What’s Your Preference?

moayad · #1 (**permalink**) 09-16-2009, 05:05 AM

Hi everyone

The concept of organic products has been gaining popularity in recent years. I lately visited a farmers market where most stalls were displaying organic products. Squeezed among the stalls was a photographer's displaying unframed photos taken durig her travels. Her pitch was that all her photos were taken without "filters" and were not processed. I guess she was saying that my photos are as organic as all the onions and cucumbers you just bought.

Some people tend to think that pictures that do not need editing/processing are the good ones. I tend to agree to some degree. One measure of a good picture - and a good photographer - is to get it right, right then and there. (I'm sure many would argue otherwise.)

To make a long story short, I intend to share my organic shots here since it seems that this is the most popular forum in DPS. My thread will also be a space saver and enviromentally friendly as I will post all the pictures I take within this thread, not all at once of course. Feel free to comment on the product; it's not for sale anyway.

Here we go:

moayad · #2 (**permalink**) 09-16-2009, 05:35 AM

I said: Can I take you picture?
He said, with a smile: You don't need to ask!

This is a picture of an Omani fisherman. His family use their boat to fish on weekdays and as a water taxi on the weekends, taking tourist to the many offshore islands.

The perfect picture is the one that is both technically right and has a memory associated with it. Ironically, this one is not organic, but it is a favorite and says alot.

JuiceZA · #3 (**permalink**) 09-16-2009, 05:38 AM

I like your sentiment

I was just thinking about it this morning and I'm a big fan of 'organic photography', as you call it. My favourite photos are the ones where I don't have to do any post-production. I know there are two opposing schools of thought on the topic, with some people saying that post-production is merely one of the benefits of digital photography, but I believe that if you take the best picture you can take, no post-production should be required.

wulf · #4 (**permalink**) 09-16-2009, 09:18 AM

Hmmnnn... sounds about as organic as a pile of horse dung to me. Don't get me wrong - I'm a keen gardener and stuff like horse manure is excellent for helping a garden grow but you want some flowers and vegetables round the place, not just piles of muck.

In the same way, learning to take excellent shots with your camera is a superb way of learning your tools, developing your eye and giving you a great foundation to work on. However, you are still seizing on electronic or chemical means to capture the image that you intuit is to be had from the scene.

I can see it working as a marketing pitch but surely a more organic approach is to let your artwork develop and improve over time?

Wulf

ldrider51 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-16-2009, 07:22 PM

I really like this kind of portrait.

moayad · #6 (**permalink**) 09-16-2009, 07:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JuiceZA

I like your sentiment

I was just thinking about it this morning and I'm a big fan of 'organic photography', as you call it. My favourite photos are the ones where I don't have to do any post-production. I know there are two opposing schools of thought on the topic, with some people saying that post-production is merely one of the benefits of digital photography, but I believe that if you take the best picture you can take, no post-production should be required.

Totally agree. A simple test of how organic your shot was is to subject it to the "autocorrect" button; if no,or minimal change occures, it's approved

moayad · #7 (**permalink**) 09-16-2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wulf

Hmmnnn... sounds about as organic as a pile of horse dung to me. Don't get me wrong - I'm a keen gardener and stuff like horse manure is excellent for helping a garden grow but you want some flowers and vegetables round the place, not just piles of muck.

In the same way, learning to take excellent shots with your camera is a superb way of learning your tools, developing your eye and giving you a great foundation to work on. However, you are still seizing on electronic or chemical means to capture the image that you intuit is to be had from the scene.

I can see it working as a marketing pitch but surely a more organic approach is to let your artwork develop and improve over time?

Wulf

You got me wrong Wulf; that dung was not organic at all. Wait until you see the real stuff; it might burn all your plants

Totally agree with the second paragraph! Why on earth do we pay for all the the fancy technology on our SLRs if we don't use it, right then and there!