Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/10/17

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: FOMing at the mouth
From: Ted <tedgrant@home.com>
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2000 09:28:04 -0700
References: <39EB687F.32225.3414895@localhost>

Dante Stella wrote, at least in part:

> Dave is right.  Why not something new that thinks outside of the
> FOM box (probably conceived by some clever editor anyway).  It's a
> romantic concept to ruminate about bringing back some past glory,
> but one that's been done (oh, wait, that's the Null-Series).  Why
> not enjoy taking some good pictures and selecting from them and
> having a nice site that showcases the various talents of group
> members?<<<<<<<<<<<

Dante me son,

Get real!  First of all the majority of the population of the world
won't
know, won't have a clue nor are they going to give a flying hoop what
the hell "the Family of  Man" from 50 years ago was all about!  It's the
same as 99% of the world haven't a clue what a Leica camera is!

Do you really think we are going to go out and shoot the same kind of
imagery that was done over 50 years ago?   Won't happen....doesn't
happen
and not likely will we go looking for it anyway! Besides, in case you
haven't looked lately,  it's kind of like "rather different!"

And what makes you think we aren't going to kick photographic ass in our
work? You're damn right we're going to "take some nice pictures"  But
more than that, we collectively, those who are gung ho about this
project, the shooters in the group, are going to do a hell of a lot more
than take some "nice pictures!"

> > Even the use of the FOM name gives everyone an inferiority
> > complex.  Why go nuts living in the shadow of HCB and others?<<<<<<,

Now you really pissed me off!!!!!!!!!!   Who the hell has an inferiority
complex due to the name? Nobody I've talked to and I sure as hell don't
have one!  And I sure as hell don't live nor shoot under the "shadow of
the worlds greatest snap shooter, HCB or any of the others!"  You look
up to them as they went before us, but they sure don't hold any big
shadow over me or anyone I know!

>>>>>>>> Life is too short to worry about taking a picture because "it
won't live up to x, y or z." <<<<<<

If I worried about this tom foolery all my photographic career, I'd have
never lived up to my own criteria for good pictures. If you want to be
successful you don't worry about your photography living up to anyone
else's. You take on the attitude, "You are going to kick their ass and
have them in envy of your eye as a photojournalist!' Otherwise you'll
always be second!

>>>>>The only significant pictures you can take are of things to which
you are a witness.  HCB (or any
> professional) was paid for what he did, and that's how he got to the
places where he did his work.>>>

Look this is crap for a very simple reason. If you can't take
excellent..good..great... well executed pictures in your home town, what
the hell makes you think because you go some place else, you are going
to be great because you're in a different location / country?  Money or
not!

It's the same as photographers telling me "You are so lucky covering the
Olympics,  that's why you get great sports pictures!" And my answer to
that?  Quite frankly this. "Bull shit! I took great sports pictures at
high school track meets and that's why I eventually was assigned to
shoot the Olympics!"  If you can't do it at home you sure as hell aren't
going to do it any place else!

And this is the same as what you're saying, HCB was great because he
went ot other countries, well me old son it just doesn't cut it!

>>>>In the same way everyone wonders why they can never get travel
Kodachromes like National Geographic does.  Easy answer: if you had six
weeks (or months) to  get that volume of pictures, there would be little
excuse for you to come away with nothing good enough to grace at least a
text-dominated NG page.<<<<<<<

You are partly right and partly wrong.  Time is always an asset on any
shoot, however, even time can't save your ass if you are an incompetent
photographer!

>>>>>>>> Besides, from some of the pictures I've seen of him at work,
HCB used Canon IVSB bodies anyway.<<<<<<

Who cares!

Look, if all the energy that has been expended with the bull shit of
title, old version /new, why, why not, whine whine whine had been
put to better use in taking pictures, some of you guys would have stuff
in the can and waiting to go to Alastair! Think about that for a moment
and get your asses out the door, get started and stop whining!  Damn!
ted

Replies: Reply from Dante A Stella <dante@umich.edu> (Re: Rabies shots? Was[Leica] Re: FOMing at the mouth)
In reply to: Message from "Roger Beamon" <roger@beamon.org> ([Leica] Re: FOMing at the mouth)