Jaded Polin - Fro Knows Photo

Splinters

Opinions?

I had a big rant typed here but I figured Id tone it down a tad.

Im of the opinion this lad is an inflated egotistic sack of ****e, but a lot of people seem to love him.

Anybody here with an opinion on him, good or bad?

Leftyflip

I think he's entertaining and can be informative on some things, if you don't like him, don't watch him?

Effects

Never heard of him until now. Quick search and look at his website suggest his hair is his unique selling point. I really want a whole set of his "I shoot raw" clothing range. Especially the wristbands. Maybe he could do a mashup with those dudes with the film tshirts. "Buy film not megapixels" on the front and "I shoot raw on the back".

Splinters

Leftyflip wrote: »

if you don't like him, don't watch him?

I just unscubscribed.

Dont get me wrong its great hes giving out so much free info, but others do it much better and without the massive ego and the constant merch pushing.

Guys like Zack Arias and Joe McNally are ten times the photographer Polin is, yet he usually charges twice the price for his weekend workshops as those guys. Its things like this that get under my skin.

Ok rant over, Im not usually a negative guy but that level of cockyness really is just unpleasant.

Leftyflip

Splinters wrote: »

I just unscubscribed.

Dont get me wrong its great hes giving out so much free info, but others do it much better and without the massive ego and the constant merch pushing.

Guys like Zack Arias and Joe McNally are ten times the photographer Polin is, yet he usually charges twice the price for his weekend workshops as those guys. Its things like this that get under my skin.

Ok rant over, Im not usually a negative guy but that level of cockyness really is just unpleasant.

Just the way it is unfortunately, I agree with you about Joe and Zack though!

Effects

Splinters wrote: »

but that level of cockyness really is just unpleasant.

I think that's an American thing. A lot of people buy into that kind of hype.

Hogzy

I cant stand the guy, give me ThatNikonGuy anyday over Polin. He is an egotistical fool and his 'reviews' (if you can call them such) are absolute rubbish. When reviewing the Nikon 55-300, which isnt the best of telephotos, he just recommend beginners not to buy it because it is a terrible lens. Instead he recommends "faster glass" like the Nikon 70-200 2.8 which costs nearly 5 times more.
Thats such a stupid suggestion to give to a beginner photographer who probably has a D3XXX or D5XXXX. After I saw that review i unsubscribed. Have seen one or two of his videos since and im glad i unsubscribed.

Ben D Bus

I'm just bored with the guy. I still follow him on YouTube but I usually skip over his videos.

For entertainment value I much prefer Dom Bower or DigitalRev.

flyingsnail

I subscribe to him on youtube but I skip over most of his content. What I do like are his raw talk with a second person when it turns into a long interview / discussion about their photography and how they approach it.

Splinters

Without a doubt there is some useful information on his channel but there too much unpleasant ego boosting nonsense to sift through to make it worthwhile. Like the way he goes on about never ever cropping his images as if its some badge of pride. Yet Ive seen him do it while editing other photographers images and quite openly say "Id never crop my own work but because this is somebody elses I dont mind". Its a level of arrogance that doesnt sit right with me at all.

As already mentioned as well, he has the most narrow minded opinions on gear too as already mentioned. He'll slate some reasonably priced lens that might really benefit a beginner looking to upgrade from a kit lens in favour of something ridiculously priced for a beginner.

I seen an image he recently put up on facebook taken on his iphone. He had some way of wording the description that annoyed me, something like "You can clearly tell by the lack of shallow depth of field that it was taken with an iphone".....what utter nonsense.

Ugh this is already turning into a rant which is more then he deserves. Glad to have unsubscribed from him now anyway. Theres plenty of guys on Youtube like Dom Bower and Matt Granger who put out just as much if not more useful information and way more humble in their manner too.

For the record I dont buy the whole its just an american thing excuse. Im a fan of many American photographers and have never came across any as full of themselves as that Polin lad.

Hugh_C

I don't rate him. He shoots everything on a long lens, EVERYTHING. That's just bad technique ...

dazftw

Yer man who does the digital rev videos is funny haha.

I don't watch Fro's videos but I always thought he was entertaining. I think in this day and age of photography with so many different stereotypes of photographers he has a good fan base.

Hey Splinters relax...

Splinters

Dont worry Im perfectly relaxed. I just have a particular disliking for arrogance.

Telchak

When I first started getting really interested in photography, I watched his videos constantly. Watched every new one as it came out, and back watched a lot of his old ones.

I got a lot of useful information out of his videos at hose early stages, especially the Lightroom edits he did with Greg Cazillo (before he f'd him over). His technique and way of communicating, I think, makes him very suited to helping newbies.

I'd say after a year or so, I had completely outgrown what he had to offer and now skip over most of his videos.

xshayx

dazftw wrote: »

Yer man who does the digital rev videos is funny haha.

yeah, Kai is great!

AnCatDubh

Started watching him a while back. Quickly grew tired of his style. Not for me. But like the OP says he's got something going on and an apparent popularity.

Borderfox

Sums him up for me :-)

"jad·ed  

/ˈjādid/Adjective
Tired, bored, or lacking enthusiasm, typically after having had too much of something.

Synonyms: weary - tired - exhausted"

Hogzy

Hugh_C wrote: »

I don't rate him. He shoots everything on a long lens, EVERYTHING. That's just bad technique ...

I totally agree, he is in love with his 70-200 and thats nearly all he uses.

He had one video where he was photographing "the worlds largest fire hydrant". The aim of the shoot is to show off the size of the hydrant. So Polin decides to use the 70-200 2.8 and the 300 2.8 and the results are absolutely crap. Even the beginners were suggesting in the comments section to use a wide angle lens which would obviously make the hydrant look huge and show off its girth. But no, Polin thinks his godly knowledge is superior to all so decides to use a telephoto to make something look big.



Video is here

Just noticing too that is videos are nearly always really under exposed.

Effects

Hogzy wrote: »

Polin thinks his godly knowledge is superior to all so decides to use a telephoto to make something look big.
Video is here

Just the way he says "fro knows photo" at the start of that is enough to know he's a douche bag.

Splinters

Hogzy wrote: »

I totally agree, he is in love with his 70-200 and thats nearly all he uses.

He had one video where he was photographing "the worlds largest fire hydrant". The aim of the shoot is to show off the size of the hydrant. So Polin decides to use the 70-200 2.8 and the 300 2.8 and the results are absolutely crap. Even the beginners were suggesting in the comments section to use a wide angle lens which would obviously make the hydrant look huge and show off its girth. But no, Polin thinks his godly knowledge is superior to all so decides to use a telephoto to make something look big.



Video is here



Just noticing too that is videos are nearly always really under exposed.

Jaysus its cringeworthy isnt it. To be fair I have seen him come out with some useful info but in that one really does come across like he hasnt got a clue.

jonon9

i'v nothing against the guy but what annoys me is his saying his a pro, kinda false, now ok he may make some income through photography but its clearly his income comes from his online store.

he was selling a digital download of a 3 hour HowToDo video on photography at a discount price of $60 so lets say 10,000 subs brought it remember his got 116,000 plus subs so that's a heck of a lot of money I just see him as a online shop really

Kenny Logins

Hogzy wrote: »

I totally agree, he is in love with his 70-200 and thats nearly all he uses.

He had one video where he was photographing "the worlds largest fire hydrant". The aim of the shoot is to show off the size of the hydrant. So Polin decides to use the 70-200 2.8 and the 300 2.8 and the results are absolutely crap. Even the beginners were suggesting in the comments section to use a wide angle lens which would obviously make the hydrant look huge and show off its girth. But no, Polin thinks his godly knowledge is superior to all so decides to use a telephoto to make something look big.



Video is here

Just noticing too that is videos are nearly always really under exposed.

Oh yeah, I remember that one. I think it was around that time I stopped watching.

lisatiffany

He's okay in small doses, I shoot concerts a lot so I've met him a few times in New York and in California. I don't always trust his opinion on gear/etc, but he has done some cracking live shots. He makes a decent living out of his art so I can't condemn the guy for that.

Splinters

I dont think most people have a problem with his photography. Hes not amazing but he'd be passable if he was a bit more humble. Its more that he comes across like a complete arsehole would be the reason he seems to grate on most people.

Effects

I think him being an arsehole is a large part of what's got him where he is.

Hogzy

Effects wrote: »

I think him being an arsehole is a large part of what's got him where he is.

Being an arsehole will only get you so far though.

Effects

Seems to be getting him far enough. $30,000 for two seminars in the UK. Listening to people who attended them they seemed to have learned what you can teach yourself on the internet. One guy learned how to use a large aperture to blur the background in his shots. Sounds like a joke.

Stephen P

The Sniff Test! - What's all that about?

jaansu

I find Polin annoying, as has been said before, he comes across as if he is the be all and end all of photo tutorials which he most definitely is not.

I like this guy Robert Vasquez way better.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt6AvJ7WZSI

dnme

I like Mike Browne , also some of the BH seminars, although they can be a little long (usually over 1 hr)

Ben D Bus

dnme wrote: »

I like Mike Browne , also some of the BH seminars, although they can be a little long (usually over 1 hr)

Hadn't heard of Mike Browne before. Just watched one of his short tutorial videos. Nice no-nonsense approach. I've subscribed.

BH is a bit hit and miss. It can good or it can be 2 hours of waffle and pushing of brand names.