Re: [Leica] Rocks & photographers

[Ted <tedgrant@home.com>]

Emanuel Lowi wrote:

> >>>>>>>>>I photographed the Israeli withdrawal from populated areas on the Gaza Strip
> in 1993,
> for Black Star, with my Leicas (to keep things OT), and it was obvious that numerous
> incidents of rock throwing, flag burning (Israeli and U.S.), processions of
> fatigue-cloaked gangs carrying Korans and chanting "Death to the Jews" were staged
> for the benefit and the delight of the assembled bovine photojournalists there.
>
> You'd hear the night before that you should be in such-and-such a place the next day
> at 10:00 and presto! just line up and click away. After we were done, everybody would
> go home, me with my Leicas (OT) to stay with a Palestinian family in Rafah, right by
> the border with Egypt.<<<<<<<<<

Hi Emanuel,

Regarding the "media announcement"  the evening before. Did Black Star or some other
"news agency" organize the next day demonstration?  Or were you just made aware a
demonstration was happening and it was your choice whether to go or not?  Or was this the
usual before it happens announcement by the demonstrating group leaders to assure media
coverage happened?

I would think even in Montreal when a group are holding a demonstration the media are
made aware of it sometime before the day it happens. Is this correct?

This announcing is merely the way that the group, whomever that might be, assures there
will be lots of "bovine photographers" on hand to help their cause. And once again the
photographers get the blame for being there shooting the usual rock throwing which they
didn't create. Covering these events isn't created by the photographers, it's covered by
the photographers. Let's not forget that tiny bit of information folks!

I suppose if there wasn't any rock throwing or other acts of violence, you'd have pretty
boring pictures of the withdrawal. Hardly worth covering the thing if there wasn't some
form of action going on. Right?

Like, if nothing happens, (read boring,) there wouldn't be any "bovine photographers"
there. On top of that, News Agencies do not pay their photographers to cover boring, no
action events half way across the world!

ted