Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/05/23

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Subject: [Leica] IMG: yet more clouds stuff
From: hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (Geoff Hopkinson)
Date: Fri May 23 06:10:12 2008
References: <000001c8bcce$ac7df580$6b01a8c0@dadquad> <4836B860.2040805@tele2.fr>

Thanks Philippe, my irreverent French friend! No trouble with the school as
I had just finished shooting an unpaid assignment for them! I have done
volunteer work for 10 yrs there now. I still needed approval and
identification though, Sensible policy certainly if obviously redundant in
my circumstance. However, several little darlings approached me, and asked
if I was a photographer and could I take their pictures. I don't know these
particular young kids. I had to say that I could not, without talking to
their parents first.  Next week is even school photos week there. Simple
little happy folks and would have made a lovely pic. Society rules and
sensitivities really are messed up! Once I would have made some nice pics
and presented mums and dads with prints.

Headlines in Aus today, a photo exhibition by an accomplished photographer
was raided after a media outcry and 20 photos seized with charges to be
laid. Apparently some of the photos showed partly nude 13 yr olds (shot ten
yrs ago with consent of parents) amongst the landscapes and whatever.
Certainly not my cup of tea, but I am very uncomfortable seeing our Prime
Minister and a state premier joining a chorus that it can not possibly be
art and is sick. The nanny state grows stronger. Again, those particular
pictures are not something that I would want to take or particularly want to
see. But the media frenzy and political posturing is repugnant.
The photographer's name is Bill Henson if you want to form your own opinion.
Quoted from a newspaper opinion piece:
"In shades of an Australia from the 1960s, police raided an art gallery on
Thursday night. The police descended on the Roslyn Oxley Gallery in
Paddington, in Sydney?s eastern suburbs, just hours before the opening of an
exhibition by photographer Bill Henson. The exhibition shows photographs of
naked adolescents. Some of the photographs were taken more than 10 years
ago. Henson said the nudes were photographed in his Melbourne studio. The
models are about 13 years old. The children and their families had given
permission to be photographed. 

Bill Henson is an Australian photographic artist of world renown. His works
have been exhibited in the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Bibliotheque
Nationale in Paris, the Venice Biennale, and the National Galleries of
Victoria and New South Wales.
Henson?s works contemplate the relationships between nature and
civilization, often expressed through the spectrum of adolescence. 

The faces of his subjects are often blurred or partly shadowed and
positioned away from the audience."
Naturally the media coverage included examples of the offending photographs,
boosting circulations and web hit rates while decrying the horror. 

Incidentally the same Prime Minister just greatly raised the taxes on mixed
drinks "alcopop" since 'teen girls are abusing alcohol' In fact the
demographic is very different and now the same teen  folks can get higher
alcohol wine cooler cheaper or pour unknown quantities of spirits into coke
and drink that. Naturally the 3 billion dollar gain in tax revenue has
nothing to do with protecting the public's morals.


Cheers
Geoff
http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/e
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/
-----Original Message-----
Subject: Re: [Leica] IMG: yet more clouds stuff

Great shots Geoff, and wonderful clouds!

n? 3 is my favourite for the composition and rendition of the flowers, 
this even though it has a patch of unwanted light due to poor design and 
engineering of your lousy gear - erm, really nice shots Geoff, don't 
take offence. But you'll know me by now.
Both photographer and gear fared extremely well on those difficult light 
conditions. I sometimes wish I had the same you know.
Any trouble with the railwayman, thepostman or the police for shooting 
so close to a school ? I hope not. :-[
;-)
Amiti?s
Jealous Phx


Geoff Hopkinson wrote:

>Three new photos from my young son's school car park.
>
>Hey I should have put them in the monthly competition!
>
>Yes, more afternoon clouds and maybe Friday flowers.
>
>M8 Summicron 28 asph, Zeiss Ikon C Biogon 21
>
>Of interest is some pretty commendable performance from both Summicron and
>Biogon with the biggest specular highlight there is directly in the frame.

>
>Starts here:
>
>http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/image/97505803
>
>http://tinyurl.com/3hwh2h
>
>Cheers
>
>Geoff
>
>http://www.pbase.com/hoppyman/e
>
>http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/gh/
>




Replies: Reply from philippe.amard at tele2.fr (Philippe AMARD) ([Leica] IMG: yet more clouds stuff)
In reply to: Message from hoppyman at bigpond.net.au (Geoff Hopkinson) ([Leica] IMG: yet more clouds stuff)
Message from philippe.amard at tele2.fr (Philippe AMARD) ([Leica] IMG: yet more clouds stuff)