[Leica] FYI - LFPF Censorship and Moderation

[ric at cartersxrd.net (RicCarter)]

You f***in? nailed it!!

Keep up the good fight!

Ric Carter
www.CartersXRd.net
http://www.facebook.com/ric.carter

Black and white photography is a form of interpreting reality whereas, 
because nature has colour, colour is what should normally be used. The 
process of black and white photography can yield very fine results but truth 
is still in colour. ? Jacques Henri Lartigue





> On Aug 24, 2016, at 2:20 PM, Richard Man <richard at richardmanphoto.com> 
> wrote:
> 
> I posted the below to this thread:
> http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?132969-
> LFPF-censorship-and-moderation
> 
> and in 12 hours, it has over 8000+ views, much higher than the average. And
> a moderator equates the task of allowing the photographs with the stories
> (the subjects' words, not mine) to moderating threads with Nazi and KKK
> images (!)
> 
> *************************
> This is archived as http://richardmanphoto.com/web
> /LFPFcensorshipandmoderation.html
> 
> I believe the LFPF (Large Format Photography Forum) moderators have finally
> crossed the line into censorship. As related fallout, I now expect to be
> banned and this post deleted, but if that's the case, then so be it. I will
> have saved a copy of this post.
> 
> The original post in question is this:
> http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?
> 131071-Hearts-On-Our-Sleeves-Portraits-and-Stories-of-Transgender
> 
> If the thread gets deleted, it's saved as a PDF file here:
> http://richardmanphoto.com/web/HeartsOnOur%20Sleeves_%20Port
> raitsandStoriesofTransgender.pdf
> 
> I created the original thread to post images from my 4x5 film portrait
> project "Hearts on Our Sleeves, Portraits and Stories of Transgender People
> on large format 4x5 film". The initial post was made on May 21, 2016 and
> currently (Aug 23, 2016) has 2800+ views. I had been posting my portraits
> on the forum's (Monthly) Portraits threads, but I thought that this
> cohesive project should stand by itself, so that when I post a new image,
> the viewers could see the images from the beginning if they wish.
> 
> I had received only positive comments on and off the thread since the
> beginning, until Aug 22nd when one person, "Kent" raised a question as to
> "why is a political thread in a photography forum". Note that all the image
> posts are accompanied by text and stories from the image subjects
> themselves, documenting their personal experiences. As I and several other
> members made replies to"Kent", eventually the moderators decided to close
> the thread because they seem to have deemed that it's too "political", or
> "controversial".
> 
> You can see for yourselves that I am not the person who introduced the
> subject of alleged "politics" into this. The moderators could have deleted
> all comments deemed political and otherwise left the thread alone; this
> sort of deletion is frequently done on this forum.
> 
> When I inquired whether I can post future images in the (Monthly) Portraits
> posts, I was informed that it would be OK, and I can even post that they
> are part of such and such project, but I cannot post the text that
> accompanies the images. Note again that all the text are descriptions from
> the people being photographed themselves, and not my editorial commentary.
> 
> This where I feel I have to take a stand. While I agree with the great Mary
> Ellen Mark that good photos can stand up without words, and I do believe
> this series of portraits do well enough without words, I also feel that the
> subject's personal stories are important to enhance the depth of
> understanding of the photos. The photos are of a subset of members of
> American society from all walks of life, not even any kind of "radical
> fringe group" or any organization with a specific political bent. There is
> nothing inherent political about these people's individual stories; there
> is however a current political climate which actively encourages the
> arbitrary demonization of various groups of people, including transgender
> people, that may make their personal stories appear to some to be
> "political".
> 
> By exercising censorship, I believe that the moderators have clearly
> entered into the political fray themselves. I think this is an object
> example of how the voices of minority groups are routinely silenced, even
> under the possible auspices of "good intentions".
> 
> I do not know how long this thread will last, but here I stand.
> 
> -- 
> "Some People Drive, We Are Driven"
> // richard <http://www.richardmanphoto.com>
> richardmanphoto on Facebook and Instagram
> <https://instagram.com/richardmanphoto>
> 
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