Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/08/11

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Eugene Smith's problems
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Sun, 11 Aug 2002 14:40:26 -0400

While the various manipulations for which Smith is now known would be
verboten for photojournalists and documentary photographers today, we
shouldn't forget that he was working in a very different time - in a day
when many "candid" photos were posed - including those in Life photo
stories; and a day when Presidential sexual proclivities were well known to
the White House press corps and never reported. ;-)

B. D.

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of tm
Sent: Sunday, August 11, 2002 1:33 PM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: Re: [Leica] Eugene Smith's problems


There is a fascinating article in a supplemental magazine issue from the
publishers of Photo Techniques Magazine, "Mastering The Black & White Fine
Print" (special issue #11) about W. Eugene Smith that I highly recommend
reading. Besides discussing Smith's mental problems, it reveals how his
most-known prints/images were not straight prints; rather, via photographs
included in the article, the author of it reveals how Smith used darkroom
tricks to comlete a lot of his prints even though his fans never realized
(until this article) that this was so. One of the photos in the article
shows Smith with two Leica screwmount bodies and lenses around his neck. The
most surprising finds in this article for me were how he manipulated his
famous "Spanish Wak" print and his "Tomoko in her Bath" print to arrive at
the finished products. Having first seen both of these images in my youth, I
was shocked upon reading this article at what he had failed to communicate
to us about said manipulations, for I always assumed they were from original
negatives exposed by a fortunate photographer.  This does not mean I am
attempting to vilify him herein, however.

Terry


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