For most people this is a hobby and like many Hobbies they lose interest after awhile and wander off. That's seems to be natural progression. Some get bored and myself I get tired of it sometimes and busy with family. But what bugs me is when I do these long tests and post I get very few responses as that's a clear sign folks are losing interest. I know one thing I can't carry this place so it needs people to do that. Not sure what else to say but I feel sometimes forums are becoming a slow death as social media is taking over which I honestly have zero interest in. One other issue is a lot of gear companies are really not doing much to talk about. Folks the IPhone has ruined many things
Unfortunately, I have to agree with you, but am not sure "ruined" is quite correct. It has most certainly changed photography … probably as much or more than digital originally did.
Apple's original theme line when launching their personal computer was
"The computer for the rest of us", (at the time referencing Apple's focus on the individual, verses IBM's focus on business). The iPhone was a continuation of that concept, placing photography in the hands of the masses with a photographic tool that is always with the person.
The result is a down-playing of photographic craftsmanship, and a strong surge of content driven imagery especially personal photography. Now if Aunt Milly in her garden party finest staggers off into the pool during a family barbecue, 20 cell phones capture it and in a matter of seconds it's on FaceBook, U-Tube, etc. If it goes viral, millions may see it. These social sites are endlessly connected personal networks that define the term "Web". You have a friend that has hundreds of friends, who each have hundreds of friends, and so on.
In the end, most folks want their work to be seen. As Picasso once said …
"A painting kept in the closet, might as well be kept in the head." The answer to that for the upcoming younger generations is social sites, not the more traditional path many of us are used to … which in turn, are fast disappearing.
In my former field of endeavor, weddings, well over a decade ago a shot taken at a Kennedy wedding by Denis Reggie defined the sort of romantic photography that went mainstream. More recently, a shot by some obscure photographer of a T-Rex chasing a wedding party went viral over-night, and was even picked up on news shows. For over a year afterwards a lot of prospective wedding clients wanted something like that:banghead: I knew it was time to gracefully bow out.
Even technical info has been impacted. If you Google a tech question, there are probably twenty U-Tube, step-by-step videos that answer it.
So, my take on photography forums is that they must evolve and offer something of greater substance than just tech talk, tests, or posting images in a cloistered environment.
Which brings up the dicey subject of … purpose.
With commercial photography, there is an underlying purpose going in. The client wants to communicate something. Then ideas are formed, approaches considered, craftsmanship is applied … but all are held accountable to that underlying purpose.
When I see a great shot here on GetDpi, I often wonder what inspired it? What was the purpose either going in, or what planned or intuitive idea or aesthetic insight suddenly struck the photographer that led to the image? How it was technically pulled off is of some interest, but secondary to why the photo was made in the first place.
I get that many folks do this because of the personal satisfaction … the "doing" being an important component. Yet when we post resulting images, the viewer was not there for the "doing". That personal experience isn't inherent in the image.
I wonder where this train of thought might lead us … if anywhere?
- Marc
P.S., Guy, your lens tests are so comprehensive, so well done, that I'm not sure what there is to say in response other than thank you!