Picking on the Dr!

[P3D <PTWW@xxxxxxx>]

Dr. T bemoans:

>I don't know why you guys keep on picking on me?! ;) ;) ;)

You most have forgotten Dr. T famous quote #4769320-R158:

> More fun than taking the pictures...It's plain and simple entertainment

But that's understandable; it was a long time ago...Jan 8, 1997. :)

>we are humans... we learn new things, we change our minds. (snip)
>Paul managed to dig out some "ancient" Detroit club history.

George, I feel like I have been learning very many new things at a
rapid rate thanks to you and everyone else who contributes to P3D.  But
the story I quoted was something you "dug up" (from before my time) and
re-posted on Sept. 22, 1996 in the heat of the Cliff-inspired "what is
art?" debate.  There is no suggestion in the telling of the story at
that time that your own opinions had changed, just a lament that some
stuffy judges perceived your championship-quality image as a snapshot.
If an opinion you expressed less than 4 months ago is "ancient history,"
your proposed book of Dr. T quotes will have to be rewritten from scratch
on almost a weekly basis! :)

>an electric plug that I had not noticed.  These were the distracting
>elements for the judges.

You mean you didn't bracket your composition?  ;)

Actually, you told us the judges had a problem with *both* the plug and
the flash shadows...and referred to them as "alleged" distracting
elements.

>Is that an exposure issue?

No, as I stated last time it is a lighting issue.  Perhaps I was too
subtle in my post that said some might consider your approach to
exposure "haphazard"... I actually tried to criticize your sharp eyes
on *two* distinct points: 1) exposure; 2) lighting! :) :) :)

Seriously, as I stated originally, I was not trying to criticize
anyone's abilities, but to emphasize that there are many variations
in each person's sensitivity to different technical aspects of stereo
photography.  I can see I must try a lot harder before I will be 100%
successful in my endeavor! I apologize for my failings thus far. :(

>Let's be serious!  I enjoy quick, hand-held, spontaneous stereo
>photography.  

And you are upset when another photographer's image beats out your
"quick, hand-held, spontaneous stereo photography" image in competition?
Goodness, Dr. T, are we *that* inferior to you?? ;)

Seriously, in your defense, (although it may turn into a two-edged
sword), you told us:

>It took me one hour of careful work to double mask the picture and
>eliminate distracting elements

and:

>I had a good idea of what I was trying to achieve that night, took
>great pains to climb higher to get the right perspective (irritating
>my wife BTW), spent considerable time to mask it properly, etc.

So are we learning and changing opinions, or rewriting history?  ;)

Let's try this on for size (inspired in part by Dr. T's earlier
proposal to stereotype stereophotographers...oops, I hope that's
not ancient history also!) :

Among those who take stereo photos, some of us are STEREO photographers;
some are stereo PHOTOGRAPHERS; and some are STEREO PHOTOGRAPHERS.  I
think this goes a long way toward explaining a) differences in *emphasis*
on issues such as exposure, lighting, mounting accuracy, and the stereo
window; and b) diametrically opposite feelings about frozen action,
level horizon, and depth of field.

What else can we put under a) or b)?

Paul Talbot


------------------------------