Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/01

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Documentary Photography 2003
From: Alastair Firkin <firkin@ncable.net.au>
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2003 06:38:05 +1000

Tina,
I suspect a woman doing what George did would  not  face the same 
problem, or has it gone even that far !!


On Wednesday, Jul 2, 2003, at 05:03 Australia/Melbourne, Tina Manley 
wrote:

> At 01:18 PM 7/1/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>
>>         No longer will we see images of these spontaneous activities 
>> in their reality where a group of children composed of all skin 
>> shades and ethnicity, rich and poor, play together in reality. We’ll 
>> have to rely on the stock subject photographers, who will rent the 
>> fountain, pay the kids parents and give you that bland crap that 
>> appears in every stock shop catalog; plastic overworked smiles, too 
>> perfect lighting, costumes courtesy of the gap in over saturated 
>> color.
>>         At some point in this 3-hour ordeal I thought, "It’s time to 
>> sell all the gear. Documentary Photography has died when you have to 
>> rent the cypress tree, and get detained by rent-a-cops for 
>> photographing children playing in water in the summer sun set.
>>
>> Fond regards,
>>
>> G e o r g e   L o t t e r m o s e r,    imagist™
>
> You are right, George.  This is big problem and something is going to 
> have to be done.  In the meantime, I make my documentary photographs 
> in places like Honduras - which is like going back in time about 100 
> years to a more innocent time when people still trust each other and 
> feel flattered and not threatened to have their photos made.  It also 
> helps that I'm a harmless looking grandmother.
>
> Your experience was horrible but it sounds typical of a lot of stories 
> that I've heard on the press-photographers list.  Next time, have some 
> business cards that identify you as a photographer and carry a small 
> portfolio to show nervous parents that you are a harmless documentary 
> photographer.  Offer to send prints.   Make a large badge identifying 
> yourself as a professional photographer.  The more identification you 
> carry, the better.  At least the police officer reaffirmed that you 
> have every right to photograph in a public place.  The press 
> photographers have been harassed and intimidated by police for 
> photographing in public places.  They usually have to go to a higher 
> officer who knows the law.  By that time, any photograph they wanted 
> to make is gone.  Combine the frustration with the low pay, 
> competition, and royalty-free photographs and it's a terrible time to 
> be a freelance photographer!
>
> Tina
>
> Tina Manley, ASMP
> http://www.tinamanley.com
>
> photos available from:
> http://www.pdiphotos.com
> http://www.mira.com
> http://www.agpix.com
> http://www.newscom.com
>
>
>
>
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>
>
Alastair

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