Re: [Leica] sneak thief photographers!

[AJSymi@aol.com]

Ted:

If you think I was going photograph just anything, you misunderstood.  For
that I would have to strap and F5 with 8fps to my ass. :-)  Regardless whether
the camera is to my eye or not, my eye is on the decisive moment.  It would
take one talented monkey to recognize that!

You made your point but I think you went overboard.  If you were to discount
all the pictures and the photographers that made them unobtrusively,
unknowingly, you would remove a big chunk of the history of
photography...forget HCB and forget those "gutless" invasive war
correspondents!!  (Natchtway and Carter in 1993, gutless theifs?  Stolen
images?  With consent?)  Sometimes capturing the emotion and gritty nature of
the real world is what gives a photograph its power.  Without that emotion,
what's left?  Stolen or otherwise?

I can think of more gentlemanly ways of determining who is a gentleman than
how he holds his camera.  However poetic, its nonsense.

I do not consider myself a "street photographer," although I have been know to
dabble in it from time to time.  Nor am I intent on defending all street
photographers, some of them border on voyeurism.  But new techniques can
produce different and sometimes a more natural expression of your
subjects...even your family and friends.

Ted, if we ever meet, I would like to take your picture with my M6 mounted on
top my head.  I hope you are taller than I  :-) !

Cheers and Kind Regards,
Arturo

- ---------------------------------------------------------------
<< I guess Arturo has an idea he wants to try, however it is completely
 against what I call being a "gentleman of honour with a camera."
 
 If one doesn't have the guts to stand and be counted when they take their
 pictures, then they shouldn't be taking pictures!  Certainly not calling
 themselves "photojournalist nor photographer!"
 
 I've read alot of this "street photographer/photography" thing over the
 past couple years and I always thought these guys were "cool shooters" with
 lots of guts. That was, until I discovered they walked around with their
 cameras hanging by their ass with wide angle lens attached and clicking the
 shutter hopefully at capturing something or other.
 
 Or putting a wide angle lens on and walking about, sort of bodily aiming
 the camera in a sneaky fashion towards unsuspecting subjects. Then some of
 them having the audacity of raving about their "street pictures!"
 
 Hell that's not being a photographer, that's just being an out and out
 iamge thief by gutless wonders!
 
 I know I've made this point before, but if you are taking pictures on the
 street of people doing things, there are all kinds of ways to "making
 oneself invisble" and still capturing satisfying photographs of huamn
 nature at play or work.
 
 But to go around and jury rig Leica's to expose film, please note I said
 "expose film," I didn't say "take photographs," Photographers take
 photographs. These others are merely manipulators of a box with light
 sensitive material!
 
 It doesn't take any talent to walk about clicking in the general direction
 of a subject on the premise they'll have a great "street photograph" due to
 their talent as a photographer.  Heck we can train monkeys to walk about
 doing that!
 
 You are either a straight shooting photographer with the balls to stand and
 be counted or you're a "sneak picture thief!"
 
 Take your pick!  Me? I'm a straight shooter! >>