Re: [Leica] AA, HCB & Leicas

[Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>]

"B. D. Colen" wrote:
> 
> Not wanting to fan the flames..:-)
> 
> However, it seems to be there's a sort of a disconnect between being
> primarily an Ansel Adams fan and being a Leica user. This is not to
> imply anything at all negative about Adams, his skills, or the taste of
> those who admire him. It's only to think that one who was drawn to the
> particular virtues of the Leica, particularly the rangefinders, would be
> more inclined to be drawn to the work of the likes of HCB, work
> depending for its success upon small, quiet, quickly manipulated
> equipment. ..
snip
> B. D.

As far a technique goes I know for a fact the results of shooting
filtered tri x with a 'Blad and a tripod that Adams gets and the results
of shooting filtered medium to slow films with a Leica M and a tripod
are not that if at all different. It's only one format away and its
still roll film and technology marches onward and upward.
As far as aesthetics go you could criticize Adams for being "cold,
barren, clinical" as Bruce Feldman does or you could criticize him for
being the opposite: overly dramatic, overly lush emotionally overblown
as others undoubably do as that's what much of his stuff could be seen
as verging on. It averages out in this case in my overblown opinion to
the vision of a great artist and craftsman whose subject matter is rural
instead of urban.
Mark Rabiner