[Leica] BD PAWS

[feli2 at earthlink.net (Feli)]

Very well said, Ted.

feli

On Apr 19, 2005, at 9:56 AM, Ted Grant wrote:

> It's obvious this topic is a hot spot for some folks, I suppose due to 
> changes of society values as much as anything. But more than likely  
> the unethical non-caring people with cameras who find down trodden as 
> easy target while unconscious or merely someone taking a nap.
>
> If we as photojournalists are on assignment to photograph... "Life 
> today as we see it."  Or some version of that without focusing on any 
> one subject. Then every motivating scene becomes part of telling and 
> showing that life story.
>
> But to break into the "life moment" to ask permission everytime, then 
> the scene becomes a false interpretation of reality, simply because 
> everything becomes a "posed picture" and not the "oh my gosh look at 
> that... click!" captured moment of real time.  And that pertains to 
> taking a picture of Donald Trump or the unfortunate human lying under 
> a pile of cardboard boxes.
>
> It means 99% of the time one would be asking permission, explaining 
> what the assignment is about, why, where it will be used, who, and the 
> questions become endless right down to "why do you want to take my 
> picture?"  You might get a couple of pictures, you might get accosted, 
> you might pay out a considerable amount of "here's a buck can I take 
> your picture?" Not one I ever did!  You might find yourself answering 
> a police officer's questioning because someone complained.
>
> Trust me, the questioning and ancillary actions totally destroy the 
> concept of... "Shooting real life as you find it" and the documentary 
> fashion is over. The moment is lost and destroyed because the shooter 
> broke into the scene that motivated he or she first!  And you might as 
> well sell your documenting cameras and move into a monastery!
>
> Quite frankly today it's just a miserable assed world out there 
> compared to 40 years ago or less when one would shoot 3, 4 months or 
> longer every single day to "document life in a city, town, country, 
> steel mills, medical scenes, life in all kinds of communities where 
> you just flowed along capturing true life moments of every 
> description. And without all the bull shit nonsense that we see talked 
> about in the posts of the past couple of days!
>
> And no, we did not take ADVANTAGE OF ANYTHING, ANIMAL OR HUMAN!
>
> We didn't go out to be cruel capturers of any one group of people, we 
> went out to capture the life of what the country was like and if that 
> took in the good, bad, ugly or evil it was what the country looked 
> like before us.  We had no agenda, it was photographing the life and 
> times before us, there were no directions other than "good luck, have 
> a good shoot and we'll see you in 3 months!"
>
> It's unfortunate times changed. For the better? Before you 
> answer...............................
>
> Just walk the streets of towns or cities today ( I don't mean during 
> your lunch hour) I mean starting at dawn and wrapping it after the sun 
> is down when you can't hardly take another step and ask yourself that 
> question. That is before you jump in and tell me it's much better! 
> Certainly in the life of those of us who are documentary 
> photojournalists!
>
> ted
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>
>
________________________________________________________
feli2@earthlink.net                     2 + 2 = 4                      
www.elanphotos.com