Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/12/15

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Subject: [Leica] New Yorker
From: r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard S. Taylor)
Date: Wed Dec 15 08:34:38 2004
References: <1103050541.41bf372db0f4e@webmail.mit.edu>

B.D. - I reread the New Yorker article this morning.  The article 
quite rightly identifies the role of interpretation in identifying 
objects in very low signal-to-noise ratio (i.e., fuzzy, high-grain) 
images.  In such a situation we will all tend to see what we want, or 
expect to see.

Unless you're talking about abstract work, surely most Leica 
photography has a very high signal-to-noise ratio (sharp, low-grain) 
with easily identified subjects, so I don't see the connection.

A link to the Madison photo might help.

Thanks.




>Speaking of the New Yorker...There was a truly fascinating article in last
>week's issue by Malcolm Gladwell, a science writer. It's about images, and 
>how
>difficult it is to discern their true meaning. The focus of the piece is
>certainly not "our kind" of photography - it's on mamography and the use of
>photographs by the military for targeting and target assessment. But many of
>the points apply equally well to "Leica photography." In fact, they apply so
>well I am planning to have my students read the piece and then look at Bill
>Clough's stunning and mysterious
>"Madison."
>
>B. D.
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


-- 
Regards,

Dick
Boston MA

In reply to: Message from bdcolen at MIT.EDU (B D Colen) ([Leica] New Yorker)