"Real talent" and composition

["Bruce Rosenberger" <BR3D@xxxxxxx>]

In P3D 1203 Eric G. wrote:

>I may have a few hard learned (and minimal) skills, but those people have 
real talent...

I had an art class years ago with a teacher whose philosophy on talent was, " 
Any art (and this applies to any 'talent') is five percent talent and 
ninety-five percent perspiration." We all have 'talents' that we excel in. I 
personally have always had a 'talent' for cartooning (although I think I need 
to perspire quite a lot yet!), but it's been a passion since I can remember. 
Some people have a talent for sports (an area where I'm all left thumbs, feet, 
etc. etc.!) Again this is something that those folks have had a passion for 
since way back. Along with that passion comes a slowly developed 'talent.' 

Think of when you first learned to drive, it was drummed into your head that 
every car has a 'blind spot,' I'll bet that consciously or unconsciously you 
don't drive in someone else's 'blind spot.' Playing an instrument or typing, 
these are all areas where the more you practice (or perspire), the better you 
get. (All right, I'll admit, maybe typing is a bad analogy, I took personel 
typing 24 years ago and you should see me here... gosh, what a mess!)

The point is, I think that if you work hard enough at anything, you too can be 
one of the 'talented' ones. You just have to have that 'passion.'

Re: the current discussion on the SLIDE FORMAT ON 3-D CAMERAS. 
Recently our 3-D photo club hosted the PSA Club competition and I have to 
admit that all of the pictures that I found most appealing (as I recall) were 
shot in the one of the wider formats. (My favorite slide of the evening was on 
by Dr. T. Was that a wider format or Realist?) Is this because I've always 
worked (composition wise) in the rectangular format? Or is there really 
something to 'the golden mean' that we've all heard about? I can personally 
say that I find the 'square' frame of the Realist format cameras frustrating, 
but that could be due to my past composition experience... (maybe a little 
'perspiration' on my part, eh?)
 Unfortunately, at this time there's no way I'm going to be getting an RBT. 
I'm currently working on hacking together two cameras. I've settled on the 
Kodak Pony 135 Model C. (Anyone know where I can get a second one?)

Finally, I'll start to post the results from the Survey I took. I got a total 
of 28 responses, 24 from folks in this group! The 3-D Family Feud went over 
very well, everyone really seemed to enjoy it. Thank you to all the kind souls 
who took the time to answer all those questions and e-mail them to me. I'll 
problably post them a couple of questions at a time so as not to overload the 
digests.

Bruce Rosenberger, Hellertown, PA, USA


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