Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/02/16

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Subject: RE: [Leica] B&W and forever the iconoclast
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 09:55:46 -0500

>>I see, so B&W is the holy grail of films...ehhh!  Gosh, those modern fools
>>like Galen Rowell, Annie Leibovitz, et al  they should know better than to
>>use color slide film.  After all they are only famous and worth near
>>millions of US$.  Ashame.....
>>
>>Peter K
>>

So, let me see if I've got this right...the standard as to whether one is or
is not a great photographer is whether one is "famous," and "worth
millions?"

Forgive my humble opinion, but Annie Leibovitz is a celebrity photographer
of celebrities. Yes, she makes nice images. But were she not a woman, I
guarantee you that 15 years after her death her name would not show up on
the lists of the greats and near greats....

There are world class photographers who work almost exclusively in color,
those who work in color and black and white, and those who work only in B&W.

Once again, to paraphrase James Carville..."It's the vision, stupid!"...not
the emulsion... :-)