Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/04/18

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Subject: [Leica] More Than Enough
From: Afterswift <Afterswift@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 18 Apr 1998 23:56:45 EDT

On the one hand, I need more equipment to translate my vision into a picture.
On the other hand, I want to re-focus my energies on the seeing and vision
part, and pay less attention to equipment management. --John McLeod
<johnmcleod@worldnet.att.net>
(LUG)
- ----------------------------------------------------------
John,

An electron microscope, a 100" telescope are both camera accessories. Yet few
of us pack them for field work. An ad photographer needs a lot of equipment.
The point I'm making is that the normal physical human eye doesn't arrive with
such paraphernalia. The world it is meant to cope with is the one we usually
live in. 
If that's your environment as a photographer, then a single body and a single
lens will express your insights, because you share that world with your
viewers; you both meet on that common ground. 

Simplicity isn't reductionism. Open English is good writing. Plain photography
is good photography. Good writing and plain photography look easy. They should
appear that way to the viewer because he or she sees them as natural.
Nevermind that you struggled with that image from the moment you closed with
it in the viewfinder. That you sweated in the darkroom until the print turned
out right. That you instilled your entire life's effort into its preparation.

Successful art is one to one with the viewer. A Leica or Nikon or Canon with a
50mm lens may be all you need. In the perspective of your skill, it may be
more than enough.

Bob