Too much information!

[sh1209]

I wanted to get other thoughts on what they feel about posting camera and lens info whenever posting pictures online. I post images to several different sites including Facebook, but never ever disclose what camera and lens I use. It automatically puts the information in on Flickr. I normally share Flickr images on here, and someone can see that if they want. I guess my thing is I don’t see the need and why people need to do that, and especially say if the photo was handheld lor. Honestly, whenever I look at a great image, I could care less what it was shot with or if it was handheld lol. I think there are two scenarios with disclosing that information that arise. One of which is, getting robbed or theft in general. The other situation is it almost comes off like some folks are bragging, which is the case I see on Facebook at times. I don’t know, perhaps I’m just weird but I think the images should speak for themselves without all the other nonsense but perhaps I’m in the minority. I will disclose camera and lens information on sites, such as Facebook, but only if asked directly, and I will normally reply through instant message.

 

[John Navitsky]

i think there were a lot of "reasons" this became a thing, now i think it's a thing just because it's a thing.

i think back when, photography forums asked as a way to try to avoid folks circulating images they didn't take.

secondly, i think often people are interested in _seeing_ settings because they are interesting in learning and will often ask for their own learning and that can translate into that particular community making it the norm.

that said, like a lot of things, these little micro communities have their own norms. i tend to just go with the flow, but i think it's fine for everyone to have their own perspective on it and do whatever works for them.

 

[sh1209]

i think there were a lot of "reasons" this became a thing, now i think it's a thing just because it's a thing.

i think back when, photography forums asked as a way to try to avoid folks circulating images they didn't take.

secondly, i think often people are interested in _seeing_ settings because they are interesting in learning and will often ask for their own learning and that can translate into that particular community making it the norm.

that said, like a lot of things, these little micro communities have their own norms. i tend to just go with the flow, but i think it's fine for everyone to have their own perspective on it and do whatever works for them.

Yeah you have some very valid points and I agree but I still can’t ever recall an image I’ve looked at and thought to myself oh my God I wonder if that shot was handheld or shot with a $15,000 prime lens.

 

[jeffnles1]

I don't really care if I see that info or not unless it is germane to the discussion of a particular photo or technique. On this forum, that info is posted automatically when a photo is uploaded. I don't mind seeing it but I'd be OK without it too. Guess it would be fair to say I am somewhat neutral about the EXIF info being posted. A few FB groups request it to go with the photos. I typically don't post or read those much. Mainly because it devolves into a gear discussion and the image and technique is more important than if it was shot with a Nikon, Canon, Sony or a Phase One.

 

[gnpToday]

I mostly agree that the image is what is important. I hope this was not directed at me for my most recent post. I only added it as I felt this was unique as I was surprised to get this close to the animal in the wild.

 

[sh1209]

I don't really care if I see that info or not unless it is germane to the discussion of a particular photo or technique. On this forum, that info is posted automatically when a photo is uploaded. I don't mind seeing it but I'd be OK without it too. Guess it would be fair to say I am somewhat neutral about the EXIF info being posted. A few FB groups request it to go with the photos. I typically don't post or read those much. Mainly because it devolves into a gear discussion and the image and technique is more important than if it was shot with a Nikon, Canon, Sony or a Phase One.

I’m not really speaking so much of what’s on here and I think it’s fine that it’s attached automatically I’m talking about folks on Facebook and other sites that write four paragraphs to explain, taking an image of a sparrow and emphasize what camera they used. I just think it’s sort of needless information. What I eluded to in the original post I’ve actually known happened. There was a guy I was acquaintances with in North Carolina that was robbed at gunpoint and lost his d 850 and a 500 mm F4 lens that was not insured he was one of these folks that had to post everything about his gear and where he was and all that and I think it ultimately led to him getting robbed. I’ve actually had folks get irritated with me online because I tell them the settings I used could change 15 times in a matter of a minute depending on what direction you point the camera in and it’s like they think you can give them this magic formula that’s going to work on all images, I don’t know really just a rant I guess more than anything

 

[sh1209]

I mostly agree that the image is what is important. I hope this was not directed at me for my most recent post. I only added it as I felt this was unique as I was surprised to get this close to animal in the wild.

No sir this is not directed at anyone on here. I’m just talking about in general, so please don’t take it that way it’s just something I’ve noticed over the years and think it’s sort of strange, but we all have different opinions.

 

[jeffnles1]

I’m not really speaking so much of what’s on here and I think it’s fine that it’s attached automatically I’m talking about folks on Facebook and other sites that write four paragraphs to explain, taking an image of a sparrow and emphasize what camera they used. I just think it’s sort of needless information. What I eluded to in the original post I’ve actually known happened. There was a guy I was acquaintances with in North Carolina that was robbed at gunpoint and lost his d 850 and a 500 mm F4 lens that was not insured he was one of these folks that had to post everything about his gear and where he was and all that and I think it ultimately led to him getting robbed. I’ve actually had folks get irritated with me online because I tell them the settings I used could change 15 times in a matter of a minute depending on what direction you point the camera in and it’s like they think you can give them this magic formula that’s going to work on all images, I don’t know really just a rant I guess more than anything

Yep, There is a fellow in the FB Group I manage who does a lot of absolutely beautiful macro wildflower photography. He is a talented photographer. He always posts which camera, flash, settings, lens, etc. It doesn't really bother me but the wildflowers definitely speak for themselves. The extra info isn't really needed. My wife and I do not require or request camera / lens setting info. If someone posts it, we're good with it but it isn't something we are asking folks to do.

Jeff

 

[John Navitsky]

i think in this latter case, that's an argument for you to attempt to not disclose where you are/where you live on the internet to the extent it is possible.

that said, while it may well have happened that way, i can't imagine someone trolling photography forums, trying to figure out where people will be to go rob them. it seems like a very painstaking approach and one that probably wouldn't work that often.

 

[sh1209]

i think in this latter case, that's an argument for you to attempt to not disclose where you are/where you live on the internet to the extent it is possible.

that said, while it may well have happened that way, i can't imagine someone trolling photography forums, trying to figure out where people will be to go rob them. it seems like a very painstaking approach and one that probably wouldn't work that often.

Yeah, you’re most likely correct I certainly can’t sit here and tell you that’s the reason he got robbed but if you do the list at statistics, there are several hundred cases a year worldwide that photographers do get robbed and maybe I’ll just err on the side of caution, but I figure the least amount of info I put out there the better to mitigate the chance of that happening But again we’re all different. I mean personally, I don’t even want people knowing I have that gear at the house if not necessary, but I will certainly tell a person if they ask.

 

[Ralph]

I wanted to get other thoughts on what they feel about posting camera and lens info whenever posting pictures online. I post images to several different sites including Facebook, but never ever disclose what camera and lens I use. It automatically puts the information in on Flickr. I normally share Flickr images on here, and someone can see that if they want. I guess my thing is I don’t see the need and why people need to do that, and especially say if the photo was handheld lor. Honestly, whenever I look at a great image, I could care less what it was shot with or if it was handheld lol. I think there are two scenarios with disclosing that information that arise. One of which is, getting robbed or theft in general. The other situation is it almost comes off like some folks are bragging, which is the case I see on Facebook at times. I don’t know, perhaps I’m just weird but I think the images should speak for themselves without all the other nonsense but perhaps I’m in the minority. I will disclose camera and lens information on sites, such as Facebook, but only if asked directly, and I will normally reply through instant message.

I’m still learning and like to see exit data to compare with how I shoot., Sometimes I’ll see an image posted (ie. BIF) on this site which is spectacular and would lIke to know the settings used which could possibly make me rethink my approach.

 

[DRwyoming]

FWIW, back when I still participated in Facebook I posted a lot of images but never once posted EXIF data nor described the technical details of an image unless someone specifically asked.

But on photography forums like this I think EXIF data is useful for things like demonstrating the shutter speeds we use to capture various images or what typical ISO for different kinds of shots in different light might be. Given the number of questions posed here about how to get sharp images or highest useable ISO or how much to stop down for DoF reasons I think EXIF data can be useful to show what folks are actually doing. That said, if folks choose not to post EXIF data (which is easy if you change the data export settings in LR) that's fine as well.

I do enjoy the background story on images, especially wildlife images in terms of how the situation unfolded and that might sometimes include things like the shot being handheld to quickly get into position for an interesting background or to stalk up to wary subjects but overall I don't usually go into things like whether a tripod was used unless there's a specific point being made related to that.

 

[sh1209]

I’m still learning and like to see exit data to compare with how I shoot., Sometimes I’ll see an image posted (ie. BIF) on this site which is spectacular and would lIke to know the settings used which could possibly make me rethink my approach.

Yeah again I agree EX)IF information is nice to see at times and I have no issues with that. I’m just saying continually broadcasting that you’re out in remote places with $30,000 worth of camera equipment alone might not be the best thing at times I mean, when I go to places that are far off the beaten path I am Armed for a few reasons to be honest but mainly because I don’t want to get robbed

 

[NorthernFocus]

I wanted to get other thoughts on what they feel about posting camera and lens info whenever posting pictures online. I post images to several different sites including Facebook, but never ever disclose what camera and lens I use. It automatically puts the information in on Flickr. I normally share Flickr images on here, and someone can see that if they want. I guess my thing is I don’t see the need and why people need to do that, and especially say if the photo was handheld lor. Honestly, whenever I look at a great image, I could care less what it was shot with or if it was handheld lol. I think there are two scenarios with disclosing that information that arise. One of which is, getting robbed or theft in general. The other situation is it almost comes off like some folks are bragging, which is the case I see on Facebook at times. I don’t know, perhaps I’m just weird but I think the images should speak for themselves without all the other nonsense but perhaps I’m in the minority. I will disclose camera and lens information on sites, such as Facebook, but only if asked directly, and I will normally reply through instant message.

I think a lot of people that are new/learning like to see that information. If you don't want it to show up on your images all you have to do is export the jpegs that you're going to post without EXIF included.

 

[lukemeup]

While I don't care about what camera / lens the photo is taken with - the other exif info like shutter speed / aperture or iso is useful for me (part of the learning process - looking at background blur at certain aperture or motion blur at certain shutter speeds etc). I'm not on facebook or instagram though.

 

[John Navitsky]

I’m still learning and like to see exit data to compare with how I shoot., Sometimes I’ll see an image posted (ie. BIF) on this site which is spectacular and would lIke to know the settings used which could possibly make me rethink my approach.

yah, with action shots, shutter speed matters a lot and it is a balance between what is needed to stop the action but increasing it too far can cut into your image quality by increasing iso, so it can be interesting to see data points with what combo people used and what was the result.

but there is a lot of nuance to it since it's very much driven by the movement relative within the frame and that can depend on technique, the quality of image stabilization (if used), etc.

that said, a lot of beginning folks ask for settings because they think it's a recipe instead of a data point.

 

[sh1209]

yah, with action shots, shutter speed matters a lot and it is a balance between what is needed to stop the action but increasing it too far can cut into your image quality by increasing iso, so it can be interesting to see data points with what combo people used and what was the result.

but there is a lot of nuance to it since it's very much driven by the movement relative within the frame and that can depend on technique, the quality of image stabilization (if used), etc.

that said, a lot of beginning folks ask for settings because they think it's a recipe instead of a data point.

Very valid points. I always like the question, where exactly did you see that lol. Like a creature is going to be at the exact coordinates 365 days a year. Again EXIF data is fine and I am glad it’s attached on here. I’m just a fiercely private person and don’t really want to be broadcasting what camera gear I own or shoot but will certainly answer someone if they ask.

 

[sh1209]

I won’t even disclose where I’m taking images unless someone just asks. The reason for that is I feel that I put a lot of hours into finding locations that I see a lot of wildlife and I’ve spent many many hours scoping out these places and really don’t feel the need to just do all the work and have someone else sweep the benefits, but perhaps I’m wrong for feeling that way

 

[Cameron T]

I'm all for exif data getting posted. It makes it easy to look at images and cameras on places like Flickr and get an idea of relative quality things are capable of, or if a specific lens has interesting bokeh, etc etc.

 

[DavidT]

I am one of those people . When I post to my Instagram or Facebook page I always put say the species or if a landscape the location say Grand Tetons, Lake Jenny. I then put the camera and lens I used and that is it. I don't do this to brag or impress others I do this for when it comes up as a memory in 10 years I can remember what and where. I don't care if it was handheld etc and do find that kind of annoying.

So for me, it is a reference for the future. I imagine that 10 years from now I will sit back and be amazed I could capture such a shot with that dinosaur of a camera and lens lol.

 

[DRwyoming]

I won’t even disclose where I’m taking images unless someone just asks. The reason for that is I feel that I put a lot of hours into finding locations that I see a lot of wildlife and I’ve spent many many hours scoping out these places and really don’t feel the need to just do all the work and have someone else sweep the benefits, but perhaps I’m wrong for feeling that way

Well I won't tell folks exactly where a nest or den is but I have no trouble telling them the national forest or national park or wildlife refuge I visited. But sure, I won't give them exact locations where I photographed a given subject especially if that subject is likely to hang around there and drawing in a lot of folks might endanger the subject.

 

[sh1209]

Well I won't tell folks exactly where a nest or den but I have no trouble telling them the national forest or national park or wildlife refuge I visited. But sure, I won't give them exact locations where I photographed a given subject especially if that subject is likely to hang around there and drawing in a lot of folks might endanger the subject.

Yeah I will certainly say what city or general area but just not exact.

 

[John Navitsky]

I won’t even disclose where I’m taking images unless someone just asks. The reason for that is I feel that I put a lot of hours into finding locations that I see a lot of wildlife and I’ve spent many many hours scoping out these places and really don’t feel the need to just do all the work and have someone else sweep the benefits, but perhaps I’m wrong for feeling that way

i think that's a common concern with nature photographers, not just for the reason you posted, but so the area doesn't get inundated and damaged.

also not disclosing locations has become a norm for camera trappers because hunters have used disclosed locations to come and hunt the animals.

 

[DavidT]

I wanted to get other thoughts on what they feel about posting camera and lens info whenever posting pictures online. I post images to several different sites including Facebook, but never ever disclose what camera and lens I use. It automatically puts the information in on Flickr. I normally share Flickr images on here, and someone can see that if they want. I guess my thing is I don’t see the need and why people need to do that, and especially say if the photo was handheld lor. Honestly, whenever I look at a great image, I could care less what it was shot with or if it was handheld lol. I think there are two scenarios with disclosing that information that arise. One of which is, getting robbed or theft in general. The other situation is it almost comes off like some folks are bragging, which is the case I see on Facebook at times. I don’t know, perhaps I’m just weird but I think the images should speak for themselves without all the other nonsense but perhaps I’m in the minority. I will disclose camera and lens information on sites, such as Facebook, but only if asked directly, and I will normally reply through instant message.

Funny thing is I follow you on IG and you post some killer macro/bug work and I often wonder which lens you used. As you know I was kicking around the 100-400 for a long time because of your pics, I bought one because of you . So now you can call yourself an influencer lol.

 

[Jmaes]

Personally, I only make a quick mention of the camera/lens being used on these forums (since some people seem to like having that info). Other than that, I never include EXIF data or make mention of equipment on any other platform (Flickr, IG,...). As you say, it shouldn't be relevant to the shot being presented.