Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/01/15

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

Subject: [Leica] Ted Grant, one of 12 Leica Users
From: tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)
Date: Thu Jan 15 08:52:58 2009

Steve Barbour offered:

>> Subject: [Leica] Ted Grant, one of 12 Leica Users

 

I would never be so presumptuous as to review Ted Grant's images...but  

I do want to say something about them.

Ted is one of 12 Leica Users in the book, by that title, that just  

appeared. Ted's photo of the Sleeping Cowboy is on the cover, he leads  

off the book, and he offers five of his celebrated, famous images.

 

So this is a short appreciation of Ted's images... by an amateur, who  

is Ted's friend.

 

The first of Ted's five leica images... Sleeping Cowboy in Bunkhouse/ 

bw, cover and page 7...

he sleeps, his boots on, under a window with radiant beams of daylight  

entering a relatively dark room. The photo is shot across a bunk bed  

toward the cowboy, and a cowboy hat is lying in the foreground,  

right...prominent and illuminated. Other cowboys are seen distantly in  

the background, around a table.  A great image, tranquil and radiant.

 

The second image, very famous, is Prime Minister David Ben Gurion of  

Israel/bw...white hair, eyes sharp, serious, intently listening.

 

The third image, classic and playful, is Prime Minister Pierre Elliot  

Trudeau of Canada/bw, sliding down a banister, like a kid, arms  

outstretched, unusual to say the least for a great political leader.

 

The fourth image, a classic, is Wild Horses, Alberta , Canada/bw...  

racing across a dark horizon, under a dramatic sky highlighted by  

low, dramatic, fluffy  clouds.

 

The fifth, yet another famous image is Diver, Barcelona Olympics 1992/ 

color...  the diver, laid out, fully extended, form perfect and  

floating high, is seen isolated, against the buildings of Barcelona  

sprawling on the distant hillside.

 

Truly great stuff, a hard act to follow for the other 11  

photographers ...who do their very best to live up to this challenge,  

showing  many differing subjects and styles, doing an absolutely  

masterful job...

 

Altogether, a quite magical collection of great images...by 12 of our  

Leica photographers, edited beautifully by Geoff Hopkinson...

 

my sincere thoughts....many thanks,<<<<<<<<<<<<<

 

Hi Steve & Crew,

What can one say after accolades such as we read here today? "Humbled beyond
words!" quite frankly hardly describes ones feelings, but it's the only
expression I can think of. 

Other than to say, thank you with the greatest of appreciation for your most
kind words.

 

But in reality, the success of this book are the results of the 12, not one!
No question, it's always great to have a cover, be it a book produced as we
see here. Or the cover of one's own book.

I'm only one of twelve, no more no less. We are equal brother photographers
who had the very good fortune to be members of the family touched for copies
of our Leica photographs.

The end result is really the great efforts and time of Geoff Hopkinson. His
assembly of the 12 Users is what gives it the magic. The luck of the draw
resulted in positioning of our work as is the case in any group production.

No question, I'm extremely honoured to have the cover and the opening spot.
But as I've always said. "somebody was looking out for me the day I shot the
enclosed pictures. Just as now it was the luck of the draw.

To Geoff a huge thank you for a wonderful book and incredible production.
Too my 11 photo brothers.. "Man you guys are the best shooting brothers one
could have and I'm absolutely honoured to share space with you."   Until the
next time.

Cheers,

ted

 

 

 


Replies: Reply from kididdoc at cox.net (Steve Barbour) ([Leica] Ted Grant, one of 12 Leica Users)
Reply from images at comporium.net (Tina Manley) ([Leica] Ted Grant, one of 12 Leica Users)
In reply to: Message from kididdoc at cox.net (Steve Barbour) ([Leica] Ted Grant, one of 12 Leica Users)