Re: [Leica] Photo whores {was Life magazine} vs word herders

["Dan Post" <dwpost@email.msn.com>]

Eric,
In an earlier post I express the feeling that photographers catch a 'slice'
of time. While pondering some thoughts the other night, I recalled the
documentary where a scientist wanted a forensic anthropologist to show what
the living face of a mummy would have looked like, but with out unwrapping
or destroying the relic.
They solved the problem by using a CAT scan. Each of the images was like a
slice of the mummy, and the skull was very well defined. The anthropologist
used each image, and transferred it to a thin sheet of styrofoam, cut out to
the exact dimensions of that particular 'slice' of skull. When all these
sheets were stacked one upon the other, the anthropologist had a perfect
representation of the mummy's skull, and was therefore able to re-create the
face.
I would submit that a really good photographer is able to snap that slice
which best represents the whole. I would say that there is a tiny amount of
luck insofar as when the photographer snaps the shutter, but a huge factor
is the photographer's ability to seize on that moment. It is sort of like
Edison's answer when asked how he was able to invent so many things- he
stated that it was ten percent inspiration, and ninety percent perspiration.
No disrespect here, Eric, but no matter how good the photo, it falls on the
editor to pick the one representative 'slice'. You know as well as I that
there are many cases when the editor picks the entirely wrong moment. It may
have impact, pazazz, or whatever you want to call it, but it misses the mark
in helping a reader/viewer get a feel of the 'whole'. In psychological
terms, even an Eddie Adams would be a lot less effective without the editor
being able to pick the image with the Gestalt.
I know that images all too often are used to illustrate the 'word herders''
prose, but the overall best effect is if you have a capable photographer, an
astute editor, and a writer capable of fair representation.
Just a thought. Flame away! :)
BTW, do editors really use blue pencils, or is that another myth?
Dan'l