# When People Think Photography Is Easy



## fjrabon (Jul 7, 2012)

My friend Tiffany, bless her heart, has a newfound appreciation for taking a good photo.  At least she has the self awareness to be confronted with a massive fail, and then re-evaluate her feelings.  

Favorite part: trying to take the "shoes are in focus, but everything else is blurry" shot with an iPhone, on a dark street.



And this is why I&#8217;m not a fashion blogger « best/worstclubever


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## cgipson1 (Jul 7, 2012)

hahahah... that's funny!


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## IByte (Jul 7, 2012)

I thought taking a photo was easy until I started reading the manual, and the critiques I've received posting a few photos myself, and nothing beats that cream cheesy bokeh.  But I am working with my mentor to get my skills up to par:thumbup:


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## fjrabon (Jul 7, 2012)

IByte said:


> I thought taking a photo was easy until I started reading the manual, and the critiques I've received posting a few photos myself, and nothing beats that cream cheesy bokeh.  But I am working with my mentor to get my skills up to par:thumbup:



Ha, yeah.  Though prior to this, she wasn't even at the "I think I might need more than an iPhone to get the everything else is blurry look".  Like she thought you could more or less get any shot with an iPhone and photoshop, and that photoshop couldn't be all that hard, haha.


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## cgipson1 (Jul 7, 2012)

IByte said:


> I thought taking a photo was easy until I started reading the manual, and the critiques I've received posting a few photos myself, and nothing beats that cream cheesy bokeh.  But I am working with my mentor to get my skills up to par:thumbup:



Glad to hear you found a mentor! That's awesome!


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## IByte (Jul 7, 2012)

cgipson1 said:
			
		

> Glad to hear you found a mentor! That's awesome!



Between my professor and the mentor it's a great combo.  Sorry OP I didn't mean to hijack your thread.


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## pixmedic (Jul 7, 2012)

taking a picture IS easy...photography is hard.


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## IByte (Jul 7, 2012)

pixmedic said:
			
		

> taking a picture IS easy...photography is hard.



Omg you have removed your band aids Oo.


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## tylerzachary412 (Jul 25, 2012)

Taking a GREAT photo will be easy after 5 - 10 year pf professional practice. That's simple


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## sm4him (Jul 25, 2012)

I find it highly encouraging to know that there is at least ONE blogger with an iPhone out there who now realizes they may not be ready to "go pro." 
I mean, she didn't even come to the conclusion of "What I need is a better camera--THEN those shots would be EASY."


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## newpen (Aug 13, 2012)

Taking the photo, simple is save the moments so don't care about nice or bad, only natural is good.


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## JasonNY (Aug 14, 2012)

I love the elitist attitude shown on these boards sometimes. That somehow an iPhone is incapable of taking amazing pictures. I have news for you, great pictures were taken long before all the gadgets and gizmos and lenses and digital inventions we have today. 

"A photographer went to a socialite party in New York. As he entered the front door, the host said &#8216;I love your pictures &#8211; they&#8217;re wonderful; you must have a fantastic camera.&#8217; He said nothing until dinner was finished, then: &#8216;That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a terrific stove."

Photography is an art, and art isn't about technology, it's about people, intuition and vision. 

The bottom line is that ever since George Eastman came out with the first Kodak Camera in 1888, regular people have been taking pictures to capture memories. Memories aren't art, but art can be memories.

It is a select few who have the knowledge, understanding and timing to take a once-in-a-lifetime picture. Most of the iconic photos in history were just people being in the right place at the right time with a camera.

Museum quality photos can be taken with an iPhone, and sold for $1000 bucks a print, if you have the talent and vision.


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## cgipson1 (Aug 14, 2012)

JasonNY said:


> I love the elitist attitude shown on these boards sometimes. That somehow an iPhone is incapable of taking amazing pictures. I have news for you, great pictures were taken long before all the gadgets and gizmos and lenses and digital inventions we have today.
> 
> "A photographer went to a socialite party in New York. As he entered the front door, the host said &#8216;I love your pictures &#8211; they&#8217;re wonderful; you must have a fantastic camera.&#8217; He said nothing until dinner was finished, then: &#8216;That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a terrific stove."
> 
> ...



Sure, it can happen! But GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!


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## Jaemie (Aug 14, 2012)

Does the iPhone really have a button called "Capture"?

*gag, hurl...*


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## Derrel (Aug 14, 2012)

Wow..the gal in those awful pictures is totally HAWT!

Yikes!!!!!!!! So sad, such a beautiful woman and the pics are absolute dreck...But a great attitude though despite that!


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## Ballistics (Aug 14, 2012)

JasonNY said:


> I love the elitist attitude shown on these boards sometimes. That somehow an iPhone is incapable of taking amazing pictures. I have news for you, great pictures were taken long before all the gadgets and gizmos and lenses and digital inventions we have today.
> 
> "A photographer went to a socialite party in New York. As he entered the front door, the host said &#8216;I love your pictures &#8211; they&#8217;re wonderful; you must have a fantastic camera.&#8217; He said nothing until dinner was finished, then: &#8216;That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a terrific stove."
> 
> ...



It's not an "elitist" attitude. An amazing picture is subjective. 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/aa/Rhein_II.jpg

This is the most expensive photograph in the world. Someone somewhere thought this picture was worth $4.3 million, so the argument that the iPhone can take amazing photos is irrelevant because it's impossible to argue for or against.

Photography is an art, but it's also a science.

So let me ask you, is it knowledge and understanding or just dumb luck for a photo to be revered?
Also, what is "museum quality"? 

The age old argument that the equipment doesn't matter is silly, because there are too many variables and circumstances to make that statement true or untrue, and in most cases it is false.


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## JasonNY (Aug 14, 2012)

Look, I understand that people are very defensive of their latest gadgets and the thousands of dollars they've spent on this lens, or that camera, but in the end, it's the photo that matters, not what took it. 

In my opinion, there's the bread-and-butter, 'I-run-a-photo-studio-and-take-graduation-pictures-to-pay-the-bills' type of photography, which, arguably is about quality to stay competitive. Backdrops, lighting, lenses, cameras, etc. all add up to make you better than Joe's Photo Studio down the street.

But when it comes to artistic photography, that is about vision and inspiration, it doesn't matter what equipment you use. 

Feel free to disagree with me all you want, but an iPhone 4, with proper subject, lighting, timing and post-processing can take truly breathtaking photos.

The equipment doesn't make the photo, the photographer makes the photo.


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## Ballistics (Aug 14, 2012)

JasonNY said:


> Look, I understand that people are very defensive of their latest gadgets and the thousands of dollars they've spent on this lens, or that camera, but in the end, it's the photo that matters, not what took it.
> 
> In my opinion, there's the bread-and-butter, 'I-run-a-photo-studio-and-take-graduation-pictures-to-pay-the-bills' type of photography, which, arguably is about quality to stay competitive. Backdrops, lighting, lenses, cameras, etc. all add up to make you better than Joe's Photo Studio down the street.
> 
> ...



Ok, then I challenge you to take a photograph without a camera. Good luck.


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