Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/02/09

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Subject: [Leica] Lower 9th Ward - Another 20 images
From: jsmith342 at cox.net (Jeffery Smith)
Date: Thu Feb 9 15:58:50 2006

I've been sticking with 35mm and Tri-X as a medium because it is least easy
and most fun. And I like that ambiance that gritty Tri-X renders. And, like
you said, how on earth can I justify having spent so much money on German
cameras and lenses if I go to town with a digital P&S? I haven't experienced
the ennui that Marc has spoken of lately. As soon as I found digital to be
taking the fun out of shooting, I put the digicams in the closet and pulled
out the Leicas.

Jeffery Smith
New Orleans, LA
http://www.400tx.com




-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+jsmith342=cox.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+jsmith342=cox.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Philippe
Orlent
Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2006 12:33 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] Lower 9th Ward - Another 20 images


I have nothing against critique. I just found that, after Jeff's  
question for a selection of his images, the strength came from the  
whole as a series. True, there are more photographic possibilities in  
this project, but does that always needs to be the case? Just a  
truthfull representation sometimes might be enough. As for the large  
format issue, I agree with you, but that doesn't have to rule out  
35mm either. After all, isn't that why we use these expensive lenses  
produced in an obscure town in Germany?

But maybe let's hear what Jeffrey has to say about this?



Op 9-feb-06, om 19:08 heeft Slobodan Dimitrov het volgende geschreven:

> The images have too much of a 'walk about' sense to them. Which I
> suspect is the traditional hallmark of handheld photography.  
> Devastation photography, after the fact and not news driven, has  
> been traditionally been done with larger format, slower film, and a  
> tripod.  Although an exception is Lewis Baltz with his essay on   
> Park City done with Kodak High-Contrast Copy film, exposed with an  
> ISO of 6 on 35mm.
> Another that comes to mind is Richard Misrach with his essays on  
> the Salton Sea and the nuclear test sites.
> I think that Jeff is still searching for his voice in this project,  
> and the lack of critique up to now, is not helpful to him. The  
> point is not to tear down his work. By engaging in it, we can reach  
> insights that might open up more avenues for him to explore.
>
> Slobodan Dimitrov
> Studio G-8,
> Angels Gate Cultural Center
> http://sdimitrovphoto.com
>
>
>
>
>
> On Feb 9, 2006, at 9:17 AM, Philippe Orlent wrote:
>
>> I don't agree entirely with this, Slobodan.
>> It depends of what these images are intended to: is it a
>> registration and testimony that gets its power through an endless  
>> series of every time almost the same at different locations, thus  
>> showing the monstruosity of this disaster, or is it intended to  
>> communicate the situation through only a few images, thus being a  
>> reportage.
>> In the first case, I could imagine a kind of memorial service  
>> where all these photographs would be projected with -in a very  
>> neutral way- just the name of every location in audio. It would  
>> make a very powerful and humbling event IMO.
>> Compare it with the listing of victims of 9-11. The human disaster  
>> in NO seems equally grave to me.
>> In the latter, I agree with your suggestion.
>>
>>
>>
>> Op 9-feb-06, om 17:56 heeft Slobodan Dimitrov het volgende
>> geschreven:
>>
>>> As I'm looking at the images, I find myself looking for the big
>>> statement. I'm not finding it. I know you're overwhelmed by the  
>>> sheer scope of what's happened to the community, but it doesn't  
>>> translate visually.
>>> Work your framing, and composition more stringently in the  
>>> camera. Many times the big picture is best told through minutiae.
>>>
>>> Slobodan Dimitrov
>>> Studio G-8,
>>> Angels Gate Cultural Center
>>> http://sdimitrovphoto.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Feb 8, 2006, at 8:05 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote:
>>>
>>>> This is the last of the shots from the five rolls I scanned this
>>>> week,
>>>> beginning at:
>>>>
>>>> http://www.400tx.com/9th-41.html
>>>>
>>>> Comments and suggestions appreciated.
>>>>
>>>> Jeffery Smith
>>>> New Orleans, LA
>>>> http://www.400tx.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> information
>>>
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>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>
> _______________________________________________
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In reply to: Message from philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent) ([Leica] Lower 9th Ward - Another 20 images)