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07-07-2012, 02:13 PM   #31
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Our local newspaper ran an article on this with the caption "Worst Photos. Ever."

Okay, some of the photos look a bit messy, with the ripped sheets and some of the poses were a tad awkward.

However, the photos on CBS Gallery looked okay to me, and I had trouble distinguishing which photos were taken by Joe vs other photographers if I did not look at the credit lines.

Soo ... storm. teacup.

07-07-2012, 03:30 PM   #32
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Well, maybe he was doing something somewhat right....I normally don't really spend time looking at these photos as they are usually all the same.

That said, none of them really spoke to me. I didn't much care for the blue backdrop.

In his defense, he showed up and discovered it was a much different situation than he was expecting (was this his fault? I dunno.). He was borrowing somebody else's lighting setup when he could. He only had a minute or two with each athlete. Soooo, I don't think these are too bad, all considering.
07-07-2012, 05:34 PM   #33
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QuoteOriginally posted by sb in ak Quote
Well, maybe he was doing something somewhat right....I normally don't really spend time looking at these photos as they are usually all the same.

That said, none of them really spoke to me. I didn't much care for the blue backdrop.

In his defense, he showed up and discovered it was a much different situation than he was expecting (was this his fault? I dunno.). He was borrowing somebody else's lighting setup when he could. He only had a minute or two with each athlete. Soooo, I don't think these are too bad, all considering.
Give me 13 seconds with my camera phone and I'll come up with better portraits then he did. No excuse.
07-08-2012, 01:40 PM   #34
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....I can outperform almost any NFL quarterback that is having a bad day. I do it regularly on every Sunday during the season, all while lounging in my easy chair and drinking a big glass of iced tea and nibbling on Cheetos. So there is little doubt I could out shoot his guy, even using my little Toy Camera. ....you too?

Regards!

07-08-2012, 01:56 PM   #35
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QuoteOriginally posted by K-9 Quote
Give me 13 seconds with my camera phone and I'll come up with better portraits then he did. No excuse.
Try selling your best photo for $4.3 million.
The Most Expensive Photo in the World - Entertainment - The Atlantic Wire
Andreas Gursky, Rhein II (1999), $4,338,500, November 8, 2011, Christie's New York:




Cindy Sherman Print Sells For $3.9 Million At Auction, The Highest Ever For A Photograph | Popular Photography
07-08-2012, 08:48 PM   #36
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What's sad about that infamous Gursky photo is if you slapped another photographer's name on it, and put it in the same Christie's auction, you'd be lucky to get a $400 bid, and nowhere near 4 million. It got purchased for the name and collectibility over its content. It's like the Chanel logo on a handbag. Slap it on the biggest piece of crap handbag and it sells for thousands, but take the logo off of the same handbag and no one will pay $40.

The difference with these horrible photos is that they are 1) not technically or artistically pleasing or correct, 2) not taken by a well known, high profile photographer, 3) not in demand by anyone (I doubt Topps will be calling him for use on trading cards anytime soon), and 4) they are unanimously criticized for being bad.
07-08-2012, 10:10 PM   #37
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www.dpreview.com/news/2012/07/06/joe-klamar-explains-controversial-olympic-portraits

Klamar says he was just "unprepared"

07-10-2012, 06:27 AM   #38
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Loved this faux-comment on Klamar's pictures:

QuoteQuote:
7 From KameraDude - 06/07/2012, 12:12

I am not a full-time pro as of now, but as a Flickr Pro who has won hundreds of awards there, I can tell you these pictures suck. I know I could have done better had I been invited to take those pictures. Even with only one flash, my experience with Strobist more than qualifies me to take better flash pictures.

What a disgust. These people represent top quality athletes at the top of their profession. They deserve a top quality protog with the latest camera to record them for prosperity.

I couldn't even find this fellow on Flickr or 500px. What kind of editers or art directers choose him? They are no more competent or talented than he. Next time, take a gander at Flicker and 500px to see real skills.

(Nikon D800E, Olympus OM-D, Fuji X100, Olympus OM-2 (used with Tri-x 400) IMac/Ipad. Silver Nikonian, Muti award winning Flicker Pro)
07-10-2012, 05:32 PM   #39
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QuoteOriginally posted by LaurenOE Quote
Poor images (framing/angles/subject distance). Torn/dirty backdrop. Poor placement of the American flag. Not enough creative lighting. He blew it.
Absolutely spot on. Abysmal performance for a supposed professional photographer. Better to have called in sick.
07-10-2012, 05:38 PM   #40
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QuoteOriginally posted by Rupert Quote
....I can outperform almost any NFL quarterback that is having a bad day. I do it regularly on every Sunday during the season, all while lounging in my easy chair and drinking a big glass of iced tea and nibbling on Cheetos. So there is little doubt I could out shoot his guy, even using my little Toy Camera. ....you too?

Regards!
Whether you or I could do better is not the point. He did an incredibly bad job and he is supposed to be a professional. In my line of work that would be called malpractice.
07-11-2012, 03:08 AM - 1 Like   #41
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Hah, they are bad photos, unless perhaps he was trying to achieve this
What if he wanted to show these athletes as weird, awkward.. well, human beings. He isn't even from the USA, right? Keep in mind that in the USA people have different standards for photos than in other parts of the world. In the USA it has to be perfect, the person needs to look confident, sexy, healthy, better than real life! In Europe, that is not a requirement - the photo can also be fun, joking, interesting, the person can show emotions, odd expressions.. Of course this is a generalization, but it sort of holds true on a bigger scale. Even film used to be more color-saturated for the American market.
Now, these photos surely aren't something to be put up to show "look how great out athletes are! *start chanting USA USA*", but they can still have a use. They humanize the athletic idols. They can be used in interesting exhibitions, print,.. I mean, think about it, if one of these guys wins a gold medal, what will sell more, a generic portrait where they look the way they look on all other pro photos? Or a photo where they look different, odd, a unique photo.

Meh, the reaction is just more outrage over nothing. "How dare someone show us these people in a way that doesn't make me feel beautiful by association! Hurr durr, he should have taken the kind of photos I would have wanted to take!"

Edit: Oh, and that Rhein II photo.. yes, no idea why it sold for so much (well, the name of the photographer, obviously, but you know what I mean). Ive been to the Rhein and the river/canal looks like that for miles on end, its a shot that nobody else took simply because if you are there, it is boring and bland and you look for a subject (like a ship) rather than an empty wasteland..

Last edited by Na Horuk; 07-11-2012 at 03:14 AM.
07-11-2012, 06:12 AM   #42
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QuoteOriginally posted by Na Horuk Quote
Hah, they are bad photos, unless perhaps he was trying to achieve this
What if he wanted to show these athletes as weird, awkward.. well, human beings. He isn't even from the USA, right? Keep in mind that in the USA people have different standards for photos than in other parts of the world. In the USA it has to be perfect, the person needs to look confident, sexy, healthy, better than real life! In Europe, that is not a requirement - the photo can also be fun, joking, interesting, the person can show emotions, odd expressions.. Of course this is a generalization, but it sort of holds true on a bigger scale. Even film used to be more color-saturated for the American market.
Now, these photos surely aren't something to be put up to show "look how great out athletes are! *start chanting USA USA*", but they can still have a use. They humanize the athletic idols. They can be used in interesting exhibitions, print,.. I mean, think about it, if one of these guys wins a gold medal, what will sell more, a generic portrait where they look the way they look on all other pro photos? Or a photo where they look different, odd, a unique photo.

Meh, the reaction is just more outrage over nothing. "How dare someone show us these people in a way that doesn't make me feel beautiful by association! Hurr durr, he should have taken the kind of photos I would have wanted to take!"

Edit: Oh, and that Rhein II photo.. yes, no idea why it sold for so much (well, the name of the photographer, obviously, but you know what I mean). Ive been to the Rhein and the river/canal looks like that for miles on end, its a shot that nobody else took simply because if you are there, it is boring and bland and you look for a subject (like a ship) rather than an empty wasteland..
No, it's not about America and American's - it's about incompetence. The backgrounds are torn, parts are cut off, lighting is bad - those are not American standards, they're professional issues. I know its fun to slam America and the US, but this isn't about that. Its about professionalism, showing up ready and prepared to actually do your best, and turning in a substandard product. He admits in interviews that he was unprepared, what more needs be said - he acted unprofessionally and it shows in the photos.
07-11-2012, 06:44 AM   #43
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Docrwm, you are right about the professional standards, but I see these photos like a stamp with a mistake. In a niche culture its value will skyrocket, but officially and practically it will be worthless.
07-11-2012, 06:45 AM   #44
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QuoteOriginally posted by Na Horuk Quote
Docrwm, you are right about the professional standards, but I see these photos like a stamp with a mistake. In a niche culture its value will skyrocket, but officially and practically it will be worthless.
Perhaps as oddities they will have some value, I think not but it is possible. On a practical level the guy just zapped his career IMHO.
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