Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/01/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]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