Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/14

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: Re: [Leica] PAW 33-abstract photography
From: "Jack McLain" <jmclainaz@comcast.net>
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 05:09:13 -0700
References: <20030814035051.78529.qmail@web11601.mail.yahoo.com> <3F3B3B8B.A6954B84@rabinergroup.com>

*snip*
> When we zoom way in on a piece of watermelon with our lens so you can
> see the fur on the seeds and the pink stuff looks like huge clumps to
> the extent that people don't have a clue what they are looking at we
> have not created an abstraction.
> We've created a SUBSTRACTION. That's mainly what cameras do and is a
> photo thing. Abstraction is a painting or sculpture thing.

I recall (and use) another term.  When a photographer drills into a scene
looking for the element within that scene that is turning him on and shoots
it in a way that the context of the scene is lost and the attractive bit is
made accessable to the viewer of the image that technique is called
photo"extraction". (as in extracting the key element).

I will now extract myself from this way deep philosophical discourse and get
back to my first (@0500) cup-o-coffee)

Jack McLain
Tucson, AZ
http://jackmclain-photography.dotcommunity.net)


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

In reply to: Message from Aquiles Almansi <aalmansi@yahoo.com> (RE: [Leica] PAW 33-abstract photography)
Message from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabinergroup.com> (Re: [Leica] PAW 33-abstract photography)