攝影師七級分類～一個精神指南
The Seven Levels of Photographers－A Spiritual Guide (satire)

不管是誰？網路之門既然暢通，那麼任誰都可以發表任何看法，今於Ken Rockwell的網站上看到網主發表的一文，名之「The Seven Levels of Photographers－A Spiritual Guide (satire)」，這篇個人發表文雖為Ken Rockwell個人之見，也有頗多爭議，對某些攝影師可能造成一些難堪，有人說這是快人快語，有人說這是炒作，有人說這是瘋人瘋語，有人說當趣味看看就好，有人說...，不管如何？內容中雖有些文詞只是在吹捧自己的網站，但某些文句確實可以引人深思，所以在此編撰此文，供大家閱讀參考。
原文出自Ken Rockwell網站，曾由大陸網友SGM翻成簡體中文，也曾被韓國網友翻成韓文，還有俄文版，在這裡我以大陸的簡體中文為基礎成繁體文，為了保持原文的原意，也把原文留下對照。

最高等級(相當於※※神話中的"天堂")：藝術家
這是最高等級。
一個藝術家用一種叫照片的確實的形式把他的想像固定下來。 在這照片裡他捕獲事物的靈魂，無論是真實的或是想像的，而觀眾則對此作出反應。
一個藝術家是使用他的工具的大師。 在藝術創作中，當他的靈魂飛迎他正捕獲的東西時，一個藝術家超越了通常意義下的存在。 當他不創新時他可能學習使用他的工具。 但在創新時相機成為他的頭腦的一個延伸，在他可稱為能手的技術方面他不作有意識的思考。
作一個與音樂的類比： 一個音樂家可能會練習他的音階，但當他演奏時他甚至不會想到他的手指 -- 他遺失在那一刻的激情中。
正如一個專業沖浪者擁有一打的浪板，或者一個吉它師有二十三把斧子，一個藝術家可能會有很多相機，每一個有不同的用途。
類似地，別的藝術家可能只有一個相機，或者根本沒有。 這無關緊要。
藝術家們有的時候穿著好笑，而且容易呆到很晚才睡。
沒有人見過他們的作品，因為他們在提升自己的頭銜方面十分笨拙。 那些善於做這個的把自己降級為靈魂出賣者。 不幸的是，這意味著除非你認識一個真正的藝術家落你不可能見到他們的作品。 好的藝術家們通常都覺得把作品展示給別人看是一件十分尷尬的事情，除非你和他們十分接近，因為作品是他們的靈魂。
藝術家們用各種相機，包括針孔的，一次性的，或者8x10的。 他們用任何所需的器材去創出他們所要的。
Artist: Top Level 7(equivalent to "Heaven" in Christian mythology)
This is the highest level.
An artist fixes his imagination in a tangible form called a photograph. He captures the spirit of place, real or imagined, in this photograph and the viewer responds to this.
An artist is a complete master of his tools. When creating art an artist transcends common existence as his spirit flies up to meet that which he is capturing. He may practice and learn his tools while he is not creating, however when creating the camera becomes an extension of his mind. No conscious thought is expended on the technical issues with which he is a virtuoso while creating photographs.
To make a musical analogy, a musician may woodshed his scales, but when he's jamming he's not even thinking about fingerings. He's lost in the passion of the moment.
Just like professional surfers who have a dozen boards or pro guitarists who have 23 axes, an artist may have a slew of cameras, each for a different purpose.
Likewise, other artists may only have one camera, or none at all. It just doesn't matter.
Artists sometimes dress funny and tend to stay up late.
No one ever sees their work since they have crummy ability to promote themselves. Those that do drop down to Whore, which sadly and paradoxically means you will never see the work of a true artist unless you know one personally. Good artists are usually too embarrassed to show their work to anyone unless you are intimate with them, since their work is their soul.
Artists use any sort of camera, including pinholes and disposables, or 8 x 10s. They use whatever instrument they need to create what they want.

第六級：靈魂出賣者
一個靈魂出賣者是一個以靈魂換取金錢或毒品的藝術家。
一個藝術家若將自己降到這個等級，他的眼光可能已經打了折扣。
為什麼？ 因為他靠出賣自己的靈魂買所需的食物，他壓低自己的聲音以求不違悖這一體系，這意味著他不可能嘗試新的風格。
如果一個靈魂出賣者多年來以他的工作付他的帳單，那麼只要他還需要面麵他就不可能嘗試新的風格。
一個有代理的藝術家(畫廊或其它代理；如同拉皮條的)如果改變他的風格，他就可能失去他的代理。
因此，一個人出售的藝術從來不會有所提高或改變。
一個有銷路的風格就是拉皮條的想要看到的風格。 看看Barnbaum的關於藝術性的書。 對於一個成功的靈魂出賣者來說，要改變已被接受的風格萬分困難。
Whore: Level 6
A whore is an artist who sells his soul by accepting money or drugs for his art.
By lowering himself to this level his vision is probably compromised.
Why? Because when one depends on selling one's soul to pay for one's food and pad one does not screw with the program, which means that one does not try new styles.
If a whore's work pays his bills after years of trying, it's unlikely any whore will be open to trying new styles while he still needs the dough.
Artists with representation (meaning they are represented by a gallery or other rep; same thing as pimps) may loose their representation they change their style.
Therefore, art for sale from one person rarely gets better or different.
The style that sells is all a whore's johns and pimps (representatives) want to see. See Barnbaum's book on artistry. It is extraordinarily difficult for a successful whore to change styles once one has been accepted.

第五級：業餘愛好者
這個人從攝影獲得的收入低於總收入的一半。這和他們攝影的質量沒有關係。
這個人喜愛拍照。一個擁有純潔靈魂的好的業餘愛好者可能超越其它等級而成為一個藝術家。
一個在周末拍婚紗以補充日常工作收入的人依舊是一個業餘愛好者；他們只是為他們的照片收費。
一個業餘愛好者若認為好的相機會提高他的作品，他就會冒著被降級為最低級的器材測量員的危險。太多的業餘愛好者被相機生產商誤導，以至於相信他們需要好的相機來拍出好的圖片。這種想法毒殺創造藝術。
一個業餘愛好者若在創造不朽圖片的努力中釋放自己，他就走上了一條領悟的路。
作為一個業餘愛好者是一件好事：從這一等級可以比較容易地成為藝術家。
業餘愛好者們幾乎總是用佳能單反。
Amateur: Level 5
People who earn less than half of their income from photography are amateurs. This has nothing to do with the quality of their photography.
This person loves to create photographs. Good amateurs of pure spirit can transcend the other levels directly to being an artist.
People who shoot weddings and etc. on weekends as a side line from their day jobs are still amateurs; they just charge for their photos.
Amateurs who think that better cameras will improve their photos are at risk of descending to the lowest level of equipment measurbator. Too many amateurs have been misled by camera makers into thinking that they need good cameras for good images. This thought is poison to creating art.
Amateurs who loose themselves in creating great images are set for a path of enlightenment.
Being an amateur is a good thing; from this level one can rise to the level of artist rather easily.
Amateurs almost always shoot Canon SLRs.

第四級：拍快照的
我的媽媽和大部分人屬於這一級。相對於照片或相機，他們更注重記憶。
那些是圖形藝術家的或者善於看的快照者常常拍出非同尋常的照片。這些照片給任何一個人留下深刻的印像。這些快照者是藝術家，而他們並不了解這一點。他們通常穿得比自認為藝術家的藝術家們好。
相信這一點：拍出照片的是攝影師，不是相機。
快照者用傻瓜機或一次性相機拍出別人用萊卡、尼康、佳能和康泰克斯所拍出的效果。
Snapshooter: Level 4
This is my mom and most people. These people want memories, as opposed to photographs or cameras.
Snapshooters who are graphic artists or otherwise visually literate people often make fantastic images that impress everyone. These snapshooters are artists and don't even realize it. They usually dress better than the artists who think they really are artists.
Believe it: it's the photographer who makes an image, not a camera.
Snapshooters use point-and-shoot and disposable cameras, which give the same excellent results as the Leicas, Nikons, Canons and Contaxes used by everyone else.

第三級：專業攝影師
一個專業攝影師是一個從攝影賺取所有生活費的人。
一個專業攝影師不為生存而創造藝術，而為商業而制造圖片。他們通常比較熟悉工具，能做出不錯的圖片，但是捕獲想像不一定是他們所能做的。
當然專業攝影師在他們自己的時間裡可以作出偉大的圖片。
專業攝影師很少擔心相機，除非當他們需要修理的時候。他們幾乎用所有的時間找活幹，或者抱怨城裡的其他攝影師又在降價了。
專業攝影師每個月在膠卷和沖擴上花的錢比他們每年在器材上化的錢還多。
沒有專業自然攝影師。他們要麼白天有工作，或者由妻子供養。
專業攝影師用尼康單反，瑪米亞中幅，和Calumet 4x5。他們買不起大部分嚴肅的業餘愛好者所用的器材。
業餘愛好者沒有網站。
Professional: Level 3
A professional photographer is a person who earns his entire living (100%) from photography.
Professionals do not create art for a living; they create images for commerce. They usually have some familiarity with the tools and can get out decent images, however the ability to capture imagination may or may not be something they can do.
Of course professionals may create great images on their own time.
Professionals spend very little time worrying about cameras, except when they need to get them repaired. They spend most of their time looking for work and pissing about how all the other photographers in town are dropping their prices.
Professionals spend more on film and lab fees each month than they spend on camera gear in a year.
There are no professional nature photographers. They all either have day jobs or make their wives support them.
Professionals shoot Nikon SLRs, Mamiya medium format and Calumet 4x5" cameras. They cannot afford gear as good as most serious amateurs.
Unless you are a commercial photography buyer or know one as a freind you have not heard of professional photographers. The ones you may have seen in camera ads proclaiming that they use this or that camera are just spokesmodels.
Professionals don't have websites and don't put out technical newsletters. Those people are usually amateurs.

第二級：富有的業餘愛好者
有些業餘愛好者們太有錢。 他們買了很多器材，而這些東西又禁錮了他們表達的自由。 這些人通常是男性，其中很多是老年或退休的。
這些富有的業餘愛好者們用Leica，Contax，Alpas，Hasselblad，和Linhof4x5。藹這些都是很好的相機，均等但是他們獲得的結果和用Zenit，Pentax，Bronica和Tachihara拍的一樣。
稍微窮一點的用Niokn，甚至Canon。
最近這些白痴們開始用為報社設計的單反，比如Canon EOS-1D 和 Nikon D1x。
而這些相機的質量比拍快照的所用的還差。 最愚蠢的那些則等待要價美金$7000的Contax N 數字相機。 這種相機比Nikon和Canon的數字單反還不如。 而這些人還是只能拍出比用便宜的膠片單反還差的照片。
糟糕的富有業餘愛好者們則把模糊的黑白窮人照當成是藝術。
一些富有業餘愛好者們很容易地墮落到最低的精神等級，因為他們太擔心他們的器材。 而別的則直接進入到創造偉大藝術的殿堂，因為他們相信他們所擁有的器材是最好的，從而沒有那些擔心。 奇怪的是，很少有富有業餘愛好者拍出一般的照片： 他們不是成功便是失敗。
Rich Amateur: Level 2
These are amateurs who, by having too much money, buy lots of equipment which can fetter their freedom of expression. They are mostly men, and many are old or retired.
Rich amateurs shoot Leicas, Contaxes, Alpas, Hasselblads and Linhof 4x5s. These are great cameras, but the results are the same as the Zenits, Pentaxes, Bronicas and Tachiharas.
The poorer rich amateurs shoot Nikon or even Canon SLRs.
Lately these idiots are getting digital SLRs designed for newspapers like the Canon EOS-1D or Nikon D1X, which give technically poorer results than the cameras used by snapshooters. The really stupid people have waited for the $7,000 Contax N Digital, which is a less useful camera than the Nikon or Canon digital SLRs, and still makes technically poorer images than a cheap film SLR.
The bad rich amateurs think fuzzy B/W images of poor people are art.
Some rich amateurs fall into the bottom spiritual level easily because they worry too much about equipment, others go straight on to create great art since they don't have any worries about equipment since they think they own the best. Oddly, few rich amateurs produce ordinary work. It either rules or sucks.

最低級：器材測量意淫者
這些男性(他們的確都是男的)對於藝術和攝影沒有興趣，因為他們沒有靈魂。 靈魂的缺乏使得他們無法表達想像和感受。 所以他們的照片，如果他們做了一些的話，都是失敗的。
絕大多數人原有技術方面的愛好，比如工程、計算機和科學。 這些人太在乎用數字打分，以至於完全忘記了相機和測試表與最後所得的圖片的靈魂沒有任何聯系。 因為他們太在乎測量器材的性能，我們給予他們《測量意淫者》的綽號。 不幸的是，他們中的很多人逛到KenRockwell.com來尋找關於器材性能的信息。
他們中的很多人也玩音響，計算機或車子。 正如他們看待他們的相機，他們把這些當玩具，而極少把它們用到原本該用的途徑上。
年輕一點的玩遊戲，或者上網或聊天。 年紀大一點的則加入《相機/器材》俱樂部。 (你應當加入《攝影》俱樂部，而不是《相機》俱樂部，或任何試圖給藝術打分的俱樂部 -- 因為藝術完全是主觀的，不能用數字評分。) 同樣地，這些人從來不用他們的器材創造出引人注目的東西。 但是他們肯定會為擁有，獲得或與你談論這些東西而興奮。
這些人忽視的一種工具是唯一的有用的工具： 光照。
為了他們自己的緣故他們只對器材感興趣。 如果你讓著他們，他們會講得你耳朵生繭。 但是一旦你想看看他們的作品，他們的聲勢一下子就消失了，或者他們會以為你想看看他們的器材。
一個有不錯的作品集的人不是器材意淫者。 一個擁有器材比好作品多的人可能是。 那些有一個塞滿技術文章而幾乎沒有有趣照片的網站的人則大概就是。
在任何情況下都不要和這些人交往，與他們聊天，或者看他們的網站。 對於單純的人來說他們像是知識庫，但是他們病態而缺乏活力的靈魂特別喜歡把你扯入到他們自己的地獄中去，讓你的靈魂一輩子困於擔心鏡頭銳度的泥潭。 一旦你開始擔心這個，除了磚牆和測試表你將再也不會拍任何別的東西。
這些人很容易辨別。 如果你已經讀到這裡，你大概已經看過他們的網站了。 他們經常有很多關於器材的信息，但是幾乎沒有真正的攝影作品。 如果一個網站沒有你崇拜的照片，你得當心它提供的信息。
我不得不將一些器材的圖片從我的網站上移走。 這些人看我的藝術，但是他們花更多的時間看我的器材的照片！我所購買的帶寬就被這些白痴用來看我的鏡頭，而不是用來看我的藝廊中的照片 -- 而那些才是這個網站的意義所在。 因此像這個一樣愚蠢的網頁都用黃色作底，就要讓他們的眼睛受不了而不能在這些無聊的東西上浪費太多的時間。
Equipment Measurbator: Bottom Level 1 (equivalent to "Hell" in Christian mythology)
These men (and they are all men) have no interest in art or photography because they have no souls. Lacking souls they cannot express imagination or feeling, which is why their images, if they ever bother to make any, suck.
Most seem to come from technical avocations, like engineering, computers and sciences. These people worry so much about trying to put numerical ratings on things that they are completely oblivious to the fact that cameras or test charts have nothing to do with the spirit of the final image. Because they worry so much about measuring camera performance we have dubbed them "Measurbators." Unfortunately, many of them wander into KenRockwell.com looking for information on camera performance.
Many of them also play with audio equipment, computers or automobiles. They enjoy the toys just like their cameras for their own sake, but rarely if ever actually use them for the intended purposes.
Younger ones play video games or engage in chat rooms and web surfing. Older ones join "camera" clubs. (You should join photography clubs, but never camera clubs or any clubs that try to score art, since art is entirely subjective and cannot be scored numerically.) Likewise, these people never create anything notable with any of this other gear either, but they sure get excited by just having, getting or talking to you about it.
The one type of gear these people ignore is the only type of gear that actually helps: lighting.
They are interested solely in equipment for its own sake. They will talk your ear off for hours if you let them, but as soon as you ask to see their portfolio their bravado scurries away, or they think you want to see their cameras or stocks.
Someone with a decent portfolio is not an equipment measurbator. Someone with more cameras than decent photos just may be. People with websites teeming with technical articles but few interesting photographs probably are.
Do not under any circumstances deal with these people, talk to them or read their websites. To the innocent they seem like fonts of knowledge, however their sick, lifeless souls would love to drag you into their own personal Hells and have your spirit forever mired in worrying about how sharp your lens is. If you start worrying about this and you'll never photograph anything again except brick walls and test charts.
These people are easy to identify. If you've read this far you've probably seen their websites. They always have lots of info about equipment, but very few real photographs. Beware of any information from any website not loaded with photography you admire.
I had to pull most of the photos of equipment off my site because these people were spending more time looking at my equipment than my art！ The bandwidth for which I pay was being eaten up by these idiots looking at my lenses, instead of looking at the photos in my gallery which is the whole point of this site. That's why all the stupid pages like this one are in yellow, so that their eyes hurt too much to waste too much time on the nuts and bolts.

说的不错！可以让人思考……

分析的很透彻。

分类不太科学，不便于对号入座。

在外面看到的，所以转帖过来，可能一些朋友已经看过了，就让我火星一次吧。呵呵