[Leica] Fwd: Your recent message to Topica.com

[imxputs@knoware.nl]

Photography is partly craft, partly technique and partly art. Tools and
techniques in photography allow a remarkable and intriguing versatility of
style and content of the images produced. We can select emulsions that support
high resolution imagery, we can use emulsions that maximise grain impressions
or we can use techniques to lengthen the tonal scale. In fact the variety of
options is endless as every element in the processing chain, camera, lens,
film, developer, enlarger, scan, digital print has its own bandwidth of
options. We can freely mix any element and choose within every element any
characteristic that is available to produce the image we want and are proud of.
If someone wishes to mix elements and characteristics that exploit maximum
resolution, fine. If someone wishes to select elements and techniques that
allow pictures in the style and atmosphere of the great street photography
masters, fine. Non is inherently superior, both are valid and on equal footing.
If one wishes to mix definition and tonal scale to produce pictures like Helmut
Newton's BIg Nudes with 35mm equipment, fine. If one fully concentrates on
pictures to the art part and uses the tools to produce imagery that is in the
tradition of currently accepted forms of the visual arts, fine.
There is no way to fix or define which of these endless combinations of
possibilities is closer  to the  nature of photography. Remember that in
painting Van Gogh and Matisse were loathed by established art critics as
cannibalising the true art of painting, because they stepped outside
established and time honored bounderies. There is no way to predict or even to
define what a photograph should look like or what content it should have to be
a true representative of the art of photography.
Photography in general (and Leica photography is included) is a true liberal
art: anything goes as long as the starting point is a mechanical device to
reproduce a slice of time/space.
 From my viewpoint is photography with a Leica pure fun and I freely share my
pleasure and experience in pursuing my goals with anybody who has the same
goals or is interested in what I am doing.
The Prime Directive states that we should accept any culture as it is and let
any culture develop its own way and according its own rules. Of course we can
study such cultures, exchange knowledge and expertise to enhance our own
pursuit of exploring bold new worlds.
Maybe we should adopt this approach on the Lug: instead of ridiculising or
negating what we do not like, let us be more open. If you take pictures in the
HCB style, and someone presents a different approach (hi-res photography as
example), you might inquire if there is anything in that appraoch that can help
you make better pictures, in stead of negating that approach as being out of
scope. The other way around is true to: the Zone System can be a boring
exercise in a technique, but it can also enhance your visual awareness and
technical capabilities. And using a film as TP may be used in the wrong way by
someone to produce pictures without any content, that does not imply that TP
could not by its very characteristics add to the expressiveness of an image.
And a technically perfect picture could be made more interesting by trying to
add some visual creativity in the image.
Could we not learn form each other and stop trying to carve up the vast field
of photography in watertight compartments where trespassing is not allowed?

Erwin