Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/06/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Asking permission, KISS & the decisive moment
From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
Date: Wed, 12 Jun 2002 23:55:07 -0700
References: <200206121926.g5CJQin25230@hermes.toad.net> <3D082A78.EB3BE3EE@webshuttle.ch>

Nathan wrote:
>>> Sure, HCB, Willy Ronis, Brassai and many others have made beautiful
images of
> Parisian couples. But I do not see why that should stop me. For one, my
couple is
> different from their couples--dressed differently, different expressions
etc. But
> more importantly, it is MY image--maybe better, most likely not better
than
> theirs, but MINE.<<<<<

Hi Nathan,
My heavens if we all stopped photographing life as we see it daily just
because someone did 50 years ago.... possibly me while shooting my
documentaries .... wouldn't that be sad?  Or we all stopped taking pictures
because HCB shot some kid carrying a bottle of wine? Should we then stop
photographing a child carrying a jug of milk? Or a bottle of wine?

A picture exposed today can not be repeated tomorrow.... maybe close but not
identical! Therefore it's different, the light, the eyes, the colour of the
sky, the moment of exposure is always different, therefore why would anyone
even suggest that everything has been done so why take more photographs of
it?

Neither photography nor imagination stand still, look at AA's big mountain
pictures or Moon over whatever, has anyone ever made it exactly the same?
Close maybe, but identical? Never. Is there not a challenge to imaginative
photographers as soon as we see a scenic for example, a challenge to do it
better or different ?

If we think again for a moment about the AA moon picture, just because he
created this wonderful picture, no matter how he did it, should millions of
photographers never photograph that location again or any other millions of
locations with mountains and moons and a village?

And as Nathan has said.....>>But more importantly, it is MY image--maybe
better, most likely not better than theirs, but MINE.<<<<<

Exactly!!!!! And this is what it's all about each and every one of us take
or shoot our "OWN" pictures. No matter how I can be controlled by others and
stupid regulations, dumb bureaucrats and their regulations.... photography
is absolutely mine and mine alone as I see and record moments. My cameras
may be taken from me but the ability to see picture moments never will be
because they're mine, not anyone else's and even though I may photograph the
Grand Canyon or the Eiffel Tower it will be different because it's mine and
nobody will have taken it before or after.... close.... but not like mine!

I believe B.D. wrote:

> > > So the question then, might be 'why am I taking this photo?'<<<<

Very simple old buddy, because I was motivated by what I saw the moment I
looked at it, therefore I photographed it. Did I have any thought of copying
or that it had been done before?  Nope, because at that moment I was
recording "MY PICTURE" which had absolutely nothing to do with the millions
before. ;-)

What was I going to do with it?  Not relevant to the question,  "if it was
shot before why should I do it again?" I suppose like climbing Mount Everest
and being asked "it's been done before so why did you do it??"  Because it
was there and the same can be applied to taking pictures that have been
taken before, "because the scene was there!"

ted

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


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In reply to: Message from "Steve LeHuray" <icommag@toad.net> (Re: [Leica] Asking permission, KISS & the decisive moment)
Message from Nathan Wajsman <wajsman@webshuttle.ch> (Re: [Leica] Asking permission, KISS & the decisive moment)