Re: [Leica] Natchwey interview

[Donal Philby <donalphilby@earthlink.net>]

Paul Chefurka wrote:
> 
> I've ordered the book, but I doubt I'll be showing it to many of my
> camera-club friends :-/

It is powerful when photography rises above the self-consciousness of
the technology and communicates so strongly that you are not thinking of
the photograph, but of the event itself.  This is transcendent. 
Penetrating.

So much of what I do for a living is create fantasy for clients.  It is
an intellectual and craftsmanship challenge to do this.  But in the end,
there is only the paycheck (as welcome yesterday as that is) and
sometimes the memories of some fun.

But occasionally doing personal work for stock or a project, I get
beyond the making and into the witnessing and have on a few rare
instances feel I have channeled a moment of reality onto film that
bypasses me, or better, throughpasses me transparently--and that is the
most rewarding of all, personally, and perhaps gives others a glimpse of
a reality they hadn't know before.

The Nachwey book--like the Salgado books--are not about photography, but
about history and politics at one level, and on another, the intimate
personal experience of the moment.

They are books that should be on the desks of every politician and
corporate CEO to remind them of the consequences of their usually
self-serving decisions. 

donal
__________
Donal Philby
San Diego
www.donalphilby.com