Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/04/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Chill pill, Walt -:-) I am not equating pjs and aid workers - quite the opposite. I'm saying that they are not aid workers; they are photographers. Paid to go and photograph. They may not all be Nachtweys - hell, they're NOT all Nachtweys or Salgados. But they are doing a job we need done. And I think the question of the cost of their cameras is pretty irrelevant, except perhaps to point out how ludicrously poor their subjects are. But don't get me wrong, I think the digital M will come in at a price so far out of wack with current digital camera reality, that it's unlikely to show up on many necks photographing in Darfur. In fact, my guess is that its sale will largely be confined to photo enthusiasts with lots of disposable income. It will probably be a wonderful camera, but at apx $2 k more than a full-frame Canon 5D, it makes little sense for someone who has to think about where to put their equipment funds. After all, unlike a film M, it will not in any way be a camera for a life time, and being a camera for a life time is the only thing that makes the price of Leica film equipment vaguely rationalizable. B. D. On 4/26/06 2:38 PM, "Walt Johnson" <walt@waltjohnson.com> wrote: > Et tu B.D.? > > Scientists studying amoebas and photojournalists "concerns" with the > downtrodden are certainly not the same. How many decades have we been > documenting the same tired old stories? Starving waifs, bloodied bodies, > homeless, etc. and for what? Waifs still starve and we have more > bloodied bodies to deal with on a day to day basis than Lucifer. We live > in the most prosperous country in the world and have streets full of > homeless. But never fear, "Wonderlens is here". > > To equate those running around with cameras dangling and world aid > workers is far from accurate. The ink dries, the t.v. channel is > switched and it's off to another scene of human suffering for our > hero-shooters.. The aid workers, meanwhile, hang tough. Does any of this > indicate I'm against covering news events? Of course not. It does strike > me as sad that we don't glean more than just superficial information > from it all. There is a vast difference between Nachtwey, Salgado and > Tina compared with the herd I mentioned in the first post. The are > committed, and that is what really makes a difference. My statement "we > want to feel your pain" is based upon methods I've seen used in > action.Many journalists approach subjects as if they were items on a > shelf rather than human beings. If anyone makes a statement about "not > one bit of hypocrisy involved" relating to news coverage their judgment > is flawed IMHO. > > Walt > > > B. D. Colen wrote: > >> Absolutely right, Scott...Photojournalists are not social workers; they >> are >> not aid workers; they are photojournalists, photographers making image of >> news events and situations around the world. Being a photographer >> requires >> using cameras. Cameras are expensive, worth more than the annual income of >> many people being photographed. But so what? Would it be better if James >> Nachtwey and Sabastian Salgado - and Tina Manley - sold their cameras and >> donated the money to some fund specified by Angelina Jolie, and stopped >> providing the world with visual reminders of the awful conditions under >> which so many live? I think not. >> >> >> >> >> On 4/26/06 1:33 PM, "Scott McLoughlin" <scott@adrenaline.com> wrote: >> >> >> >>> This makes it sound like a bad thing. We don't complain when >>> the amoeba is studied by the scientist under the microscope. Same >>> for the photographer's concern with the downtrodden - it's a good >>> thing, and not one bit of hypocricy involved, IMHO. It's insanity >>> to truly *want* to feel the pain of the truly suffering. >>> >>> Scott >>> >>> >>> >>>>> , I can see the new Leicas in action. A horde of photojournalists >>>>> with 10 or 15 grand hanging around their necks stalking the poor, >>>>> downtrodden masses. The oh so concerned looks on their faces while >>>>> they mutter, "we want to feel your pain". >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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