Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/07/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]A-a-h-h the good old days I remember them well and fondly ;~) Fond regards, George george@imagist.com http://www.imagist.com http://www.imagist.com/blog http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist On Jul 12, 2008, at 6:52 PM, Ted Grant wrote: > It's too bad I can't find a story I wrote for one of the upcoming > books of > shooting on the "wild side!" :-) And I could just block, copy, > post! During > the 60's. Oh I'm so organized as you know, but it'll turn up one of > these > days. :-) > > But to offer a tiny bit of what it was like I'll try to give you an > idea of > a few of the assignment photo projects I worked on without a piece > of paper > in my pocket confirming whom I was shooting for. If there ever was a > question my answer was simple. "Please phone this number in Ottawa > and it > will be confirmed. Thank you!" Truth as I type this. no one ever > called, but > took me at my word! That's when the world of photo-realism and > believing > people was at its best. > > > > Chinatown, Vancouver BC Canada. two weeks average 18 hours a day > shooting > everything possible day after day and not one questioning comment. No > threats, no negativism at all! > > Hundreds of rolls of film. The Courts, hospitals, stores, street after > street of people and never a negative look nor word. > > Steel mill: Hamilton Ontario Canada. Walked in talked to the Public > information office. this is who I am and this is what I'd like to > do. "OK > Mr. Grant we'll do a walk around with you so you know where to go > and we'll > assign a mill attendant for safety, but the place is yours! Would > it be > possible to get a few snaps later?" Obviously the answer was > always. "For > sure!" > > A documentary on the automotive industry of Canada. a two month > assignment: > Ford, GM, Chrysler the whole works, plant after plant. Same open > space the > place is yours! Never a question nor complaint! > > Some of my first medical documentary assignments: . open hospitals > without > any problems. Not one single piece of paper or negative > questioning. It was > always positive. Damn it was such a beautiful simple caring society of > people! > > Laser weapon development. UK > > No problem. However in this case there was some diplomatic > organizing, but I > had the run of the place for a couple of weeks. > > Off shore oil exploration and in the far northwest Yukon areas of > Canada. No > releases, no "you can't go here or do that or show this!" Two > months day > after day everything that went on and not one person said no, > because it was > a documentary of their work and lives as rough necks in the Oil > Patch! Or > off shore exploration from ships. > > It was truly a time like no other when people trusted each other and > > to be a photojournalist documenting the lives in almost every > imaginable > avenue of life was incredible. > > The documentaries of subjects housed in the collection of my > 280,000 images > held in the National Archive vaults of Canada is an amazing > collection that > today would be extremely hard to repeat, if at all possible. > > It's a shame the trust has been lost due to probably many factions of > society to blame any one situation. > > But it is a shame as the societies of the future are the losers and > that is > a shame. > > This merely touches a few photo projects and I trust it gives you a > slight > look through the window of time at a world when it was simple, > honest and > caring. A beautiful time to be a photojournalist. God I loved it so!! > > > > ted > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information