Hodinkee will do anything for a buck

[unsub073]

You didn't know that "techniques for photographing watches have evolved over the last few decades?" Where've you been?

I can't take a wrist picture that doesn't make my watch look 150mm in diameter while simultaneously making my wrist look 2 inches in circumferences. I'm not sure I want to pay Ben Clymer to show me how to solve that problem though.

That is the reason I gave up on wrist shots, and just take pictures of the watch. No one wants to see my skinny ass wrists anyways.

if you use the reflection in the mirror it will make the watch look more correct to how it is in real life

And by "watch" you really mean something else don't ya?

[Danny_T]

$600 to learn how to take a photo of a fucking watch ??????????????


Now I’ve seen it all.

Jesus fucking Christ.


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[R@cerx]

$600 to learn how to take a photo of a fucking watch ??????????????

Now I’ve seen it all.

Jesus fucking Christ.

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As a person with a college degree in commercial photography, $600 for instruction on taking photographs of small objects is cheap. The skills taught in the class can be used across a broad range of photographic endeavors. People have hobbies and want to enjoy said hobby. Taking good photographs is learned, taking a class helps. The constant harping on Hodinkee is getting old.

[JP Chestnut]

[River Rat]

$600 to learn how to take a photo of a fucking watch ??????????????

Now I’ve seen it all.

Jesus fucking Christ.

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As a person with a college degree in commercial photography, $600 for instruction on taking photographs of small objects is cheap. The skills taught in the class can be used across a broad range of photographic endeavors. People have hobbies and want to enjoy said hobby. Taking good photographs is learned, taking a class helps. The constant harping on Hodinkee is getting old.

Well you can take a class at your local community college for half that price for a photography class that will teach you the same stuff and more. And will be a semester so more time teaching you. I remember taking one about 15-20 years ago black and white with the old time 35mm we even developed our own film it was a night class after work. But these digital cameras I bet these communities colleges can teach you some good tricks at half the price a lot better deal than Hodinkee look up Chabot College on the net a local college on the other side of the bay I bet it still cheap to take a photography class there.

[R@cerx]

$600 to learn how to take a photo of a fucking watch ??????????????

Now I’ve seen it all.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As a person with a college degree in commercial photography, $600 for instruction on taking photographs of small objects is cheap. The skills taught in the class can be used across a broad range of photographic endeavors. People have hobbies and want to enjoy said hobby. Taking good photographs is learned, taking a class helps. The constant harping on Hodinkee is getting old.

Well you can take a class at your local community college for half that price for a photography class that will teach you the same stuff and more. And will be a semester so more time teaching you. I remember taking one about 15-20 years ago black and white with the old time 35mm we even developed our own film. But these digital cameras I bet these communities colleges can teach you some good tricks at half the price a lot better deal than Hodinkee

And I bet the class at the Leica store will be packed. We’re talking about people who spend upwards of $10k on a camera, $600 for a one day class is no sweat for them. It is what it is. Some folks here wish they were as successful as Ben Clymer.

[River Rat]

$600 to learn how to take a photo of a fucking watch ??????????????

Now I’ve seen it all.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As a person with a college degree in commercial photography, $600 for instruction on taking photographs of small objects is cheap. The skills taught in the class can be used across a broad range of photographic endeavors. People have hobbies and want to enjoy said hobby. Taking good photographs is learned, taking a class helps. The constant harping on Hodinkee is getting old.

Well you can take a class at your local community college for half that price for a photography class that will teach you the same stuff and more. And will be a semester so more time teaching you. I remember taking one about 15-20 years ago black and white with the old time 35mm we even developed our own film. But these digital cameras I bet these communities colleges can teach you some good tricks at half the price a lot better deal than Hodinkee

And I bet the class at the Leica store will be packed. We’re talking about people who spend upwards of $10k on a camera, $600 for a one day class is no sweat for them. It is what it is. Some folks here wish they were as successful as Ben Clymer.

Tell me the value of your camera most of us who started collecting watches when this hobby started about 20-30 years ago were just average middle class workers. I worked as a park maintenance worker and did the navy reserve on the weekend to get by. It was a lot cheaper paid 2000 for a vintage snowflake Tudor and that was a lot money paid 300 for a Seiko 6105 it was affordable now it’s a rich mans hobby due to Hodinkee there good at what they do. And a lot blame them for ruining this hobby that a lot of us can’t afford now. I got my camera at Costco under 400 bucks and that 35mm Nikon I used in that class years ago I got in the US Navy in Japan in the 1980’s it taught me how to take a photo but the digital camera from Costco a definite improvement most at this forum are just average middle class. I been a forum member here since it’s beginning I remember some cool vintage watches here WU had a cool Steve McQueen Rolex a lot lot of others with vintage snowflakes being flippers and since they tripled in price can’t afford to replace them. The watch collecting hobby has changed dam glad I was not a flipper. And since Hodinkee so good at what they do they did change this hobby were it to expensive for most of us. And they do deserve some of the blame.

[BBK357]

I agree with Rover rat.

Watches were a lot more fun before IG and Hodinkee.


And the day I walked into a Rolex AD with my Tudor sub asking about service prices, and the salesman asked me if it was a fake Rolex since it said “submariner” on the dial ... I miss those days.

[tattoo chef]

As a person with a college degree in commercial photography, $600 for instruction on taking photographs of small objects is cheap. The skills taught in the class can be used across a broad range of photographic endeavors. People have hobbies and want to enjoy said hobby. Taking good photographs is learned, taking a class helps. The constant harping on Hodinkee is getting old.

I’ll agree with you that product photography, especially watch photography is not easy. People who have only used their phones to take pics really have no idea. It’s been a few years of self learning on a DSLR to get to where I am at these days, and I can still use improvement of course.

My issue with this “course” is beyond the Leica staff, I don’t believe the hodinkee guys are pro photographers, and the class is 8 hours, for 25 people. After their watch photography history lesson and sales pitches, I wonder how much time they will actually get hands on with the cameras and how much they can learn and retain in that environment. The people that will pay $600 for the course and are interested in a Leica can afford it no problem. I just don’t know how much they will really learn that day.



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[logan2z]

$600 to learn how to take a photo of a fucking watch ??????????????

Now I’ve seen it all.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As a person with a college degree in commercial photography, $600 for instruction on taking photographs of small objects is cheap. The skills taught in the class can be used across a broad range of photographic endeavors. People have hobbies and want to enjoy said hobby. Taking good photographs is learned, taking a class helps. The constant harping on Hodinkee is getting old.

I might agree with you if the Hodinkee guys giving the course had any sort of professional photographic credentials, but they don't. In contrast, one could take a 5-day workshop from a world renowned Magnum Photographer like Bruce Gilden for $1750. Money much better spent IMHO.

[logan2z]

I’ll agree with you that product photography, especially watch photography is not easy. People who have only used their phones to take pics really have no idea. It’s been a few years of self learning on a DSLR to get to where I am at these days, and I can still use improvement of course.

I think you take great watch photos, Don, and I agree there is definitely some skill involved. But I think it's pretty easy to get results that are good enough for most amateur watch collectors without taking a one-day $600 course.

I shot this with a 20 year old POS digital point-and shoot camera mounted on a super cheap tripod and lit the scene using the screen of my Macbook Obviously if I wanted to do product photography for a living I'd need to do a lot better, but I think it's good enough for posting on IG or watch forums, which is as far as most watch collectors will take it.



* Thanks again to nweash for the loan of the watch. I still miss it!

[Danny_T]

As a person with a college degree in commercial photography, $600 for instruction on taking photographs of small objects is cheap. The skills taught in the class can be used across a broad range of photographic endeavors. People have hobbies and want to enjoy said hobby. Taking good photographs is learned, taking a class helps. The constant harping on Hodinkee is getting old.

I’ll agree with you that product photography, especially watch photography is not easy. People who have only used their phones to take pics really have no idea. It’s been a few years of self learning on a DSLR to get to where I am at these days, and I can still use improvement of course.

My issue with this “course” is beyond the Leica staff, I don’t believe the hodinkee guys are pro photographers, and the class is 8 hours, for 25 people. After their watch photography history lesson and sales pitches, I wonder how much time they will actually get hands on with the cameras and how much they can learn and retain in that environment. The people that will pay $600 for the course and are interested in a Leica can afford it no problem. I just don’t know how much they will really learn that day.



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This is where I’m getting at. $600 to learn to take photos of just a watch ??

Take a real photog class and learn the whole thing about photography.

I can bet whoever is signing up for this isn’t carrying a $10k camera to this class lol






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[Danny_T]

$600 to learn how to take a photo of a fucking watch ??????????????

Now I’ve seen it all.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

As a person with a college degree in commercial photography, $600 for instruction on taking photographs of small objects is cheap. The skills taught in the class can be used across a broad range of photographic endeavors. People have hobbies and want to enjoy said hobby. Taking good photographs is learned, taking a class helps. The constant harping on Hodinkee is getting old.

I might agree with you if the Hodinkee guys giving the course had any sort of professional photographic credentials, but they don't. In contrast, one could take a 5-day workshop from a world renowned Magnum Photographer like Bruce Gilden for $1750. Money much better spent IMHO.

Exactly !


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[59yukon01]

Well they did make the Blue Alpinist look much better in pictures than it was in real life, so there's that.

[tattoo chef]

I’ll agree with you that product photography, especially watch photography is not easy. People who have only used their phones to take pics really have no idea. It’s been a few years of self learning on a DSLR to get to where I am at these days, and I can still use improvement of course.

I think you take great watch photos, Don, and I agree there is definitely some skill involved. But I think it's pretty easy to get results that are good enough for most amateur watch collectors without taking a one-day $600 course.

I shot this with a 20 year old POS digital point-and shoot camera mounted on a super cheap tripod and lit the scene using the screen of my Macbook Obviously if I wanted to do product photography for a living I'd need to do a lot better, but I think it's good enough for posting on IG or watch forums, which is as far as most watch collectors will take it.



* Thanks again to nweash for the loan of the watch. I still miss it!

Thanks.
I don’t even really have a problem with the $600, it’s more the context of this one day course. It’s a meet the “gods” of hodinkee and sales pitch of a Leica camera.
If it was a multi day event or an actual class to sign up for, I would be like, ok, maybe you will get some good info out of it.

But if you are really interested in wanting to learn photography, you can take real classes or grab the computer, research cameras, buy one and then research camera settings and product photography online (there are countless tutorials and videos).
$600 will buy you a decent starter camera that will take really good photos and you can spend a week really digging in and researching online and I think you would get more out of it then what this course would offer.
Again though, the point is moot.
They will sell out the class I am sure and hodinkee and Leica will split that $15,000 happily.



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[tattoo chef]

Alright. I’ll do a class for $300. It will be a 6 hour course, there will be beer, and maybe I’ll make cookies.













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[jtbenson]

in Don!

[DEMO]

$600 for a one day class to learn how to photograph watches. I almost spit out my coffee when I read that. This is such a money grab. Like mentioned above, you would be much better off signing up for a photography course at you local community college and learning some studio photography techniques.... lighting, composition, camera knowledge...... oh and ditch the phone if your trying to take quality studio photos. Buy a decent quality SLR with a decent lens and learn how to use it. knowledge of lighting can make or break a shot too. And then even if you have the best equipment in the world, it helps to have an artistic / photographic eye. Plus some good photo software (photoshop) really is needed to fine tune the raw shots for the finished pics.

[DEMO]

Alright. I’ll do a class for $300. It will be a 6 hour course, there will be beer, and maybe I’ll make cookies.

Beer and cookies.... count me in!!!!

[toxicavenger]

Well they did make the Blue Alpinist look much better in pictures than it was in real life, so there's that.

you are so right. in real life the blue is not attractive. if anything it is just blah

[jeckyll]

$600 for a one day class to learn how to photograph watches. I almost spit out my coffee when I read that. This is such a money grab. Like mentioned above, you would be much better off signing up for a photography course at you local community college and learning some studio photography techniques.... lighting, composition, camera knowledge...... oh and ditch the phone if your trying to take quality studio photos. Buy a decent quality SLR with a decent lens and learn how to use it. knowledge of lighting can make or break a shot too. And then even if you have the best equipment in the world, it helps to have an artistic / photographic eye. Plus some good photo software (photoshop) really is needed to fine tune the raw shots for the finished pics.

Phhht what do you know about watch photography.

[four20]

$600 will buy you a lot of quality gear at KEH.com, incl. some portable lighting equipment. all you need to know about cheap studio lighting techniques can be found at https://strobist.blogspot.com/

this is all about guys who want to be part of the "in crowd" and have bragging rights

[Danny_T]

$600 for a one day class to learn how to photograph watches. I almost spit out my coffee when I read that. This is such a money grab. Like mentioned above, you would be much better off signing up for a photography course at you local community college and learning some studio photography techniques.... lighting, composition, camera knowledge...... oh and ditch the phone if your trying to take quality studio photos. Buy a decent quality SLR with a decent lens and learn how to use it. knowledge of lighting can make or break a shot too. And then even if you have the best equipment in the world, it helps to have an artistic / photographic eye. Plus some good photo software (photoshop) really is needed to fine tune the raw shots for the finished pics.

Yeah who is this DEMO guy and what the hell does he know about watch photography

Hodink > common sense




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[Danny_T]

$600 will buy you a lot of quality gear at KEH.com, incl. some portable lighting equipment. all you need to know about cheap studio lighting techniques can be found at https://strobist.blogspot.com/

this is all about guys who want to be part of the "in crowd" and have bragging rights

Kickass link ! I’ll be reading through that in more detail



You just saved me $600


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[JP Chestnut]

You haters are just jelly. $600 is toilet paper for the Hoedicky set.