Every photographer I know is at least a bit OCD…that is to say we worry and test our materials far more than any other art form- and perhaps even far more than we really need to. This audio blog attempts to provide a bit of breather room and hopefully some ideas on how to control your OCP (obsessive complusive photographic disorder) before it is too late!
Figital Revolution 
I Stephan,
Art and the goal of achieve an Art Form is, in my point of view, disturbed and incompatible with this kind of TECHNICAL OBSESSION. The good obsession must be limited to the attempt of creation and reproduction of what we intend to communicate, to reveal in a original way. I once ear a painter say that “every real painting should be made out of blood, suet and tears (…)”. I loved this point of view and couldn’t agree more – but I think that this anguish, he was mention, was related to the creative, mind struggle process and not to the technical process. A psychologic thing, not physical. Techniques must be mastered and, then, we can forget about it. One thing less in between us and our expression art from…
Regards,
Joao
I agree that the technical aspects of photography should be “mastered” so the creative part of our art can flourish and not get stuck trying to figure out how to do but rather why. Photography unlike any other art form evolves at such a rapid pace technically that I have always felt compeled to keep up with the bleeding edge and on occasion use this as a spring board for the creative process.
I teach my students to form a routine method of working through the technical so the creative process can just happen…but again I encourage them to also keep up with the technical however, as I said in the audio- maybe just not so tightly. Great conversation!
Best-
Stephen
Yes! Good conversation. Great topics you launch. Small pieces of text or words are such a nice way to excite our, sometimes, lethargic minds Congratulations for this site and for the contents.
Joao
Hey Stephen,
Good topic. Unlike you, I wish i had a little OCD in me. I love photography, but mainly because I want to see how things look on photographs. I develop my own film but have never bother to test my film or my camera. I just read up on what other’s have done (like this blog) and try it out myself. I scan with a fairly decent scanner, Epson V700, usually with its proprietary software (Epson Scan) even though i have the more ‘advance’ Vuescan software. The scans are then adjusted in LR or PS (if i require dodging & burning) and that’s it. I do wish i was more obsessive though, who knows maybe i can get more out of my negatives.