Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/05/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Harrison McClary wrote: <<<The most enjoyable thing for me during my career as a photographer has not been any of the cameras I have owned, it has been the places they have taken me, the exciting things I have seen. >>>>>>> G'day Harrison, Your post, I would have put it all back here but for space, is an above excellant description of my personal feelings towrads what we are as photographers and what photojournalism and photography is all about. As I read it, you were litterly taking words out of my mouth and for a fleeting moment I thought maybe I had written it and forgotten that I had.:) Old timers affliction. :) It is the people you meet, the things you learn and the experiences that no matter how rich one maybe, they could never buy our experiences because of taking pictures. I like to say "all the money in the world can't buy what photography has given to me and my family!" The folks who collect Leicas, that is their thing and I realize they derive a great deal of pleasure from their hobby just as you, I and many others get from shooting. But in my heart I beleive the collector misses out on many of the wonderful experiences of crossing the land and exposing film. Not that some don't do that and collect also. :) <<He called it "The Game". He said that: (1) None of us really worked for a living, we got paid to play (true), (2) We all competed agianst each other to an extent, but mostly agianst ourselves (true), (3) Some days you got the best photo some days the other guy did -i.e. you win, he wins (true) and finally (4) It is almost always fun and when not fun it is at least exciting (almost always true). So if you have the choice to work or play the game what are you going to do.>>>>>> A great description! I might add in relation to shooting for a living when referring to work: "Work is moving concrete blocks! Photography isn't work, it's fun, otherwise why do it?" Thanks for starting my day off right! :) ted Victoria, Canada http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant