Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/07/11

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Subject: [Leica] Re: NYT photo editor
From: lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)
Date: Tue Jul 11 07:47:27 2006
References: <200607110242.k6B2gGGn040386@server1.waverley.reid.org>

On Jul 10, 2006, at 10:42 PM, lug-request@leica-users.org wrote:

>>> And maybe she doesn't need to know what equipment her staff is using
>>> because she has a great eye for composition and news value.
>>>
>>> Anyone with knowledge of the newspaper business care to chime in 
>>> here?
>>>
>>> --Bob

When I worked for the Boston Globe more than half a century ago, our 
photo editor didn't know or care what type of camera took a picture. We 
used company issued 4x5 Speed Graphics, Rolleis, Medalists and assorted 
privately owned Leicas and Contaxes. I drove around with a loaded Leica 
on the car seat next to me in case I spotted a bank robbery in progress 
or a treed cat being rescued. All the editor cared about was that the 
picture was clear and met the deadline.

He did have a few peculiarities also shared by the NYT editor. He 
frowned on any picture taken with a wide angle or telephoto lens. The 
camera, he felt, was an eyeball surrogate. The picture should represent 
what a reader would see if he was magically transported to the 
photographer's position at the scene. Only pictures taken with a normal 
lens were acceptable. Any perspective distortion with telephoto or wide 
angle lenses was editorializing, an unforgivable sin in reporting. The 
NYTs editor says as much for tweaking the image in Photoshop. This was 
no problem with the Speed Graphics, the Rolleis, or the Medalists since 
only a normal lens was provided. Leica users had a tough time 
convincing the editor that telephotos or wide angles were sometimes 
necessary to get the picture. No problem said the editor. If you wanted 
a tighter composition, move closer.

Larry Z


Replies: Reply from tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant) ([Leica] Re: NYT photo editor)