Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/02/09

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Lower 9th Ward - Another 20 images
From: s.dimitrov at charter.net (Slobodan Dimitrov)
Date: Thu Feb 9 10:11:44 2006
References: <000201c62d2e$18d7cfe0$656c0e44@newukolbqveo9i> <275D7CFA-08B7-4034-B03E-5DAA1767EA17@charter.net> <5A87C47F-9EC8-4271-BD06-7E0A92321E92@pandora.be>

The images have too much of a 'walk about' sense to them. Which I  
suspect is the traditional hallmark of handheld photography.  
Devastation photography, after the fact and not news driven, has been  
traditionally been done with larger format, slower film, and a  
tripod.  Although an exception is Lewis Baltz with his essay on  Park  
City done with Kodak High-Contrast Copy film, exposed with an ISO of  
6 on 35mm.
Another that comes to mind is Richard Misrach with his essays on the  
Salton Sea and the nuclear test sites.
I think that Jeff is still searching for his voice in this project,  
and the lack of critique up to now, is not helpful to him. The point  
is not to tear down his work. By engaging in it, we can reach  
insights that might open up more avenues for him to explore.

Slobodan Dimitrov
Studio G-8,
Angels Gate Cultural Center
http://sdimitrovphoto.com





On Feb 9, 2006, at 9:17 AM, Philippe Orlent wrote:

> I don't agree entirely with this, Slobodan.
> It depends of what these images are intended to: is it a  
> registration and testimony that gets its power through an endless  
> series of every time almost the same at different locations, thus  
> showing the monstruosity of this disaster, or is it intended to  
> communicate the situation through only a few images, thus being a  
> reportage.
> In the first case, I could imagine a kind of memorial service where  
> all these photographs would be projected with -in a very neutral  
> way- just the name of every location in audio. It would make a very  
> powerful and humbling event IMO.
> Compare it with the listing of victims of 9-11. The human disaster  
> in NO seems equally grave to me.
> In the latter, I agree with your suggestion.
>
>
>
> Op 9-feb-06, om 17:56 heeft Slobodan Dimitrov het volgende geschreven:
>
>> As I'm looking at the images, I find myself looking for the big  
>> statement. I'm not finding it. I know you're overwhelmed by the  
>> sheer scope of what's happened to the community, but it doesn't  
>> translate visually.
>> Work your framing, and composition more stringently in the camera.  
>> Many times the big picture is best told through minutiae.
>>
>> Slobodan Dimitrov
>> Studio G-8,
>> Angels Gate Cultural Center
>> http://sdimitrovphoto.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Feb 8, 2006, at 8:05 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote:
>>
>>> This is the last of the shots from the five rolls I scanned this  
>>> week,
>>> beginning at:
>>>
>>> http://www.400tx.com/9th-41.html
>>>
>>> Comments and suggestions appreciated.
>>>
>>> Jeffery Smith
>>> New Orleans, LA
>>> http://www.400tx.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Leica Users Group.
>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information

Replies: Reply from philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent) ([Leica] Lower 9th Ward - Another 20 images)
In reply to: Message from jsmith342 at cox.net (Jeffery Smith) ([Leica] Lower 9th Ward - Another 20 images)
Message from s.dimitrov at charter.net (Slobodan Dimitrov) ([Leica] Lower 9th Ward - Another 20 images)
Message from philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent) ([Leica] Lower 9th Ward - Another 20 images)