After spending a lot of my day at work watching the US election online and then witnessing some of the online discussions about the result, it got me wondering, “What makes people so passionate about their political views, religious beliefs and product loyalty?” Really, some of the tripe that I read about Obama winning the election was beyond belief. Ignorance is alive and well it seems. What drives people to hate the so called opposition in all aspects of life? I can, to a point, understand it in politics and religion, after all, they can have a profound effect on our lives. And I know that when I was younger, I was probably guilty of an intense dislike of people who didn’t agree with me, but these days I would like to think I am a little more tolerant of people with different beliefs to my own. Sure, I still find it hard how people can believe their lives are in some way controlled by a higher being, but I don’t hate them for it. As long as they don’t push their ideals on to me, I am fine with them having their beliefs.
Having pondered the political and religious idea for a few hours this afternoon, tonight it struck me. I was sitting, looking at where our kitchen used to be, will be again in a week or two, but isn’t at the moment, and it came like a bolt of lightning. People have the same fervent beliefs regarding products. You see it so often on internet forums, PC vs Mac, Intel vs AMD, Microsoft vs Apple and the list is longer than a politicians lunch. But what purpose does it serve? Do people really get such a kick out of bagging a product that they don’t use, and sometimes, have never used? Again, it wasn’t long ago that I was bagging Macintosh computers myself, and yet here I sit, plugging away happily on my 16 month old MacBook Pro. These days I wonder why I didn’t make the move years ago. I know it was because I used to play a lot of racing simulations that wouldn’t run on the Mac, but it doesn’t stop me thinking about it.
So we come to photography, after all, it is what this BLOG is supposed to be about. I saw a forum post today that went along the lines of…Anyone that uses a Nikon is a piss poor excuse for a photographer! What? I mean really, does the camera make that much difference? I would say no. This person had a link to their gallery in the forum signature, so I went off for a look at this Canon super photographer. To say I was under whelmed, well, is an understatement. Piss poor would best describe his photographic achievements. Now I am quite happy using a Canon camera, but if I won the lottery 3 months back, I would have traded the lot for a Nikon D3.
So help me understand this blind faith. Do you know of instances of it where you have read something on the net and shaken your head? Why do people need to degrade a person because of their product choice? Is it purely insecurity on their behalf? Its got me beat.
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My thoughts on photography and the people who take photos.
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Random Quote
A child becomes an adult when he realizes that he has a right not only to be right but also to be wrong. -- Thomas Szasz
Wish I new the answer to this one Todd……like you I just don’t get it……insecurity?……self obsessed?……..blind egomania? It’s amazing that some of the biggest “punch ups” I’ve seen in photo forums seem to be over brand or model number.
Not that I’m too much of a fan of Ken Rockwell but his blurb on “why your camera does not matter” contains a certain amount of wisdom that many fanboys could take on board.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/notcamera.htm
Geoff
Observations of homo erectus:
tribal associations – always a big one I feel i.e. our lot will beat the crap out of your lot!
Insecurity – fer sure, Every hobby I’ve been in always had someone with a very large bank accn’t who was meant to be the alpha male of the group – it’s very socially destroying when these kinds come along as they only thrive on being divisive, derogatory and manipulative.
Gullibility – they ‘buy’ the hype, hook line an sinker – ‘thinking’ is far easier when you delegate thought to those wiser than you believe you are.
My group of mates for years have been Holden supporters … a couple of years ago I woke up to the one truth that we’re only consumers and why as a smart consumer aren’t I checking out the opposition? Now I’m a Ford supporter and have a couple of friends that still struggle to come to grips with my crossing over hehe.
In photography it’s location, attitude and aptitude that counts .. having more mechanical advantage (i.e. gear) if you don’t have attitude and aptitude is only going to lead you further from your true goal of course if your clued in and prepared then gear will of course make a difference in the widening of possible shots available.
Ken Rockwell is a good read and a very observant person indeed Geoff =]
In the case of camera brands, I think the whole ‘knock the competition’ ego trip may relate to the fact that for the majority of us we choose a brand (often when we don’t know a great deal about photography) and we’re stuck with that choice because of the big outlay of cash we’ve invested in the bits and pieces necessary for the ‘craft’. Now being stuck with that choice we feel the need to defend it and for some that means telling everyone the other brands suck. I’m sure it is just insecurity mixed with a little bit of reassuring themselves that they’ve made the right choice.
here here Tina!
I bought a Canon 400d when I started out purely because a couple of photographer friends I admired had one. Now I have all the nifty little gadgets and stuff so the chances of me swapping to the ‘dark side’ are minimal.
Having said that, I sometimes wonder if perhaps I should have bought a Nikon, as I think the menu navigation and the ergonomics are superior. But please dont tell anyone….