[Leica] A good while ago

[imagist3 at mac.com (Lottermoser George)]

Quite so Ted. We, who have a passionate relationship with  
photographs, will continue to create images irrespective of the  
economics.

You also point to another aspect of "A good while ago" - the quality  
factor. I've always been drawn to photography of every sort:  
documentary/journalism, fashion, portraiture, landscape, art,  
whatever. I simply love photographs; both making them and looking at  
them.

With that said:
Fashion - compare the aesthetic quality of photographs in Vogue or  
Harper's Bazarr from 1955 - 85 (Avedon, Scavullo and Penn, etc.) and  
today.
Portrait - Jorge Lewinski's Women of the 1960s, Bob Collins' studies  
of Artists at work in the 1970s, Yousuf Karsh, etc.
Take each photo category and compare.
Compare the popular photo rags of 1940's, 50's, 60's, to today's  
drivel versions.

Yes. There are some fine photographic publications. But they have  
become extremely narrow in their scope; which is fine; still  
wonderful to look at.

And of course fine work continues to be done by those with passion  
for the media, including a great many on this wonderful list. But  
where do we see their work in print (hat off and glass raised to  
Kyle)? Where is the market for "fine" photography in any particular  
field today? And what are their creative fees compared to 20, 30 or  
40 years ago?

Regards,
George Lottermoser
george@imagist.com



On Apr 4, 2007, at 3:40 PM, Ted Grant wrote:

> Quite simply put..............
> "Everyone with a digital camera has become the photographer of the  
> moment
> because we can get him/her for peanuts!" Or better..... "give them  
> a credit
> line!" Or...."we don't need to pay them because they love to see their
> pictures published!"
>
> But in reality it's this..... "Good photography doesn't happen  
> because you
> use a digital camera! It happens because you know what makes a good
> photograph!"
>
> Unfortunately the second rate bean counters and art director photo  
> editors
> know this, but they don't care because.... "Charlie the super whiz  
> on the
> PhotoShop machine can do wonders with anything and make it look  
> great!"
>
> And that folks along with the every body digi shooter so called  
> photographer
> combined with dumb ass editor art directors is why we're in this  
> situation!
>
> Put all that aside.....and I'd rather be a photojournalist doing  
> what I love
> with a passion, "documenting a situation!"