RE: [Leica] Two weddings and a few portraits.

["bdcolen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

I think it's being set up matters, in the sense that setting up - posing
- - a photo, and taking a photo of something occurring "naturally," are
really two different things, requiring two different skill sets.
Clearly, Smith had both - skill sets. But there are people - many of
them terrific photographers - who really don't. Some people need to
conceive of something they want to photograph, set it up, and shoot it -
and some either can't do that, or don't want to, but have the ability to
see that which most people don't, and capture it on film.

In some respects, the Walk to Paradise is no different than an
advertising shot - captivating, yes, but carefully contrived to
captivate. I'm not saying that's "bad" - I'm just saying we should
recognize it for what it is.

BTW, I love it....:-)
- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of John
Collier
Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2002 4:46 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Two weddings and a few portraits.


Whether or not it was set up does not matter to me and I would have to 
agree with you that I am expressing personal opinions: no argument here 
either.

John Collier

On Sunday, November 24, 2002, at 11:17 AM, bdcolen wrote:

> How do we know that's what Smith's picture is, John? What do we really

> know about it other than, like not a little of Smith's work, it was 
> set up?
>
> BTW - I am NOT trying to start an argument here - just ask a question,

> as you make a statement about the purpose of the photo, but then give 
> what you acknowledge to be a personal observation about what it 
> implies..
>
> -----Original Message-----
> On Behalf Of John Collier
>
> I find the work well realized but sentimental and romantic. Whether 
> that is good or bad or indifferent depends on your viewpoint. Smith's 
> picture has neither of those attributes. The Walk to Paradise Garden 
> is a desperate longing for sanity and normality after the horrors of 
> war. To me it seems to imply that the photographer can never follow 
> his children, never return to innocence and peace.
>
> http://www.pathfinder.com/photo/gallery/arts/smith/cap01.htm
>
> On Sunday, November 24, 2002, at 10:33 AM, Daniel Ridings wrote:
>
>> I liked the little girl going up the hill/steps in the woods. Reminds

>> one of the W.E. Smith picture of his two children.

- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html

- --
To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html