Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/24

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Great environmental portraitists
From: Mike Gardner <mikeg@neca.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999 07:52:36 -0500

At 12:00 AM 11/24/99 +0000, you wrote:
>Absent the flamethrowing, the current discussion of environmental
>portraiture, both in and of itself and also vis-a-vis photojournalism,
>is a topic that interests me far more than endless maundering about Ted
>Grant's underpants and similar techie asides, never mind tiresome talk
>about scotch, beer, watches, _et cet. ad naus._
>
>I can see both Dan's and Eric's points. Just for fun, I went to my
>library and pulled down some books (snipped)

One of the most wonderful books of environmental portraits I have ever seen
is a relatively unknown book that I picked up when the Leica Gallery used
to announce new books on this list.  It is called "Vanni Calanca and his
Leica".  Wonderful portraits of people in an old Italian town in their
homes and businesses.  All done with an affectionate eye without being
maudlin.  Calanca's most used lens is the 35mm with many taken with a 21mm.
 Even if this work had been done with a Holga it would be worth owning.
Color reproduction of his Kodachromes is rich and satisfying.  One might
normally think of black and white portraits in a study of this nature but
in this fellow's work the color becomes part of the tapestry defining his
subject.

Mike Gardner