Ken Rockwell is an (in)famous photography blogger. Interestingly enough, he tends to create some passionate reactions, with people loving or hating him. My take is that that says more about people talking about him than about Rockwell himself.

So why the passion? Does he have an intensely unique and antagonizing photography style? Well, no. He does tend to enjoy vivid, highly saturated pictures, but although that's not everybody's favorite style, there's nothing inherently wrong with that. You can enjoy his photographs or not (I'm not overly keen to be honest), but that's not what elicits so many reactions. What drives people crazy is his writing. Because his is a strongly opinionated blog. And it makes for a fine read in my view. 

You see, his blog consists by and large of equipment reviews, and occasional photography tips (often targeted towards beginners or basic issues, although he has some very thorough articles too). And he enjoys making his opinions - some of which are outlandish - known loud and clear, and in frequently outrageous terms. A few examples:

- In his Leica section, listing reviews of Leica cameras, he includes the Fuji X100S, commenting "the future of LEICA photography. Not M-Mount; better"

- In his article about lens sharpness, he states (and it's the gist of the article) "lens sharpness doesn't matter"

- He has an article entitled "Fart for Fantastic photos"

- He routinely states, against common wisdom, that shooting Raw is a waste of time and that you should shoot JPEG. He often refers to film as Real raw

- He calls Program mode Professional mode, often stating that pros never use manual mode.

- Etc.

All of this seems to rub a lot of people the wrong way, and they get dismissive of Rockwell. Internet forums are full of people criticizing and hating him. There are entire webpages dedicated to telling people not to trust Rockwell. Because he goes against common knowledge, provides advice most people (including myself quite frequently) disagree with, etc.

That would be understandable if Rockwell didn't so often have his tongue planted firmly in his cheek and wasn't using hyperbole to communicate extremely valid points. The main gist of his blog and of most of what he writes boils down to "stop thinking your camera (or related accessory) is going to take great pictures. You are the one taking great (or lame) pictures". And in this day of internet commentary focused so much on what you should buy (and how you won't get by without the latest and greatest), he constantly strives to remind people that sure, great gear is nice, but it won't do anything if you can't use it, and energy is often better spent taking pictures rather than figuring whether this or that lense is "the one". Interestingly enough, although many people accuse him of just wanting to make money through advertising and kickbacks - which might or might not be true - he often seems to tell people not to invest too much in their gear. 

Ironically, that doesn't stop him from providing some of the most useful, convincing and thorough gear reviews available. What all those hate pages about him miss is that most of his gear reviews are consistent with the general consensus - albeit with much more emphasis and hyperbole. Sure he often knocks Leica, but to be honest, it's refreshing to read a site that doesn't constantly make you feel like you're missing out by not having one. And despite his constant reminding that the technical aspects are not the sole determining factor in a great picture, his reviews cover all the technical ground in good detail.

So sure, his site needs to be taken with a pinch (or even a spoonful) of salt, but it's a fun and useful read. Don't use it as your only source, but seriously, could you recommend any website as your only source on any subject matter?