[Leica] M magazine

[feli at creocollective.com (Feli di Giorgio)]

On Thu, 2004-08-19 at 14:48, Scott McLoughlin wrote:
> Ok, I'll rephrase in a more Hemmingway-esqe style of
> 6th-grade level journalistic prose.
> 
> I do hope to see "M" myself soon. I wonder why the
> images are as you describe?  It seems you are saying that the
> images selected for the "M" publication are not so squarely
> in a photo-journalistic style that we associate with Magnum.
> Why might this be? I wonder if the Magnum photographers
> themselves view these more artsy style photos you describe
> as their best work?  If so, I wonder what it is about the
> Magnum photographers that informs these value judgements?

I read the Magnum bio and it seems that for the last 25 years or
so the agency has been going through an internal struggle between 
two groups.

a) Journalists who don't consider themselves artists
b) Artists, but I think you could subdivide them between navel gazers 
   and the real thing.

I have a gut feeling that with the end of the 'golden age of
photojournalism" the artsy types are winning. Magnum also doesn't
seem to be as involved in current events like Reuters etc are.
I'm not sure how many Magnum shooter are lets say in Iraq, shooting
digital and uploading back home. I think a shift in business like that
would have a big impact on the mentality of the company.
But then again I don't know any of these people and could be completely
talking out of my hat.
;-)


feli