Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/03/21

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Subject: [Leica] Iraq occupation protest - Chicago 3/19/05
From: masonster at gmail.com (David Mason)
Date: Mon Mar 21 10:15:29 2005
References: <4dccee3d0503202039382af59f@mail.gmail.com> <BE63B0EE.11D46%mark@rabinergroup.com> <4dccee3d0503210731140269f1@mail.gmail.com> <6.2.1.2.2.20050321173539.044b2050@mail.screengang.com>

Well, as to the photo criticism - I suppose you accurately described
my shooting of the protest.  I joined the crowd, I clicked my shutter,
and that was it (save for getting permission from most of those I
photographed). I'm not sure I can glean any more information out of
what you said there though other than I guess you didn't like them -
that's cool.

As to the politics, I think you might have completely missed my point.
As I said in the beginning, the protest idea is completely done, as is
the photography of protests. Why skip shooting images of people
yelling at cops? Because we've seen it all before and its nothing more
than youth with angst yelling at people who would rather be home
watching the basketball tourney than standing outside freezing while
in uncomfortable riot gear. Except for the fact that I was visiting
Chicago I probably would have been home watching the basketball
tourney.

BTW, I asked a few officers if I could get their portraits and was
told each time that they couldn't, it was against the rules. One of
them even told me that if I were just shooting the activity it was OK,
but to get his photo with his permission was not.

Also, being 5' 7" on a good day means my natural vantage point is not
the most adequate... however, if you want crappy photos, here are some
more:

http://www.dmason.net/tmp/P1000260.jpg
http://www.dmason.net/tmp/P1000269.jpg
http://www.dmason.net/tmp/crop0038.jpg
http://www.dmason.net/tmp/crop0039.jpg

Personally, they don't do anything for this point and shooter.

I always want to show my pictures, I will always take the opporunity
to voice my opinion. Don't like it, hit delete.  I know many people
resembled my neo-con-death-cult comment and thats probably why your
'critique' was backhanded however, what I really wanted to share (and
think I did so) was the manner in which I approached the event as a
photographer. Did I succeed? Well, I'm not sure - I wish I could have
stayed longer but I had some business to take care of. I wish the
protest had been bigger to give me more opportunities but it wasn't. I
feel like I got some decent portraits of people who oppose the
occupation.



Dave


On Mon, 21 Mar 2005 18:16:09 +0100, Didier Ludwig
<rangefinder@screengang.com> wrote:
> Dave
> The pictures have too much point'n'shoot appeal for me. Just join the
> crowd, click, and that's it. You wrote the ratio of demonstrants vs.
> policemen was 200 vs. 2000 - why did you not document this photographically
> interesting contrast?
> 
> My impression was that you did not only want to show your pictures, but
> that you were looking for an opportunity to kick your personal concept of
> the enemy in the ass. The LUG's indeed the wrong place for that. That's why
> I agree with Mark, that your post was rather backhanded.
> Didier
> 
> 
> >Thanks Mark, your laughably time-consuming response is the exact
> >reason why my post read as it did. :)
> >
> >
> > > > http://dmason.net/protest/
> >
> >
> > > But done only in the most laughably passive aggressive back handed way.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 
>

Replies: Reply from rangefinder at screengang.com (Didier Ludwig) ([Leica] Iraq occupation protest - Chicago 3/19/05)
In reply to: Message from masonster at gmail.com (David Mason) ([Leica] Iraq occupation protest - Chicago 3/19/05)
Message from mark at rabinergroup.com (Mark Rabiner) ([Leica] Iraq occupation protest - Chicago 3/19/05)
Message from masonster at gmail.com (David Mason) ([Leica] Iraq occupation protest - Chicago 3/19/05)
Message from rangefinder at screengang.com (Didier Ludwig) ([Leica] Iraq occupation protest - Chicago 3/19/05)