Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/03/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]David Medley wrote: RE: Bill Allard > > I have a couple of his books and in my mind, he is indeed an artist. > Interesting that he is going back to the M's, which I believe he used early > in his career. I think that most of his work in the past few years has been > done with Leica R's. Annie Griffiths Belt was here in the neighborhood last > year and I ask her why he had gone back on staff after all of the earlier > problems at Geographic. She thought his main reason was the fact that he had > a new family, with a young son, and needed to provide a little more > stability for the family. I knew him in the 70s at Geographic and I was in one critical meeting that eventually led to his resignation. I felt, at the time, as he did: cynical about the magazine's refusal to use anything with guts, though the Illustrations Editor's favorite term was "gutsy" to describe what he liked. The magazine only wanted (wants?) images that don't reflect a photographer's persnality. We spoke of that time when I saw him recently and I am happy to report he seems to have shrugged off much of that cynicism. It may be from simple resignation, financial imperative, or wisdom of the years. I choose to believe the later. Besides, he has proven to himself and anyone that has tried to rep him in the commercial or run-and-gun editorial world that he just doesn't fit. > > I just hope he doesn't trade in the pickup truck for a mini van! Hero > worship only goes so far... Well, I drive a 78 Jeep Grand Wagoneer with lots of "character." Does that count? donal - -- Donal Philby San Diego http://www.donalphilby.com