Luminous Landscape Forum
Site & Board Matters => About This Site => Topic started by: dreed on September 23, 2017, 10:19:39 am
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I find myself looking at LuLa less and less these days for reasons I can't put my finger on. Maybe it's because in the past when Phase One introduced a new camera like the IQ3 100MP, the best place to read about it would be here. Now, nothing. But nor was there a story on the Nikon D850 (which is proving to be a sellout success). Sure there has been more of a focus on mirrorless things but to ignore the rest of the industry? Has LuLa become a Sony site? Never before can I recall other vendors being so ignored.
And whilst there are review sites everywhere, writing "hands on" and so forth that potentially make such stories "less unique/important", they're about gear and like it or not, everyone loves to talk about gear.
But it's more than just that. A 3 part essay into triptychs? Someone is conjuring up some Peter Jackson who turned The Hobbit into three movies, totaling 9 hours. A normal novel is required to fit into 2. As is often said about photos, less can be more. But it's not just that either.
Maybe it's the photos in the stories and there's editorial absent.
Or I don't know.
Does anyone else feel the same?
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Cameras and photography have shifted towards incremental development since the heyday of conversion to digital when we all were on a steep learning curve. The site had a lot of focus and interest in that transition. Now that knowledge and understanding has spread far and wide.
i agree with your sentiment though.
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+1
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After reading the recent article on the Sony A9, I was thinking the same thing.
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Perhaps we're entering the "seen it all before" era. A few years ago, Lu-Lu "covered" all the exciting giant leaps forward in digital cameras and printing; Iceland and Antarctica were "fresh" and Michael brought a zeal and vigour to his articles and reviews.
The industry has changed and so has Lu-La. Many of the same old faces are still here, for better and worse, but it's still the best place on the web for discussions of the minutiae of digital photography equipment, practice, technique and vision.
So after we have discussed and debated all the obvious, low-hanging fruit, we get around to triptychs. As a result, Lu-La is not for everyone and it doesn't sensationalize all the latest-greatists. Besides, it seems only Sony and, perhaps Fuji and Hasselblad, are the only ones really innovating. We all look at other sites and I think the powers that be recognize it. It may just be there is reduced readership, with Lu-La specializing in what it knows/does best which, I believe, is better than catering to the masses. But that's a business decision that Kevin can best speak to.
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A lot of things are changing. First, I appreciate the feedback and thoughts. We have never been a Press Release site. There are way too many sites that put out the latest news. We are doing a lot to bring new and different information to the site that can't be found elsewhere. Regarding Phase One, I am in Germany now and will be in Copenhagen for a four-day visit with Phase One starting the 29th. We'll be doing videos interviews and be shooting with the Phase One then and hearing from all the right people about the new cameras and innovations. So rather than just put the news out there which was available on the forum, we decided we would go there to see the products and bring you back more in-depth coverage.
This week we are in Wexlar, Germany visiting Leica all week. This will be an intensive behind the scenes look at Leica. Chris is with me and our schedule is full and we believe we will have a story that will be of great interest. We will soon release our next shooting with the masters video as well. All of this and more that we are workin on is different than can be found anywhere else.
Not all articles we publish or any site for that matter will be for everyone. While some may say a three-part story on triptychs is too much, others have written and said they got them doing things differently. We do try to provide a variety of articles not found elsewhere that are a value. We have some very cool hardware items to share soon as well as some interesting software products. These will things not covered elsewhere.
I will admit that we are pretty focused on mirrorless products. Michael and I felt that was the future going back a few years and still do. Yes, the new Nikon is nice. Nikon and Canon don't have us on their press list though for whatever reason. I have ordered a Nikon 850 though so we can put it to the test. We will try to re-open the door to these comapnies. We also try to look at companies that are invovating in the field of photography.
Moving forward we will soon have a much larger YouTube presence. This is an important segment today and we will be doing some interesting new content there. In 2018 we have slowed down the number of workshops we do so we can implement some new things on our site, as well as push more interesting content. I am always open to ideas and invite you to share these by contacting me directly by email or PM. I am committed to making this website a value for our readers and members. Many of the projects we are working on require large commitments of time and resources and there are only a few of us at LuLa.
I also want to thank our many article contributors. There are many people other than the LuLa team that work hard to provide content freely to share with you our readers. Also, we are always open to new content from those interested in contributing.
We publish new content every 2-3 days. We work hard on this site as well as the Endowment. LuLa is my passion as well as photography. It's what drives me. I am committed to you and our readers to provide interesting and different content on the subject of photography.
I want to also say thank you to Chris Sanderson who has been a great part of this site since its beginning. He a great voice of guidance and reason. And, to my wife and partner Debra who handles customer service, article layout, workshop details, scheduling and pretty much keeps the endowment going.
Thank you too, for being part of the LuLa family.
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... A 3 part essay into triptychs? ...
Isn't that rather appropriate?
Jeremy
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Hope you have a good time in Germany.
BTW it's Wetzlar, not Wexlar.
Looking forward to the new articles.
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Well I imagine you (Chris and Kevin) already know my thoughts on Lula and how it used to be the home of the excellent and much missed video journal, which showcased photographers (Michael and friends) out photographing in the field, followed by a section of them discussing and comparing their images, ideas and thoughts, along with interviews and technique/gear discussion etc, followed by a slide show and which IMHO was the unique thing that once lifted this site above all others - for me at least.
But now the main thrust of Lula seems to be leaning more towards promoting rather expensive workshops, but hey I know you guys have to make a living and so there is nothing wrong with that, but that only serves and satisfies the few, whereas the LLVJs along with the discussion forum, used to serve and satisfy everyone else.
Dave
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It's true that the magic it once had may have slipped... It could also be that one has simply become used to it. I suppose that being married to the young Christy Turlington would blow your mind for a year or two and then you just take it all for granted. So with web sites and anything else.
Also, not only might the technical scene have plateaued - have no idea, being not in the least a gearhead - but doubtless to say, the last time I sat transfixed in my chair was when Michael was in Germany discussing the new M9 that was sitting on a table in front of a Leica head honcho. I was unable to look away, much as I might once have been with Christy Turlington; I could only gaze, dream and lust after it and the magic we might, in both cases, have been able to do together. However, I'd have picked up a Nikon for Christy.
But these über toys are not for me - my needs are too prosaic.
Perhaps we have also managed to turn off some very good pros - either by daft comments or even through lack of viewer interest. For me, their pictures were the visual kick this site gave me. I don't care a fig for mountains, rocks, trees, rivers and bears catching flying salmon in their mouth; don't they know we're running out of wild salmon already?
;-(
Rob
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And no mention of a visit to Adobe.
I liked the video chats with Michael, Jeff & Eric.
Maybe there will be an interview with Adobe soon as there are increasing rumours of a Lightroom 7
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LuLa has without question evolved and with that comes, inevitably, some change in the audience.
Obviously as an occasional contributor, I am wildly biased, but I like the more recent content more. I think the team is doing a good job pivoting
to topics of contemporary interest. Frankly, the digital camera is a solved problem. The difference between a good m3/4 system and the latest
Phase One uberkamera is so slight as to be of genuine interest to a select few.
I think it is fair to say that virtually 100% of that select few frequents LuLa, mind you, so, still relevant.
Still, as the technology sorts itself out in the new plateau, I think turning to artistic considerations and other topics is a wise choice (but then, the technology
has been of slight interest to me for decades). We still see things like detailed (oh so very detailed) reviews of paper and printers. While these leave me cold,
I recognize that this is still an area of real concern and interest to the serious Fine Art Photographer. While cameras are basically all so good as to not matter much
any more, while digital technologies have matured to the point that virtually any desired image can be created, the last technological frontier remains as the output
medium.
For me, it is the book, and I care more about structure than color rendering, but for many readers of LuLu the details of color gamut and Dmax are paramount, and
so LuLa provides those detailed technical reviews.
I find myself liking LuLa more and more, rather than less and less.
But then, I would, I write here from time to time, so, cum grano salis.
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When I first started reading LuLa Michael was using Nikons (if I remember right) and just getting into Pentax medium format. Things were pretty sedate. Which transparency films scanned best? Which scanners performed best with trannie film? How to best use ND grads? How does this new (or just-discovered old) lens perform? How many ink cartridges does the latest Epson or Canon printer have? That kinda stuff.
Then the Canon D30 came out and all the deck chairs got rearranged. That rearrangement is the same one we still have now, some 17 years later. Things are pretty sedate again.
So it goes…
-Dave-
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This is the type of thing (see links below) that Lula used to do, albeit in its own unique way, so even though this is a thinly disguised advert for the Lee filters system, it is still none the less a really good discussion by respected photographers about photography and what makes them tick and drives them on to creating something meaningful.
Equipment has become irrelevant, as it is all good enough these days whatever system you shoot and for whatever style your prefer, so it now needs to be more about the creative process IMHO, which I think is what Andrew is also alluding to.
Photographers Discussing Photography (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lc09mB62i4&list=PLOBrtk-VuiUnMdTs_WX3FWpkDkPM_p-0A)
Photographers Discussing Photography - 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD2C4IO_Q2A&list=PLOBrtk-VuiUn-P12N8HaHqlCmoucOav-7)
There are a couple of hours of very interesting photography related discussion in the videos above BTW, so select HD and full screen, then sit back and enjoy!
Dave
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It's true that the magic it once had may have slipped... It could also be that one has simply become used to it. I suppose that being married to the young Christy Turlington would blow your mind for a year or two and then you just take it all for granted. So with web sites and anything else.
Already been there and I can tell you that dating super models is truly over rated. ;D
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We are doing a lot to bring new and different information to the site that can't be found elsewhere. Regarding Phase One, I am in Germany now and will be in Copenhagen for a four-day visit with Phase One starting the 29th. We'll be doing videos interviews and be shooting with the Phase One then and hearing from all the right people about the new cameras and innovations.
One suggestion is to think of LuLa as your personal blog with contributors from time to time. Tell people where you're going, when, who you'll be meeting and talk about it after. It may seem like needless verbosity but it also makes a difference to "just stories" or "just reviews." Actually, I think I've mentioned this before. Putting your hat on my head (so to speak), I might feel too busy or why do I need to tell people about every little thing. It makes a difference, the difference between it having life and being a cold machine. The difference between it being personal and a part of your life in photography vs just a website. There was more than one occasion that I can recall "off on a trip to X and new camera Y arrived, tell you more when I get back." There's some excitement value from that kind of story (although it is a non-event) as it prepares the reader for the next installment. Maybe there was much more nuance it what was done than I realise!
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Still, as the technology sorts itself out in the new plateau, I think turning to artistic considerations and other topics is a wise choice.
For me, it is the book, and I care more about structure than color rendering, but for many readers of LuLu the details of color gamut and Dmax are paramount, and
so LuLa provides those detailed technical reviews.
I find myself liking LuLa more and more, rather than less and less.
But then, I would, I write here from time to time, so, cum grano salis.
Well said. Or is that +1, or "like"? ;)
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Video Journal was the best thing about LULA for me. Photographers traveling around the world, discussing what they shoot, how and why etc. That was unique and I still haven't seen anything like that from any other website. After they stopped producing those videos, this site became pretty much just like everything else on the web.
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I agree that the industry has matured and new pieces of equipment are less exciting than they were a few years ago. But I still find LuLa and the Forum to be an excellent resource.
Almost everything I know about digital photography I learned from regulars on LuLa, including Michel, Chris, Kevin, Jeff Schewe, Andrew Rodney, and Eric Chan. I have not found any other website or forum that is as generous and informative as LuLa. I, too, miss those early videos, but there is lots of good, thoughtful material right now that no other website can match.
Thank you all who have made this possible!
Eric
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Lula has always been my main source for printing info. I owe Michael and Jeff for their wonderful camera to print videos.
The art info here- not so much. There are other sources that are more relevant for that conversation.
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Already been there and I can tell you that dating super models is truly over rated. ;D
Well, going by the picture, your smile epitomizes the cat that's just had the dish of ceam or, at the very least, has the keys to the dairy! I wish I had somebody like that to work with for a few days - or longer.
The risks would be worth it, and I might end up with a better portfolio than I have ended up with...
;-)
Rob
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Lula has always been my main source for printing info. I owe Michael and Jeff for their wonderful camera to print videos.
The art info here- not so much. There are other sources that are more relevant for that conversation.
And there the rub.
Tech goes so far, but doesn't feed the hungry soul.
For myself, I have all the tech I need today - precious little - and my interest in photography is 100% the images. Yesterday I did something I'd never done before: I joined a picture website (free) that I had wanted to join for some time, but had refused so to do because of its insistence on asking my age on the application chit. Finally, I did inject a number, but told a huge fib! I expect that means I'll be offered all sorts of age-specific advertising material I don't need, but hey, the access to pictures has already proved amazing!
Of course, the pictures I now see on the new (to me) site are not by the membership of said site, but are the work of many stars of the photographic firmament. Suits me perfectly.
And that's where LuLa falls down: perhaps not the fault of the ownership at all, but of some of the members who have done anything but encourage some of the really good professionals who once were prolific posters here. What became of some of the architectural shooters, of the car maestro and of our long tall Texan himself? I used to love seeing their work on the monitor, but instead, we have actually drifted into having a dedicated thread for bloody cats! I never believed it could happen here.
In the end, I think a site for photography depends on the photographs. It's what drew most of us into photography, and when that fails to be on offer, interest withers. That was one of our late founder's gifts: he was not only very good at landscape, not everybody's cuppa, but no mean hand at reportage, either; he had a wonderful visual eye now absent. It's silly (and pointless) to blame anyone else for not being Michael, but in any final analysis, the departure of one CEO leads to inevitable change, which is what every organization both fears and uses - depending on its circumstances.
Having said all of which, it's just one opinion that finds itself aligned with a couple more that gave rise to this particular, and awkward, thread. One has to realise that the world is not filled with a zillion kindred spirits, and the new direction may well suit more punters than it alienates. It all comes down to the same common factor facing all business: the bottom line has to rule unless we are talking about a labour-of-love venture. For that to work, one needs freedom from having to earn a living. I only have it now, late in retirement and with a lot of unpleasant truths accepted, large amongst them the voice and a single proclamation of a certain Andy Warhol.
Rob
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Any website that has been around as long as LuLa is bound to change. that change can be good, bad or indifferent and is largely in the eyes of the beholder. We have seen a change in emphasis towards printing with very nice product reviews of both printers and papers. The camera reviews tend to be more scattered in terms of the various brands that are covered as noted by some other posts in this thread. I tend to get more information out of the specific topic threads on cameras elsewhere on this site (we have seen some nice images from the new Nikon D850 from those that have received the camera). The technical sections on color management, digital manipulation, and printing still are quite good and we need to remember that these are largely a result of those that participate in those sections. The 'Camera to Print' and 'Lightroom' videos were excellent in their time and still quite valuable even though there are some technology advancements.
From my perspective LuLa is still a valuable resource.
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For me an A9 or D850 are no less exciting than the MF backs of a decade ago.
However, I miss the depth of involvement and the intensity that Lula reached with that epic MF comparison when the P45 just came out. I think that moment was LuLa's pinnacle.
The new stuff from Hasselblad and Fuji were also electrifying when they were announced (still are).
The only difference is that now the prices make sense and in the case of Sony and Nikon, an everyday photographer can now own cameras that were only jaw-dropping sci-fi a decade ago. Canon became a character from a Disney movie.
Lula should again do these superb comparisons of yore with today's new gear. I find myself more time these days at DPR and FM because of this. Perhaps comparisons between MF and FF are taboo here. Hopefully not.
Still rocking!
Best
I agree that the industry has matured and new pieces of equipment are less exciting than they were a few years ago. But I still find LuLa and the Forum to be an excellent resource.
Almost everything I know about digital photography I learned from regulars on LuLa, including Michel, Chris, Kevin, Jeff Schewe, Andrew Rodney, and Eric Chan. I have not found any other website or forum that is as generous and informative as LuLa. I, too, miss those early videos, but there is lots of good, thoughtful material right now that no other website can match.
Thank you all who have made this possible!
Eric
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I note that the main interest/complaint expressed so far is largely gear-oriented, in the sense that folks want even more gear material to appear - which is fine, but also serves to drive a deeper wedge between those with GAS and those simply wishing to find a zone wherein they can communicate/comment about the other part of photography, i.e. the part that deals with pictures.
FWIW, that isn't to be found within the critique department. It exists, mildly, in the area devoted to "style" as well as the other one loosely labeled "is it art". Apart from those two tiny bits, LuLa remains a desert for serious discussion about photographers or genre. Maybe one is simply expecting too much from an eclectic, but fairly mildly committed group of people (or even photographers) such as we here appear to be.
Seems the most vibrant section of LuLa is the one mired in US politics. Unfortunately for me, that's not why I tune in.
Rob
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The site may have changed or evolved but so perhaps has the membership. I think the mix here is pretty good to be frank.
Looking at other spots, people might be aware of already, or check out if not,On Landscape (https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/home-2/), a site which also has a members only reader area, it does cost considerably more. A similar mix of aesthetic, technical, scientific and cultural concerns at play. One thing it does really well, which I'd like more of here, is detailed photographer interview/profiles with associated galleries of images.
It doesn't have the sense of a shared community of interest which LuLa does possess, even if there's areas of this Forum which I would avoid, topics that go beyond photography. If there was more posts covering individual photographers and genres perhaps there would be more wide-ranging discussion on the forum.
Here, I do value the detailed printer/paper reviews, the video content, and the supportive answers to my queries on the forum. I've not been steered wrong there, very useful good advice generally.
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The site may have changed or evolved but so perhaps has the membership. I think the mix here is pretty good to be frank.
Looking at other spots, people might be aware of already, or check out if not,On Landscape (https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/home-2/), a site which also has a members only reader area, it does cost considerably more. A similar mix of aesthetic, technical, scientific and cultural concerns at play. One thing it does really well, which I'd like more of here, is detailed photographer interview/profiles with associated galleries of images.
It doesn't have the sense of a shared community of interest which LuLa does possess, even if there's areas of this Forum which I would avoid, topics that go beyond photography. If there was more posts covering individual photographers and genres perhaps there would be more wide-ranging discussion on the forum.
Here, I do value the detailed printer/paper reviews, the video content, and the supportive answers to my queries on the forum. I've not been steered wrong there, very useful good advice generally.
You've echoed what I've been writing for years: it's people that are interesting - gear is inanimate.
Rob
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it's people that are interesting
+1, like, ;)
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+1, like, ;)
+2, couldn't agree more
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With no disrespect to the people who work hard to make this site the best it can be, for me things turned when it went to a pay for content site. Lots of other places to fill my photographic curiosity for free. Difficult business model.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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With no disrespect to the people who work hard to make this site the best it can be, for me things turned when it went to a pay for content site. Lots of other places to fill my photographic curiosity for free. Difficult business model.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I totally disagree with this. Who wants to work for free??? I think a dollar a month is a ridiculously low amount to pay.
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I totally disagree with this. Who wants to work for free??? I think a dollar a month is a ridiculously low amount to pay.
+1, like
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With no disrespect to the people who work hard to make this site the best it can be, for me things turned when it went to a pay for content site. Lots of other places to fill my photographic curiosity for free. Difficult business model.
I can understand their business model. Advertisers are learning that popup ads are not as good a risk as before. But I also understand that going to a pay schema is a significant reduction of the perceived ROI of the customer.
LuLa may be good, but it is that much better than a combination of other sites that are still offering ad sponsored content?
If yes, than paying LuLa is worth it. If not, then it isn't.
The tough decision of the website owners is: can they reliably get more or as much money from subscriptions to offset the drop in advertisement investment? And that's not an easy decision to make.
Personally, I think the owners of this site are handling it pretty well.
Most of the content is still openly accessible but some content is not. A delicate balancing act indeed.
I think as more and more advertisement investments wains, we will see more and more sites faced with the same issues. Each will handle it differently and some may succeed and others fail. Such is business.
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I didn't sign up to pay, because the content didn't work for me. Then Kevin challenged me to jolly well write content that I would read, and here we are.
Not saying this is necessarily the solution for everyone, but you know, Kevin doesn't keep his contact info a secret and he's an extremely affable dude.
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I didn't sign up to pay, because the content didn't work for me. Then Kevin challenged me to jolly well write content that I would read, and here we are.
Not saying this is necessarily the solution for everyone, but you know, Kevin doesn't keep his contact info a secret and he's an extremely affable dude.
So you are paying to read the content you write? That is too funny.
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So you are paying to read the content you write? That is too funny.
I ate at an amazing new restaurant the other day. Speaking to the chef, he told me "I like to cook what I like to eat".
Made total sense to me and it worked too!
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So you are paying to read the content you write? That is too funny.
Sharon, just as you thought you knew all about the male psyche...
;-)
Rob
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Kevin has, thus far, extended me an author's courtesy membership. Although perhaps now he will re-check his books, and remember to invoice me ;)
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;D
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Thanks to Kevin and his crew for keeping LuLA going. I've been looking at this site since 2000. Over the years I have realized that photography is more than just owning gear. Now we are flooded with zillions of images, yet the playing field is more accessible than it ever was. Just about anyone can pick up a used Nikon D800 and have unlimited photographic potential. Yet the problem is photography is also an art. I personally take many of my photographs with a friend who still uses his Nikon D300 and who refuses to address color management. Still his prints always look more creative than mine - he is more of the artist even thought I have better gear. As time goes on, I'm more humbled by good photography. I think the most exciting time for me was making the trasition to digital! It will be hard to beat that for a number of years!
I'm sorry to say that my cat passed away about 3 weeks ago. I'm still devistated - she was my lightroom assistant.
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I could argue that Lula peaked around 2003. Then again, I suspect I did too...
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Thanks to Kevin and his crew for keeping LuLA going. I've been looking at this site since 2000. Over the years I have realized that photography is more than just owning gear. Now we are flooded with zillions of images, yet the playing field is more accessible than it ever was. Just about anyone can pick up a used Nikon D800 and have unlimited photographic potential. Yet the problem is photography is also an art. I personally take many of my photographs with a friend who still uses his Nikon D300 and who refuses to address color management. Still his prints always look more creative than mine - he is more of the artist even thought I have better gear. As time goes on, I'm more humbled by good photography. I think the most exciting time for me was making the trasition to digital! It will be hard to beat that for a number of years!
I'm sorry to say that my cat passed away about 3 weeks ago. I'm still devistated - she was my lightroom assistant.
Sorry about your cat; I've also been heartbroken at losing animals. When we lost our penultimate dog we thought the best solution was to get another one quite soon. We did that, and ended up with the best dog we've ever known. People scoff when you talk about animals as a family member, and unless they have had animals that communicate too, then it isn't surprising they think one a little dramatic or odd.
When that dog died we simply couldn't face replacing her, knowing we'd probably have to face losing another one all over again.
Rob
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I have read all of the contributions on this correctly termed 'awkward' thread and agree with the theme of many of them. For me there is no question but that Michael's influence and 'presence' is sorely missed and for me that lessens the site significantly but that is an inescapable and redeemable fact.
However it is, in my judgement, still one of the more worthwhile photography related sites and I visit it several times a week, regularly enjoy the Forum contributions and certainly do not begrudge the small charge to access any part of the content in which I may be interested at a particular time and from which I occasionally derive useful benefit.
Were LuLa not to continue and to thrive an already sad inevitability would be greatly compounded. There is not such an abundance of worthwhile sites that we do not need to encourage and support this one albeit with its changed nature.
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I have read all of the contributions on this correctly termed 'awkward' thread and agree with the theme of many of them. For me there is no question but that Michael's influence and 'presence' is sorely missed and for me that lessens the site significantly but that is an inescapable and redeemable fact.
However it is, in my judgement, still one of the more worthwhile photography related sites and I visit it several times a week, regularly enjoy the Forum contributions and certainly do not begrudge the small charge to access any part of the content in which I may be interested at a particular time and from which I occasionally derive useful benefit.
Were LuLa not to continue and to thrive an already sad inevitability would be greatly compounded. There is not such an abundance of worthwhile sites that we do not need to encourage and support this one albeit with its changed nature.
+1+1
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Hi,
I sort of share that view. We all miss Michael Reichmann, but his old friends keep his memory alive.
Also, I find that many of the contributions are very good and I am happy that Kevin shares his experience.
Just to say, I wish more of the videos would be open. Stuff like the interviews with Ray Maxwell, Ctein, Charlie Cramer and Bill Atkinson.
Best regards
Erik
I have read all of the contributions on this correctly termed 'awkward' thread and agree with the theme of many of them. For me there is no question but that Michael's influence and 'presence' is sorely missed and for me that lessens the site significantly but that is an inescapable and redeemable fact.
However it is, in my judgement, still one of the more worthwhile photography related sites and I visit it several times a week, regularly enjoy the Forum contributions and certainly do not begrudge the small charge to access any part of the content in which I may be interested at a particular time and from which I occasionally derive useful benefit.
Were LuLa not to continue and to thrive an already sad inevitability would be greatly compounded. There is not such an abundance of worthwhile sites that we do not need to encourage and support this one albeit with its changed nature.
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Hi,
I sort of share that view. We all miss Michael Reichmann, but his old friends keep his memory alive.
Also, I find that many of the contributions are very good and I am happy that Kevin shares his experience.
Just to say, I wish more of the videos would be open. Stuff like the interviews with Ray Maxwell, Ctein, Charlie Cramer and Bill Atkinson.
Best regards
Erik
But Eric, would you expect LuLa to supply free bus passes? It's got to finance itself and also turn a profit.
Rob
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Hi Rob,
The fact that you cannot post links to interesting content on LuLa cannot be good for business. Perhaps they could find a solution so subscribers can post links to content.
For me, information that cannot be shared is essentially useless information. I would suggest that LuLa needs to find a balance between costs and uility. Could I share good links to contents at LuLa it may get some new customer to LuLa, but the need to subscribe would scare away 99% of the customers.
On the other hand, could I post a link to a great article for free the reader may feel that this is a great site worth exploring, even if it costs 1$/month.
Best regards
Erik
But Eric, would you expect LuLa to supply free bus passes? It's got to finance itself and also turn a profit.
Rob
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It might be nice to have free "teasers" of some of the videos available. That might help lure more subscribers ($1 per month is pretty cheap, IMHO.)
On the other hand, if Chris had to spend even more time creating the "teasers," he would have less time to get new videos out the door.
As it is I feel the the LuLa team all work very hard as it is.
Eric
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It might be nice to have free "teasers" of some of the videos available. That might help lure more subscribers ($1 per month is pretty cheap, IMHO.)
On the other hand, if Chris had to spend even more time creating the "teasers," he would have less time to get new videos out the door.
As it is I feel the the LuLa team all work very hard as it is.
Eric
Eric, I produce almost nothing, and I find that a difficult 24/24 proposition to maintain!
It's an age thing: when I was younger - say up until my mid-40s - I could do without a night's sleep, spending that night in the yellow/green glow of the darkroom earning my tiny crust. (No idea why the movies show darkrooms as under a red glow - that's only useful if you're working with line film; I never set foot in a professional darkroom where anyone used other than the standard yellowish/greenish filter over the box; I think it was called OB or similar - too long ago to remember the code accurately. But as I said, nobody printed under red - it would make you wildly inaccurate and give you more serious eye-strain than other habits are reputed to do. Kodak and Ilford never did suggest anyone should use red for papers, at the most suggesting they would be safe, but not helpful. Maybe the entertainment industry just needs dramas: next, disco-light darkroms with rotating globe. You heard it first here.)
I don't know how old the LuLa staff might be, but I get the visual impression that it needs to do things well and slowly, both these being relatives. I can fully empathise as well as sympathise.
;-)
Rob
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(No idea why the movies show darkrooms as under a red glow
It's a fascinating bit of sociology. I presume the idea goes back to orthochromatic film processing, and that someone thought the red light gave the right mood.
So then it was established in the film-goer's mind that darkroom implies red, unless the film-goer had actually been in a darkroom. That proportion being very small, it was easier to comfort the mistaken belief than educate the majority.
There may be a lesson there.
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It might be nice to have free "teasers" of some of the videos available.
Eric
But there is.
Some segments, even for Lightroom & Capture One Pro tutorials are free.
Indicated as FREE VIEW
perhaps a suggestion could be to somehow make a " collection " of them with links to the " subscriber only " segments.
this would make it easier to find them :)
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Once again thank you for the comments. Chris and I have been quiet here as we have been at Leica (Wetzlar, Germany) for a week doing a behind the scenes video that we both think you will enjoy. Lots of great interviews including a fascinating conversation with Dr. Kauffman. I am now in Copenhagen and will be doing a few days with Phase OIne catching up on their latest offerings. Meanwhile, Chris is finishing the edit on our next Shooting With The Masters featuring Charlie Cramer. There is some really good material in that upcoming release too. We are just about to close another round of granting for the Endowment and that has us busy too. Once I get home there are a number of reviews and new products that I will be posting information about.
So, we are all busy. I have also done a few workshops to Iceland and Greenland on top of all of the above. Frankly, I am looking forward to getting home and completing some of these not to mention just being home. We will also be launching workshops to Japan, Svalbard, Greenland, Antarctica and the Palouse. Workshops are a big part of keeping LuLa going so I hope you may want to join us on one of the upcoming trips.
I know many of you would like to see the video journal concept come back. Well, that was a different time. Before YouTube and our own ability to embed videos on the site. However, I have heard you and Chris and I have been batting around some ideas. We'll have to see how these ideas develop. For now, though we feel we have an impressive amount of fresh and different content that will be coming your way.
Our small team is very passionate about this site and the work we do. We are in an industry that is growing and changing very fast. We are adapting to this in a way that keeps us fresh and different. This is the way Michael would have wanted it and no one knows this better than Chris and I being two of his best friends. As part of the LuLa family, I invite you to consider contributing content to the site and to share your knowledge and experience with others just as our great contributors have. Another great big thank you to the many who have articles on this site. What other site dives deep into paper reviews like Mark Segal does. If you have ideas or want to contribute to the site PM me.
Also, thank you, Chris, for your guidance as well as your talents with our videos. Debra also keeps the site going on a daily basis and has lifted a huge burden off of my shoulders. Our web team Crafted is also working as part of our team adding new features and capabilities to the Endowment site and LuLa. Please check out the video link on the upper right side of the homepage. You may be surprised at what is available on LuLa. We will also be launching a new Endowment site real soon.
Thank you for being part of Luminous-Landscape.
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LL remains an amazing resource to me!
Thanks Kevin for all the great work being done.
Michael also was focusing on the equipment he was using himself, so I have zero issues with my own gear (D850 and H6D-100c) getting very little mention here. Since I already know how amazing these are, I am in fact more interested in hearing about equipment I don't own (yet). ;)
Cheers,
Bernard
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I used to walk round marinas salivating. I now walk around marinas for exercise.
Rob
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Once again thank you for the comments. Chris and I have been quiet here as we have been at Leica (Wetzlar, Germany) for a week doing a behind the scenes video that we both think you will enjoy. Lots of great interviews including a fascinating conversation with Dr. Kauffman. I am now in Copenhagen and will be doing a few days with Phase OIne catching up on their latest offerings. Meanwhile, Chris is finishing the edit on our next Shooting With The Masters featuring Charlie Cramer. There is some really good material in that upcoming release too. We are just about to close another round of granting for the Endowment and that has us busy too. Once I get home there are a number of reviews and new products that I will be posting information about.
Looking forward to hearing about Phase One's reactions to the apparent market success of the GFX and the X1D and Phase's own plans for a mirrorless system. I am sure they provided most of the details!
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Looking forward to hearing about Phase One's reactions to the apparent market success of the GFX and the X1D and Phase's own plans for a mirrorless system. I am sure they provided most of the details!
See here (https://www.phaseone.com/en/Products/A-Series/Introduction.aspx) for Phase One's current mirrorless. 8)
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See here (https://www.phaseone.com/en/Products/A-Series/Introduction.aspx) for Phase One's current mirrorless. 8)
Interesting to see the 100 series back on a simple frame and lens. A few years ago I got the P45+ from Bear Photo in Palo Alto (who had a role in the B/W 39 MPx achromatic backs that Phase One developed) to use on my Hasselblad SWC. I stopped in not long ago to see if the 100s could be used the same way, but he advised me that the Hassy gear was not accurate enough to use at that resolution. But the ALPA setup you linked to looks exactly like the SWC setup -- same layout, some external cable, similar handling and viewfinder. I'm intrigued. Of course, it probably costs as much as 10 X1Ds.
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I, too, share some of the feeling that “things are not the same.” There are several reasons for this, I think. First and foremost, our sense of “difference” is a tribute of sorts to a truly unique human being. Michael’s combination of curiosity, erudition, simple joy in image making, child like sense of humor at times, curmudgeonly sensitilby at times, prescience in sensing what was/is going on in the industry and where it might lead, boldness to be on the cutting edge of recognizing that digital was “for real” . . . All this and a lot more are truly irreplaceable. Kevin and Chris are doing a wonderful job, but it “can’t” be the same.
Another contributing factor, for me at least, is that LuLa tracked the development of Lightroom from release to release, with great insight (and input!) into Lightroom’s direction - along with wonderful “insider information and insight” provided by Eric Chan and Jeff Schewe. This was intoxicating stuff, for me at least. With both the maturation of these tools, and Adobe’s seeming shift in emphasis in how it sees its own product (mobile & the horrible mistake on changing the import module), this whole aspect of “LuLa-vision” is pretty much gone.
Then there was what I consider to be “the magic” of Michael and Jeff in the tutorial videos. Holy cats, in some ways there couldn’t be two more different people - yet the synergy was awesome (and I don’t use that word often). From both a content perspective, and an entertainment perspective, these videos are “way more” than the sum of their parts. Probably the best thing I’ve seen lately is the “too short” video of Jeff and Kevin on soft-proofing. It has “some” of the same elements.
Then there’s the aspect of being a victim of its own success... we see a lot of new folk at LuLa who are “newer” to serious image making, and perhaps have migrated here from less polite web communities. It changes the tone of things, somewhat, but I guess is unavaoidable with the passage of time.
Tempos fugit . . .
This is still the best photography web site on the Internet, IMO. I still find that I learn more here than anywhere else. Kevin, Chris and company are doing a good job!
Rand
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I, too, share some of the feeling that “things are not the same.” There are several reasons for this, I think. First and foremost, our sense of “difference” is a tribute of sorts to a truly unique human being. Michael’s combination of curiosity, erudition, simple joy in image making, child like sense of humor at times, curmudgeonly sensitilby at times, prescience in sensing what was/is going on in the industry and where it might lead, boldness to be on the cutting edge of recognizing that digital was “for real” . . . All this and a lot more are truly irreplaceable. Kevin and Chris are doing a wonderful job, but it “can’t” be the same.
Another contributing factor, for me at least, is that LuLa tracked the development of Lightroom from release to release, with great insight (and input!) into Lightroom’s direction - along with wonderful “insider information and insight” provided by Eric Chan and Jeff Schewe. This was intoxicating stuff, for me at least. With both the maturation of these tools, and Adobe’s seeming shift in emphasis in how it sees its own product (mobile & the horrible mistake on changing the import module), this whole aspect of “LuLa-vision” is pretty much gone.
Then there was what I consider to be “the magic” of Michael and Jeff in the tutorial videos. Holy cats, in some ways there couldn’t be two more different people - yet the synergy was awesome (and I don’t use that word often). From both a content perspective, and an entertainment perspective, these videos are “way more” than the sum of their parts. Probably the best thing I’ve seen lately is the “too short” video of Jeff and Kevin on soft-proofing. It has “some” of the same elements.
Then there’s the aspect of being a victim of its own success... we see a lot of new folk at LuLa who are “newer” to serious image making, and perhaps have migrated here from less polite web communities. It changes the tone of things, somewhat, but I guess is unavaoidable with the passage of time.
Tempos fugit . . .
This is still the best photography web site on the Internet, IMO. I still find that I learn more here than anywhere else. Kevin, Chris and company are doing a good job!
Rand
Rand,
Well, I learned whatever I know about Photoshop from two main sources: before I joined LuLa I used to frequent the BJP website-as-was and a few people there were very helpful to me in answering questions about digital which, to me, was all about another planet. Sadly, it also hosted some truly dreadful people and the moderation was pretty much zero, and so I gave up on being insulted; the next time I held my nose and peeped it had closed (the open website forum, that is). It was a pity, because I met some people there with whom I converse to this day. Just shows you what poor control does to websites. The other place of learning is here: LuLa. Not so much from the "management" as from individuals who when asked, seem perfectly happy to pass on their knowledge, for which I thank them.
The LuLa videos seldom interested me very much; being so product related they passed me by except for the M9 release which upset my GAS problem - well, created one for a short while.
You touched on the differences in membership make-up; I think that for me, that has been a noticeable difference and it began before Michael's passing, so from my perspective, I am unwilling to accept any sort of responsibility falling onto Chris or Kevin as being a little guilty of causing unwanted mood changes that had started before they were left to cope with LuLa on their own.
It's difficult to be explicit, simply because change happened slowly, but what I do miss is the presence of a few really excellent professionals who submitted images and written posts quite regularly. I can understand that they might have become disenchanted, and that's inevitably the effect of mixing oil and water: the pro/am thing. It don't really mix, no way no how.
I was a pro all my adult working life; now I am retired and an amateur again, and my photographic interest has been dramatically curtailed by dint of the shooting opportunites of yesteryear being long dead. That makes one helluva big hole in your soul. So how to fill it? The only practical way I found was a return to one's very early inspirational roots, and that's where I eventually rediscovered Saul Leiter, who's work went well beyond models (my own specialty) and encompassed a fairly gentle form of steet photography which owed those divine creatures nothing. That, once I saw it again, offered me a filling for the personal vacuum, and that's the genre that has grabbed me - on and off - ever since. So with that as genre, I don't feel the lack of interesting professionals as much as I would otherwise. Apart from all those things, were I still working I simply wouldn't have had time to spend here. Period. Perhaps that's part of what has stopped others.
Something else that seems to affect me is the change within the Coffee Corner. I realise that I also occasionally fall victim to slipping, knowingly, into the dumbest of traps such as that damned US election thing and its never-ending saga of infinitely repeated political mantras (and now the gun thing), but I also note that it has brought about a difference in the way people respond to one another. A new bitterness and actual dislike of some people has surfaced, and that permeates throughout like a bad smell. I so wish that some of those sad threads had never opened.
Of course, the fact that LuLa is drifting ever more into an almost totally gear-freak site has not helped. From my perspective, as mentioned before, gear is hardly of much interest because I realised many, many decades ago that once I had the basic, reliable tools needed, the rest was always going to be limited by what I could do behind that camera and by what was in front of it, to equal degree. It's obvious that pretty much the majority here fails to grasp that basic fact, ever seeking and discussing the latest toy in some desperate hope of buying talent. That's pretty boring, and means that much of the LuLa content gets skipped, so not a lot remains for me. Fortunately, I enjoy writing too, and thus I do find a little outlet here for that, even if not really for my photography.
Perhaps, as somebody suggested, it boils down to the passing of an entire era in photography, and that's not fixable. But it is sad to observe the present, and to remember better times.
Rob
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I, too, share some of the feeling that “things are not the same.” There are several reasons for this, I think. First and foremost, our sense of “difference” is a tribute of sorts to a truly unique human being. Michael’s combination of curiosity, erudition, simple joy in image making, child like sense of humor at times, curmudgeonly sensitilby at times, prescience in sensing what was/is going on in the industry and where it might lead, boldness to be on the cutting edge of recognizing that digital was “for real” . . . All this and a lot more are truly irreplaceable. Kevin and Chris are doing a wonderful job, but it “can’t” be the same.
Another contributing factor, for me at least, is that LuLa tracked the development of Lightroom from release to release, with great insight (and input!) into Lightroom’s direction - along with wonderful “insider information and insight” provided by Eric Chan and Jeff Schewe. This was intoxicating stuff, for me at least. With both the maturation of these tools, and Adobe’s seeming shift in emphasis in how it sees its own product (mobile & the horrible mistake on changing the import module), this whole aspect of “LuLa-vision” is pretty much gone.
Then there was what I consider to be “the magic” of Michael and Jeff in the tutorial videos. Holy cats, in some ways there couldn’t be two more different people - yet the synergy was awesome (and I don’t use that word often). From both a content perspective, and an entertainment perspective, these videos are “way more” than the sum of their parts. Probably the best thing I’ve seen lately is the “too short” video of Jeff and Kevin on soft-proofing. It has “some” of the same elements.
Then there’s the aspect of being a victim of its own success... we see a lot of new folk at LuLa who are “newer” to serious image making, and perhaps have migrated here from less polite web communities. It changes the tone of things, somewhat, but I guess is unavaoidable with the passage of time.
Tempos fugit . . .
This is still the best photography web site on the Internet, IMO. I still find that I learn more here than anywhere else. Kevin, Chris and company are doing a good job!
Rand
No, it can't be the same but it can be a new different. My voice and personality is different from Michael's but my passion isn't. As a result of many changes we (the LuLa team) look for new content and ways to offer new things. We have plenty of good articles from contributors. Chris and I have been working on three projects we hope offer up a lot of interest which are as stated before, Charlie Cramer in the next Shooting with the Masters, Behind the Scenes at Leica and NEW stuff from Phase One. This will be in addition to a number of articles on new gear, software and other types of products. Chris and I just got back from 2 weeks on the road. He's now in big time editing mode. I am in catch up mode to finsih a number of articles not to mention finalize the next round of Endowment granting and launching some cool workshops for the next couple of years.
It's been hard for us to loose Michael. But we need to stop looking to the past and look at today and the future. This is what Michael and I did before he passed. We have been implementing a lot of changes as we have mentioned in responses above. We will have fresh content, we will do the occasional gear review on items that interest me. We will also do projects that no one else is doing and sharing these with our readers.
I think we have heard a lot from those who have posted here and we have heard you. You have heard from us too. If you have ideas please as I have said often Personal Message me. In the meantime we will keep working on the things we have on our plate and there is a lot of them.
As far as Lightroom and tutorials go. We'll have to see. There have been no exceptional new features to speak of in Lightroom that we haven't already covered in videos. I know Thomas and Eric both very well. And, when there is somethig significant with Lightroom we'll look at it and do a new update or maybe even a brand new tutorial. We will also do the same things with Phase One and Capture One. We promised on our Capture One 10 update tutorial that with the next big release of C1 we would start from scratch and do a completely new tutorial. So, when both of these companies have something we will be ready. There are also a number of other new products out there we are looking at too. I do hope that Jeff will be back in some future tutorial also. Jeff and I are going to be shooting together in early November. We'll see what come from that ;).
Thanks again for the feedback and for being part of our family.
I think it's time to lock this topic and get back to bsuiness. You know how to reach me.