Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/26

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Subject: Re: [Leica] cri de coeur
From: S Dimitrov <sld@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2002 21:37:28 -0800
References: <4.3.2.7.2.20020326232920.00c5cea0@mail.wm.edu>

Last summer, 2001, I was asked to do the very same for a friend, who is
also photographer. I approached it the way I do any of my portraits. I
always ask the person how they would like to be photographed. In this
case, my friend who's known me for close to twenty years, walked me
through the house showing me the things that were important to her. I
then incorporated those elements in the portrait. I used a tripod, and I
took very long exposures inside the house. Not only did she have to sit
down, but she had to assume an internal quietude for the prolonged
exposures. It worked well, and by the way, so did her chemotherapy. One
of the portraits is in the Los Angeles Library's permanent collection.
The previous summer, I photographed another friend who died in August
2000 from alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. What made that earlier
shooting more difficult was that I also had the dpa, and I had to handle
the final details, along with the hospitalization. In this case I wasn't
asked to do anything photographically, but it was understood that I
would, which I did. I've yet to process those negs.
Slobodan Dimitrov


Chandos Michael Brown wrote:
> 
> One of my colleagues recently underwent a mastectomy and will commence
> intensive chemotherapy on Monday.  A few days ago she asked me whether I
> would be willing to come to her house  on Thursday to photograph her while
> she still resembles "the person I imagine myself to be."    Of course I
> agreed to do so, but I confess that I am anxious about this beyond
> speech.  I am an *amateur* photographer, nothing more, nothing less, and
> much as I'd like to think otherwise, I know that nothing has ever really
> been at stake in the images that I make.
> 
> This is different--something is at stake, I think, and I want desperately
> not to blow it.
> 
> I've thought a lot about what I want to do, and I shall let her tell me
> what she wants, but I will very much appreciate any insight, advice, or
> experience that any of you who might have attempted such a thing might wish
> to share with me. Off list is fine.
> 
> Many thanks in advance.
> 
> Chandos
> 
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In reply to: Message from Chandos Michael Brown <cmbrow@wm.edu> ([Leica] cri de coeur)