Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/09/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I agree. It is not the camera but the eye behind it. There does seem to be some ego posturing, pseudo intellect, assumed sophistication and an effort to impress others in some of the posts. On the other hand, there is a wealth of knowledge, true experts and a willingness to help on the site. You can always get the right answer. So it all balances out---a great LUG. khmiska wrote: > Greg, > Boy, did you ever hit the nail on the head. Right on. Bravo. You said what needed > to be said on this list. Who gives a damn what bag you carry your Leica in, or > what eye you use, or whether or not the camera is painted, chromed, anodized or > whatever, serial numbers, ad nauseum.. > Kurt > Ann Arbor > > Greg Locke wrote: > > > As a working photojournalist and anthropologist there is one thing that > > always amazes me about a lot of the people who post to this list and the > > comments they make about photography. > > > > Never have I met a group of people who have such an enthusiasm for > > photography, yet have so little understanding of its origins, history and > > true value as a cultural and social communication tool. > > > > Sure, some of you are paranoid or have serious hate for the Press, News > > Media and documentary photography but that is no reason to be ignorant of > > the power of photography. > > > > While photography of nature and family gatherings are a fine application of > > photography, true calling is that of a social tool. > > > > A tool to document the human condition, our cultures and society. A tool of > > EDUCATION! > > To educate is to break down ignorance. > > > > Maybe when we stop worrying about tech charts and what kind of paint is on > > our Leicas we can do some reading about the work of Lewis Hine and Brassai. > > Their photography, because of their choice of subject matter and REASON for > > photographing have a far greater value then many of the "artists" that get > > a lot of hero worship on this list. > > > > How about we approach photography from the point of view of the subject > > matter and WHY we make pictures instead of starting with the camera. > > > > When I photograph some religious ceremony in Bosnia, Rwanda, Haiti.... or > > Newfoundland, I document a primary tenet of a peoples culture. When those > > pictures are shown to people in isolated and insular western cultures they > > LEARN something and, hopefully, gain an understanding of a culture they > > have never had contact with and, most likely, have some misguided views. > > > > I hate to tell you but "this" ain't about flowers, trees and sunsets. > > > > Greg Locke St. John's, Newfoundland > > locke@straylight.ca http://www.straylight.ca/locke > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Touched By Fire: doctors without borders in a third world crisis. > > http://www.straylight.ca/touchedbyfire.htm > > ISBN#0-7710-5305-3 McClelland & Stewart