Re: [Leica] Today's Great Photographers {was Photo whores}

[Mark <mark@steinberg.net>]

AJSymi@aol.com wrote:
> 
> Mark wrote:
> 
> << i would say that a vast amount of professional photography that is
> published, and portraits too, are also awful. they are simply chronic, with
> less to offer of interest than a simple sunset. >>
> ------------------------------------------
> Dear Mark (and others who share this view),
> 
> If this is your observation of professional photgraphy today, well friend, you
> need to get out more! 

lol ! perhaps i simply have higher standards ?

> There are many very talented people consistenly
> cranking out great photography.  They might not be doing it all in one place
> (e.g., Life Magazine), but it's there, it's stronger than ever, and it's more
> diverse than ever before...it's taking greater chances than ever.  (Further,
> the equipment is better, there are more choices in all formats and the film is
> much improved!)

i agree about the physical elements, yet i find that the artistic elements have
not kept pace.

when all this was new, it was easy to be "leading edge". as the void fills, the
edge becomes harder to lead.

i find, artistically, that all too often it is the technology that leads rather
than the art. yes, photoshop is a fantastic tool for manipulation, but 
often the results look like a tour de force of photoshop features. etc etc etc.

further, it isn't really fine art that i am railing against, as that was not
the context of the original series of messages. it was the output of professional
photographers, few of whom are fine artists and most of whom are crafstmen.

partly it is a problem of popular tastes (see the photo whores thread), they
are told what to bring to the editing table by "the powers that be", and those
powers tend to pander to the lowest common denominator.

yet some blame must lay at the feet of the professional photographers, who 
offer such desultorially dull images (look at almost any mail order clothes
catalog for instance). it's a chicken or egg situation ?

> Now I'm no pro photographer, but as an avid art collector for twenty years, I
> think I can recognize great photography...it's everywhere!  The cup is 3/4's
> full on this one!

we disagree. that is fine :-)

> The circumstances of the late 20th century has afforded most professions,
> whether it  be sports, finance, publishing, manufacturing, medicine, art,
> photgraphy, etc., a higher degree of education, skill and exposure to more at
> increasingly younger ages. 

yes indeed. and it is the context of all this increased opportunity that
causes the tedium of the output to appear so starkly.

> So much so that the great people of yesteryear
> seem more and more an anomaly.  How else could HCB, or Da Vinci do so much in
> a world that offered (comparatively speaking) so little?

i'm sorry, i don't understand that. they produced a great body of work in a
void ?

> Take another look Mark, both eyes open, and enjoy!!  : )

thanks arturo, i can assure you that both my eyes are indeed open and i
enjoy what i see very much in the world around me :-), it's the pictures
that seem to be so lacking in comparison to what i see :-)

mark