Re: [APML] Stunned silence; was: Goodbye

[Stephen Pitt <lthuedk@pe.net>]

Paul: Would you mind sharing what you can about the transition with
us?

Best regards,

Stephen Pitt 

bert katzung wrote:
> 
> Hi Paul:
> You don't need to leave---what you are hearing is only the residue of an
> argument from a year or two ago. There doesn't seem to be nearly the insular
> film-only feeling that we had before. Some long-time film users (and very
> expert ones at that) seemed to feel that since there were CCD groups in
> which film wasn't mentioned (the SBIG group, I guess), there should damn
> well be a film group in which CCD wasn't mentioned. The people who got
> flamed then for "defending" CCD on APML are very cautious now. On the other
> hand, people who did the flaming then have not made any recent objections
> (as far as I know) to the rather significant comparisons of CCD and film
> techniques and images on APML.
> 
> For which I am very grateful, because this is an extremely useful group---as
> are the CCD groups. I don't have any plans to abandon film, but I'm not
> going to drop my plans to acquire a CCD camera when I can afford one. It
> would be nice to have a site where both could be discussed.
> 
> Bert
> 
> Bert Katzung
> "When it was first said that the sun stood still
> and the world turned round, the common sense
> of mankind declared the doctrine false; but the
> old saying of Vox populi, vox Dei, as every philosopher
> knows, cannot be trusted in science." CHARLES DARWIN
> www.astronomy-images.com
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Paul Howell" <paul@howell-ltd.com>
> To: <astro-photo@seds.org>
> Sent: Sunday, 04 November, 2001 4:24 PM
> Subject: Re: [APML] (It doesn't have to be) Goodbye
> 
> > Stunned silence. If we were talking that would be my reaction after
> reading
> > some of the recent posts about folks leaving this list because they were
> > "converting" (is film a religion?) to CCD.
> >
> > I am a professional commercial photographer. My business is to produce
> > compelling images. I am also an avid amateur astronomer. Almost two years
> > ago I started imaging for the first time. I chose to start with a CCD
> > camera. It seemed that was the way to go but never mind that. It is true
> > that I am interested in science, but that isn't what I am trying to do
> with
> > my camera (if it is in fact a camera after all). I'm trying to make great
> > photographs. I don't know if I've gotten there yet, but I'm trying. I
> select
> > objects and choose techniques and focal lengths based solely on whether I
> > think the combination will make a good, strong image.
> >
> > I've learned a lot along the way about technique and I was thinking I
> might
> > join the dialog on this list - an astrophotography list.  Never did I
> > imagine that astrophotography with a CCD is somehow not astrophotography.
> > Blissfully unaware have I been that my painstaking work to romance the
> > contrast of the quarter tones just *so* was not in fact, an aesthetic
> > pursuit.
> >
> > I am new to this list (and evidently not long for it either), but there
> > seems to be some outright vitriol towards CCD's. Why in God's name? At
> first
> > I thought it was a joke. Then I thought it was funny. I would laugh to
> > myself "huh - he's getting mad at a piece of *silicon*". Now I don't know
> > what to think. Can anyone possibly explain why a piece of silicon could
> make
> > someone mad?
> >
> > When I talk about composition, local and global contrast, detail,
> filtering,
> > skyglow, light pollution and other such things related to astrophotography
> > are there really two categories - yours and mine? Wow.
> >
> > Gee, sorry I couldn't stay longer, you folks seem like an interesting lot
> > but I gotta go.
> >
> > -Paul
> >
> >
> >
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