[Gary Bagshawe]

I do not know if this is the correct place to put this so please feel free to move to an appropriate place but,
After watching a tv show last night on budding photographers I couldn't help but try to give this little gem of advice.
Keep It Simple Stupid!
6 photographers were paired up and given 3 assignments. The 1st was to produce a portrait of their partner, Every single one of them really over complicated things, one even tied the other to a park bench bondage style. Another got their partner to rub ash in his face and pose with a cuddly toy!
Some times less really is more. Just because you have a studio full of lighting equipment etc does not mean that you HAVE to use it.
I had to stop myself shouting at the TV to be honest.
Sorry rant over.

[Loafer]

Seconded.. K.I.S.S is an acronym to live by! (is that the right word)

I think that the photographers in the programme were far too scared to just go conventional when it came to the portraits..

None of them really spoke to one another and got to know each others in terms of prersonality before shooting. Too busy trying to make a "statement" rather than explore the simple brief in hand.

I'll join you in your rant Gary cos I found myself shouting at the box too!

[Dave]

LOL at the guy being tied up with string

[Rob Barron]

It made extremely entertaining TV though, even though we were all shouting advice and telling them what they were doing wrong - go on admit it, you know you were too!

The girl they got rid of was definitely the weakest of the 6 so that was a good choice. Not sure whether the guy was the right one to go just yet, the rounder-faced guy was my chice to go simply because his attitude was utterly crass. I can understand he sets out to offend, he admitted it himself. But gratuitous offence for its own sake is pathetic. He wanted a couple of kids to dance so he could make his stupid statement about taking crack. He not only did it deceitfully by taking the picture of the sign and sticking it in with Photoshop without telling the people concerned but he also chose what was obviously a moslem family and must have know he would therefore be causing an even greater offence. Totally unnecessary and not worthy of the generally good name photographers enjoy.

The photo of the girl in the yellow dress was very amateur while the so-called portrait of the girl sat on the sofa under the graffiti was not a portrait at all. Don't get me wrong, it was a fairly good picture in its own right but it wasn't a portrait as you could hardly identify her and looking at the image, it was primarily a study of the interplay between a bored girl, an outdoor sofa and a piece of graffiti 'art'.

I'll be interested to see what they come up with as a documentary shot next week.

Isn't it great to see a genuinely interesting photography program for a change

Cheers,
Rob