[Leica] Journalist buys a Leica!/Reinvigoration

[gcr910 at gmail.com (Greg Rubenstein)]

Warning: rant at fine-art photographers

Read with interest the piece about the journalist buying a Leica and
how it reinvigorated her interest in photography. I know exactly what
she felt and how she feels. Am sure many working photographers,
journalists, amateurs and others who use cameras have had similar
experiences.

Back in the 80s and 90s as cameras became increasingly automated, I
began to feel disengaged. Nothing to do with my commitment to
photography, but I felt less essential to the process -- despite the
fact that my eyes, vision and results were the keys to getting work.

Bought my first Leica to help me "regain my chops." Had to manually
focus the thing. Had to set its aperture. Had to select a shutter
speed. Even began using my handheld light meters more. It was
re-engaging and reinvigorating. And continues to be. My commitment
never wavered. Today I own only Leica gear. Other stuff for work or
personal projects is easily rented as needed.

Also, there have been and are times when I cannot be in two places at
once. I am an omnivorous viewer of images and portfolios. Having
viewed so much, I will say publicly, and knowing full well that I'm
offending some people, I have never hired a photographer with the
appellation "fine art" on his or her card, resume or portfolio, and
won't recommend a fine-art photographer to someone seeking a shooter.

Why?

Based on the limits of my experience and viewing, and the anecdotal
experiences of others in my sphere, I have found that fine-art
photographers:

-- have attitude ("If buying a new camera 'reinvigorated' her interest
in photography, then she has never really been that committed to it
anyway. Sad thing is, this airhead has a job with a major newspaper."
being a typical example of such attitude.),
-- lack a necessary understanding of photographs as communication, and
-- do not understand or willfully ignore the needs of businesses that
hire them or other customers who pay them.

This is my experience and my prejudice as a photographer and as
someone who has hired photographers, as well as someone who spends a
fair amount of his time with photographers. I have yet to meet a
fine-art photographer who grasps any of the concepts mentioned above
except attitude.

Fact is, I bristle when someone tells me one of my images is artistic.
At one of the finest design and photographic programs in America, The
Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology (a college
created by many of the Bauhaus school -- Laszlo Moholy-Nagy among them
-- when they fled the Nazis) "art" borders on being a dirty word.

Think hard, then hold your tongues and thoughts, fine-arts
photographers, when you publicly question others' commitments to
photography or "photographic purity."

End of Sunday rant. Anyone in the mood to respond, feel free to fire
back publicly or off list.

Thank you.

Greg Rubenstein