i know that we are mostly a gear forum...

I have to say I feel I learn so much from looking at the images that are posted here every day. I have also learned something as a person from the generosity with which people share their images and their comments.
 
I will say that I've added to my style of photography as well as my gear due to this forum...I have changed from what I was to what I am (for the moment) I still have what I came here with (gear & style) but I've grown...for me Change is a big thing...to go from using D-76 for so many years to trying Rodinal or HC-110 is big...to go from just using 35mm SLR's to trying Medium Format, Large Format and Rangefinders has helped in my becoming...trying different films and seeing differently is also growth in my shooting...

I guess it's time to say once again Thank you Guys & Gals for your sharing of knowledge and images, your gears and fears...Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all...
 
I've been building my bag and would go to the ads first when I logged on, now I find myself going to the gallery first. My bag must be complete. Either that or I'm out of money.
 
Thanks for this end-of-year reminder/reflection, Joe. I'm here to see primarily, not to read (I have a lifetime of writing and reading behind me). It is the visual and compositional intelligence that attracts my attention the most. But I'm also here to learn, and I absorb a good deal of practical, technical knowledge that shines forth from the wisest and most experienced image-makers here. On my own I would have fumbled this way and that in many ways--other than the fundamentals of making the exposures I want. Thanks, RFF community, for exemplifying all levels of visual and technical education. Merry X, Robert
 
Sure, every photographer I've known is interested in the gear, but I came here mostly because the folks posting here actually take pictures. It is great seeing film and digital peacefully coexisting in threads, with the focus being the pictures.
 
Darthfeeble said:
I've been building my bag and would go to the ads first when I logged on, now I find myself going to the gallery first. My bag must be complete. Either that or I'm out of money.
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LOL! That's a great analysis. :)

Yes, I know what you mean. I find myself amidst an embarrassment of camera wealth right now, and already I'm feeling the "ok I'm sick of the "what's better, this vs that" business. My commitment to myself next year is to concentrate much more on making photographs, on posting to my long-neglected blogsite, and slowly selling what I know is no longer going to get used at all.

And more looking at galleries, not technical threads. :)

Time to let the visual ideas fly, what I've got in equipment is more than just good enough.

G
 
Happy Christmas to RFF. The photos here are astounding. I am shocked when I look at the winning photos of magazine competitions or newspaper best pictures in comparison to what we see here every week. I've learnt a lot about exposure, composition, non-Leica lenses, non-Leica cameras etc etc. The anticipation of the X100 last year and the early mastering of the settings that work best was a lot of fun. But even with that gear it was all about the pictures. I think it was the first picture posted here, at the beach (Steveh???), shot wide open that sold me. But not only is not just the gear, it's not just the pictures either: the humanity of this forum is a privilege to see.
 
Photographs are the ultimate goal, gear makes it possible! RFF is a great site with useful infos and beautiful pictures. Place for everybody!
robert
PS: now, after this sentence... OM-D or EX-1 ? Hmmm, next year....:)
 
I started here mainly to still my interest in gear, but recently started posting in the galleries. For me, RFF is the perfect place to talk about gear, get info and show photographs. I like that it's not centered on digital and that film still gets its fair share of attention. RFF serves the wishes of a large part of the photographic community and that's shown by the number of posts here, easily 10 times number of posts on the other sites involved in photography.
 
been participating mainly on gear or generic talk. things here are in good balance and people are usually tolerant to others views, even if different than theirs. if argument arises, it rarely goes to personal level. some other forums that am frequenting less often, this is more of a norm. Gangnam Style Christmas to RFFers :) :p
 
I would like to say that because...you have group that is making decision to only use "rangefinder" equipment...that already sets up a "gear" centered foundation. Now that is not an issue in my mind. I do think that we all get "fixated" on equipment as again photography mandates a mechanical tool to capture an image...regardless of film or digital....always been that way. As a group the RFF community tends to attract people who want to "see" or look at any subject for the perspective....not found or seen before.

The search for a fresh creative perspective...and most efforts produce good results. Digital Cameras are freeing peoples ability to spend more time shooting and less time in the "wet lab"...and making wet prints is another art form all to it's self.

SO RFF people make the effort to show or see the with the "Minds Eye"....always a good thing.
 
I also find we have a good mix of gear and photography related talk here. RFF is a treasure trove of photography related information of all sorts and that is a good thing in my opinion. And I have got to know quite a lot of super interesting people via RFF. In that sense: Happy Holidays!
 
Godfrey said:
LOL! That's a great analysis. :)

Yes, I know what you mean. I find myself amidst an embarrassment of camera wealth right now, and already I'm feeling the "ok I'm sick of the "what's better, this vs that" business. My commitment to myself next year is to concentrate much more on making photographs, on posting to my long-neglected blogsite, and slowly selling what I know is no longer going to get used at all.

And more looking at galleries, not technical threads. :)

Time to let the visual ideas fly, what I've got in equipment is more than just good enough.

G
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Godfrey, you've summed up exactly what I was thinking the last time I emptied out the photo closet and laid all the bodies, lenses, etc. etc. upon the bed. Enough is enough, already! ;)

One of the reasons I've purchased a used x-e1 body is to use it with some of the manual-focus 135mm lenses I own. It seems to me the x-e1 is about as close as I'll get to an all-manual film camera with a digital back (seeing as how I'll probably never be able to afford a digital M, x-pro 1 or rd-1.) Shutter control on the top of the body, aperture control on the lens, look through the viewfinder, focus and shoot! The same regime that brought me into photography in the '70s. Autofocus will be the icing on the cake when I can afford some XF lenses.

Along with you, my New Year's resolution is to "shoot more, buy less." With the inspiration I receive from looking at both the analog and digital contributions from RFF members, perhaps this coming year will be the year my photography takes a step upwards, and not necessarily because of the gear used.

A very blessed holiday season to all RFF'ers! :angel:
 
Godfrey said:
LOL! That's a great analysis. :)

Yes, I know what you mean. I find myself amidst an embarrassment of camera wealth right now, and already I'm feeling the "ok I'm sick of the "what's better, this vs that" business. My commitment to myself next year is to concentrate much more on making photographs, on posting to my long-neglected blogsite, and slowly selling what I know is no longer going to get used at all.

And more looking at galleries, not technical threads. :)

Time to let the visual ideas fly, what I've got in equipment is more than just good enough.

G
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I am not embarrassed at all looking at my camera display cabinet. In fact, I'm quite proud of it.

I no longer buy a new camera because of the "potential" to take better pictures, rather because I want to try the handling/feature, or because it looks handsome/pretty. And I enjoy buying/selling cameras too, wish I do enough of it to make a living. Alas, I don't :)

If you would like to develop your visual style, try to edit and select your pictures and make a photo-book. I see more of us here on RFF do this and the results are quite good, some are even better than commercially published ones.
 
back alley said:
...but we have some great photographers here as well!

i just want to take a moment and say that i cannot help but be impressed with the level of quality images that appear here on rff on a daily basis.
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I do promise to slow down when I am viewing the galleries here, and punch the "rate this photo" button more often than I do now.

It is too overwhelming to comment on every image, and the button scheme can be interpreted badly, but at least it is a crude indication that "I came, I saw, I opinionated" :rolleyes:.
 
Mark C said:
Sure, every photographer I've known is interested in the gear, but I came here mostly because the folks posting here actually take pictures. It is great seeing film and digital peacefully coexisting in threads, with the focus being the pictures.
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This is one of the things I cherish about here.
 
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