Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/08/18

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Subject: [Leica] Magnum's Chris Anderson on Lebanon vs. Robert Capa/Chim Seymour
From: scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)
Date: Fri Aug 18 17:49:03 2006
References: <C10B3B4B.13EA6%bd@bdcolenphoto.com> <44E5C919.5040306@adrenaline.com> <44E5D509.9010003@waltjohnson.com>

Yeah, one of my favorites was a pic of the pro Hezbollah rally.
The other fave of the shattered pics was a close shot as well.

Scott

Walt Johnson wrote:

> Scott
>
> [snip] defined. Go back and look at more of Anderson's work. There are 
> some images of crazies waving  Hezbollah flags and pistols on the 
> streets of South Lebanon. Right in the middle of it all is our little 
> white boy from Canada? Excuse me while I go change my underwear.
>
> See you on the West Bank
>
> Walt
>
>
>
>
>
> Scott McLoughlin wrote:
>
>> Excellent points all around.
>>
>> I put scare quotes around the term "collateral damage"
>> just because some might find it an offensive euphemism
>> for "dead innocent civilians."  This wasn't meant to criticise
>> Anderson choice of subject - just a segway to a comparison
>> with Seymour.
>>
>> My point wasn't necessarily to bust Anderson's chops; I
>> don't know his other work, and he's very likely a fine
>> photographer.
>>
>> I was just surprised at the quality of this series of snaps.
>>
>> Scott
>>
>> B. D. Colen wrote:
>>
>>> Comparison, Scott, is always fair, if those being compared are 
>>> playing on
>>> the 'same field.' Here you're comparing professional photographers 
>>> covering
>>> war and its aftermath - so if Nachtwey is the modern standard 
>>> setter, he's
>>> the one against whom other professionals should be judged.
>>>
>>> That said - consider that what you're seeing of Capa and Chim's work is
>>> their absolute best, culled, reculled, judged, and reculled, over 
>>> the past
>>> 60 years; what you're seeing of Anderson's work are probably the 
>>> images he
>>> edited and  transmitted to the syndicate while on the ground in a 
>>> war zone -
>>> and that makes a huge difference. First off, we are all our own 
>>> absolute
>>> worst editors; second, it's one thing for a curator to go through 
>>> work that
>>> was shot 50 years ago and dispassionately choose the best x hundred 
>>> images
>>> from thousands and thousands, and it's another thing for a 
>>> photographer on
>>> the ground, with bombs falling, to decide what 50 images to send 
>>> over the
>>> Sat phone.
>>>
>>> None of this is to disagree with your judgment, I'm simply trying to 
>>> refine
>>> the discussion a bit.
>>>
>>> Oh, one last point - most of Capa and Chim's work was not of combat, 
>>> but of
>>> collateral damage.
>>> B. D.
>>>
>>>
>>>  
>>>
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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-- 
Pics @ http://www.adrenaline.com/snaps
Leica M6TTL, Bessa R, Nikon FM3a, Nikon D70, Rollei AFM35
(Jihad Sigint NSA FBI Patriot Act)



In reply to: Message from bd at bdcolenphoto.com (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] Magnum's Chris Anderson on Lebanon vs. Robert Capa/Chim Seymour)
Message from scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin) ([Leica] Magnum's Chris Anderson on Lebanon vs. Robert Capa/Chim Seymour)
Message from walt at waltjohnson.com (Walt Johnson) ([Leica] Magnum's Chris Anderson on Lebanon vs. Robert Capa/Chim Seymour)