Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/12/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> Bill Barrett wrote re The "Photojournalist" image I have the book, "Andreas Feininger: Experimental Work" (Amphoto 1978), with "The Photojournalist" identified ony with the notes "(Dennis Stock) (1951)". Regarding it and the photo of an arachnologist holding a scorpion on the facing page, the caption recounts, "Two unconventional, 'experimental' portraits conceived to tell something about the profession, interest, or specialty of the depicted person, thereby giving the viewer a more significant picture." I remember seeing the print many times over the years and was really pleased to find the beautifully printed version of it full page in the book on page 124. Looking back, I'm sure it had a lot to do with my early love of Leicas, promoting no doubt a subconscious wish to be as "connected" with my camera as the man/camera portrayed. The main identifying feature of the LTM body is the flat diopter adjustment lever below the rewind knob, making it a III c, d or f. You can just make out the slow speed dial under a finger. I believe the Summitar serial number starts with 804, which puts the lens in 1950 production. The IIIf was also new in 1950, so that would be my guess. The viewfinder completes a compelling image of the new photojournalist, beautifully fitting the face. However, it sits quite high above the body and doesn't look like any Leica finder that I'm familiar with. The funny thing I remember is for some reason thinking that the face was a woman's the first several times I saw it years ago. Gary Todoroff > > Right you are, Alf. The "Photojournalist" image shows a human head > (Stock's, as it happens) with a bright circle of light around the face > area. A Leica (LTM, but I don't know which) with a large finder on it is > held up to the face, so that the lens is one "eye" and the finder the > other. It isn't a portrait, it's a graphic design with the simplicity and > clarity Feininger loved. There's a copy in the Time/Life 1970 book, The > Camera; I know I've seen it reproduced elsewhere, but that's the one that > comes to mind. Perhaps someone else on the list who knows the image can > identify the Leica equipment.