Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/06/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I think Adam pretty much says it all. IF your pictures showed the use to which these people put their guns it would be much more enlightening, and perhaps more acceptable to those living in the more repressed societies of our world, where only the upper class or uber-rich are allowed to own guns. To see the guy or gal shooting skeet targets with their Browning Citoris would be more representative than simply having them stand in their living room holding the gun. Even the person who owns a gun simply for home protection probably takes it to a shooting range to familiarize themselves with its operation, and to learn the rudiments of actually firing it. A photo of that person shooting at a bad-guy silhouette at the target range gives the observer an idea of what the gun is for. Even assault rifles are used by many for formal target shooting, and such a photo is much more informative than the gun owner simply holding his gun while petting his dog in his home. For those not privileged to live in the USA, perhaps a photograph or two showing the rich American, shooting driven pheasants in Spain, side by side with the upper class Spanish landowner where all shooters are using finely crafted double barrel shotguns costing some twenty to fifty-thousand dollars each. Bottom line: there are as many reasons for owning a gun as there are people who do. Your photo essay should do more to show that aspect of gun ownership. I think the photos you have taken so far are just fodder for the gun-haters who would like nothing more than to point to your work and say "look at those sociopaths hugging their guns, lets rid the country of them." Regards, Paul Connet In a message dated 6/26/2006 5:15:10 PM Pacific Daylight Time, abridge@gmail.com writes: Kyle, It's a very homogeneous universe you portray and I can't seem to engage with it or feel that you have a sympathy with it. I have this strange reaction that it's like the cynical narcissistic "New Yorker"-style of fiction - obeservation with no compassion - just the need to look. If this is for a book then what's the point? Only pictures? An essay with them? What? Because I'd be VERY wary of participating - who knows what sort of editorial stance you're going to take - or your editor will take. "Boy, we can make these guys look like real rubes." I'm not saying YOU are saying that but I can't believe it doesn't run rampant through the minds of people you ask. In addition to being almost all white it's lacking in class breadth as well. The important thing, really, aren't the images, it's what you know about the people inside the photos - why they have these weapons, why they keep them, what it matters, why they chose to let you photograph them. I want to CONNECT with these people and I don't - the formalism in many - proper poses of people and pets - keeps me from engaging. Adam Bridge