RE: [Leica] Documentary photography - pj

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

Actually, Dave, I did give you the shortened version of what I told him.
While I did, indeed, tell him that if he wanted to help change the world he
should get that MIT MA, I did tell him to keep shooting, to document the
people and projects he's involved in, and to ultimately figure out what he
wanted to do with his life. Which may be to do documentary photography,
rather than change the world.

And I agree with your take on change and impact - I was, as usual, painting
my picture with a broad brush. Of course every project can teach someone
about something.

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 David Mason
Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2002 11:39 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Documentary photography - pj


"B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> writes:

[snip]

> As for today's documentary photographers, do we really think that
> there is anyone who buys a Salgado book, or goes to a Salgado
> exhibit, who isn't already aware of the conditions he documents, and
> doesn't already share his viewpoint?

[snip]

I can't disagree much with all that you have said - however, I think
there is change and then there is impact (not the original meaning
involving two objects colliding). I think even the smallest
documentary photography project (not all have to be large, expensive
books) can teach a person about a situation, or even open that person
up to some new aspect of it. It doesn't necessarily have to make a
person run out and contribute to the cause or start a revolution.

When I saw the Salgado documentary film I mentioned once earlier this
week, one thing that struck me was that his take on his 'Workers'
project was much different than I expected it to be. His take on it
was purely economic (not surprising considering he is a trained
economist) and had less political motivation than I first suspected.

I think I would have handled the student with a slightly different
approach. Rather than simply telling him to go get the MA, I would
have told him to get the MA, and continue to do documentary
photography. Or, as I have found in my career follies - do what makes
you happy! Again, it doesn't have to be a large scale, big money book
to be documentary photography - it also doesn't have to be a full-time
profession. I know that some of the shows I have seen by mere amateurs
at the Duke Center for Documentary Studies (which I happen to live
near) have done as much or more for me than some of my favorite pro
superstars have.


Cheers,

Dave
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