For people passionate about photography - amateur and professional.

Pixels Shmixels

Has anyone come across editors and or art directors that are caught up in their little pixel free world, looking for a grain / pixel free image. It really annoys me. I did a shoot for an actress and especially shot her with my Nikon d200 at 400 asa because I like the almost filmic irregular grain effect that I get with it. I put the images on my website, along comes an editor of a digital camera magazine and decided he wanted to buy worldwide usage to use the image on the cover of the magazine. (great) but then he asks me if I have a copy of the image that has less grain (I didn't funnily enough because that's the effect I set out to do), so needless to say, he got someone in to get rid of the grain / pixel effect that I shot in the first place.

Now surely he either likes the image or he doesn't. He wanted the shot to be pixel free because its a "digital magazine", my argument was, surely then he should be pointing out that the nikon d200 is a great camera to use if you want an almost film effect. needless to say he didn't get what I was on about. (there's a surprise)

Many moons ago, that would never have happened, the editor would have called up and said Ian I would like to use that image, end of story. There wouldn't have been any question of grain. it would have been a nice shot end of story, even if it had golf balls for grain.

So (near the end of my rant) that means that magazine editors are aiming for an almost HD / grain free world of images, which means that all of our work will eventually look the same.

This is the image in question (the original), they used the image on the cover and it worked really well, even though he ran it through noise ninja, but watch out for pixel medeling editors.

Tags: digital, free, grain, photo, photograph, photography, pixel, pixels

Attachments:

christina_cole.jpg, 87 KB

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Stephen Brown on June 30, 2009 at 3:15pm: Another example of the triumph of technological form over artistic content. I think it's also connected to the tyranny of fabricated perfectionism in which it has to be said fashion photographers in particular have been willing collaborators! It's just that at least air-brushing was a skill in itself that NoiseNinja etc. aren't! :)

Great image by the way: I'm not surprised he wanted to run it!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ian Phillips-McLaren on July 1, 2009 at 5:56pm

I couldn't have put it better myself Stephen.

God! I could have a rant about fabricated perfectionism in photography. I like to call it the barbie effect. I'll save that rant for another day.

Here's a magazine article that quoted me on the barbie effect amongst others, if you fancy a laugh.

Attachments:

Practical_Photography_Ian_Phillips-McLaren.pdf, 446 KB

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Stephen Brown on July 2, 2009 at 3:02pm: Great article! I'd no idea you were such a celebrity! :) It's very refreshing to hear someone successful talk such down-to-earth common sense. I love the "Hollywood star Orlando Bloom just happens to be a friend of Ian’s" - that's serious cool!!!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ian Phillips-McLaren on July 2, 2009 at 4:21pm: Thanks Stephen, I find it quite amusing, it made me laugh. I'll accept the cool bit thanks : ) LOL only joking! my kids think I'm a dork and the least funniest person alive, Ho Hum, I suppose that's par for the coarse.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ian Phillips-McLaren on July 1, 2009 at 9:05pm: Tri-x in id11 - now you speaking my language Edward, I'll bet they loved the shots, I'm itching to get out my old Rollei 2.8 or even my Olympus pen ft. ouch!; ▶ Reply to This

RSS

Welcome to
the edge - forum and gallery for photographers - amateur and pro

Sign Up
or Sign In

Forum

Does much happen here?

Started by Brandy Chase in Hang Out At The Edge 1 day ago.

Website design for photographers 4 Replies

Started by David Anthony Procter in Hang Out At The Edge. Last reply by David Anthony Procter Mar 13.

A taxing question 2 Replies

Started by Richard Pentin in Question The Pros - go on I dare you. Last reply by Richard Pentin Feb 14.

Blog Posts

The New Leica S2

The New Leica S2

I was invited to Leica’s new flagship store and studio in Mayfair, London last week Red Dot Cameras, they said that they were interested in my opinion of their new Leica S2 camera. So I felt compelled and wen… Continue

Posted by Ian Phillips-McLaren on February 15, 2010 at 1:00pm — 4 Comments

Road photos across USA

Hi, Im planning on doing a trip across US starting L.A. all route 66 ending in Chicago and then to New York.
Any tips of things that I can find to shoot along the way ?
It can be anything, from sightseeing to a famous crazy guy in a town.

Regards,

Diego

Posted by Diego Villasenor Amezcua on September 30, 2009 at 2:28am — 10 Comments

Know any college photographers?

If so, please share this article with them on the 64th College Photographer of the Year competition. The deadline is 11:59 p.m. CDT, Sunday, September 27, 2009. http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-6227-Louisville-Photography-Examiner~y2009m9d9-Call-for-entries--64th-College-Photographer-of-the-Year-photo-competition

Continue

Posted by Buddy Ray on September 10, 2009 at 12:56am

Electric Shock

I did the second part of the Littlewoods pools shoot yesterday, got off to a great start, we hired this large studio in Battersea, London. I was quite happy setting up my lights, the studio manager pointed me in the direction of there extention leads.

I picked up this coiled extension lead, plugged it into the wall, like you do and thought great this will do the trick, so I walked over to one of my strobes holding the end of the extension lead when WALLOP!!! yep, one hell of an electric shock w… Continue

Posted by Ian Phillips-McLaren on August 13, 2009 at 6:00pm — 2 Comments

Guardian Rights Grab

Hi Folks,

This is the letter I have just sent to Chris Elliott at the Guardian. Now he won't care what I say, probably won't care if a score of us write. But if every single photographer reading this were to write, then GNM might just listen.

Just remember, selling rights to our work is what makes us Professional photographers. If our clients start eroding those rights further, along with that fact that there is simply less work around today, then more of us will find it impossible to make a l… Continue

Posted by Pete Jenkins on July 29, 2009 at 9:37pm

Badge

Loading…

Get Badge

Badges | Report an Issue | Privacy | Terms of Service