Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/03/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]your observations all ring true enough. (with the possible exception of what I "LOOK like") ;~) with all that said it remains "our time" to photograph and good, solid documentary still photographers have to figure out how to do their work in "these times." further - defending the right to do the work is part of the work. Regards, George Lottermoser george at imagist.com http://www.imagist.com http://www.imagist.com/blog http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist On Mar 19, 2010, at 4:42 PM, Jeffery Smith wrote: > George, you LOOK like a photographer, not of the newspaper type or > of the paparazzi type, but like someone who takes photos for a > living. I think that defuses the situation a bit. If you looked > like Mickey Rourke, your presence might be more cause for concern. > > When looking a Winogrand's work from decades ago, I felt that he > was shooting on the street at a time when very few people were > carrying guns (legally or illegally), terrorism was not in the > dictionary, lawsuits were not such common fare, and taking a photo > of someone carrying a chimp would would not evoke fear that the > image would be sent to PETA. We really are living in a different > time now, and it constrains what we can do however good our > intentions. The Internet has had a huge influence as well. Very few > starlets have had a wardrobe malfunction that hasn't been plastered > all over the web, making many celebs camera shy. I take informal > photos (face shots) of every one of my students on day one of class > so I can quickly learn their names. Many students (really...many) > say "Oh no, you aren't going to post this on the web are you?". I > sense that people in general are more aware of how little privacy > they have compared to 20 or 30 years ago. HCB and Robert Capa were > shooting > in the street and one would never dream that a picture of the man > on the street would be seen anywhere. It would have to be in a book > or in a gallery. Only if it were newsworthy would it appear in a > paper or magazine. > > Scroll forward to today and literally everyone has a camera. Most > are cheap little digitals or cell phone cameras. Instead of > desensitizing the public to having their picture taken, it may be > having the opposite effect. I hate the idea of walking up to > someone to ask permission before taking their picture. Any > spontaneity and realism is immediately lost. So many of us shoot > first and ask questions later. And not everyone who just got their > picture taken is happy at all with that revelation. > > Jeffery > > > On Mar 19, 2010, at 4:24 PM, George Lottermoser wrote: > >> When I do documentary work, >> whether on the street or in other venues, >> I'm always aware of the disconnect >> between me as a photographer >> and the subject. >> >> As a photographer I'm looking for >> certain iconic events, light, moments, compositions; >> which ring true to my subjective view of life; >> as well as photographic intentions; >> with not very much concern for >> how the subject may wish to be "seen" >> or their subjective view of life in general. >> (And the subject rarely has any concept of, >> nor desire to understand, my "photographic intentions") >> >> The subject, of course, would like >> his or her image of themselves maintained; >> or even enhanced beyond their own self-image. >> >> How often have you heard, >> "that doesn't look like me." >> or >> "do I really look like that?" >> >> So often these issues of whether or not >> someone feels okay when a camera lens comes their way >> has to do with control; >> not only of how the photograph may be used; >> but also control over their own image of themselves. >> Very few people feel comfortable and confident about their "reality." >> >> Regards, >> George Lottermoser >> george at imagist.com >> http://www.imagist.com >> http://www.imagist.com/blog >> http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information