunny. Perfect.
I shoot film more than I do digital so I don't have luxuries like Auto ISO LOL. Even when I shoot digital, I am typically in aperture priority mode and I manually control the ISO. I know with modern DSLR and mirrorless camera you don't have to watch the ISO like you did with early digital and it is convent but I like control when I can have it. When I can't, setting your aperture and letting the camera control the ISO and shutter is a great thing to have when you don't have time to fiddle with it. With film, I use film that I know has a wide latitude that I can underexpose (within a stop) and overexpose (within 2 to 3 stops) frames on the same roll and process and still get good useable images but that can still be limiting depending on the situation. In the end the camera is a tool, use it to fit the goal.