[Leica] 4 Pics -> Ted

Wed Jan 14 15:34:43 PST 2015

Hi Ted,

First all thank you for your words to my work, your words are, as usual, a true lesson.  

I’m reading a small book recently published of interviews to HCB and I realize several things, he has two special sentences that caught my interest “I’m not interested for the photography it is the life what interest me” and “the art of viewing is everything”. This sounds me…. someone has make a DVD I saw several times “The Art of Observation”…. I think your e-mail desserves a deep personal response.

I think that when someone start into the photography the main concern is take pictures, nice pictures, when you become more experienced the main concern is capturing the essence of the life, and I think as well, you shall be rich in your inner life to be able to view and capture the life around you. Actually I’m mostly interested to read and know about the thoughts of the great photographers than to see the images, imaging can not be just an aesthetic result but a consequence of introspection, what can otherwise help our gaze be surprised by everything we see?. When I was young, I was admiring the great photographers visiting exotic Countries, I was not able to do the same, on the other side I’ve discovered the great humanistic photographers, Doisneau, Izis, Weiss, Ronis, Boubat, Riboud, Mary Ellen Mark … and many others and I’ve asked my self why are they surprised by their look by the everyday life around them?… if they have found it, I shall do an effort and try to find also the same impact. I’m sorry for this explanation, but this explain one of the reasons how and why I’ve became interested for the kind of photography I’m doing. 

You have said another memorable sentence:

<<YOU CAN ONLY SHOW IT, TELL THEM, AGAIN & AGAIN! "But you ain't going to teach it!>>

I feel very honored and excited with the words you say to me, really, I do not deserve such. Not if I can teach, however, I would be satisfied if he knew how analyze their pictures. In the LUG we have a very high photographic quality level, however I see much worth what abounds in the world of photography, pure garbage from pictures made in the street who think they are street photography, others taken with the sole obsession to demonstrate the exceptional qualities of a new lens inadvertently falling into marketing the manufacturers own favor, with many photographs pictures. Perhaps this is a emerging new photographic specialty “Camera Tester"·

I apologize if you think that what I have written I want to give a lesson, is not it, I think it is the first time in my life I express with all sincerity and humility what I really think and feel, and only show it by gratitude and answer to my dear friend Ted. When something is done spontaneously by instinct, is not a merit, it is a natural characteristic to follow as simply as my friend advised saying "KISS"

Thank You!

Cheers
Lluis

El 14/01/2015, a las 00:07, Ted Grant <tedgrant at shaw.ca> escribió:

> Peter offered this question too Lluis:
> 
>>> Can you "translate" what you do by instinct into terms that ordinary
> people could 
>> understand (especially people who don't understand photography anywhere
> near as you)? <<<<<<<
> 
> Hi Lluis & Peter.
> May I interject here, please?" 
> 
> After being the key note lecturer for the "LEICA INTERNATIONAL CAPE COD
> SEMINAR" for 16 years. Not counting lecturing to amateur groups, university
> journalism classes and myriads of professional groups, mixed throughout my
> 60 plus years. A tad bit of experience.
> 
> Trying to teach humans how to make their instinct re-act to a scene or
> situation is an almost impossibility. Humans are humans and their re-actions
> are not equal one unto another! Some are so  slow the bodies are being
> carried away before they take the lens cap off! Or turn on the camera? Set
> the ISO! Or take it out of the case? Or they don't even see a picture lying
> face down twenty feet in front of them> OH sorry that was some "old one eyed
> guy!" ;-) 
> 
> I have as others on the LUG, been in Llui's presence when he is street
> shooting he is so fast! And I swear.... "INVISIBLE" to his subjects that he
> has the photo taken, turned ready to shoot something else in an entirely
> different direction and the subjects have absolutely no idea he took their
> photo. 
> 
> And no matter how well you explain and show brilliant images, the
> "SEE-RE-ACT-CLICK" can't be taught! You can explain it a million times in
> whatever language you wish! But if the people "DO NOT" have rapid fire
> natural born human instincts they will miss the "LlUIS TYPE PHOTO MOMENTS!"
> PERIOD! Or be extremely lucky!
> 
> Instincts / re-actions are "to each his own." We're made that way. As often
> as you show images of sports figures in mid-flight of a dive or whatever
> during a jump, leap in the air there are those that after a 100 tries? A
> 1000 tries? 
> Will still be looking at their camera to see what they set it at "OR SOME
> TECHIE THING?" ;-) 
> 
> Then there is Lluis with instincts I swear he feels the image before he
> see's & shoots IT! :-)
> 
> Then today you have all those whiz-bang "FANCY-PHONE CAMERAS" that so many
> people have. And without question they nearly all think they are
> "SUPER-SHOOTERS!" "Oh I don't need any lessons I've got my super-camera
> i-Phone!" Added to the insult?  "Oh what does he know! Look all he has is
> one of those "OLD-FASHION LEICA CAMERAS!" Throw their head back, walk off
> and sniff the air! "He's got one of those "old-time camera things! You can't
> even phone with it!"
> 
> So OK, re-actions, instincts, swiftness of eye and trigger finger, CLICK?" 
> Trust me.......... YOU CAN ONLY SHOW IT, TELL THEM, AGAIN & AGAIN! "But you
> ain't going to teach it!
> 
> Not today with such auto-cameras on the market the holder believes he or she
> just has to aim it and it takes great action images. "Or the quick corner
> KISS in a bar!" ;-)
> 
> However? Lluis being Lluis "The Great One" we all love and admire? He'd defy
> everything I've said and turn out a bunch of invisible LaRambla photo
> -snappers! :-) 
> 
> cheers,
> ted
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+tedgrant=shaw.ca at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
> Lluis Ripoll
> Sent: January-13-15 10:17 AM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: Re: [Leica] 4 Pics
> 
> Peter,
> 
> Thank you very much for your arguments, I shall have my thoughts about this.
> I don’t know if I would be able to communicate to others my instinctive
> reactions and be able to explain how and why I react to shot, but your
> questions are very interesting and help a lot. Thank you very much Peter, I
> will not forget…
> 
> Cheers
> Lluis
> 
> El 13/01/2015, a las 06:18, Peter Klein <boulanger.croissant at gmail.com>
> escribió:
> 
>> Lluis: I think you have many things you could teach, and you have a Web
>> "presence."  Would you be comfortable with teaching?  Can you "translate"
>> what you do by instinct into terms that ordinary people could
>> understand (especially people who don't understand photography anywhere
>> near as you)?  Would you enjoy doing that?  If the answer to these
>> questions is "yes," then I think you could do great workshops!
>> 
>> --Peter
>> 
>> On Mon, Jan 12, 2015 at 6:51 PM, Lluis Ripoll <
>> lluisripollphotography at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Montie,
>>> 
>>> Thank you very much for looking and for your comment! Do you really think
>>> that someone would be able to pay for…? …. I would like it…., it will be
>>> nice …
>>> 
>>> Cheers
>>> Lluis
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> El 13/01/2015, a las 02:44, Montie <montoid at earthlink.net> escribió:
>>> 
>>>> You should be holding "street photography" workshops!
>>>> 
>>>> Montie
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>>> Happy Call
>>>> <https://www.flickr.com/photos/lluisripoll/16080258500/>
>>>> MM Lux 75
>>>> 
>>>> Enjoying Winter
>>>> <https://www.flickr.com/photos/lluisripoll/16241703526/>
>>>> MM, Lux 35 pre
>>>> 
>>>> Confidentiality
>>>> <https://www.flickr.com/photos/lluisripoll/15645206044/>
>>>> MM, Lux 50
>>>> 
>>>> Cafe Zurich
>>>> <https://www.flickr.com/photos/lluisripoll/15647724153/>
>>>> MM, Lux 75
>>>> 
>>>> Thanks for looking, your c&c are welcome
>>>> 
>>>> Saludos cordiales
>>>> Lluis
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
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