Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/01/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I thought I had better change the subject line! Alan- I agree with you there. When you put it like that, I immediately visualise the builders of the Pyramids of Giza have access to large D-9 Caterpillars and cranes- and I ask, " would thay have done it any differently...?" I am sure they would have. A popular concept in Science Fiction is that of the Prime Directive; that you don't influence societies that you study... sort of like social anthropologists studying primative cultures. It becomes obvious that the level of technology does affect the way the photographer or chronicaler records an event, and by extension, the outcome is influenced, certainly. Supposed Smith had had a Noctilux- what more could he have done? We can only guess. However, just because he didn't have advance technology doesn't detract from the beauty and social commentary of his work. Margaret Bourke-White did wonderful studies of working men, using an old folding press camera, which incidentally, had a bubble in the lens. I am sure that if she had a modern Nikon or Canon, that her work would have been different, but not necessarily better. And then there are folks like Peter Gowland- if the technology doesn't do what you want it to do, you go out and build your own! Dan dwpost@msn.com