Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/04/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Roger Beamon wrote: <<Ah c'mon, Ted. Are you saying that grants from the government are not necessary? How quaint in today's world.>>>>>>> G'day Roger, never had a grant in my life from any government for anything, least of all any of my books nor for any of my photographic personal projects! I'm not a believer in riding on the back of other tax payers for my personal fun pastime. As I see those who do, as nothing but leaches! If they can't do it on their own, "TOUGH! GET A JOB, SAVE THE MONEY AND THEN DO THE BOOK!" But don't expect me and others to pay for the fun of taking pictures and producing something that only they can understand. I figure if there weren't this government BS of giving money away to the "artist" group, we wouldn't have so much garbage photography around that only some camera manipulator understands and nobody buys. If a person wants to do a photo project bad enough they should earn the money first or borrow it, do the project, make money from it and pay back the loan. My latest book is the direct result of earning money from assignments and using some of that to fund, over a ten year period, a documentary of the medical profession at work. And that included part of the assignment being shot in the old USSR. On top of that, when the book was finally published, the publishers put themselves into receivership and walked off with $40,000 dollars in collected royalties of which I nary received a cent. So how does that grab you? In Canada we have the Canada Council who give money to, I'll use the terminology in the loosest of term, "photographers" to do photo projects of no use to the Nation after it is completed and is a waste of tax payers money, when it should go for health care and education. And as far as grants not being necessary from the government? No they are not warranted, as unfortunately too many grants are used by those who know how to play/work the game of acquiring the funding with no worth while endeavor being accomplished. They survive on the backs of people who pay the taxes and the grants are wasted to such a terrible degree it becomes criminal to give the money away. <<<<Some years ago I located a magnum of Ch. Mouton Rothschild, 1929. With a lovely poached salmon and rack of lamb,>>>>>>> A gentleman of major class! :) And a meal I would surely have paid an extra shilling or two for the privilege of dining at your table. :) I might well have offered myself the title and chore of "official photographer of the event!" :) Using of course, Lecias! As they would be the only camera of class to have recorded such a feast. :) ted Victoria, Canada http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant