[Leica] I really disagree with this policy

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

feli offered:
Subject: Re: [Leica] I really disagree with this policy


> I saw "War Photographer" a few while back. One thing I noticed is  that it
> appears
> that Nactwey doesn't seem to be shoot with anything longer than the
> 2.8/28-70
> or 2.8/24-70. Pretty much every other shooter in the film seemed to  have
> at least one camera
> with a 80-200. Quite often it looked like Nachtwey had a 1.4/35 or  24;
> sometimes even a plain
> 50 mounted. Given the circumstances this man shoots under and the  photos
> he produces, that is very close. <<<

Hi feli,
It's attitude, caring for another and getting away from the "long lens" 
look.

1967 in the 6 Day war and 1968 Viet Nam  the longest lens I used was a 90mm.
If ever there was a quote from Capa that influenced me some many years ago, 
it was.. "If your
pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough!" And so it was and is. 
That doesn't mean I don't use long glass obviously I do at sports events 
international or local.

What you do in war or disaster is ask yourself one question... "Would I want 
a camera stuck in my face under similar conditions?"

And if one is a relatively normal human being your answer is going to be 
something like... "Not on your life under these stinking conditions. And  If 
a photographer comes flashing in my face while I'm trying to comfort my wife 
or children I'll break his head with his camera!" So each shooter should 
consider the plight of others before sticking a camera in their face. 
Unfortunately many of the breed of today have no concept of what that means! 
:-(

Those who do not show compassion and understanding of others in distress and 
simply treat them like nothing but objects for pictures rather than 
suffering human beings, should be drawn & quartered slowly with a rusty 
razor blade!

Too many fly by night two bit people with cameras think they have the right 
to make exposures wherever they please regardless of the situation. And it's 
because of this type of flashing camera carrying moron that those of us who 
care about others while doing our photography get tarred by the same brush. 
Then we're refused access to places where we could record historical moments 
with nobody realizing we were taking pictures.

Quietly doing so with a Leica film camera.  I had to slip that in! ;-)

ted