Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/04/24

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Re: something about Ansel in a slaughterhouse
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 08:50:21 -0400

Hey, Rob, just what is it you think we're arguing about? I was simply
responding to the contention there's no dif. between photography and
painting; I wasn't suggesting that there is no manipulation in photos.

Take a look at some of Eugene Smith's contacts, and then look at the final
prints - and I'm not even talking about his "pictogram" of Albert S....How
about the Haitain "mad woman," who was photographed in a room full of people
and is printed as a face emerging from total blackness?

B. D.

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Rob Appleby
Sent: Wednesday, April 24, 2002 4:14 AM
To: LUG
Subject: [Leica] Re: something about Ansel in a slaughterhouse


BD wrote (don't you just love arguing with that guy?!):
>>>>
How about the fact that photographs are generally thought to be accurate
representations of reality - paintings, with rare exception, are not. Photos
are thought to show us what IS in a given instant; paintings show us what
was in the mind of the artist. And so on.

I am not arguing that photos tell the truth, or that there are not photos
that are representations of what is on/in the mind of the photographer. All
I am saying is that it is very easy to understand why people apply a
"higher" standard to photographs.
>>>>

Well, if I'm taking a picture, say, of a man chopping up some bones in an
abattoir and I keep saying to some fool in the background "would you please
please _please_ not keep looking round the edge of that door at me like that
please" and the said fool _keeps on_ looking round the edge of the door like
that, _and_ (this is the technical part!) the background in the door is nice
and black, then you can be sure I'm just going to photoshop his ass right
out of the picture when I get home. No ethical problem there. On the other
hand, I'm not about to make it look like he's GWB and he's chopping off my
mate Ossama's head on the block. That would be naughty, very naughty.

- -- Rob

http://www.robertappleby.com
Mobile: (+39) 348 336 7990
Tel: (+39) 059 303436

See City of Crows online at The Digital Journalist:
http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0204/city_intro.htm

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