Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/10/30

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: Standalone Still fotos
From: Martin Howard <howard.390@osu.edu>
Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2000 14:20:00 -0500

Roger Beamon jotted down the following:

> On 29 Oct 2000, Alan Hull wrote, at least in part:
>> Its the scale of the thing.  A still foto of a storm on the open
>> ocean looks like boating lake.  Honest.  A movie scene on the
>> other hand can do it justice especially with sound, good sound
>> that is.
> 
> Can't argue that a raging sea is perfect grist for the video mill,
> but I've seen traditional art that captivates a moment of it very
> well also. If traditional art can do it so can still photos.

I can argue ;)  Imagine a photograph taken of a sailor, on that boat, in the
middle of the storm.  Waves are crashing over the side of the boat, water
everywhere, the boat is pitched violently over onto one side, and the
sailor's hanging on for dear life, a harrowed, scared look on his face, and
he's looking *straight* *into* *the* *camera*, i.e., directly at the viewer.
That moment, frozen in time, the ability of the viewer to identify with the
person in the picture, and enough time to do so (compared to the movie)
leaves a more lasting impression.  Haunting, even.

M.

- -- 
Martin Howard                     |
Visiting Scholar, CSEL, OSU       |     "Life imitates email."
email: howard.390@osu.edu         |                -- Johnny Deadman
www: http://mvhoward.i.am/        +---------------------------------------