student said:
These statements left me with mixed feelings. There is no doubt that the same statement from a "mature/experienced" person will have a different "implication" (for want of a better word) than a 7 year old.
But sometimes the "unbiased and untainted" eyes can be very refreshing. Remember the story about the "Emperor with no clothes?"
Personally I do not bother whether Riva is an accomplished photog or not. Her "simple" observation is still correct. There is absolutely no doubt that most photoshoots have young pretty models. The question was asked. And I think photoshoots will continue to be so. I do not think photoshoots will change because of this thread. But for the "serious minded", it is a question for us to ponder why we do what we do.
I am not saying the view comes from a 7 year old, but a "trained" photographer with the photography level of a 7 yr old. Trust me, I had seen photographer with camera body that is worth everything equipment I had got but with pictures taken like a kid, and puts the blame on the equipment and the subject too. I had seen some photographer commenting "Wah, this place is difficult to shoot, why such a place", upon hearing this, I borrowed his digital camera, and turn myself a bit and just snap the picture, then I show the photographer, who goes "wah, how did you do it?" my answer, "don't blame the place or the equipment, blame yourself if the pictures is not taken properly". That is the type of people I am trying to say, with Riva's equipment, she can either be one good photographer or one good collector.
I understand where does her simple observation comes from, what I am not happy about is the sweeping statement made of photographers who take young, pretty models are hormone supercharged closet gays / sex manic (look at Pollock's comment).
Now, let just put it this way, where could you find a matured lady to do photoshoots like the young girls who has youth and energy with them. Other than trained models, of course. Those are the type I would not want to take for leisure and training, trained models. I want to appreciate beautiful things, an old lady with lines of ages and experience is beautiful from inside, but to me a trained model is beautiful only at the surface. I can take enough surface beauty from commerical shoots, but inner beauty is something I want to take during leisure. A young pretty model is an untinted beauty from inner.
Yes, the emperor's new clothes. The little boy did see the Emperor is without clothes, but in this case, this does not apply, it looks more like a tinted piece of glass trying to look crystal clear. It is only the state of mind where one goes into a photoshoot with photography in mind or with others. But the sweeping statement by Pollock and Riva makes it seems like that is the only thing in the mind of photographers. It even makes me wonder if Pollock and Riva are the same person, or at least from the same place, whenever Riva said something, Pollock will agrees in a few minutes time. Looks like the one person say, the other person agree tactics to make things looks more convincing.
I am sure as an experienced portrait photographer like yourself you do not go into a shoot thinking of bedding the model. I had seen some of your works and I am quite impressed with some of them. You had not seen mine though, as I seldom (or never) put portrait pictures online, fearing leeching, which is unfair to the models.
