Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Hi, Barney - Of course I don't think that people shouldn't try. But try to be what, and try what? Yes, one has to be pretty hopeless in many ways not to be able to take a "decent" photograph. But I firmly believe that to go much beyond that one has to have some sort of inborn 'gift,' just as I believe that to be able to write well, play music well, paint well, one has to have a 'gift.' In photography, that 'gift' is an 'eye ' - no, I can't define any of this. No one I know of has HCB's 'eye.' So why try to be HCB? Study his work? Absolutely. Try to figure out what it is about it that makes it so special? Sure. Try to emulate that "specialness" in your own work? Sure. But given that most people think of HCB as a 'photo journalist,' or a documentary photographer, rather than as an 'art photographer,' how in (*)_*(_ are they going to even attempt to emulate him? ;-) I know, for example, that many people think very highly of HCB's portraits; I don't. I think that, as a body work, they are - with a few very obvious examples - his weakest work. Why? Because they required directly engaging with people, and I don't think that people particularly interested old Henri - I think he was far more interested in people's physical form, and the images he could create using their forms as compositional elements. I believe, that rather than trying to emulate our photographic 'heroes' - and we all have them - we have to get them out of our heads so that we can, as you so sagely observe, find our own voices. But beyond all that, I made my first comment in response to what I few as this nonsensical apparent belief that emulating HCB has something to do with equipment. Why is that nonsensical? Because if I believe that if he had been photographing during the last 20 years of his life, rather than drawing - and what does that tell you? - HCB would have been photographing with the latest M bodies and the latest Leica glass - and his images would have had a different look than his earlier images, shot with softer lenses, had. Best B. D. On 3/21/06 11:35 AM, "Barney Quinn" <bquinn@sgi.com> wrote: > > > B.D., > > I think that every artist - in any field - has to find his or her own > voice, > and I think that another way of thinking of learning to be a photographer, > a > writer, a musician, or an artist is that it as a journey toward finding > one's > own voice. Learning to take pictures in the style of HCB, write music in > the > style of Beethoven, or paint pictures that look like Monet is an useful > part > of the journey because it requires thinking about what you are perceiving > and > then working out how to use the various technical things available to you > so > that you can reproduce it. Beyond that I am wondering about the creative > value > of imitating the work of a great master. Imitation may be the sincerest > form > of flattery, but HCB was already there and already did that. > > I think that in one sense you are exactly right. I play the cello in my > secret > life. To play like Yo-Yo Ma or Pierre Fournier or any master you should > choose > to name probably really does require both that you be born with some > special > gifts, start your education while still quite young, and that you devote > hours > and hours and hours to learning your art. Fair enough. But, there's an > exclusionary implication to this arguement which I also think needs to be > put > on the table. That's this. The blunt truth is that most of us aren't born > with > the gifts to be virtuosi in any field. But, that doesn't mean that one > can't > learn. There are very few tone deaf people. There are very few people who, > if > they are motivated, can't learn to play the cello well enough to play in a > community orchestra, and there are some surprisingly good community > orchestras > around. There are very few people who, if they are willing to put in the > effort, can't learn to take decent photographs. > > I know that you didn't say that people can't learn, and I know that you > don't > believe that. I just wanted to say that just because most of us aren't born > with the special gifts of HCB doesn't mean that we shouldn't try. I am > under > no illusions about the absolute level of my abilities as either a cellist > or a > photographer. But, I think that the arts are of vital importance. I have no > idea why. It's just what I think. And, I think that learning to take > pictures, > write, play, whatever, is a wonderful journey and I think that each person > who > goes on that journey makes the world a better place in ways I cant' > explain. > And I definitly think that the world would be a much better place if more > people spent their time trying to learn to create rather then shooting at > each > other. > > Sorry, just felt like posting something this morning,. > > Barney > > > > > "B. D. Colen" wrote: > >> The only way to get photos "like HCB" has nothing to do with what lenses >> you have in a drawer, or what camera you use them on; it is to be born >> with >> his artistic ability and sensibility. HCB would have shot "like HCB no >> matter what equipment he had used, as long as that equipment had allowed >> him to realize his vision. I'd concentrate on developing the vision, not >> trying to ape the style. ;-) >> B. D. >> ___ >> Sent with SnapperMail >> www.snappermail.com >> >> ...... Original Message ....... >> On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 20:13:17 -0800 Richard <richard-lists@imagecraft.com> >> wrote: >> "Why not, we all have at least a Leica body or lens right? >> " >> "Most of us suffer from equipment-itis, you know, the urge to say, "If I >> "only have that XYZ, I can get that photo just like what's his name HCB!" >> I >> "contend that this is harder to do if you start the Leica obsession late >> so >> "you don't already have a drawer full of Elmars, Summicrons, etc. I mean >> if >> "the drawer already has a few ASPH 'luxes or 'crons of different focal >> "lengths, there aren't a whole lot of (logical) reasons to get anything >> else! >> " >> "Discuss,... or not. >> " >> "// richard (This email is for mailing lists. To reach me directly, please >> "use richard at imagecraft.com) >> " >> " >> "_______________________________________________ >> "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 > > -- > Barney Quinn, Jr. > (301) 688-1982 (O) > (240) 535-3036 (C) > (877) 220-0981 (P) > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information