RE: [Leica] Alfie/LUG

[Carl Pultz <cpultz@earthlink.net>]

I have just shown the PDF of "Postcards of an Existentialist" without
comment to three people, all of whom I would describe as intelligent
non-photographers. They all liked the pictures and the way they showed
ordinary people doing everyday things. Whether any of them would buy the
book, I don't know.
You may draw your own conclusions.
Neil
__________________________

I found some good shots in there, too - if not technically, "artistically." 
I like well crafted reproductions as much as anyone, but that's not the 
most important aspect of communicating via photography, at least not in 
that type of work. Some simple Photoshoping would improve many of them - so 
what, big deal.

And even where the photos weren't great, I got a sense of the intent of 
what he was trying to express overall, in part because of his sequencing, 
something that many better photographers don't seem to appreciate. (Not 
every individual photo in The Americans is a masterpiece - it's how they 
work together that gives the whole statement it's power.)

Sure his self-promotion and rhetoric are over the top, but he has the kind 
of energy and confidence that a successful shooter has to have. The courage 
to go out in the big city and take risks. And he communicates a lively 
sensitivity, a wonder and affection for it all.

I hope he can hold on to that while refining his work and editing. I'd 
rather look at his efforts than the visually striking, but conceptually 
empty stuff I see in a lot of books.

$.02

Carl

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