[Leica] Photos at Logan

[r.s.taylor at comcast.net (Richard S. Taylor)]

Dave - Your comments remind me of the classic argument among 
audiophiles regarding the "harsh" and "brittle" sound of CDs vs. 
vinyl and I think there's something to it.  The rougher approximation 
of reality by less than perfect media lets the listener/viewer bring 
something of themselves to the hearing/viewing of the art.

CDs have gotten better over the years and I know that one of the 
changes made was to add just a bit of noise, at the one-or two-bit 
level, to the recording process - to degrade the sense of cold 
perfection they were inducing, I suspect.

Charles Osgood usually signs off his broadcasts with "I'll see you on 
the radio."  When asked about it he said it came about when he asked 
his son whether radio of TV was better.  They had been listening to a 
radio drama.  The kid answered "Radio."  Why?  "Because the pictures 
are better."  Imagination plays a big role in our enjoyment of art.*

There are other factors.  Nostalgia for one, the tendency for certain 
kinds of old photos to become iconic, for another, but imagination is 
vital, I think.

Regards,

Dick
Boston MA

*Apologies if you've heard this one before.  It's a fairly familiar 
story in some quarters.


>I flew out of Logan yesterday. The photo exhibit in one of the terminal
>connection corridors was being changed. A collection of recent
>photographs was being replaced by an historical exhibition. The process
>was half completed.
>
>As I took a moment to look I was struck by several things. The recent
>images had a wide collection of frames and mattes. Some were good. Some
>were not good. The display method impacted each images positively and
>negatively. It reminded me that presentation is extremely important.
>
>The historical images lacked the technical quality of the recent images.
>For instance, highlight were blown out, shadow detail was lacking, and
>they didn't' have that crisp digital look. But, overall these
>"technically lacking" prints were far more powerful and interesting.
>
>All the historical images originated on film, I assume. The actual
>prints looked newly printed. I don't know if they were chemical or
>digital, but the blacks were exceptional. They were framed well,
>beautiful, and very engrossing.
>
>So much goes into making a good photograph. And it's easy to get
>distracted by the wrong things.
>
>Photography has changed over the years. Maybe it's not all for the
>better.
>
>Final note to self....I've been spending too much time looking at
>pictures on computers, and not enough time seeking out print
>exhibitions. There's nothing like viewing a good print.
>
>DaveR
>
>
>
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