Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/08/01

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Documentary photography - pj
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 1 Aug 2002 13:08:52 -0400

Whatinhellareyoutalkingabout?

The fact that the world didn't know about the Gulags didn't have a thing to
do with the fact that the Russians didn't have Leicas - or box brownies. It
had to do with the fact that Stalin was even more efficient than Hitler at
purging anyone who posed any possible threat, the fact that the Germans were
psychotically obsessed with documenting everything they did.

And while, as someone pointed out, there were correspondents in the USSR in
the 30s who knew what was going on but didn't write about it because they
sympathized with the Revolution, I would venture a guess that if they had
written anything, or sent out any photos, they would have 'disappeared' were
they within Stalin's grasp, or would never have gotten back in to the USSR
if they were outside it.

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 Martins
Zelmenis
Sent: Thursday, August 01, 2002 10:48 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Documentary photography - pj


Sorry - the point is - <news is what people are allowed to see> - and of
course, the example you mention in your post is most laudable - to put it in
other words, your pictures conveyed their message to Ron, he was the right
man to get it, and in no time your efforts produced great results for the
indiginous people!
On the other hand - Stalin's atrocities were not regarded as being on the
same scale as Hitler's, while in fact they were never publicized on the same
scale; Leicas en masse were in hands of Germans, while in the USSR only
staff reporters got access to the equipment; so - - if there was any
photographic information on GULAG, it was either of bad quality,
amateurish - you name it - and most of it never reached newsstands.

Martin


At 10:37 AM 8/1/02 -0400, you wrote:

>I said that much as it pained me to say it, I would urge him to get the
>MA...Want to change the world, I said, you'll have a better chance having a
>real impact with an urban planning degree from MIT than you will being THE
>documentary photographer of your era. Sad, but true.
>
>B. D.

You guys are entirely too cynical.  I would be depressed all the time if I
took such a cynical view of what I'm doing.  This summer I took a guy to
Honduras who had seen my photos in his church and wanted to go on the
trip.  Ron is in the business of renting tuxedos and had never been out of
the US.  We stayed in a very poor Mayan village and Ron worked as an
assistant to the dentist. He was so impressed by how hard-working the
people are that he gave the village $1000 to buy 3 grain silos to store
their corn.  The silos will make it possible for the 43 families to have
food to eat during the dry season when they usually go hungry.  Ron is
speaking at several churches to tell them about what he saw in Honduras and
has already volunteered to go again next year.  I could give you examples
like that from every trip.

It might be drop in the bucket as far as changing the world goes, but it
made a big difference to 43 families.

Tina


Tina Manley, ASMP
http://www.tinamanley.com

images available from:
http://www.pdiphotos.com
http://www.mira.com
http://www.agpix.com
http://www.newscom.com




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Replies: Reply from "Martins Zelmenis" <martin@lrpv.lv> (Re: [Leica] Documentary photography - pj)