Re: [Leica] Speaking of magazines........Brian's Book

[John Collier <jbcollier@powersurfr.com>]

Ted's behaviour and criticism is fine. It was a fund raising idea to take
advantage of Brian's fame. As Ted pointed out, Brian used a great number of
cameras that were just handed to him and he was told which button to push
(he said this in an interview!). Art directors and designers set up the
photographs, stylists did up the people and technicians did the film
processing and printing. In a weird sort of way the ultimate derivation of
"You push the button. We do the rest." A good fundraising idea but not much
else...

John Collier

He is an amateur with a M6 just as you and I are... I cannot sing, can you?
Well I can but not that anyone would pay me except perhaps to stop :-)

> From: Andrew Schroter <schroter@optonline.net>
> 
> I differ.  While I haven't seen the book, it's fund raising goal is
> admirable.  It sure beats fundraising by eating rubbery chicken!  While its
> fair to criticize Bryan's work, I think its inappropriate and unfair to tell
> him to stick to his music.  Tell him what aspect of his photography he needs
> to improve is a very appropriate and supportive measure.  The criticism of
> trying every different toy with mastering none is a fair statement to make,
> if the photographs in his book are as bad as you say.  I haven't seen the
> book so I can't specifically comment.  I'm just concerned about the behavior
> here.
> 
> 
>>Ted wrote:
>> 
>> Save your breath he's hardly a photographer of any worth.whether he
>> "handles, plays or whatever" with a Leica.
>> 
>> His book, "Made in Canada" is an insult to Canadian professional
>> photographers even though it was sponsored by Kodak and if it were not
>> Bryan Adams, "personality,"  Kodak would have thrown him out the door.
>> The unfortunate part is, it was published to raise money for the Canadian
>> Breast Cancer Foundation and if the photography was even good, it should
>> have been great given the fund raising it was intended for, it would have
>> sold more copies.  I bought my copy for two reasons:
>> The first because the money was going to the Breast Cancer Foundation.
>> Secondly, to use the book in lectures to illustrate how bad some
>> personalities can be as "pardon the expression, photographers" in the
>> loosest of terms and still be published. In the photo magazine "Photolife" he
>> said his favorite camera was his Leica,
>> but while shooting the material for the book he used every damn camera and
>> lighting set up he could get his hands on and when you put a neophyte in a
>> professional role as a photographer, it's going to lead to very disastrous
>> results.
>> SNIP