[Leica] Humanistic Photography Revisted

[Leon Pomeroy]

Lluis:  You thoughts and sentiments expressed below are beautiful and well
said! I feel "it," but can't quite touch "it" .yet. But then I delight in
the journey of striving without worrying about arriving. Your thoughts are
worth repeating and so I quote you, Dr. Leon Pomeroy, Northern Virginia, USA

 

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 deserves 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