Just a couple of observations re the present state of photography at the moment.
First up is that I did some prints for a fellow involved in a camera club around here and although he was more than happy with what I did for him his overriding concern was sharpness. Skin tones, composition, narrative etc etc were, I gathered, only secondary considerations to the holy grail of being in focus. Now I come from a club background myself and although pin point clarity was a great bonus it was never the major concern a decade or so ago. However, it now seems that this automatic function of a machine separates the worthy from the rest in the club scene around these parts. I suppose my point is that if enthusiasts of photography think only of this factor then is there any wonder that respect for the craft is so limited. BTW, I'm not having a go at the fellow himself, he's a good lad and has a genuine interest.
Secondly, I heard, on another forum, of a major motorcycle company (called Hamaya, or something similar) deciding that it ought to take along a freelance photographer for a three day press trip. They offered the first fellow they found a whole $150 dollars for the job. He declined their kind invitation.
Having said that it's not all doom and gloom because there is, I believe, a growing realisation that good photography can not be done on a mobile, but it's getting that sentiment expressed in terms of money in the bank that is the struggle.
