How to Take Stunning Pictures On TV

I actually thought that last night's episode was the worst yet. I think the kindest way to describe Martin's take on things is "eccentric". As for the results being produced - what exactly would be the intended outlet for displaying those images? Would you want them printed and hung on your wall? Would you want them in your home photo album? Would you want to view them in a gallery display? Would there really be any meaningful market to sell them? In all seriousness, who would want to look at them? Not attractive. Not interesting. Not emotionally engaging. Was there a story? Would anybody care? Regardless of technical quality, to me they were no more interesting than any run of the mill snapshot. Just random strangers going about their business. What is the point? Have I missed it?
 
First time ive watched it (by accident) what a pile of garbage this is nothing but a 30 minute advert for the lumix. Waste of tv space and i completly agree with flash above

Dave(y)


Flash In The Pan said:
Last night's was the only episode of the show I've watched in it's entirety, mainly because of Martin Parr's presence. I had to laugh at the idea that you can wander around a beach taking candid snaps of people though. Take away the tv camera crew and I think your average photographer would find it was the police and not a renowned photographer that was reviewing their images....
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tdodd said:
I actually thought that last night's episode was the worst yet. I think the kindest way to describe Martin's take on things is "eccentric". As for the results being produced - what exactly would be the intended outlet for displaying those images? Would you want them printed and hung on your wall? Would you want them in your home photo album? Would you want to view them in a gallery display? Would there really be any meaningful market to sell them? In all seriousness, who would want to look at them? Not attractive. Not interesting. Not emotionally engaging. Was there a story? Would anybody care? Regardless of technical quality, to me they were no more interesting than any run of the mill snapshot. Just random strangers going about their business. What is the point? Have I missed it?
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I'd say you have - Martin Parr has become a millionaire based in no small part on his output of such images....
 
Flash In The Pan said:
I'd say you have - Martin Parr has become a millionaire based in no small part on his output of such images....
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So there is a lucrative market for pictures of the back views of a couple of strangers looking at some seaside stall? I struggle to imagine where that market is. Perhaps that's why I'm not a millionaire. :shrug:
 
I can't believe you guys are still watching this show. I watched number 1, felt at the end that I'd wasted half an hour of my life and then never watched it again.
 
I thought last night's was better in that it did offer some actual tips in general.

Only being vaguely familiar with Martin Parr, I reached the conclusion last night that he's a little bit of a dick, and his work largely falls in the "emperor's new clothes" category of photography for me.

A middle aged (being kind) man walking along in slacks spouting "I'm pretending to be a fly". Riiight. Might pass in Brighton for a second or two, but if you tried that in Manchester you'd be battered within a minute and no doubt cries of 'P****' would be ringing in your ears along with it...
 
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tdodd said:
So there is a lucrative market for pictures of the back views of a couple of strangers looking at some seaside stall? I struggle to imagine where that market is. Perhaps that's why I'm not a millionaire. :shrug:
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Google Parr's work and you'll see many similar images. I must say at first I didn't "get" him, but I do now.
 
joescrivens said:
I can't believe you guys are still watching this show. I watched number 1, felt at the end that I'd wasted half an hour of my life and then never watched it again.
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Well I'm watching in the hope that I learn something, anything, that might help my photography. Artistic vision is my weak point and I have remained open minded for each episode, hoping to be inspired. Despite repeated disappointments I thought it was worth persevering. After all, if I can absorb just droplets of wisdom from these millionaire photographers it's got to be worth a few minutes of my time.
 
tdodd said:
So there is a lucrative market for pictures of the back views of a couple of strangers looking at some seaside stall? I struggle to imagine where that market is. Perhaps that's why I'm not a millionaire. :shrug:
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Well, different people have different tastes. Personally I feel the same as you about Martin Parr's photography; I just don't get it. I guess some people do - or at least pretend to (that comment not directed at anyone here BTW, I feel the same way about most modern art) ;-)
 
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Martin Parr documents the ordinary person. If you know such tattooed persons you wouldn't want to see a picture of them. In 30 years time when the world looks different his photos and other street type photos will give a picture of what life was like. I'm sure people in the 60s thought the same about whoever was going around taking photos on Carnaby Street.

I don't like quite a lot of what he does but his views of Southport in the 80s and his old black and whites do stand out. History is made up of images of the time that others

I still find it hilarious there are those that sit through the whole programme then complain about how bad it was. Switch it off! It's on Channel 5 it's not going to be some erudite masterpiece.
 
tdodd said:
OK. Done that. Results here....

http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=e...le&resnum=1&ved=0CDAQsAQwAA&biw=1653&bih=1054

I dare say there are a few gems in there, but overall I wouldn't pay a penny for any of them. It's nice for him that others do.
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wow, they really are crap :LOL: in my opinion of course :D

they remind me of a load of cards my maths teacher had called the lost consonents by graham rawle

http://www.grahamrawle.com/lostconsonants/index.html

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neil_g said:
dont worry they dont do anything for me either.. in fact some of those a 5 year old could do (in my opinion)
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I can't believe people are actually buying this crap and making this charlatan a millionaire.:wacky:

Who's the idiot, me for not cashing in on this 35 years ago when I had my first kodak slide and shoot...... or the people buying this ******.

That'd me then!!!:wacky:
 
He reminds me a bit of Nan Goldin only without the annoying yellow cast. Don't like her stuff much either.

He's a Magnum photographer so hardly 'crap' even if you don't like his subject matter.
 
There certainly is some gems by Martin Parr, I think he has a good eye for a picture.
Yes, I agree a lot of tat/snaps there too. Many are a humerous side of our own social history in the making.
 
I like him and so does my bookshelf :)
I first came across his work in the early 90's and at the time he was relatively unknown. As well as been a brilliant photographer he is also a genius at marketing.

I will admit he's a bit like Marmite, but he is one of the most important documentary photographers of the past 30 years, and his collection of Spice Girl crisp packets will probably one day, be worth a small fortune.
 
I thought last nights show was probably the best yet.

But I don't like the dirge the pixel peeping 'rule of third's' cliché image producers churn out and love Martin Parr's eye for the moment. :D
 
Bucketp said:
Wjhere is the skill in taking hundreds of pictures in the hope of getting one good one!
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Isn't that exactly what most professionals in the fashion industry, and also Paps, Sports 'togs et al, do?
If not, why do they fire off dozens of shots in myriad poses, for just one magazine cover?

One shot, one keeper is complete BS. The skill is being able to envisage what you want to capture, and then setting out to achieve it, and as Joe points out being able to hit the delete key (something that I need to learn to do far better! :D ).
 
Bucketp said:
Wjhere is the skill in taking hundreds of pictures in the hope of getting one good one!
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'If I take one good picture a year I'm doing well.' - Henri Cartier-Bresson
 
I'm glad I haven't seen any of this by the comments on here! Don't know what the problem is with Suzi Perry she's a nice lass. Met her a couple of times when she was on the WSB circuit and she was very friendly. She learnt a lot about the teams and riders in her time and I think was pretty knowledgeable abouit bikesport by the time she was working on Moto GP. I miss her from the BBC coverage to be honest. Not sure the blonde chick that is on there now knows much. Suzi has done work for the forces as well, appearing in a video about operational stress and she is still a top biker chick. She might not be the bikini babe she once was but she still ranks as top tv totty for me! :love:
 
Lord Lichfield was an example of hold down the shutter button and wait kind of photographer. Who was the guy that only ever took *one* shot? He's spend ages preparing and then take the one and go away again. Can't think of his name. Worlds apart.

Without seeing the duds you can never tell who's the genius and who is just persistent :)

Could a chimp take a decent photo if you gave them a camera? Could you just point a camera down the street with a random timer and see what you got?

I'm sure it was Duffy that said he couldn't understand the genius in his work. He said anyone could take a decent photo just like a pro. Which is true. But a pro should take consistently better images than an amateur. Unlike a lot of artistic fields I think the majority of people can take a good photo under the right circumstances. This isn't true of painting or drawing or sculpture.
 
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