Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/12/08
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]My comment on sensitivity or not toward violence may not have been relevant to the train photo. It was just the first thing I thought of, a photographer and onlookers just watching and not attempting to help this guy, as if it might be more reality TV. I think the issue we have now, that distinguishes the past, is the continual immersion at early ages, such as first-person shooter games. End of preaching - now back to trying to figure out why my photos aren't as good as Salgado's, even though I also use a Canon DSLR. Maybe I have the wrong lenses... Ken -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+kcarney1=cox.net at leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+kcarney1=cox.net at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of George Lottermoser Sent: Saturday, December 08, 2012 2:01 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: Re: [Leica] Desensitization On Dec 8, 2012, at 1:39 PM, Lew Schwartz wrote: > I respectfully disagree, Leon. I have been thinking about this for > some time. The idea of desensitization is central to Susan Sontag's > criticism of Arbus' work and others, including numerous war > photographs and photos of atrocities. In my opinion, it's just plain > wrong. It is a nice sentiment we share among ourselves and our friends > that we are altruistic enough to intervene in such situations, yet, > most often, no one does. What seems to happen is that standers by, who > cannot tell whether the aggressor is justified or just crazy, retire > to a safe distance and watch. The photographer in this case did more > than anyone else, and, other motives aside, in so doing reminded us of > how isolated and indifferent we can all be to each other. > > On Sat, Dec 8, 2012 at 3:14 AM, Leon Pomeroy <drleonpomeroy at verizon.net>wrote: > >> This desensitization is real. It is dangerous. It is evolving decade >> after decade and on a massive scale in the absence of a >> "counterforce" of ________ Fill in the blank! I doubt that current "media" desensitizes any more than the arts and realities of the past. How long has it been that you could walk into a "church" and see the tortured and crucified bodies; either painted or sculpted in 3D? Humankind has been living with the atrocities of wars, inquisitions, slavery, lynchings, public executions, decapitations, plagues, famines, persecutions, ad nauseam for a very, very long time. 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