[Leica] When in doubt ask photographer

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

Michiel Fokkema offered:
Subject: Re: [Leica] When in doubt ask photographer

 

>>I really do like her work.

I think it is very difficult in documentary photography not to be an 

influence.

One can clearly see this in the film "war photographer". in this film 

James Nachtwey is closely followed. He has a small video camera on his 

canon. One moment he wants to photograph a crying woman. Her son is 

making way for James and thus the photographer is interfering.<<<

Hi Michiel,

It depends where the photojournalist is shooting whether there's an
influence or not and subjects moving out of the way. As in the case of James
Nachtwey with the tiny video camera on top of the Canon it's understandable
the child would move. Big adult-little child.

But during the taping of the BRAVO-TV documentary about myself I had exactly
the same kind of little bitty video lens mounted in the hot shoe of an M6
with a recorder strapped around my waist. 

But I was shooting in a hospital operating room real time life moment and
nobody moved out of my way as the child in War Photographer. This is what I
mean about location and photographer's influence.

I must say it's interesting on screen to see what the tiny video image was
recording and what I shot with the M6. :-) Imagine the movements of the
medics and right at the bottom of the frame is the edge of a Noctilux. Then
one hears a "shutter click" and it dissolves to my still picture identical
to the colour video image, only in B&W! :-) 

I believe the influence created by the photographer depends on the ability
to move about without being felt or seen. As well as the action of the
subjects.

 

>>Just the fact that a photographer is there, the way things go are
changed.<<  

I don't believe that to be the case 100% of the time.

ted