Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/07/08

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Today's Great Photographers {was Photo whores}
From: tedgrant@islandnet.com (Ted Grant)
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 19:58:43 +0100

BD wrote:

>>>>>>Again, I don't think what we're talking about is what the public will or
>won't respond to, but what editors are interested in printing. And what they
>seem to be interested in is celebrities, etc.>>>>>>>

BD,

The subjects making mega money for newspapers and magazines these days is
the publics complete facination with "celebritie life styles and it's
attended gossip and whoring around!"

And what that says is the public, not all, as some of us do have real life
interests, have no interest in "real life happenings." As in many cases
they are battling the bean counters themselves and see the "celebritie" as
an escape from their real life turmoil.

This being the case, it doesn't matter whether the photographers are all
carrying Leicas or whatever and shooting magical images, if they are not of
the dilitante celebritie, they are not going to make the publication.

We who strive constantly for the Leica "magical moment" are up against a
force we will never beat, as long as there isn't a demand for better image
and life  value. At the moment the "visually and illiterate impaired" have
the money for what we see published daily of the smallest denominator
acceptable to the masses.

As long as "bean counters" can justify their existance by a paper or
publication still surviving in cutting quality and yet make the "base
profit", crap photos are going to be the name of the game.

It's stupid logic to eliminate quality because some bean counter decides
"too much film is being used" and the fool doesn't have any idea of what
photography is all about! They count 1 plus 1 and if they can make that 3,
nothing of quality is going to stand in their way to reach it!!!! Certainly
photographers!

And LIFE magazine of late is the prime example of mental midgets running a
once world class magazine!

ted