Re: [Leica] Capa and the Wide Angle Lens

[Greg Locke <locke@straylight.ca>]

At 02:00 PM 04/04/99 -0400, you wrote:
>At 01:06 PM 4/4/99 +0200, Deniz Saylan wrote:
>>And in former times Robert Capa already said: If the picture isnīt good,
>you wasnīt
>>close enough. 
>
>Capa DID say this, but it is idiotic.  

       While every lens has its use, as someone who often has to edit roll
after roll of film, I beg to disagree. Capa is talking about documentary
photography, not nature or still life, BUT, a photo is of SOMETHING so if it
is to be a GOOD photo then the SOMETHING must be apparent in that photo.
This is achieved by filling the frame with ONLY that which is important to
conveying the essence of the "something".
"Loose" or "out of context" photos are bad photojournalism... just like a
poorly written story.

        In documentary photography or photojournalism, the wide lens puts a
subject in the fore while maintaining a view of the situation or context.
Subject big in frame, set against the backdrop of the story. this not only
gives the reader/viewer a clear view of the subject, but provides the sense
of place.


>The last time I was photographed, thankfully, the photographer shifted to
>an 85mm lens at my request and stood fifteen feet away -- still too close,
>but what the hey.  (They didn't run the shot, though one of our group DID
>read the article in his first issue of our local paper, and was amused to
>find me mentioned and quoted.)
>

        I would suggest the picture didn't run because it was little more
then a "headshot". In the world of photojournalism... a worthless photo.

        If I send a photographer out to photograph someone for a story then
they had better bring me back a photo that either A/ tells me something
about the story or B/ something about the person being photographed...
preferably BOTH!  If I wanted a mug shot, I'd have sent the police Ident guys.

        This is what separates photojournalism from photography.  It has a
job to do.... not just look pretty on a wall.

        Capa was right and just about every successful documentary
photographer today knows it. 20 to 35mm lenses are here to stay. They are
just so DAMN EFFECTIVE in conveying the message... when used properly.

        Telephotos only serve two purposes. One being when you cannot get
physically closer to the subject and two, for achieving optical
"compression" of a scene and taking advantage of shallow depth of field....
which is an "art" concept, not a documentary one.

..... on the other hand, I like to think Capa was talking about emotional
proximity instead the physically literal.

CHEERS!



Greg Locke                           E-Mail: locke@picturedesk.org
St. John's, Newfoundland             http://www.straylight.ca/locke
(Newfoundlanders... a people who voted themselves out of existence)

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