Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/30

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Subject: Re: [Leica] HCB Portaits
From: Chandos Michael Brown <cmbrow@mail.wm.edu>
Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 15:25:35 -0400

At 06:15 PM 9/30/1999 +0000, you wrote:
>Ok Chandos, that's hilarious!!  You win.
>
>I think you're right about spelling and punctuation, but you are talking 
>about someone's last name...a bit of a different story.  One's status of 
>"professional" might not mean much to you, but to me it means a whole lot.
>Being a professional entails a dedication to photography far beyond most 
>"hobbyists"(I hate that term) or amateurs.  These people depend on what 
>they do to put food on the table...quite a gutsy move, if you ask 
>me.  Their notariaty is centered upon their names, and as such, I think it 
>important to spell them correctly.  I'm not suggesting that proof-reading 
>and spell checking messages is necessary on the list, just that we should 
>be a little more careful about referencing individuals as we critique 
>their work.  By the way, I am not a professional.  However, I have a 
>tremendous respect for not only their technical competence, but also their 
>determination in doing what they love to make a living.
>
>Good luck with the Oatmeal and Jello.
>
>-Paul
>
>>From: Chandos Michael Brown <cmbrow@mail.wm.edu>
>>Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>>To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>>Subject: Re: [Leica] HCB Portaits
>>Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 12:51:23 -0400
>>
>>One of the oldest conventions of net-speak of which I am aware (and I first
>>logged on from the University of Illinois in 1973) is that typos, spelling,
>>and punctuation were off-bounds for public censure, but In fairness to
>>Leibovitz, I stand corrected.  I should have proof-read the message.
>>
>>I've never looked at a single of her photographs over the years (though
>>I've never particularly sought them out) that didn't strike me as facile
>>and synthetically droll--rather like the "brat-pack" fiction that emerged
>>from New York during the Reagan era, the trendy authors of which she
>>documented for glossy gossip rags. I admire the technical competence of the
>>work, but that's it.
>>
>>Henry Adams noted in his great history of the early republic one of its
>>most extraordinary transformations (paraphrasing here, but I'll supply a
>>page reference if you wish):  "In 1776, Americans debated the rights of
>>men.  In 1800, they haggled over the price of cotton."
>>
>>I should say that the line from Arbus to Leibovitz says as much about our
>>own time as Adams' apercu does of the period he seeks to describe.
>>
>>I'd say more, but I'm busy filling the tub with oatmeal so that I can burn
>>a few rolls on a portrait subject this afternoon.  The weather's made the
>>mudbath stuff easy over the past few days, but it's tough to get anything
>>*new* given all the TV coverage of the flood victims.  I've been thinking
>>about doing a series on my colleagues, hanging upside down from monkey
>>bars, but they haven't been very cooperative so far.  I guess that ever
>>since the lime-jello debacle, my reputation's been in trouble.  I *thought*
>>the stuff would wash out a lot easier than it does.  Boy, am I glad I only
>>do this stuff as a *hobby.*
>>
>>I'm not sure that one's status as a "professional" ought mean much to
>>anyone except the IRS.  Certainly in and of itself it earns no respect 
>>from me.
>>
>>Cheers,
>>
>>Chandos
>>
>>
>>
>>At 03:52 PM 9/30/1999 +0000, you wrote:
>>>It's Leibovitz.  If you're going to trash the woman's work, at least get
>>>her name right.  You might try looking at some of her early work, and
>>>perhaps add an addendum to your post saying that *some* of her work is
>>>"vacuous sterility."  I'm not a huge fan of her newer work either, but I
>>>think she's earned the respect as a professional to be referenced correctly.
>>>
>>>-Paul Klingaman
>>
>>
>>
>>Chandos Michael Brown
>>Assoc. Prof., History and American Studies
>>College of William and Mary
>>
>>http://www.wm.edu/CAS/ASP/faculty/brown
>
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Chandos Michael Brown
Assoc. Prof., History and American Studies
College of William and Mary

http://www.wm.edu/CAS/ASP/faculty/brown