Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1998/11/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]>I wonder why there are these differences in photographic culture. One reason for the way many newspapers go is that photographers are not in charge of their own destinies. Word people make the decisions. They drop assignments on them at the last minute, thus the only way out of making a truthful picture is to do a portrait, because to do anything else would be set-up - thus deceptive to the reader. Photojournalists are some of the most honest people I know, with extremely high standards. That's because once our credibility is gone, that's is. And I know of lots of horror stories where that's not true. You won't find any more of them than on the National Press Photographer's List. We try to police our own profession, and to help each other out. But the bottom line is that word people, who are in control, are not committed to the high standards we want to live up to. And they have the power. Thus, so many of the inane newspapers that are gray, ugly, and uninspiring in their photo report. Not here. We have the highest standards we can imagine. And I will fire a photographer who would subvert those standards. And they are aware of that and in agreement. It means more work, and better planning, but it's worth it. Then, after all that, if they were all to use Leica, well, I don't think it would make much difference. But they might be happier because they'd have such user-friendly cameras. :-) (Just to stay on topic). - -- Eric Welch St. Joseph, MO http://www.ponyexpress.net/~ewelch They don't let my code go into shipping products," Bill Gates said. "They haven't done that for eight years.