Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/11/06

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: digital/Oprah show
From: "Mike Durling" <durling@widomaker.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2001 20:30:12 -0500
References: <13c.405cef6.29198405@aol.com>

The photographer was Dirck Halstead.  He wrote about it in the "Digital
Journalist", http://dirckhalstead.org/issue9807/editorial.htm

The photo column on the Washington Post web site also has a version of this
story.

Mike D

- ----- Original Message -----
From: <Teresa299@aol.com>
To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2001 1:20 PM
Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: digital/Oprah show


>
>  . . . >
>
> I was flipping channels on the TV yesterday and caught part of an Oprah
show
> dedicated to photography. (I didn't see the beginning of the show so I
can't
> for sure say what the title was...probably "Touching one's inner spirit
> through the light of the lens...")
>
> ANYWAY, one thing I thought particularly interesting was this man (and no,
I
> don't recall his name) who was part of the Photo Corps that covered the
> Clinton White House.  He had taken/seen the infamous shot of monica
lewinsky
> hugging the pres at some public gathering and upon seeing that clip
> remembered her face.  He then told his assistant to go through his old
shots
> to find the face...and sure enough after 5,000 transperencies, his
assistant
> had found an earlier shot of Monica hugging the president at a previous
> public event (no cigars in evidence though).
>
> The man's point was that he was part of a larger press group that has
almost
> completely moved to shooting with digital cameras....and yet, because the
> shots of the president shaking hands and hugging well wishers at one of
many
> public gatherings wouldn't initially be considered "newsworthy" it was
likely
> that those "unimportant" shots were lost because they were erased to make
> room on one's HD, memory card and the like.  In essence, digital gives one
> immediacy and in some ways because of the immediacy lends itself to quick
> disposal and editing.  This is highly efficient and in todays quickening
> industrial, technological world where everything new is old again, it
makes a
> lot of business sense.  But this man pointed out that in the context of
the
> show which was honoring famous shots of 9/11, Vietnam, Gorden Parks, and
> documentary traditions, that a great deal of history may be lost whereas
> before, simply because of old technology it's still available.
>
> I don't think this discounts the merits of digital.  I just think like
with
> the implementation of any technology (such as genetic engineering, nuclear
> energy, combustion engine, clocks) it gives some of us pause as to see
what
> kind of ripples it makes in the pond.
>
> Respectfully,
> Kim
> --
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>

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In reply to: Message from Teresa299@aol.com (Re: [Leica] Re: digital/Oprah show)