[Leica] Re: Lecia Street Photography in the Middle East

[images at comporium.net (Tina Manley)]

At 03:29 PM 7/12/2008, you wrote:
>Alex,
>
>Another thing I would like to say. As a photographer, I am after
>STORIES. The older the face the deeper the story. It's as simple as
>that. Poverty is photogenic precisely because people who have access
>to computers, who go to museums, who buy Leicas are not poor. Also,
>for me, photographing inside an air conditioned shopping mall, taking
>pictures of the housewife with her kids shopping, or the corpulent
>masses consuming electronics, for me leaves me empty. Taking photos of
>the known is not what I am after. That is why I do not shoot in
>America. For me there is nothing to photograph. Call me crazy, but
>that is my view of reality.
>
>Eric Boehm

Eric -

For all of your reasons, I think it is fine to photograph one segment 
of society and not try to show every class and every age.  I like to 
photograph the elderly and children because they are less 
self-conscious about being photographed.  They are more able to be 
themselves and forget the camera instead of posing and trying to fit 
someone else's idea of what they should be.  I find the upper classes 
in developing countries to be very boring to photograph.  In general, 
their aim is to be homogeneous - exactly what they think families are 
like on television.  However!!  I am constantly asked for stock 
photographs that show middle and upper class people in developing 
countries going about everyday activities.  They could be people 
anywhere, in any country, but that's what many textbooks and 
magazines want to show these days.  As you say - shopping in malls, 
eating in fast food establishments, buying electronics - to show that 
there are no problems in the world and we all have equal 
opportunities, I suppose.

Tina

Tina Manley
www.tinamanley.com