Technique vs Art

(left click on any picture to enlarge)

I am a reasonably good photographer. By that I mean that I know how to use focal length and f-stop to control depth of field, understand that if you increase the size of the CCD chip from ¼ inch to ½ inch that you quadruple the sensitivity of the camera for low-light and fast-action scenes, and that you can change the gamma-curve of an image with PhotoShop to bring out shadow detail without losing highlights. I can make a reasonable photographic log of our trips.

Barbara has not had the opportunity to learn and practice these technical aspects of photography, yet she is a much, much better photographer than me. She understands people and how to use them in a photograph, and she understands light, color and pattern. It drives me nuts, but it’s true, and I prove my point right here.

Yesterday, Barbara and I went to the Concours d'Elegance in Palm Springs. Not yet the equal of the Pebble Beach Concours, but still a major classic show, they spread these classic and collectible automobiles (worth from a few tens of thousands all the way to $20M) over four fairways of the golf course.

My picture above is pretty typical of what I “saw” at the event. Barbara’s pictures below are what she “saw” at the same event.