Some sayings in photography are thrown out there so often that they’ve achieved a life of their own, and become truisms that are summarily accepted and then perpetuated. 
Here they are - the 10 most annoying platitudes in photography …

Actually, I was going to name this post clichés in photography, but that would imply visual clichés. But tastes differ too widely, and I wouldn’t want to be the Style Police and dictate to other photographers which subjects and approaches are deemed cool. Besides, I think the world could always use more photos of pretty girls sitting on train tracks.

So here they are – things that make me grind my teeth:

1.   ”you have to know the rules to break the rules”
2.   “the camera is only a tool”  /  ”it’s the photographer, not the camera”
3.   ”zoom with your feet”
4.   either / or  debates
5.   circular reasoning in order to rationalise something
6.  “fake it until you make it”  /  ”but everyone started somewhere”
7.   the superiority of film because of some mystical qualities
8.   B&W = art
9.   ambient light purists
10. “don’t worry how it looks now, just fix it in Photoshop later”

And here’s why …

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Indeed, neil kitteh sez do not fear the flash.  That’s right .. embrace light in all its forms, and don’t be afraid to use flash to enhance the existing light.  Listen to the kitteh!

My friend Angelica Glass created a similar image for me on icanhascheezburger.  If you haven’t visited icanhascheezburger yet, do so … for a slightly surreal and very funny diversion.  Photographs of cute kittens, (or rather, kittehs), with funny slogans to while away an hour or two.  Or to catch up on every day to check for new entries.

What The Duck is one of my favourite reads, with aptly funny comments on photography and the photography business. Oh, and photographers get skewered every so often. Check it out.

In trying to get myself up to speed with the technology and options around blogging, the Blogging for Dummies book looked like good entry-level reading. My daughter, Janine, gently teased me about yet another Dummies title on my shelf – but she put her foot down when I had to take her to the hospital for a sprain.  She said it would be too embarrassing if I sat in the waiting room with her, while reading a Dummies book on blogging.  So we compromised …

Here is something to curb the enthusiasm of every Nikon enthusiast a bit.
The ugliest camera. Ever. 
Yes, you too can look like a pimp now.

The following is a review that a fellow wedding photographer, John Michael Cooper, posted on the Digital Wedding Forum in March ‘05. I’m re-posting it here with his kind permission, since I wanted his offbeat view and sense of humour to have a wider audience. He is definitely someone to watch, always delivering work that surprises and impresses. Anyway, here’s John Michael Cooper’s review of the D2x .. or as he would have it, his new BigBlackCamera …

Neil van Niekerk

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