Black & White Photography - September 2015 UK

78

B+W

COMMENT

All images © Tim Clinch

There’s nothing like a list to catch your attention, and the internet is full

of them – but are they worth the time it takes to read them? Far better,

says Tim Clinch, to get out there and take pictures.

A FORTNIGHT AT F/8

L

ists. They’re everywhere.

The internet is full of

them, especially, it seems

to me, photography related

ones. So I’ve decided to jump

on the bandwagon and publish

three of my own. Here goes.

Five things that have

made photography

better than before:

1 Democracy

Yes my friends, anyone

can now call themselves a

photographer. That doesn’t

mean that they are, but

the digital revolution (or

whatever it is) means that

nowadays anyone can have

a go.

This is a good thing. Cream

rises to the top.

2 Mobile phones

There is no excuse for anyone

not to have a camera on them

at all times. Once again, this

can only be a good thing.

3 Technology that works

Split second autofocus, TTL

metering that is 100% accurate

• I love it all. And, most
  importantly, it frees me up to
  concentrate on the important
  stuff: composition, lighting
  and subject matter.
  4 Lightroom
  My favourite post-production
  software. I’m in control of all
  my pictures, all the time.
  5 Cheap airline tickets
  Best way to improve your
  portfolio/website/photographic
  self-esteem? Pack your camera
  bag. Hop on a plane and go
  take pictures!

Five things that have

made photography

worse than before:

1 Endless pigeonholing

‘I’m a street/pinhole/film/

macro/mobile/Canon/Nikon

photographer’. No you’re not.

If you’re any good at all, you’re

just a photographer.

2 Camera manufacturers

The ones who have stopped

making actual cameras and are

now suppliers of up-market,

male jewellery.

3 The long live film

movement

Film will never die. Now let’s

move on and take pictures.

4 Hypocrisy

People who take faux vintage

wet plate collodion pictures

with their expensive large

format cameras complaining

about people who take faux

vintage pictures with their new

iPhones (and vice-versa).

5 Photography snobs

My goodness...don’t we all

know some! Listen geek-boy,

just because someone does

something differently to you

doesn’t mean they’re wrong.

Five really annoying

questions I get asked

all the time:

1 Q What camera should

I buy?

A I don’t know, I’m not you.

Think about the type of

photography you like and

do some research.

2 Q I’d like to use your

pictures but don’t have a

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