[Leica] Born At Risk...

[bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen)]

Welllllllll....There is no question that access is vitally important.
But so is the individual eye. Ted Grant's eye is Ted Grant's eye, and
that eye is going to ultimately determine what images come back from a
given location. And as to Gene Richards - his personal passion and
belief in what he's doing from a social-political point of view play a
large part in what comes back. His images are HIS images - I'm sure I
could pick one out of a pile of prints shot by half-a-dozen very good
people all shooting in the same place.

But what you say about not chucking it is absolutely true - and that was
the point I was trying to make before. I now look at his work - or yours
for that matter-  and say, 'wow,' I want to ultimately be as close to
that - as B. D. Colen - as I can be. I'm never going to be Ted Grant -
I'll never be old enough :-) :-) :-) - and I'll never be Gene Richards -
I don't have the passion, nor do I have the willingness to go the kinds
of places he goes - but I can be the best me I can be...

B. D. 

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Ted Grant
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2004 12:00 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] Born At Risk...


B. D. Colen offered:
> As to chucking it...I have the same impulse when I look at work by 
> people like Eugene Richards...I say 'what the hell am I wasting my 
> time for, and why have I got all this money tied up in equipment?' 
> <<<<<<

Hi B.D.,
No no mon ami, don't chuck the gear because of looking at another's
work. Simply because, have you not wondered if you had the identical
access that you or another photographer wouldn't shoot as good as or
better than Eugene?

Yep he's good, damn good! However in many cases it's "access to the
location" that allows some shooters to look like they're the only ones
in
the world to shoot touching   material and then held in great awe.

When in fact you or others on the list might capture even better
photographs or certainly equal to his if given the opportunity. Where's
it written in stone he's the be all to end all in this situation. Don't
forget he's shooting the dirty gritty side of life with the good fortune
for incredible access, therefore he captures things others can't because
they aren't their to prove themselves.

Women in Medicine book for instance. Are there not some on this list, if
given the identical access to where we shot not capable of blowing us
out of the water? Damn right there are. And as nice as it is to receive
the accolades about the new book, it's extremely important not to get a
big head about it because one can be knocked down a big notch by another
shooter any day of the week if given similar circumstances.

One thing I've come to understand over the years is... that if one has
access one can shoot pictures others see as "magnificent and he's
terrific!" Rightly so to some degree as there must be talent to feel and
see the moments as well.

But one should always keep another's work in perspective, certainly as
we see your latest series with the neonatal babies. Wonderful touching
images and moments. Now ask yourself, if Eugene shot them would they be
perceived as being any better? Yeah some people would be babbling like
as idiots about how great he is and etc etc etc.

When in reality B. D. Colen has shot it equal to anything Eugene
would've done and quite possibly much better. I opt for "much better!"

So my friend hang onto the gear and if ever there's a feeling one should
develop toward another's work or book, it should act as a driving force
of doing better in your own work and not a defeating one. In other
words... "Man that's great but I'm going to learn from it, get out there
and kick ass and do something better!"

Selling the gear and packing it in is a non-starter even if it's the
best you've seen of another's work. Learn from it because that's what
it's all about! Then do better on your next shoot whatever that maybe.

ted








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