Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/09/03

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Subject: RE: Photogrpahic abstraction (was RE: [Leica] Photo scandal at National Geographic!!!)
From: Tim Atherton <tim@KairosPhoto.com>
Date: Wed, 03 Sep 2003 21:51:11 -0600

I came across a well known quote from Gary Winogrand today, and then
immediately afterwards the words of an artist writing on photography and
they reminded me of this:

When we photograph something (or a person or a place) we are not trying to
re-create it (even in two dimensions) - rather we are depicting that thing
we saw. We are giving an account if seeing whatever it is we photograph.
What we get in the photograph is our perception of that something - that
person or place - that is, how it looks when it is photographed by us - by
you or I.

I think we often forget the distinction between the thing itself and our
account of how we saw that thing - that is, the photograph.

"I have a burning desire to see what things look like photographed
by me." -Garry Winogrand


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