[Leica] more portraits: americans and their firearms

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

I agree with everyone that the kitchen works well, but I'd also suggest that
Kyle consider posing these folks standing in front of their homes - one, it
sets up the idea of guarding ones castle; and two, it gives the viewer a
much better sense of what the surroundings are. After all, a MacMansion in a
suburb of MacMansions can have a very carefully "thrown together" "country
kitchen." And someone in a ratty house in a ratty neighborhood may have put
much effort and money into their kitchen...

B. D.


On 2/25/06 11:02 PM, "Ted Grant" <tedgrant@shaw.ca> wrote:

> Kyle Cassidy showed and asked:
> Subject: [Leica] more portraits: Americans and their firearms
>> not sure which one i should use. so i submit, to your expertise and
>> critical
>> shredding, kit and ivy (and autum the dog) who live on a farm in new
>> jersey:
>>> http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/ago/ivy/ivy5.jpg<<<
> 
> Hi Kyle,
> yer away to the races with a winner! :-)
> 
> I see Douglas Sharp has suggested:
>>>> keep them in their front rooms or kitchens, that's what makes them
> something that anyone can relate/react  to.It's the slightly surreal and
> totally contradictory atmosphere of perfectly normal (heavily armed)
> people in a familiar homely context that makes the shots so good.
> sort of "Hey, come round for a coffee and some cookies, and don't forget
> to bring a couple of grenades and a 6 inch mortar"<<<<
> 
> Absolutely!!!!!!!! As soon as I opened your post and looked at the first
> frame,
>>> http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/ago/ivy/ivy5.jpg<<<
> I knew it was the one right off before I opened the others.
> 
> As Doug says...
>>>> keep them in their front rooms or kitchens, that's what makes them
> something that anyone can relate/react  to.It's the slightly surreal and
> totally contradictory atmosphere of perfectly normal (heavily armed)
> people in a familiar homely context that makes the shots so good.<<<
> 
> And Doug is right on the mark!! :-)
> 
> This project to be successful not only requires the talent of a fine
> photographer like yourself, it requires the consistency of location! And 
> the
> living room or kitchen is the right place because people the world over can
> relate to the same room environment.
> 
> Outdoors anywhere just doesn't cut it.
> 
> Now run hard with it as many as you can, in as short a period of time
> possible. With the prints in hand and drop it in front of a publisher and 
> it
> will fly!:-) Or an agent that knows the right publishing market for the
> concept.
> 
> I don't think you can miss given what we've seen so far...
> 
> But stay in the kitchen or the living room!
> 
> ted
>  
> 
> 
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