A modern postal portfolio?

[Tony Warren]

For many years I belonged to a postal portfolio in the UK and one in New Zealand for a while. I have also commented that these forums are perhaps the closest modern equivalent but with less structure.

The value to me was always that the folio crit sheet members added to that accompanied the image allowed considered comments that could be reviewed when the folio returned. I still have many of mine (an example attached).

I wondered if anyone would be interested in a similar format but done by an email circulation on a proforma basis. The rather off-the-cuff comments made on the images posted are interesting but don’t seem to have the depth of the old folios or the technical details in many cases hich was always useful.

Not sure how this would work but happy to discuss further if anyone is interested.

 

[Bill Brown]

This type of thing is so personally subjective. How an image appears on a screen can be so much different than a print. The philosophy of image editing seems almost archaic as AI takes over. Just click on an unwanted object or subject and it's removed. Does anyone really want to know what I think?

I'm from another generation. The get it in camera person. For me it's always been about improving my visionary skills before the shutter is pressed but at the same time I'm shooting for my own personal enjoyment and I don't care what someone else thinks about my shot. Did I get what I saw at that moment? If so then it was a successful effort. If someone doesn't like wires in the sky then they need to be shooting where utilities are buried. Shooting in the real world brings its own set of challenges and the reality is 99.5% of all my photos will never be seen by anyone other than myself.

Sorry for raining on the parade but I'm feeling very outdated and unneeded these days. A lifetime of learning only to find myself competing against a piece of software that performs good enough for the masses. No skill or thinking required. A line from "The Incredibles" comes to mind. Syndrome says "when everybody's super then no one will be". Sounds pretty current to me.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

For many years I belonged to a postal portfolio in the UK and one in New Zealand for a while. I have also commented that these forums are perhaps the closest modern equivalent but with less structure.

The value to me was always that the folio crit sheet members added to that accompanied the image allowed considered comments that could be reviewed when the folio returned. I still have many of mine (an example attached).

I wondered if anyone would be interested in a similar format but done by an email circulation on a proforma basis. The rather off-the-cuff comments made on the images posted are interesting but don’t seem to have the depth of the old folios or the technical details in many cases hich was always useful.

Not sure how this would work but happy to discuss further if anyone is interested.

I was not familiar with these “postal portfolios”, it looks fascinating to me with today's eyes. I think I would have liked to have been part of those who exchanged photos by mail collecting comments from friends or acquaintances.

I think we can no longer recover that form of communication. Today everything travels faster and everything has less importance. As for me, I am happy with today's means, I don't regret the weekly mailings of letters mailed in the letterbox to my far-away girlfriend. Better a text message, or a video call.

Have we lost something? Certainly, but we have gained a world that can talk to each other in real time and put us in touch with so many people who have so much to say and whom we would never have met back then.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

Quest

This type of thing is so personally subjective. How an image appears on a screen can be so much different than a print. The philosophy of image editing seems almost archaic as AI takes over. Just click on an unwanted object or subject and it's removed. Does anyone really want to know what I think?

I'm from another generation. The get it in camera person. For me it's always been about improving my visionary skills before the shutter is pressed but at the same time I'm shooting for my own personal enjoyment and I don't care what someone else thinks about my shot. Did I get what I saw at that moment? If so then it was a successful effort. If someone doesn't like wires in the sky then they need to be shooting where utilities are buried. Shooting in the real world brings its own set of challenges and the reality is 99.5% of all my photos will never be seen by anyone other than myself.

Sorry for raining on the parade but I'm feeling very outdated and unneeded these days. A lifetime of learning only to find myself competing against a piece of software that performs good enough for the masses. No skill or thinking required. A line from "The Incredibles" comes to mind. Syndrome says "when everybody's super then no one will be". Sounds pretty current to me.

I'm surprised by your comment, because I thought you had dedicated your professional life to editing photos. I haven't—I don't know how to take photos or edit them. I actually like power lines in the sky! But I have a lot of respect for those who know how to use digital photo editing tools, because it's an art that only a few truly master, surely not the masses.

 

[Tony Warren]

I think I am getting how this is gong. From the comments so far it is similar to when I tried to start a CD based folio rather than a print based one back in 2000. The then current worries about viruses apart, it is clear that the screen image is no match for an actual print. As Bill says, a digital screen image can no longer be trusted whatever its source because it will inevitably passed through some version of software which may or may not have applied some adjustment in the background. For myself, I almost always use Affinity to open the RAW file and make my crop. It then goes to Apple's Preview which is very basic and, I hope, doesn't seem to alter the original. Any tonal and sharpness adjustments are mine alone. I will do more with a particularly difficult image if unavoidable but rarely.

Looks like this will go the way of my CD idea but I still feel that some more technical details would be useful to fully appreciate an image if nothing else.

 

[Bill Brown]

I'm surprised by your comment, because I thought you had dedicated your professional life to editing photos.

Yes, Gianluca I have and am still. What I am addressing is the path forward. The general public and even some who consider themselves professionals are more than happy to leave the decision making to a piece of software. I on the other hand prefer REAL intelligence and knowledge when it comes to editing an image. ADOBE is committed to making everyone super in the general sense so my time is limited. Thankfully their is still a select few who recognize the difference. Not to say I haven't used AI driven tools but I am making the choices when and where they can best be utilized.

I'm being pushed into a corner by forces beyond my control but I will push back when I see my beloved photography being sterilized and homogenized for mass consumption. Thankfully I still have my skillset of hand retouching with brush, paints and dyes. AI has no place in that world. One on one interaction, artist and print. I'm about to begin a delicate restoration of a signed limited edition original print, shot and produced by Bert Stern. No internet connection required, no subscription. Just me, my gouache paints and 49 years of experience.

 

[Bill Brown]

Tony, one of the difficult aspects of image critiquing is the vast difference in knowledge and experience of individuals and their monitors/screens. It also depends on the end result wishing to be achieved. This can vary dramatically from person to person. My background is heavily analog based. My main clients have strong analog print making backgrounds. This keeps me focused on specific visual outcomes for a photo. It can be lengthy for me to type out my thoughts in a post whereas talking directly with a person can facilitate a more direct response. This is why a workshop can be so helpful.

Believe me I would enjoy nothing more than finding a way for forum members to pass along the knowledge they've acquired over the years. It's just more complex online to delve in to the complexities of image editing, even at the most basic level. My workflow is built around a digital pen tablet from Wacom. There are many things I do that border on the impossible when using a mouse. Next to a calibrated monitor a pen tablet would be at the top of my recommendation list. It can take several days to get used to using a pen but once you do there is no looking back.

 

[Tony Warren]

I guess things have moved on so far as to make this impractical. Reading these comments it strikes me that the emphasis now as far as technique is concerned has moved from the taking to the processing stage and this is far more complex, there being so many alternatives, both in approach and tech used.

 

[Bill Brown]

there being so many alternatives, both in approach and tech used.

Yes Tony you are spot on with your analysis of this situation.

This was a headline post on Petapixel yesterday. It speaks to just what I was saying.

Imagen’s New AI Profile Shop Empowers Photographers of All Levels​

I'm not for sure how much longer my skillset will be relevant except to a select few. It seems most are ready to turn it all over to mindless AI.

 

[Gianluca Drago]

Yes Tony you are spot on with your analysis of this situation.

This was a headline post on Petapixel yesterday. It speaks to just what I was saying.

Imagen’s New AI Profile Shop Empowers Photographers of All Levels​

I'm not for sure how much longer my skillset will be relevant except to a select few. It seems most are ready to turn it all over to mindless AI.

The post on the site you linked reads more like undisclosed advertising than genuine editorial content. Judging by the examples showcased on the promoted website—which I won’t name here to avoid giving it further exposure—it doesn’t appear to offer anything particularly compelling or original. On the contrary, these are basic edits that anyone could perform with a few clicks in their software of choice.

With all due respect to Chris Niccolls and Jordan Drake, it seems to me that in this case they’re simply endorsing a service with little to no practical value. After being forced to leave DPReview due to its announced shutdown, it seems that—even at PetaPixel—they might now be trying to capitalize on content that feels superficial and potentially misleading.

 

[Bill Brown]

On the contrary, these are basic edits that anyone could perform with a few clicks in their software of choice.

But it's so much better and faster if AI can do it for you. You wouldn't want to have to think too much! Developing your own personal style using AI. Isn't that an oxymoron?