Welcome to episode 32 of The Circle of Confusion, the professional photography podcast.
This week, Peter, Neil and Roger talk about giving less and charging more, a business model that works for Leica and Phase One.
They discuss the professional mindset – follow your heart or shoot big piles of steaming [NAUGHTY WORD REMOVED] to please the market?
Peter explains the medium-format mindset. Roger asks why camera manufacturers are producing cameras that the majority of reviewers say enthusiasts are too stupid to use are better than their intended audience need.
To hear episode 32 hit the play button below. You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes. We’d love it if you did.
Old Leica
Recently a Leica sold for – you might want to sit down for this – €2.16million (which includes the auction fee).
Bidding started at €300,000 and got stuck on €1million for a while. Then it just went silly.
You can watch the bidding in this video.
New Leica
New Leicas sell for nearly as much, though their launches aren’t as exciting as auctions of old ones.
On 10th May, Leica gathered bloggers and other photographic commentators from around the world at the launch of its new monochromatic M-series camera, along with the X2 and a new 50mm lens. By some accounts it was a dull affair, with no models of the new M camera to play with. Even worse, a room full of bloggers had no wifi to tell the world about the new product.
Usually, those who love Leicas don’t question the Red Dot Deity, but at least one commentator had the honesty to raise a dissenting voice: Steve Huff on the Leica launch.
Competition
Vanguard Skyborne 51 - as seen in Dynamic Range episode 2
Time is running out to enter our video competition.
Bag maker Vanguard gave us one of its Skyborne 51 backpacks to review as part of a group test in episode 2 of Dynamic Range and we have that bag to give away. Despite the pummeling it got during the test, it is in almost mint condition and Vanguard has said we can either keep it or use it as a prize. So guess what? We’re keeping it using it as a prize.
All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning it is to purchase a copy of either episode 1 or episode 2 of Dynamic Range between 5th April 2012 and 31st May 2012. Your name will go into the hat and we’ll announce the winner on 7th June in the podcast.
It’s a great prize and we’d like to thank Vanguard for its generosity.
FREE SEGMENT FROM DYNAMIC RANGE EPISODE 2
We produced an abundance of great content for episode 2 of Dynamic Range. We can’t possibly include it all in the release next week, so we’ve decided to give you an entire segment for free here. It’s offered in full HD, and will play automatically at that resolution in full screen mode. If your broadband connection is having trouble with that, click the little gear icon near the bottom right of the player to choose a lower res.
If you like it, why not buy the full episode? It’s available for pre-order here: Dynamic Range Episode 2.
What do you think?
As ever, we’d love to hear your views and get your feedback.
Disagree, agree or have a completely different take on what we’ve discussed? Please get in touch by leaving a comment or emailing us at mailbag@circleofconfusion.ie.
Also, if you see or know something you think we’d be interested in discussing on the blog, we’d love to hear from you too.
Lastly, if you’d like to put yourself forward as a correspondent (we’re especially keen to hear from female photographers to help balance our pool of photographers worldwide), then you know what to do.
Blatant plug for our wares
Don’t forget, you can purchase the first episode of our landscape photography video series Dynamic Range for just €9.95, and as a bonus, the pilot episode is just €4.95! You’ll receive the download link via email as soon as you’ve completed the purchase.
ok. would love a new bag. have bought ep2.
Thanks Corin and your name is in the hat.
Good show guys, I enjoyed the business side of the discussion.
Hey guys loved the last bit of this episode which discusses walking the line between pleasing the market and being true to your vision.
I am starting to sell some of my work and have been thinking a lot about this, I feel Peters approach of photographing what people want but in your own style is a good compromise when it comes to landscape photography and its something I have to work on.
Anyway keep up the good work.
Bryan
Thanks Peter for your comment.
Hi Bryan,
It’s a thin line between the market and your vision. If you can get it right, it will work, as is the case with Peter and his Gallery in Killarney.
Regards Neil.
Great show as usual guys. Somewhat ashamed to say I only discovered the podcast in the last couple of months, but have been happilly catching up from the start whenever time permitted. I caught up last week and waiting seven days was hard going.
As an Irishman in the UK (I think Roger and I balance the books), it’s nice to hear familiar accents and hear a bit about home. Incidentally Roger replied to a comment I left on a previous post and that was greatly appreciated (apologies for not doing the same).
I loved the discussion around which camera to use. When I decided to take my photography more seriously I upgraded from a Canon 400D to the 5D mkii and some good glass. After a solid week with the 5D I found myself using my 400 with the new glass and getting better results because I was comfortable with the camera. That said I consiously made the effort to get comfortable with the 5D and get the same standards of photograph (as you said, education is important).
I hope you don’t mind Neil but if anyone asks what camera I use, I’ll be using your “small black one” response.
Keep up the good work all, ’tis a great show.
Thanks Tom for your comment.
If the Girls can have “a little black number” us guys can have “a small black one” camera that is.
It’s nearly always the case when you get a new camera. The first images are always crap as you haven’t learned the details. Education and training will always be the key to improving your photography. The camera is a “Tool”.
Regards Neil
You guys are prescient, talking about that “very advanced recording and archiving mechanism” – FILM at the time when I managed get free ten 100-sheet boxes of 4×5 b&w film. Only problem is they are 30 (that’s right 30; three zero) years out of date. The first 10 sheets at the front and back of the box show a little fog but the remainder is OK if you give it a little extra exposure! Not bad for being so old.
There I go again, blabbing on about something you said and forgetting what I wanted to ask about.
How did you boys get together in the first place? I listen and imagine what you are. Roger sounds the posh one (Eaton & Oxford), Peter almost sounds American with a scientific or technical education (MIT in America maybe), and then Neil, who to my American ears sounds as an Irishman should (I can imagine him in class getting his knuckles rapped by the nun for making smart remarks). With such a diverse mixture, how in the world did you three meet?
Thanks,
Rich
PS – thanks for your podcast, it’s an entertaining way to learn.
@Rich – If you have any work online using the out-of-date film, do let us know and we can link to it.
As for how we met, I know Peter through the Irish Professional Photographers Association (IPPA) and met Neil through him. How Neil and Peter met only they can say. Rumour has it it was at a [DATA REMOVED FOR LEGAL REASONS].
I never went to Eaton or Oxford – not for education, anyway.
-Roger-
Hi Rich,
I meet Peter on an on-line dating, no sorry wrong site, on a photography forum website here in Ireland. Meet up and the rest as they say is history.
I was the perfect pupil in school. Now I’m a bit older now I think I’m making up for that lost childhood.
As Roger said do let us know if you put the film images online.
Regards Neil