Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/12/11

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Subject: [Leica] photographers treating people like senseless beasts
From: Kyle Cassidy <KCassidy@asc.upenn.edu>
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2003 20:19:44 -0500

the photographs that come to my mind when sam mentions people being treated
like "senseless beasts" or "exploited" as tina points out, are the people in
the agony of watching their houses burned down, or their loved ones shot on
the street that Weegee brought to life so well on the streets of new york.
they're hard for me to look at, certianly he didn't ask before he
photographed them, but went up into their faces, popped a flash bulb while
they screamed and cried, and then went and published it in a newspaper. now,
the people in the series in question the photographer says in the interview
were mostly friends. and, unlike weegee's anguished subjects, they signed
model releases. i think weegee had no formalized artistic statement, he just
knew a  gripping photo when he saw it. am i comparing weegee's photos to
these photos? no, but i am saying that exploitation and complete disregard
for the feelings of your subjects does not make pornography. it sometimes
makes good photos.

kc
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