Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/01/02

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Bokeh is still nonsense
From: "lea" <lea@whinydogpress.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Jan 2002 20:56:51 -0600
References: <003201c193ff$0c83eac0$a674793f@dimarcojr.pressroom.com>

Sal,

Can you direct me to a link of the shot of Terry Gross...I'd love to see it.
She's a favorite of mine.
Lea

- ----- Original Message -----
From: "Sal DiMarco,Jr." <sdmp007@pressroom.com>
To: "LUG >for posts" <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2002 8:27 PM
Subject: [Leica] Bokeh is still nonsense


: Luggers,
:     In my earlier post, condemning  bokeh, a couple of other luggers took
me
: to task.
:     Well, please allow me to clear up a few misconceptions....
:     Frank Flippone stated "Ted and Sal... you are both trained press
: photographers. You handle the camera to grab that instant of time that
shows
: whatever it is you see in the photo.  Focusing on anything but the
subject,
: and its overall surroundings would cost you your livelihood.  You shoot 35
: because it is quick and you can be light on your feet.  Sal even lists
many
: photographers he has known, all to my knowledge, are working press
: shooters."
:     Frank where have you been? I don't think Yousuf Karsh or Ralph Gibson
: can even remotely be considered "press photographers." The people I named,
: are friends, with whom I've seriously discussed photography. The word
: "bokeh" NEVER came up. It is a non-subject.
:     Secondly, you assume Ted & I do only "Gun & Run" photography. This is
: TOTALLY false. Ninety-Five percent of photojournalism is not news event
: related. Have you looked beyond the news sections? A lot of today's
: photojournalism is in contemplative style, you talk about.
:     The two most recent photos I have had published were, a color photo of
: National Public Radio's Terry Gross in her broadcast studio. The picture
is
: in the Sunday New York Times Arts & Leisure Section (12/30/01). It was lit
: with a couple of strobes. The second was the cover of USA
Weekend.(12/30/01)
: I set-up a studio in the home of a baby born on 9/11/01. This again was a
: strobe shot, but shot on 120 format.
:     These are hardly instant of time photos. Further more, Tomorrow, I
will
: be in Princeton, finishing an architecture story for the NY Times Weekend
: Section. How is this "Gun & Run" photography?
:     I have and do change modes, I DO work with 4x5 & 8x10. My Father had a
: small studio in Philadelphia. His idea of small format was 4x5! I do know
: what it is like to take two days to create one photograph.
:     Now, to Doug Herr....
:     How are our markets different? People have purchased my photographs to
: hang on their walls, I also sold a photo or two for calendar usage.
:     What you call bokeh, I call selective focus. Selective focus plays a
: part in everyone's work including Ted's and mine. No one is belittling
: another person's technique or concern over image properties.
:     The final picture is the only thing which is important. No one ever
: bought, published or liked a photo because of "great bokeh." Have you ever
: heard, "Well the subject stinks but the bokeh is fantastic?" Has anyone
read
: a review of Sebastiao Salgado's work where the reviewer praises his use of
: bokeh? It is a non-subject.
:     I can not imagine, Eisie saying to me, "Salvatore, nice bokeh in that
: picture you had in last week's magazine."
:
: Happy Snaps,
: Sal DiMarco, Jr.
: Philadelphia, PA
:
: In the blind to Brother Pierce:
: Bill,
:     Can you imagine on a Friday night, John saying, "...But Henry you've
got
: to use this photo. It has great bokeh" ?
:
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:

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In reply to: Message from "Sal DiMarco,Jr." <sdmp007@pressroom.com> ([Leica] Bokeh is still nonsense)