After seeing the interviews with Brooks on the VJ, I became an instant fan. I have a couple of his prints, a subscription to Lenswork, and his podcast on my iPod.
Maybe because we're of an age, I don't find his podcasts arrogant at all. Opinionated, for sure, but his opinions seem to be based on his experiences, not what he read on the Internet this morning. And you can't say the guy doesn't have the experience and accomplishments to back it up, he's managed to make a living doing what most of us only dream about for 30 years or so.
I guess I could be called the same(either arrogant or opinionated, or both, depending on your perspective ), but I've put a lot of time and effort into developing those opinions and they work for me. YMMV. But I have a lot of respect for someone who's willing to just say it like he sees it instead of catering to the "I'm offended! You better apologize or I'll call my lawyer!" crowd. In the short time I've been a regular visitor to photo forums, I've seen enough glad-handing and back-slapping over crappy snapshots I'd have thrown away without a second glance to last me a lifetime! Crap is crap, no matter if it's beautifully printed and bound or posted at 640x480 on a message board, period. It doesn't seem to matter if its blurred, over/underexposed, composed well or poorly, etc., if you look long enough you can find a forum to post it on where you'll get the accolades you feel you deserve...... And maybe that's EXACTLY what you'll get... what you deserve.
So, while I don't agree with Brooks' views on everything, I find his opinions refreshing and entertaining and I like his magazine and his work. Maybe it's just because I encountered him at a time when I felt I had gained some semblance of technical expertise in the craft and was looking for inspiration for the right brain, I can't say for sure. But watching the interviews and listening to his 'casts have given me a fresh look at what I'm doing and where I'm going with my art.
Just my humble $.02/worth,
Bill
