RE: [Leica] Breaking the rules.

["Doug Ford" <dford@san.rr.com>]

Amen

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Ted Grant
Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2001 2:36 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Breaking the rules.


B. D. Colen wrote:
>>I can't help wondering how the world of photography
> managed to exist prior to the later Leica SMs, and the Ms, and how anyone
> now takes a decent photo without using a Leica?...Anyone interested in
> seeing if it's possible might take a look at the Newseum's book containing
> all the Pulitzer photos, with information about how they were taken. Not
> only are there very, very few Leica photos, there are NO 35 mm photos
until
> the early 60s! Remember that amazing shot of the Japanese legislator being
> stabbed to death on stage by a right-wing fanatic with a sword? Shot with
a
> Speed Graphic, as was virtually everything else - with the exception of
> about 2 Rollei shots and one or two Hasselblads<<<<<<

Hi B. D.
Sometimes I think some of the photographer's of today haven't got a clue,
that long before the post war advent of the 35mm camera's popularity, Leica
or otherwise, there weren't any "great pictures taken." And their thinking
today is, only those shooting 35 mm be it whatever make, are the
photographer's  producing the greatest photos ever taken.

Your point of looking at the Pulitzer photos is a wonderful reality check
for those who forget that a great number of photographers went before the
hordes of today with their basically point and shoot do everything so the
person holding it only has to press a button and exposures are made cameras.
Without hardly any intelligent input.

I think many of my early news photos and those of legions of
newsphotographers using a 4X5 Speed Graphic were/are just as strong as those
of today, only there were fewer exposures made, rather than the "work the
situation for every angle possible on a 35mm 36 exposure roll of today." And
if you do it well you're bound to get something right.

I'll clarify that with, "not all photographers working in 35mm today think
and do it that way!" Now that should avoid some carping. ;-)

Maybe there was more thought process in the early days due to having only
one or a couple of 12 sheet film magazines instead of today's 12 rolls of 36
frames allowing 432 frames where the thought / seeing process doesn't have
to be quite so quick and accurate.

The equipment of today makes for a much easier life as a photojournalist or
newsphotographer because we can do so much more, reach further faster and
quicker than in the olden days of a 127 or 135 lens on the Speed Graphic.

Equipment aside, as it still comes down to the person holding the camera be
that 1919, 4X5 or 1999, 35mm that makes the difference of any successful
photograph and those who get all hung up on the technical qualities of the
glass and feel that is the be all to end all for solid photographs are
sorely mistaken.

We see it here all the time with questions about which is the sharpest,
contrastyest centre sharpness compared to the corners followed by..... "love
your shots with the etc etc whatever lens"  when in reality the picture
content is zero........ but by golly the image is as sharp as a razor blade
and the content is diddly squat interesting!

Better cover my ass quickly here ... not all of them!!!!!!!! ;-)

Whether it's a 4x5 or whiz bang Leica with the sharpest and fastest glass,
the picture can still be meaningless unless the "Camera Keeper User" thinks,
knows and feels what is interesting as a photograph. And not just an exposed
piece of film and it's great because it was exposed by a Leica..

I think I'm getting some off track. So back to developing my Leica created
B&W negatives with hopefully some meaningful images. ;-)
ted

Ted Grant Photography Limited
www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant

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