[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by architect

An interesting discussion. But everybody has a different reason to take up photography. If you are taking it up as a means of showing off your (gear's) ability, you will move along the gimmicky path, and we may expect a lot of photoshop and filter-added images.

No, IMO. No one takes up photography to show off one's ability. And pursuit of improvement can come through the gear route as well as post processing route. In fact, if one uses state of the art gear appropriately there is less need to do certain kinds of pp.

What is gimmicky? The renowned photographers from the film era spent a lot of time in the darkroom. There is nothing wrong with digital processing or filters.

Re showing off gear - I was talking about a specific genre, that has different dynamics. Where lenses can cost more than entry level cars. e.g. the Nikon 600mm f/4 (E version) costs 7.5 lakhs.

[architect]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

No, IMO. No one takes up photography to show off one's ability. And pursuit of improvement can come through the gear route as well as post processing route. In fact, if one uses state of the art gear appropriately there is less need to do certain kinds of pp.

What is gimmicky? The renowned photographers from the film era spent a lot of time in the darkroom. There is nothing wrong with digital processing or filters.

Maybe I didn't communicate clearly or maybe I was too verbose in my post.

My point was that:

1. We take up photography for self-expression, unless we take it up as a "me-too" hobby.

2. Pursuit of improvement comes from gear as well as post-processing / darkroom work.

But REAL improvement comes with improving your vision. To know why we are photographing, what we are photographing and how we want to present it to the world. This will give your photography an individuality that no amount of gear / PP skills can give you.

3. There is nothing wrong with filters or digital processing as long as the image improves on their application. At the same time, you can make a beautiful image SOOC if your vision is clear.

"There is nothing worse than a sharp photograph of a fuzzy idea" or something to that effect, as Ansel Adams had said.

The three images on my previous post were an illustration of how, despite having two DSLRs, one X100 at home along with a bunch of lenses, these photographs give me immense pleasure, though I shot them on cameras and lenses manufactured in the 1960s and on film. I feel these photos communicate what they have to with basic equipment and the film developed by the average lab Johnny (which is itself a rare species in 2017).

[VW2010]

At the same time, you can make a beautiful image SOOC if your vision is clear.

Check out this guy Pon Prabhakaran. He does street style wedding photography. The technical aspect may be off but the story telling is mind blowing.

If you are taking it up as a means of showing off your (gear's) ability, you will move along the gimmicky path, and we may expect a lot of photoshop and filter-added images

I do not mind a nicely edited picture. It is an art. Art is an expression and if the same can be achieved with tools at disposal/editing skills or any form of Gimmicky, i am perfectly fine. What you term as vision, to me, is on the output. If you can achieve it in camera, good, but if you can bring that out during editing it is still good for me.

An un-edited straight from the camera picture (RAW) needs attention of some sort. The JPEG is anyway an edited form which means there is one or another form of editing happening. No matter what the vision is the raw output needs some basic gimmicky if not advance.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by architect

But REAL improvement comes with improving your vision.[/b] [b]To know why we are photographing, what we are photographing and how we want to present it to the world. This will give your photography an individuality that no amount of gear / PP skills can give you.

Vision. And execution. Vision without the ability to execute is useless. And execution without vision can result in snapshots. In an ideal scenario, one has the end result in mind and everything then flows. But sometimes that doesn't happen, for various reasons.

Anyway, I don't talk about vision or 'art' because people have different perspectives, and I am somewhat of a philistine re non-nature/wildlife photography.

Originally Posted by VW2010

If you can achieve it in camera, good, but if you can bring that out during editing it is still good for me.

+1. Means to an end. That includes digital vs film shooting, for me. If I don't like the end result, it doesn't matter whether it was shot in film, or digital, or was sooc, or extensively processed.

[architect]

Originally Posted by VW2010

If you can achieve it in camera, good, but if you can bring that out during editing it is still good for me.

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Vision. And execution. Vision without the ability to execute is useless. .

I am not against processing. I shoot RAW and I work with levels, cropping, shadows / highlights myself on Lightroom. I scan all my negatives and work on them on Lightroom.

A RAW image or a negative is a score, not a rendition. It has to be rendered well. But there has to be some connect between what triggered you to take the picture and what you finally produced, even if it is sub-conscious.

My posts are to do with the obsession with gear and post-processing without much emphasis on content. Maybe there's a disconnect between me and others but I believe we are all saying the same thing.

[naturaldisaster]

Hi folks. Quick question. I am looking for a Sigma dealer in Delhi. Spoke to local mall guys and the lens i want is not in stock. Plus it seems the distributor is changing. Any reference for a store that keeps Sigma lenses? Cheers.

[sdp1975]

Originally Posted by naturaldisaster

Hi folks. Quick question. I am looking for a Sigma dealer in Delhi. Spoke to local mall guys and the lens i want is not in stock. Plus it seems the distributor is changing. Any reference for a store that keeps Sigma lenses? Cheers.

You can get in touch with Videolinks. They can usually procure it they don't have stock and they will ship it to you.

https://www.videolinks.com/

[naturaldisaster]

Originally Posted by sdp1975

You can get in touch with Videolinks. They can usually procure it they don't have stock and they will ship it to you.

https://www.videolinks.com/

Thank you for the reference. Have spoken to them and will take a call. Just a little worried about ordering a lens with so many glasses inside online and having it shipped. Cheers.

[Traveller Nayak]

Originally Posted by naturaldisaster

Hi folks. Quick question. I am looking for a Sigma dealer in Delhi. Spoke to local mall guys and the lens i want is not in stock. Plus it seems the distributor is changing. Any reference for a store that keeps Sigma lenses? Cheers.

You can also try Golu photos at Old Delhi. I was referred to them by Sigma India when I bought my 150-600 mm sports about 2 years ago.

Contact details: Mr. Golu: +91 9811062088.

[sdp1975]

Originally Posted by naturaldisaster

Thank you for the reference. Have spoken to them and will take a call. Just a little worried about ordering a lens with so many glasses inside online and having it shipped. Cheers.

Anish is a very reliable dealer. Lot's of folks regularly purchase from him pro lenses like 70-200 2.8 etc and get it shipped.

Packing has been excellent whenever I've bought from him. If you're more comfortable buying it locally do that though.

[naturaldisaster]

Originally Posted by Traveller Nayak

You can also try Golu photos at Old Delhi. I was referred to them by Sigma India when I bought my 150-600 mm sports about 2 years ago.

Contact details: Mr. Golu: +91 9811062088.

Thanks a lot Sir. Will call there as well.

Originally Posted by sdp1975

Anish is a very reliable dealer. Lot's of folks regularly purchase from him pro lenses like 70-200 2.8 etc and get it shipped.

Packing has been excellent whenever I've bought from him. If you're more comfortable buying it locally do that though.

If that is the case, i would not have a problem, just that i have never bought a lens online. Thanks again.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by sdp1975

You can get in touch with Videolinks. They can usually procure it they don't have stock and they will ship it to you.

Originally Posted by naturaldisaster

Thank you for the reference. Have spoken to them and will take a call. Just a little worried about ordering a lens with so many glasses inside online and having it shipped. Cheers.

It happens that I ordered a couple of PeakDesign items from videolinks. There's not much less fragile than a camera strap and a wrist strap. They were the best-packed parcels ever. Plainly, they had taken a huge amount of care in wrapping these items. I'm sure they would pack a lens at least as well.

PS, Neewer 35mm f1.7 arrived from China.
PPS... packing was useless: it's own cardboard box just chucked into a postal bag. It arrived ok!

[VW2010]

You can be worried about your own shipping of lenses. But not with Anish. His usp is customer service. He will.go out of the way to ensure you are happy and satisfied.

[naturaldisaster]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

It happens that I ordered a couple of PeakDesign items from videolinks. There's not much less fragile than a camera strap and a wrist strap. They were the best-packed parcels ever. Plainly, they had taken a huge amount of care in wrapping these items. I'm sure they would pack a lens at least as well.

PS, Neewer 35mm f1.7 arrived from China.
PPS... packing was useless: it's own cardboard box just chucked into a postal bag. It arrived ok!

Thanks for the info. I did speak to him and he too assured me no problems with shipping.

Also spoke to Mr. Golu too. He has all the stuff i need in stock and is offering very competitive rates. The only beef is going to Old Delhi to shop. And they are closed on Sundays. Choices Choices...

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by naturaldisaster

The only beef is going to Old Delhi to shop.

I don't know anything about your part of India, and how long/difficult the journey would be, but there is nothing to beat going to a shop and coming home with what you want. Add the pleasure of being able to browse, examine, talk about other stuff as well. and a visit to a camera shop has to be a treat!

A disappointment: I impulse-bought my nice little and inexpensive carbon-fibre traveltripod, but had been planning to buy something more sturdy (also with a pan head, not a ball) and had fixed on a Vanguard Alto Pro 2 model. It was about Rs17k. Now it is over 30k. What is it with these Amazon prices? . The USA/UK online price would be 12-15k-ish Rs.