Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]You know Walt, ... I like the LUG too :-) Daniel On 3/21/06, Walt Johnson <walt@waltjohnson.com> wrote: > B.D.: > > Having survived the last few days of "mindless banter" (I did my share) > here on the LUG taught me something. Just finished reading your last > post and firmed up my otherwise flighty thoughts. You are one hell of a > fine writer and have that gift you mentioned yourself. I only hope your > students and those here will pay close attention. > > Walt > > >Hi, Barney - Of course I don't think that people shouldn't try. But try to > >be what, and try what? > > > >Yes, one has to be pretty hopeless in many ways not to be able to take a > >"decent" photograph. But I firmly believe that to go much beyond that one > >has to have some sort of inborn 'gift,' just as I believe that to be able > >to > >write well, play music well, paint well, one has to have a 'gift.' In > >photography, that 'gift' is an 'eye ' - no, I can't define any of this. > > > >No one I know of has HCB's 'eye.' So why try to be HCB? Study his work? > >Absolutely. Try to figure out what it is about it that makes it so > >special? > >Sure. Try to emulate that "specialness" in your own work? Sure. But given > >that most people think of HCB as a 'photo journalist,' or a documentary > >photographer, rather than as an 'art photographer,' how in (*)_*(_ are > >they > >going to even attempt to emulate him? ;-) I know, for example, that many > >people think very highly of HCB's portraits; I don't. I think that, as a > >body work, they are - with a few very obvious examples - his weakest work. > >Why? Because they required directly engaging with people, and I don't > >think > >that people particularly interested old Henri - I think he was far more > >interested in people's physical form, and the images he could create using > >their forms as compositional elements. > > > >I believe, that rather than trying to emulate our photographic 'heroes' - > >and we all have them - we have to get them out of our heads so that we > >can, > >as you so sagely observe, find our own voices. > > > >But beyond all that, I made my first comment in response to what I few as > >this nonsensical apparent belief that emulating HCB has something to do > >with > >equipment. Why is that nonsensical? Because if I believe that if he had > >been > >photographing during the last 20 years of his life, rather than drawing - > >and what does that tell you? - HCB would have been photographing with the > >latest M bodies and the latest Leica glass - and his images would have > >had a > >different look than his earlier images, shot with softer lenses, had. > > > >Best > >B. D. > > > > > >On 3/21/06 11:35 AM, "Barney Quinn" <bquinn@sgi.com> wrote: > > > > > > > >>B.D., > >> > >>I think that every artist - in any field - has to find his or her own > >>voice, > >>and I think that another way of thinking of learning to be a > >>photographer, a > >>writer, a musician, or an artist is that it as a journey toward finding > >>one's > >>own voice. Learning to take pictures in the style of HCB, write music in > >>the > >>style of Beethoven, or paint pictures that look like Monet is an useful > >>part > >>of the journey because it requires thinking about what you are > >>perceiving and > >>then working out how to use the various technical things available to > >>you so > >>that you can reproduce it. Beyond that I am wondering about the creative > >>value > >>of imitating the work of a great master. Imitation may be the sincerest > >>form > >>of flattery, but HCB was already there and already did that. > >> > >>I think that in one sense you are exactly right. I play the cello in my > >>secret > >>life. To play like Yo-Yo Ma or Pierre Fournier or any master you should > >>choose > >>to name probably really does require both that you be born with some > >>special > >>gifts, start your education while still quite young, and that you devote > >>hours > >>and hours and hours to learning your art. Fair enough. But, there's an > >>exclusionary implication to this arguement which I also think needs to > >>be put > >>on the table. That's this. The blunt truth is that most of us aren't > >>born with > >>the gifts to be virtuosi in any field. But, that doesn't mean that one > >>can't > >>learn. There are very few tone deaf people. There are very few people > >>who, if > >>they are motivated, can't learn to play the cello well enough to play in > >>a > >>community orchestra, and there are some surprisingly good community > >>orchestras > >>around. There are very few people who, if they are willing to put in the > >>effort, can't learn to take decent photographs. > >> > >>I know that you didn't say that people can't learn, and I know that you > >>don't > >>believe that. I just wanted to say that just because most of us aren't > >>born > >>with the special gifts of HCB doesn't mean that we shouldn't try. I am > >>under > >>no illusions about the absolute level of my abilities as either a > >>cellist or a > >>photographer. But, I think that the arts are of vital importance. I have > >>no > >>idea why. It's just what I think. And, I think that learning to take > >>pictures, > >>write, play, whatever, is a wonderful journey and I think that each > >>person who > >>goes on that journey makes the world a better place in ways I cant' > >>explain. > >>And I definitly think that the world would be a much better place if more > >>people spent their time trying to learn to create rather then shooting > >>at each > >>other. > >> > >>Sorry, just felt like posting something this morning,. > >> > >>Barney > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>"B. D. Colen" wrote: > >> > >> > >> > >>>The only way to get photos "like HCB" has nothing to do with what lenses > >>>you have in a drawer, or what camera you use them on; it is to be born > >>>with > >>>his artistic ability and sensibility. HCB would have shot "like HCB no > >>>matter what equipment he had used, as long as that equipment had allowed > >>>him to realize his vision. I'd concentrate on developing the vision, not > >>>trying to ape the style. ;-) > >>>B. D. > >>>___ > >>>Sent with SnapperMail > >>>www.snappermail.com > >>> > >>>...... Original Message ....... > >>>On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 20:13:17 -0800 Richard > >>><richard-lists@imagecraft.com> > >>>wrote: > >>>"Why not, we all have at least a Leica body or lens right? > >>>" > >>>"Most of us suffer from equipment-itis, you know, the urge to say, "If I > >>>"only have that XYZ, I can get that photo just like what's his name > >>>HCB!" I > >>>"contend that this is harder to do if you start the Leica obsession > >>>late so > >>>"you don't already have a drawer full of Elmars, Summicrons, etc. I > >>>mean if > >>>"the drawer already has a few ASPH 'luxes or 'crons of different focal > >>>"lengths, there aren't a whole lot of (logical) reasons to get anything > >>>else! > >>>" > >>>"Discuss,... or not. > >>>" > >>>"// richard (This email is for mailing lists. To reach me directly, > >>>please > >>>"use richard at imagecraft.com) > >>>" > >>>" > >>>"_______________________________________________ > >>>"Leica Users Group. > >>>"See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >>> > >>>_______________________________________________ > >>>Leica Users Group. > >>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >>> > >>> > >>-- > >>Barney Quinn, Jr. > >>(301) 688-1982 (O) > >>(240) 535-3036 (C) > >>(877) 220-0981 (P) > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>_______________________________________________ > >>Leica Users Group. > >>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > >> > >> > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Leica Users Group. > >See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >