Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/04/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hey Eric, we're all entitled to our opinions. Yes, he took some memorable photos - But over all, I'll have to stick with my opinion...There are Life photographers from the same era who were far better and did work with far more impact. IMHO. Eric Welch wrote: > At 09:43 AM 4/1/99 -0500, you wrote: > >Leica > >or not, is grossly overrated "People" photography. He may have been the > >world's > >most charming guy, but.... > > In the context of the history of photojournalism, he has many, many > wonderful pictures. The ballerinas standing in the windows sills. Amazing > light! The kids following the drum major. Churchill giving the Victory > sign. The sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square. I could go on and on. > > He was truly a pioneer of the profession, and though he took many pictures > that are not terribly meaningful to most of us, he was amazingly prolific. > He had his own style. He never copied anyone. He is original as it gets. > And he deserves our respect for that, and not such a negative epithet as > the one above. He does not deserve being put in the same category as pseudo > photojournalists who specialize in celebrity photography for People. Sure > he had a lot of pot boilers. He was a staff photographer. That means having > to photograph many things the boss's think are important that he might not > have thought was so important. > > As he said in one interview, he learned to not be intimidated by anyone, > and treated everyone with respect. He was one of the greats. > > Eric Welch > St. Joseph, MO > http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch > > The precept: Judge not, that ye be not judged... is an > abdication of moral responsibility. It is a moral blank > check one gives to others in exchange for a moral blank > check one expects for oneself. The moral principle to adopt