Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/01/07

[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]

Subject: [Leica] Re: December 2007 LUG Photo Contest results
From: kididdoc at cox.net (Steve Barbour)
Date: Mon Jan 7 08:52:46 2008
References: <200801070507.m0754Njo074027@server1.waverley.reid.org> <9B71CD0E-3A15-4565-AB65-6F7A47C46B6C@depaul.edu>

On Jan 7, 2008, at 9:25 AM, bob palmieri wrote:

> On Jan 6, 2008, at 11:07 PM, Steve Barbour wrote:
>
>> both my wife and I being  medical people, we felt a huge lump in our
>> throat as we discussed this and came to this caption...
>>
>> we were being staggeringly insensitive, but we felt that this image
>> says something quite different from the usual caring, both verb and
>> adjective...
>> we apologize, but feel justified in arriving at this spectacularly
>> unsympathetic conclusion...
>> we each (MD and RN) have been through many harrowing medical
>> situations, and possibly have a sixth sense, what we saw and reacted
>> to in your image,  you have described as caregiver fatigue...
>> seemingly not caring.
>> without being too analytic it's all there...
>>
>> as such it's an effective image in that it reveals a certain lack of
>> caring...distancing...lack of human emotional interaction,  imho.
>>
>> But, on the other hand, what I found amazingly revealing and moving  
>> in
>> your photo Bob,  the man's shoes on the floor are "backwords"...
>> this reminded me of John F Kennedy's  funeral,  seeing the boots in
>> the stirrups of the riderless horse turned backwords...
>>
>> such a small thing yet...
>>
>> in fact, after all the talk is done, maybe the right photo has won
>> recognition for "caring"...
>>
>>> One of the things we see in this is a certain "caregiver fatigue" -
>>> in fact a somewhat darker take on "caring" than one might normally
>>> shoot for in photos for this theme.
>>>
>>> And in fact, when Brian announced this theme I thought to myself
>>> "Well... why should any of us bother entering when it's clear that
>>> Steve's gonna have this one locked up.  In fact, we oughtta just
>>> give him an honorary win based on his previously posted body of
>>> work."  (Although then we'd hafta give one to Tina, too...) So I can
>>> see why you might be bugged to not have your name among the named.
>>
>> sure, I can handle that...
>>
>> I submitted this image...
>>
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/barbour/paw2008/care.jpg.html
>>
>> a mother, and her infant on life support...
>>
>> I'm proud of it...
>>
>>
>>
>> thanks for not being outraged at our scandalous subtitle...
>>
>> Steve
>
> (I know I said I'd shut up but...)
>
> Steve -
>
> Thanks for your revealing, heartfelt & detailed response to my  
> post.  In fact the two people in the snap are my wife's parents, and  
> Marianna has been tirelessly devoted to Rex's needs for quite some  
> time.

uh ohhhh... and I was afraid of that....so sorry Bob, but what we  
saw... allowed some sort of dark medical humor to overcome us...

> There's a good chance that some of the reason I shot when I did, at  
> an instant that appears to show a small crack in her armor was a  
> projection of my own feelings that I'm not sure I could be as  
> devoted in a similar situation.
>
> The thing with the shoes I didn't notice at all. A lucky catch.   
> However, this has some relevance to the part of the discussion about  
> the clutter in this shot, and to documentary photography in general.

this part I found very moving, almost brought me to tears...

> We'd all like to feel that we're quick enough to find the  
> significant elements in a scene and present them in a graphic &  
> efficient way within the frame.  In fact, I usually try to do this  
> kindof thing; the great majority of my shot show a bias towards  
> making things simple for the viewer by leaving "distracting"  
> elements out of the frame.

I believe I too tend to do this...

>  However, there's also the approach that  "I ain't quick enough (or  
> smart enough) to pick up on all the elements and find an angle that  
> gets in all the stuff I think contributes to the shot and leaves out  
> the rest so I'm gonna take in a lot of the environment and let the  
> viewers be more of the bosses of what they see."
>
> And in fact you and other viewers (Bill Larsen pointed out some  
> specific elements) found small things in the shot that have a story  
> to tell.
>
> So, I'm going to continue dabbling in this less control-freaky,  
> looser, more wideangle way of shooting certain subjects.
>
> And hope to continue to "get lucky" ...

of course you were not lucky at all... paradoxically your image now  
seems far better,  after all this talk...

I am more than glad that Brian encouraged it...as we need discussion  
of these images, both before and after the judges rule...

thanks,


Steve


>
>
> Bob Palmieri
>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information


Replies: Reply from ricc at mindspring.com (Ric Carter) ([Leica] Re: December 2007 LUG Photo Contest results)
Reply from images at comporium.net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] Re: December 2007 LUG Photo Contest results)
In reply to: Message from rpalmier at depaul.edu (bob palmieri) ([Leica] Re: December 2007 LUG Photo Contest results)