Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/08/11

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Subject: Re: Seeing (was: Blind test)
From: John_McLeod@designlink.com
Date: Mon, 11 Aug 1997 13:04:52 GMT

Oddmund -

While I often agree with, and always enjoy, your postings to this list, I think
we all need to be more tolerant and open-minded about why we enjoy photography,
Leica or otherwise.  There are many reasons why each individual gets pleasure
or satisfaction from photography -- no one should judge another's basis for
enjoyment.

I have a good friend, for example, who knows MUCH more about lighting, film
exposure/development, and printing than I do.  But I rarely see this fellow's
pictures.  He loves Phil Davis' book Beyond the Zone System, he measures his
negatives with a densitometer, he can produce the "perfect" print.  Bottom line
is my friend may get more satisfaction from solving technical lighting,
development, or printing problems as he does from "seeing" the world, taking
pictures, or hanging prints on the wall.  He enjoys these technical challenges,
and who is to say that he is into photography for the "wrong" reasons.

Some people like Leicas because they are beautiful machines.  They appreciate
the camera's design and construction.  Some people like Leicas because they
have a history ranging from HCB to Capa.  Some people see the camera as simply
a tool that helps them to see the world, etc.  It's ok to be an engineer, or a
collector, or a humanitarian with regard to Leica.

If someone wants to take snaps with their M6, who knows why they want to do
this, and frankly, who cares?  Maybe they like the "click" of the shutter when
they press it.  Maybe they "wear" their Leica as a status symbol -- a worse
case scenario.  But even here, so what, they may actually enjoy using the
camera.

I enjoy hearing about how and why you use your Leica and your Contax.  This
list benefits from your perspective.  But it's "ok" to not be like you.  We
don't have to have the same reasons for using our Leicas that you have for
using, or not using, yours.  It's a greater error, in my opinion, for Leica
owners to feel that they must pretend to own Leicas for the "right" reasons
(i.e. to record the world's travails like Salgado, etc.) than it is to be
honest about owning a Leica for a less than noble reason.

John McLeod