Comments on: [Discussion] Yes, I think Hipstamatic and Instagram are Bullshit but then again… I’m a photographer.

By: James Morrone

James Morrone — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:22:00 +0000

pho·tog·ra·pher noun fə-ˈtä-grə-fər

Definition of PHOTOGRAPHER: one who practices photography; especially : one who makes a business of taking photographsThis is the whole point. The rest is elitist nonsense.

By: Hum

Hum — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:06:00 +0000

Stick your professional photographs up your bum. If you have a camera and your taking a photo. You must be a photographer!!

By: Nicolas Dumont

Nicolas Dumont — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:20:00 +0000

A photographer (from Greek) photos, meaning “light”, and graphos, meaning “written”, is a person who takes photographs.
I also happen to be a professional photographer and don’t give a rats a.. what camera I use, as long as I’m happy and my clients are happy.
Move along!

By: Angel Oviedo

Angel Oviedo — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:41:00 +0000

Using loops, effects presets and put them together to make a song makes someone a musician? Could be, but someone made that loops and effects, not the musician itself. It could be a good song of course. I think is the same when using a “point-shoot-choose preset” camera. They can be called photographers, but no Pro photographers. At the end, we are free to do whatever we want, some people will like it or not. And yes, I know about some people that says that they are photogs just using iphone and friends.

By: Paul Spenard

Paul Spenard — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 02:00:00 +0000

The same thing can be said about Garageband and other music apps – do musicians cringe when people create music works using apps and not the traditional? I love the apps – instagram, picas, toonpaint, be funky, hipstamatic, hdr+ and a slew of others. They can really take someone to a creative level when taking them to the limit. Creativity is more than just being professional and having high end gear. Kudos to anyone that can take whatever at hand and make a creative beautiful picture. I think that’s the point people are missing – these apps allow one to express creativity on a smartphone. One will not see the cover of a magazine shot using a smartphone app and the photographer getting paid for it… This whole instragram controversy is much like someone who takes rudimentary items and creates art. I have seen artists take $5 worth of household items and make great art – does this mean they are not an artist? I am not saying apps on a smartphone makes one a professional photographer – neither does buying a pro camera and saying you are. No different than a guy spending $5000 on a high end guitar and amp/sound system and calling themselves a musician. Just because one can play a guitar does not make one a musician

Pinhole photographers don’t get this negative attention as well as lomo or other creative people. I know a guy who shoots amazing pics on a d90 using einsteins and plm’s. Its not all about your gear or your profession when out comes to creativity.

I thinks some photographers get too sensitive and insecure when they see something that infringes on their domain… I welcome it for anything that brings more people into photography and leads them to higher levels and getting into the art seriously is a good thing. We professionals know what is what – so I leave it at that and try not to get bent out of shape over a smartphone pic. It is just that – a smartphone pic and leave it at that.

By: Werner Rolli

Werner Rolli — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:57:00 +0000

Don’t get too excited about this. If you do have an eye for composition, a feeling for light und knowledge of dof, shutter speed and what ever … nobody cares what device you are using to get the pic. An iphone will be no thread to say an architectural photographer and filters wear themselves out over time. I agree with Kenn though, that too many people think they can shoot weddings and portraits with a cheap body and a kit lens. If you want to be a pro you have to learn more than the basics.

By: Mike M

Mike M — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:18:00 +0000

Tman:

It seems that Kenn is talking more intentionally about the “weekend shooters” also known as the “this is a flower/chair/out of focus face, and now I’ve added a filter so it’s art”. The “black and white will make it look artistic” crowd. It seems you are taking his post more literal than he meant it.

“But I still maintain that the use of iPhone filters… have very little to do with real
photography. It’s not the use of an iPhone that I find “cheap” (I think
they are brilliant) but the use of cookie cutter filters

****in place of creativity and light comprehension****

Wouldn’t that be great if someday, any average Joe could pick up a camera, and every single calculation.. capture moment, lighting, exposure, depth of field, was automatically calculated to capture the perfect image with the camera, and suddenly no more creativity was needed?

#Can’twaitforendofartisticfreedom

By: Mike M

Mike M — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:13:00 +0000

It’s like saying “Puppies aren’t REAL dogs!

Actually, it’s more like saying having your pets groomed is not real pet ownership, but vicarious living through your animals.

Your analogy is more akin to, Point and Shoots aren’t real cameras. Or perhaps even Film SLRs don’t count, because they came first, yet were necessary for us to have DSLR technology today.

By: Mike M

Mike M — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:11:00 +0000

He could be taking amazing images, even with that terrible imaging device… did you even give it a look before you walked away?

By: Mike M

Mike M — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:06:00 +0000

Corey, I don’t really think that’s what Kenn meant…

He quoted someone else… but his actual statements seemed significantly different than your summary of his point…

“some guys… have succesfully capitalized off of the novelty of iPhone filters
like Hipstamatic and Instagram and produced some compelling works…. I
still maintain that the use of iPhone filters, for anything other than
fun/novelty shooting, have very little to do with real photography.”

So, “Does anyone on this planet say they are a photographer based solely on the fact that they take pictures with their iphone?”

He also goes on to say “It’s not the use of an iPhone that I find “cheap”… but the use of cookie cutter filters in place of creativity and light comprehension.”

Which seems to be a fairly intellectual and apt point about the cookie cutter-like nature of these filters.

Can you create great images with this camera? Of course. Would that alone be getting you any variety of paid jobs… I’d doubt it.

It was Sam Biddle who said “Photo Apps Don’t Make You a Photographer”, but that’s just a general saying like “having an SLR doesn’t make you a photographer”, he’s not claiming boatloads of people think that way…

Although to be blatantly honest, if you think there is *no one at all* who thinks that way, you’re probably not looking at the entire situation Corey ;P.