Re: [Leica] Bokeh Nokeh

["Dan Post" <dpost@triad.rr.com>]

Kurt-
You are a man after my own heart!
True- we get hung up on obscure words that describe what definitely is a
cultural phenomenon. It's like the time I read about the Inuit language
having no less than 50 terms for 'SNOW"! In a culture where snow is
pervasive and a daily fact of live, I can see where it might be important
for a dialy discussion of their world to be able to pinpoint and highlight
all aspects of snow.
I am sure that ere must be a cultural aspect to bokeh; the Japanese- in a
land where even police officers are trained, not only in police techniques,
but even in the ancient art of flower arranging, that there must be a
cultural artifact that became important when photography was taken up by the
Japanese!
In fact, the whole oriental concept of Yin-Yang, no doubt must be a part of
even photography! The positive and the negative- not just in the literal
meaning, but in a photograph, I am sure there is a negative aspect that
balances the 'positive'- that is the infocus and the out of focus must be in
balance, and so to keep the out of focus portion quantifiable, then they
come up with the concept of BOKEH! Is that too simplistic?
I don't know- I don't discount bokeh- it just doesn't figure in the 'zen' of
my photography, but it is an interesting concept to know about if you want
to understand the ideas behind some other photographer's images. I usually
don't disparage an image, even if it grates on my persaonal sensabilities- I
rather try to place it in the context of what the artist was trying to
express- what he saw in the picture (or, her as it might be!)
Sure- for me bokeh is something like hokum- I don't think about it, unless I
am looking as someone else's work, and it helps me see what they wanted me
to see!
I can then joke about it- that if I want bokehs, I blow my nose.... but in
the back of my mind, the more sedate and rational part of my brain ( the
small part!) says, "Whoa!, That's and interesting concept!
Dan ( Using the right side of my brain, this morning!) Post
- ----- Original Message -----
From: "khmiska" <khmiska@umich.edu>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Saturday, August 26, 2000 10:18 AM
Subject: [Leica] Bokeh Nokeh


> Fellow Leicaists,
> Why all this BS about bokeh nokeh. Why not speak English. We're not in
> the Orient. Do you seriously think the great Leica, Hassleblad, Nikon
> photographers who created so many of the well known masterpieces ever
> gave a crap about bokeh nokeh etc.? I can't imagine the legendary Henri
> Cartier-Bresson even giving a thought to it. Forget all this little
> detail s*** and use the camera for what it's intended for - taking
> photographs. I read somewhere that the great Eisenstadt did a little
> lens testing; found what he liked, and then used it. The KISS principle
> applies here - keep it simple, stupid. So, if you want to drum me out of
> the corps, no problemo.
> Kurt
> Ann Arbor
>