There is a word for it, but it has yet to come to me. It describes the moment you realise that in your everyday existence there are more people who are younger than you than there are people who are older. It is not the moment you realise you are old yourself – that comes when you can’t get on your motorbike – but it is a moment you realise you are not young any more.

Then you can start talking about ‘young people’, and decide how to view them. They have a different attitude, see things with different eyes, and approach so much from a different angle. Does their lack of experience make their actions laughable, are their ideas a threat to your existence and relevance, or should their views and notions be relished?

Those who belong to the next generation will form the new order – they will give us bed baths and wheel our chairs. The world will belong to them, just as it belonged to all of us at some time or other. They can’t be ignored, and their way forward should be guided and aided by those who have been there before, not inhibited, humiliated or suppressed. What they can offer is new and exciting, and that’s why this week we celebrate the upcoming stars of Magnum.

Take part in this weeks poll Who was most influential in teaching you how to take pictures? by clicking on the link.

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

I think I read every book in the library plus mags. including AP or course

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

My Dad. I was pestering him to be taught how to use his pride & joy (MPP Microcord) from when I was about knee high to a grasshopper. Still have the Microcord, no longer have the Dad.

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

My uncle and his 1930s Leica.

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

Had to teach myself. No one else around and it was difficult in those days trying to use a camera with paws

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

My dad showed me the mechanics of photography at a young age playing with printing paper and negatives.

He also showed me how the image became a negative in the camera which I still have.

Then my mum was a keen shooters as well.

Then a friend got a East German SLR (Zenit) and when I found out the price and how.

My mum did the same for a birthday. The rest is history.

The actually 'seeing' of a shot or composition that's self-taught via library and studying other work.

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

My father taught me the mechanics of taking a picture and also how to process the film and enlarge it. He also taught me how not to take a family snap.

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

Self taught with the aid of books/magazines.
No one in my immediate family had any interest.

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

My father was pretty keen and belonged to a camera club at work and did all his own processing. However, it was the landlord who really started me off as a nine year old by "lending" me an 8 x 10 (!) which I used with print paper as film.

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

I'm afraid I'm mostly self taught.......

I am inspired by A number of greats though.

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

Definitely my dad. He was a SOCO and did lots of photography in his job, but he has the Murrell 'art' gene (passed to me, my niece and my daughter for sure), and visual arts has always been his hobby.

We had a darkroom at home and (as I think I've mentioned on here before), most late seventies Genesis, Yes or suchlike, reminds me of many happy hours spent wowing at the magic of the images appearing as if from nowhere.

I then did photography as part of my 'A' Level and illustration diploma. Although I knew what I was doing, technically, from dad, these courses helped refresh my view and (although I know someone in my job would say this) you never really stop learning, even if it's your attitudes that change, as opposed to knowledge.

Cheers, Dad - nice one mate!

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

I'd been sodding about with cameras since i was twelve (minus a hiatus of 7 years after failing spectacularly to get an education in photography at A-level), but it was a tutor at college and a book called "Digital Photography Masterclass" by Tom Ang who both explained the mechanics and got me back into photography. Since then its been pretty much self-taught, but the tutor and Mr. Ang were the most influential in teaching me.

And AP and importantly the AP forum, of course

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

Very nicely executed sucking up there.

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

The fun part is its actually true, especially the forum part. I had a great many misconceptions before joining this forum and you chaps have played a great part in putting that straight

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

Same here.

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

Another on who'll suck up here!

When you think of what I began posting here, and how much I've come on (at least when the weather and scenery are on my side!), I still think that the biggest difference in the shortest time came when I started playing with a box camera, and eight to a roll and a tiny viewfinder really concentrated my mind. So imagine how bad I was before that...

Incidentally, I notice that M'sieur Stoddart had a Zenit. Over on the "My first camera" thread there were also a lot of people with Zenits early on. Were they big sellers, and was it just the price, or did they have hidden qualities (like making good doorstops?)

Adrian
(recently given a Zenit 12)

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

I'm largely a self taught happy snapper although when I first got 'serious' about photography it was definitely with the assistance of John Hedgecoe's books and AP magazine.

Since getting serious again I've learned yet more from AP, especially this forum - commenting on and editing the work of others in the appraisal forum teaches you a lot about your own. I've also learned quite a lot from EOS Magazine - especially about getting my digiboxes to do what I want, not what they want...

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

Same here, I thought I was a half reasonable photographer.

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

My dad bought me a Zenit B (Dixons badged Prizflex 500) for my umteenth birthday, and taught me the basics of exposure, focussing, and composition. He also taught me B&W developing and printing in the home darkroom (converted downstairs loo).

Since then, I've taught myself a bit more, with the aid of various books & websites, and especially AP and the forums. I think I've still got a lot to learn, especially about composition, but a lot of people tell me I'm better than I was...

 

Re: Who was most influential in teaching you how to take picture

A case of teaching myself and getting the rest from books - and AP.
AP was one of the few mags I used to buy regularly, and together with some good books (one of them the AP handbook!) I generally got the hang of pointing it in the right direction and pushing the right buttons.