[Vitalii]

This article is more ment for new beginners, which are entering the forum and geting lost in all the technical, or pp staff. if you already have your style, than only thing that you can do is reflecting on it.
It is really hard, and annoying to see people taking shots of their backyard and asking, if they PP it well done, how is the sharpness, may it be, that with a canon 5dlll you would get a better result, hope you don´t see the small noice on the bush - can´t really adjust noice on auto.

In mind comes a phrase from Pixars "Ratatouille". "Everyone can cook". Same works for Photography. But some are more gifted, and some work their way to the top.

In fact, i totaly disagree. I started photographing with that intentions - total purism, without PP. Afterwards get into PP, and finaly technical photography.
I ended up more or less in collaging. Working with all kind of photography - IR, HDR, working with details, enchancing only some parts of the picture, and not averall hdr mess, supermacro, etc.
He can´t say, that fotojournalism, has more priority, as my kind of photography. ever seen unprocessed Astro? Supermacro m5:1, without focus stacking?

Every Direction has it´s own instruments, you just need to use them consciously.

[ChristianRock]

Some members on here are defending him saying that it is about his journey and it is his opinion. I totally agree that it is, but he does not present it as such. The article is titled "5 Things We Need to Forget About As Photographers". He says that we photographers need to stop using these technologies, and stop worrying about sharpness, and stop our interest in gear because he stopped. He is informed, he knows best, and he does it right.
If he said "when you get paid by Nat Geo you have to stop doing these things, and that's alright. You can create good photos without them. If I can do it, you can do it." That would be great because he would be presenting his opinion as an opinion, and it would be motivational. As it is, he's stating his opinion as fact while wagging is finger at us.
So I have no issue with his opinion about what is and is not important about photography. Such opinions are relevant and sometimes refreshing. I have an issue about how he presented it.

You should avoid photography sites, especially those that are ran by photographers. Because online, most people present their opinion as fact and if that bothers you, just avoid it altogether

Forums like this are friendlier in the sense that people aren't trying to impose their opinion on you. Unless they switched to Sony, that is...

[mrNewt]

One thing we should all do as photographers...
"Bash less, photo more!" The only rule we must not forget .

[BrianR]

It's not all bad advice, just a shame it's necessary to write in a deliberately annoying way to get attention on the internet. Still, it's not as bad as many of the articles I've seen with titles: "X horrid mistakes everyone makes about Y and how you can stop looking like a Z"

Forums like this are friendlier in the sense that people aren't trying to impose their opinion on you. Unless they switched to Sony, that is...

Overall it's pretty good, but Pentax Forums has its fair share of people who know exactly what everyone else needs and what they should do. I've often wondered if peoples mind reading powers could be used for good instead of just arguing on the internet.

[nomadkng]

But when you start thinking of new equipment ask yourself "how will this change how I see and interpret the world?" Because if that doesn't change, your images won't change. Sometimes a piece of equipment, like a Fisheye lens does change how you see the world. More often, people change equipment and just keep doing what they were doing with different equipment.

I could write an article about his article, but I think the overall summation of his rant is that too many photographers think there is a magic bullet for making "pro quality" photographs.

It's really the camera manufacturer's fault. In fact it's modern marketing's sole purpose, "Buy this and THIS will happen." Buy this beer and you'll have more pretty girl fawning over you than you can imagine. Buy this camera model and your images will look like <insert pro photographer spokesman's name here>.

The above won't change, but our approach as photographers can. It's the mantra know yourself, so others can know you. Wouldn't it be great if everyone had to start with an all Manual Camera and film and be forced to shoot knowing that you get one image to make it right? Then after proving that you knew what focus was and what metering was and demonstrated superb composition you could move on to a digital SLR?

The point is, if you are tech spec obsessed and you are still NOT getting images that excel, the answer is YOU need to get better. Buying more MP or reading MTF charts until you can't see straight won't make your images better. That article is not written for established photographers who are happy with their results. Articles never are. How many pro golfers read Golf Digest for swing tips?

It's just another article aimed at motivating the reader to quit making excuses and "do something about it". That whatever equipment you have is not stopping you from making good photos. It's the tried and proven motivation tactic of taking responsibility for yourself and your actions.

If you are truly content with your techniques and results, great, the article wasn't written about you or even FOR you.

[audiobomber]

Wouldn't it be great if everyone had to start with an all Manual Camera and film and be forced to shoot knowing that you get one image to make it right? Then after proving that you knew what focus was and what metering was and demonstrated superb composition you could move on to a digital SLR?

I don't believe that manual exposure or film have anything at all to do with how good a photographer you are. One can just as easily learn about exposure and composition on a DSLR. In fact it's a lot easier to learn on a DSLR because you get instant feedback.

More importantly, there are photographers who have never shot film, and know very little about technical issues, yet make amazing images.

[BrianR]

I don't believe that manual exposure or film have anything at all to do with how good a photographer you are. One can just as easily learn about exposure and composition on a DSLR. In fact it's a lot easier to learn on a DSLR because you get instant feedback.

Film encourages you to slow down and take a considered approach to both the artistic and technical side of things. Not that you can't work this way on a dslr, but some people may benefit from a bit of forcing. Not everyone learns the same way of course, some will be much happier having instant feedback of digital but I wouldn't call either approach better than the other, just different.

I'm by no means a big film shooter, but I do try to take the pinhole camera out a few times per year to slow things down and abandon all thoughts of megapickles for an outing. It's a nice exercise.

[monochrome]

Argue with his point of view all you want. It's your life..... no one will suffer but you.
But when you start thinking of new equipment ask yourself "how will this change how I see and interpret the world?" Because if that doesn't change, your images won't change. Sometimes a piece of equipment, like a Fisheye lens does change how you see the world. More often, people change equipment and just keep doing what they were doing with different equipment.

The disconnect comes when people keep doing the same things over and over (let's say buying new gear over and over) and expecting a different outcome.

I do wish people would be a little less gear-centric. Most cameras are more than capable, whether they are crop or full frame. You need to maximize your gear and if you aren't able to achieve the results you want and your sure the problem isn't you, then you find gear that will work.

Often there is more than one way to shoot a photo. If you shoot low light a lot, maybe you learn to use flash, maybe you get a faster lens, or perhaps you learn to use noise reduction software better. Maybe the only solution is full frame. But so often people only focus on the camera body to the exclusion of everything else.

Some of us enjoy using gear - new gear, old gear, different gear - just to see how it feels, or just because it is xxx gear. Buy it, try it, sell it, buy something else. That's the hobby, or part of it.

The key is admitting to yourself that's the fun (or part of it) and not expecting the gear to change the output. The real test is when you reach the point that you can make the different gear produce the vision you have - not just trying the gear, but trying to make it perform.