[Leica] Photography WAS: De-lurking intro

[montoid at earthlink.net (Montie Talbert)]

Mark, I think the validity of your personal opinion here is questionable.

Her work is what it is.  It will, ultimately, go down as serious work
for the period or not.  Her motives, techniques, methods, and purpose
for putting images to film may never be fully known.  Personally, I don't
care.  I look at, evaluate, appreciate (or not) her images for what they
are, not for what I think they should have been had she printed more of
her own work etc. 

Montie


>>The collection of carefully printed images which represents out best work 
>>is
plenty of times not a result of our own darkroom work. But they are out
choices. And that takes lots of work lots of consideration.
The same people who somehow can't get themselves to spend any real time in
the darkroom are the same people who can't find themselves able to have a
custom print made. But buy and sell plenty of camera gear back and forth
none the less. The bottom line no interest in the photographic process. Only
the gear.

This Vivian Maier I google wiki and see she shot 100,000 photographs and
after her death they were curated by someone else.
Rolls and rolls of undeveloped film.
No that's a damn shame!

I knew a guy who shot contraction sites in Portland Oregon year after year.
Was a janitor. And had a room filled with undeveloped film when he died. Me
I'd call that psychotic. After he died did someone spend thousands
developing them? I'd guess not. Maybe they were great?!? Maybe not. If he
didn't care then I don't.

Vivian Maiers work is nice but had she gone through the full circle process
of seeing her results, editing, rating and printing or having the best ones
on her rolls printed as she shot them that kind of circular feed back would
have made her a far far better photographer. And she'd be much better known.
And I'd not have to look her up to find out who she and what her pictures
look like.
I also think the person who curated her work should get about as much credit
for the work as she did.
She took no responsibly for her work.
I have no respect for that.


--------------------
Mark William Rabiner