It's a passion thing…
Back from Focus on Imaging, we are now into full on assessment at the OCA. Focus is a show that stirs mixed emotions for me. It was great to meet so many of our photography students and we certainly had plenty of discussion with potential students, however the content of the show doesn’t really do much for me. The rationale for Focus has always been that it is the place to get a hands on look at new kit. This year the sense was that whatever new kit was around it certainly wasn’t game changing – Jose like the look of the Fuji x100 and I could certainly see it becoming a reportage/street photography tool of the trade, but I think we both thought that £900 was pretty steep. Elsewhere it was decidedly thin pickings, Canon didn’t even think it was worth attending. Part of me wonders if this isn’t a good thing. The rate of valuable technological progress in cameras is arguably slowing down – my 2005 5d still feels to me entirely adequate. Maybe now the emphasis can shift back from kit to the pre-digital concern with craft and communication.
(Paul Fisher and Gareth Dent – image William Chan)
Among the students we met was Paul Fisher, pictured above. After a career at British Airways, Paul and his wife retired to the Var in South West France. He told me he never done anything on the artistic side but that he felt he had an eye for photography. After acquiring a camera it didn’t take him long to realise that modern cameras make it so easy, and he needed to take control. A web search led him to the OCA and Art of Photography with Simon Barber. Paul said the experience was so positive that subsequently his wife enrolled on Textiles 1 and his son, who lives in Uruguay enrolled on Drawing 1 – quite an OCA family.
This sort of chance meeting more than makes up for the aching feet, a glimpse into the passion OCA students bring to their studies always recharges the batteries. So off to Derby on Saturday!
23 thoughts on “It's a passion thing…”
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I was at Focus yesterday and was generally disappointed. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t really in the market for anything, even though I did buy a ‘compact’ camera. This year, it just felt like there were more framing and album companies than anything else. I would have liked Canon to be there just for a look at a tilt/shift, but never mind. I did get to look covetously at the large format stuff, and had a nice chat with Dee…
Roll on Saturday.
Even though there was’nt anything new, it was still good fun to be there, I would have liked to see some more big names in photography. I missed your stand I would have liked to come and have a chat.
I too was at Focus on Sunday. I agree with everything the previous contributors have said. You can see that the recession is hitting companies hard. Nikon seemed keen to make a big showing, even to the extent of providing Andy Rouse to give a hour long talk and slide show, which was definately the highlight of the day for me. I sat through a (fairly) interesting talk on Lightroom hints and tips, but it was mainly so that I could sit down for half an hour!
All in all an enjoyable day, but I won’t be going again in a hurry.
I went on Tuesday. It did not seem quite as crowded as when I last went 2 or 3 years ago and, yes, it was full of the photo-books people, but it was fun to see what was going on and nice to see how many ways there are of presenting photographs now.
I was there on Monday – the highlight was definately Andy Rouse. Had a chat with him – he seems all over the place but is certainly easy to like. Thinking about one of his safari trips in 2012 – shopuld be a laugh!. Overall FOI was quieter than last year – not enough special offers, new equipment or interesting instruction; too much full-on selling. Bought a compact for my son for a trip to Nepal he is about to go on (Canon PowerShot S95) – took it out yesterday with him; easy to use hybrid for beginners to start off with; and bought some software (Topazsuite and Perfect Photosuite) mainly cos there was a deal on these rather than I went looking for them. Took a look at the Epson R3000 A3+ printer – a monster! brilliant but too expensive. Still dont find it a place where keen enthusiasts can come and talk, compare and learn. Still – will probably go agian next year
I can’t comment on this year’s show as I didn’t go: I’ve been every year since 99, so why not this year? Pressure of work, the cost of trains or petrol and car-parking are factors, but they are every year.
It is a chance to get hands on kit, but the kit isn’t always there, or rather the kit I’d like to se (i.e. I’d design) isn’t there, such as tripods for tall people that don’t weigh 3kg.
As we shift our buying to the internet it is difficult to find products locally to try them out, but it is also difficult to get at anything new at Focus – the scrum is 3 deep and there isn’t the space or the light to test it properly.
The show isn’t geared to enthusiasts/amateurs, although they do make up around half of all visitors, as it is still essentially a trade show (the only big one in the country); that’s why pros get in for free. The books, albums and mounts stalls reflect where most of the business is still traded in UK photography – on the high st.
The equipment market is dominated by amateur sales but these are also supported at smaller fairs such as the photovision circuit – probably a better bet for hands on fondling.
I guess Focus is a victim of its own success, the venue is big enough for Focus’s growth to have created a fair that caters for all who are interested in photography, without serving any particularly well. As such it is really hard work to trudge around, battling with the crowds.
I always bump into lots of people I know, so much of my time is spent chatting. Then the last hour I spend rushing around trying to get to all those stalls I had highlighted on the floorplan.I always find some quirky item on special offer – the specials are the real bargains, but I do start to wonder if it’s worth it…
If you’re addicted to photography it’s quite a big fix, despite the disappointments. I got an email today from the flash centre (purveyors of Elinchrom lighting), saying today was the last day for show specials, I had more than a twinge of regret that I’d missed Focus – guess I’ll be back next year
I didn’t attend, and I’m left wondering if sculptors go to chisel shows and writers agonise over new pens.
We live in a world where your ability is often judged by the shininess of your equipment, and the opening gambit is so often ‘What kit do you use?’ rather than ‘What pictures do you take?’ – so hurrah to Gareth’s wish that we return to a world where craft and communication are important. I’m not holding my breath though
‘We live in a world where your ability is often judged by the shininess of your equipment’
You won’t find that at the OCA Nigel; as you well know. ‘ }
Limitations are important creative tools.
You won’t find that at the OCA Nigel; as you well know. ‘ }
And that’s why I signed up for a second course. As a personal observation I often drift towards gear-lust when I’m short of inspiration – the belief that the new bit of kit would make me the next big thing is very enticing. At the moment I’m almost convinced that a lensbaby would be revitalise my portraiting, and that I can’t possible manage street shooting without a Pen E-P2 or an M9 – get thee behind me, santa!
Nooooooo somebody stop him!
I used the same Nikon, the same Hasselblad and the same Sinars for 30 years and never once did the client reject their output for being shot on old equipment.
I still use all my old Nikkor lenses on my D700. The only thing is there’s a funny knurled ring on them that you have to twist to get things in focus but I’m learning to live with it.
Now if you were talking about guitars I plead guilty as charged. Hahahaha
Lensbabies are the spawn of the devil!!!!!
“the same Hasselblad”
ou aren’t helping :0)
Well Nigel I would sell it to you but it has sentimental value because of all that its done for me… unless the second-hand prices of digital backs for it ever become reasonable, then it’s back in action.
Funny thngs camera’s. I have my first OM-10 – I don’t think it works and all the lenses are mould infected, but I can’t bring myself to throw it away.
Longing for a digital back for my 40-odd year old Hassie…
I remember buying it when I was a student in the mid-70s; Chrome 500CM with a black 80mm T* lens, A12 back, lens hood and an Arca Swiss Polaroid back that looked as if it had been chopped off the back of one of their early Polaroid Land cameras, this was before Hasselblad started making Polaroid backs.
£400 the lot, all brand new and boxed. It was the most money I’d ever had in my hand, in a roll of £10 notes done up with a rubber band. I kept nervously checking it in my jeans pocket all the way on the tube to Islington to buy it. Hahaha
I coupled that with a Husky Quick-Set tripod and it’s all still working today.
Actually it’s exactly the same set up as Elvis Costello is pretending to shoot with on the cover of the ‘This Years Model’ album, except I’ve got a rapid wind crank.
“… except I’ve got a rapid wind crank”
I’m resisiting … I’m resisting .. No, I won’t comment!
Yes but I haven’t used it for years now!
Hahahaha
Well I was there on Monday and I had a great time. It was lovely meeting other students.
Focus has always been a trade show. I look at the images on the various stands and how they are displayed. As I organise our Camera Club Exhibitions I look at how items are displayed and what I could use for publicity.
I was at Focus Tuesday, thought it well worth attending and enjoyed the show. I didn’t go looking to buy anything, more to be informed about what was available. Andy Rouse was great, really nice chap to talk to and his talk was funny and entertaining.
I think it’s a really nice mix of photographic ‘things’. I really enjoy looking at the work exhibited around, on the photographic society, the university stands. I thought the OCA stand was missing student work.
I also had a really good time at Focus. It was great to meet you Hazel and all the others. In fact I spent so much time chatting at the stall that I didn’t get all round the show.
I concentrated on peripherals like paper, books, frames and so on and found it very helpful to see them all in real and be able to compare. There is only so much you can tell from ads online or in magazines. Overall I found it more interesting than I expected (my expectations were not high) and would probably go again.
I visited Format 11 on Saturday 12th, organised by Gareth and Jose.
It was a very good opportunity to meet fellow students and for the first time, I felt part of OCA.
The exhibitions were all, in their way, interesting but more importantly, they were thought provoking. Having a disparate group was a big bonus as opinion sharing is essential (and fun) when observing such a variety of Street Images.
This was my first focus and I was blown away by the products and displays. I took my Nikon D-90, not really thinking about upgrading until I saw the D-300S. Wow! Some guy offered me a good trade-in and there I went. So I had a pretty good show, but I don’t think I’ll rush of next year.