Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/04/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]No, it doesn't explain why someone takes a snap of Skipper and Sissy, but theoretically people on this list think of themselves as "photographers." And, no, I would not flunk her because she had one, or even several, photos in her project that weren't good picks. But she showed the photo in question independently, as her PAW for the past week - students are required to produce one photo a week that can be viewed as telling a story - and that one does. In terms of her project, it is one of several showing that one of the 'clients' at the center was upset, and several people, including his 'girlfriend,' whose hand was in the photo, was one of those people... But the point I was trying to make, is that I think she hit the proverbial nail on the head in terms of why "photographers" take photos - they take them for the same reason that mountain climbers give for climbing mountains - because they're there! :-) On Wed, 28 Apr 2004 16:33:14 -0400, Phong <phong@doan-ltd.com> wrote: > B.D., > > That is only partially true, and I suppose > more so for "photographers". The majority > of the people who take photos are not > photographers. They just want a snapshot > of someone, or something that interest > them. Even I do this sometimes, though > I would never show the result to another > photographer, especially on the LUG. :-) > > Anyway, your story raises and answers > the question of why your student takes > that photo. It does not address why > she chose that photo to show. Clearly, > if it does not fit her project, or the story > she wants to tell, it would not be included, > no matter how great the photo is. Otherwise > you would flunk her, wouldn't you ? :-) > > - Phong > > > > B. D. Colen wrote: >> >> About 'our' motivation to photograph. >> >> This past Saturday, my students were showing roughs of their semester >> projects. One young woman has been shooting at a center for the >> developmentally disabled - aw, hell, the retarded - focusing on an art >> program they have. She showed an image that was a close up of two >> people's hands awkwardly touching - a striking image - and my TA noted >> that this image was a good one for us to think about in terms of >> addressing the question 'when is photo journalism/documentary >> photography, voyeurism?' So we talked about it for a while and then I >> asked the student, 'why did you take this photo?' Her response: >> >> "I thought it would be a great photo!" No bullshit. No 'I want to help >> people.' No BS about 'understanding.' Just the bottom line - she's a >> photographer, and the image leapt out at her. And that, in my humble >> opinion, is what IT really is all about. >> >> We may take photos for various economic, personal, political, >> journalistic reasons. But if we really are the beast called >> photographers, it call comes down to "I thought it would be a great >> photo!" > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information -- Using M2, Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/m2/