Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 08:49 AM 9/11/99 -0400, Paul Schiemer wrote: >To proffer Leica produced images have more 'impact' than any others does a >disservice to many, many great photographs (and photographers) that preceded >a single point in the evolution of the medium. Leica is merely one of the >points, not THE point. You obviously DON'T understand what I'm saying. It has nothing to do with the name Leica. It has nothing to do with the fact that it was Oskar Barnack. It has everything to do with 35mm film, and fast lenses. And 36 frames before having to change film. And, relatively, fine-grained small negatives and large blow-ups. Of the ability to make dynamic photographs that were a major break-away from what was done in the past. What many great photographs? Show me anything like what the German, British and American photo magazines did in the 30s that was anything like what was done after the advent of the Leica. I know, Matthew Brady. What could he have done with a Leica? Not have to move bodies around for nice compositions? "Actually get action photos? Would that not change the way we remember the Civil War? What could Andre Kertesz have been able to do with a Leica in WWI? That he was able to create the whole candid photography movement that later blossomed with the Leica (and other 35mm cameras) was an amazing feat. In fact, it stands out that he was ALONE in his time for that very fact. Nobody else was doing it. Henri Cartier-Bresson once said "Andre taught us how to see." The Leica didn't start it in that sense. But it sure made it easier for others to follow, and thus create a movement. I'm not putting anyone down for their work. What they did, at the time they did it was as good as could be expected. Was good in the context of what they had to work with. Black and white, glass plates, or even earlier with the collodion process. But don't tell me that the 35mm spool of film didn't change the profession. (Without the Leica, and all the others, it would be as useless as that bogus digital camera in a film spool on the Internet). And in that sense create what photojournalism is a good 60 years later. Eric Welch St. Joseph, MO http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch Learn from your parents' mistakes - use birth control!