Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/02/12

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: Salgado to speak in Seattle Feb 16
From: Simon Stevens <simon@camera-craftsman.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Feb 2002 07:20:46 -0500

I'll ignore the heavy sarcasm and  try to explain this simply:
photography is all about selection. If you want to create an arresting
documentary image, poverty simply photographs better.

For example, if you have a row of fairly ordinary houses in a typical
market economy where there are a range of incomes. At the end of the row
is one falling-down shack. Unless you a photographing for a chocolate
box, the falling-down shack is more photogenic than the row of ordinary
houses. The ordinary houses may be economically more representative, but
a photograph of them will be too ordinary, uninteresting, maybe cutesy.
Banal. On the other hand, snap a shot of the the falling-down shack and
not only do you have a more interesting picture, you will be considered
a deep social commentator.

Now, if all you do is photograph the "shacks" and never the "houses,"
you have Salgado's world. Powerful images, skewed sample.

Simon Stevens
North East Washington, DC (not usually thought of as the Bible Belt).


>Simon Stevens said:
>>
>> Unfortunately for Allan, the positive side of market economics
>> translates photographically into the banale.
>>
>> Simon Stevens

>I must have slept through the lectures in economics where the concept
of
>"banale" was covered.  Could someone refresh my memory about this?  Oh,
and
>could you also tell me what Simon is talking about?

>RP Johnson

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Replies: Reply from "Matthew Powell" <mlpowell@directvinternet.com> (Re: [Leica] Re: Salgado to speak in Seattle Feb 16)