Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/07/14

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Subject: [Leica] The Barnack Award, or bubble gum photography!
From: tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)
Date: Wed Jul 14 15:06:55 2004
References: <28669401.1089838610613.JavaMail.root@grover.psp.pas.earthlink.net>

Bruce offered:

>>> Slobodan, Ted, and any others,
Hope this doesn't stop any of you from trying to get a grant.  Persistance
sometimes helps also.<<<<

Hi Bruce,
I've had one grant in 55 years as a published photojournalist and it was for
the enormous amount of $1500. Canadian dollars. The project concept was as
equally stupid as the amount of the grant.

I was going to photograph the visual psychological effects of driving in a
Canadian city in the winter. :-) Yep that's right and that was the title for
the project application. And I got it! Like wow!!!
Now anyone in their right mind knows that has to be as crazy as sky diving
without a parachute!

However, I gave it try in the howling blizzards and ass freezing 40 below
zero weather and it was a total disaster! Not only can't you photograph
someone in the fit of a blistering verbal scream at another driver as he
slides through an intersection barely missing you, when you can't see the
guy to photograph him through his snow covered windows. :-)

Anyway it all went down the tube as a hopeless effort. However, I really
gave it a good try to the extent I near ruined a couple of M4's and lenses
that had to be repaired to the tune of slightly over $1590.00 Cdn.  And the
grant amount was? ;-)

Grant's and the moron's who hand them out? A great big pox on them as it
comes down to the same old system... who you know and it has nothing to do
with one's ability as a photographer!

Or worse, what the morons consider a worth while grant project. Like a biggy
for them to hand out a ton of money for.....  "" to shoot a series on the
mating methods of the bong-bongo fly in lower slobovia during the 4th month
of puberty!" Oh and definitely in fine art video-digital colour.
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkkkk to hell with the grant givers particularly when it's
tax payers money!

Oh sorry I suppose I let off a bit of steam on how I feel about grants
controlled by the twits who make the decisions who receives them. ;-)

Of course my comments are a completely un-biased opinion in case there's
someone out there reading this who'd like to grant me a very substantial
amount to photograph the sands of Fiji during a Canadian winter and the nice
feelings of knowing one is in Fiji when all yer mates are back home getting
their buns frozen off. :-) ;-)

ted




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