Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/08/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]"B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> writes: [snip] > As for today's documentary photographers, do we really think that > there is anyone who buys a Salgado book, or goes to a Salgado > exhibit, who isn't already aware of the conditions he documents, and > doesn't already share his viewpoint? [snip] I can't disagree much with all that you have said - however, I think there is change and then there is impact (not the original meaning involving two objects colliding). I think even the smallest documentary photography project (not all have to be large, expensive books) can teach a person about a situation, or even open that person up to some new aspect of it. It doesn't necessarily have to make a person run out and contribute to the cause or start a revolution. When I saw the Salgado documentary film I mentioned once earlier this week, one thing that struck me was that his take on his 'Workers' project was much different than I expected it to be. His take on it was purely economic (not surprising considering he is a trained economist) and had less political motivation than I first suspected. I think I would have handled the student with a slightly different approach. Rather than simply telling him to go get the MA, I would have told him to get the MA, and continue to do documentary photography. Or, as I have found in my career follies - do what makes you happy! Again, it doesn't have to be a large scale, big money book to be documentary photography - it also doesn't have to be a full-time profession. I know that some of the shows I have seen by mere amateurs at the Duke Center for Documentary Studies (which I happen to live near) have done as much or more for me than some of my favorite pro superstars have. Cheers, Dave - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html