Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/12/01

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Subject: [Leica] IMGs: portraits of power
From: mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner)
Date: Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:41:14 -0500

> I quite like them, quite a change from photoshopped, smoothed skin -
> like Oliver Goldsmith, who commanded the artist commissioned to paint
> him:
> 
> "I desire you would use all your skill to paint my picture truly like
> me, and not flatter me at all; but remark all these roughnesses,
> pimples, warts and everything as you see me, otherwise I will never
> pay a farthing for it."
> 
> Incidentally, this is where the phrase 'warts and all' is said to have
> originated.
> 
> Cheers
> Jayanand


I agree with Jayanand's general position;  I've FOR IT -
and this is simply cutting edge modern portraiture NOT done by photogs in
the portrait section of the yellow pages working in strip malls  but the
commercial photographers, photojournalists and fine art photographers toward
the front of the pack.  The it's been around long enough its heading toward
clich? that its about due for the full circle treatment. And we start seeing
the fuzzies again. Its been a long enough. I hope not.  But a re take on
photo-secession Pictorialism could go over well by somebody. Not me.

On the camera lists we always still hear the half baked advice about never
using a lens younger than the model and the general advice that a "portrait"
lens is less corrected, lower contrast, less resolution than a general
purpose lens. With the reality long being that you use the sharpest
contrastiest best lens you can put your hands on and it doesn't matter if
you're shooing trees, clouds or faces.
You want to see everything. The truth is in the details.




Mark William Rabiner





Replies: Reply from imagist3 at mac.com (George Lottermoser) ([Leica] IMGs: portraits of power)
In reply to: Message from jayanand at gmail.com (Jayanand Govindaraj) ([Leica] IMGs: portraits of power)