Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/10/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The only thing disturbing about the photos is that people who fear what they don't understand (in this case firearms) see gun owners as a crazy sort of people. For those of you here who like to make photographs, you'd be pleasantly surprised how good you are at shooting a firearm. The skills and training of your body that you use to make a photo are exactly the same as firing a gun. I ask you WHAT EXACTLY is the disturbing part of the book? You can't just say guns because that's sheer ignorance. There were only two or three photo sessions in this project that were actually a little bit unnerving. Not to worry though, because I handled the situation, making sure that safety was the first and foremost issue. If you have a real issue with the photos contained in Armed America, you can do several things: Don't look at them Don't buy the book Come shooting with Kyle and I This project has never been tackled in the way that Kyle is doing it. It's a study meant to bridge all political parties, showing that ownership of firearms is not a republican or libertarian issue, but an American one. Philip -----Original Message----- From: lug-bounces+photo.forrest=earthlink.net@leica-users.org [mailto:lug-bounces+photo.forrest=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Steve Barbour Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 1:50 PM To: Leica Users Group Subject: Re: [Leica] Dog wrangling - guns, kids, and saying "cheese" On Oct 19, 2006, at 9:58 AM, Jim Shulman wrote: > If anything, these pictures do NOT seem cute and harmless. > They can be very disturbing in their utter normality. (true Jim, as in "seem cute and harmless") > > Has anyone else ever documented gun owners as Kyle is doing now? "documented gun owners ".... really now Jim, that is not what Kyle is doing...he is photographing people who want to be photographed.... in the living room, with the wife , kids, dog, and semiautomatic weapons...at the invitation of a photographer who wants to sell a book... (we all do so.... sorry Kyle).... I see this in large part a creation, a fiction.. (good and bad)... selecting a few individuals who want five minutes of fame, quite possibly having nothing at all to do with the fictional entity... "documented gun owners"... analogous to a study of people and their nudity, based on people who want to get photographed in their living room naked... I am afraid that is a good part of the dynamics and psychopathology that is being celebrated and exploited here... and now I have said more than enough, but the photos are good, and they are obviously disturbing... Steve > Not to my knowledge. > He noted that a vast proportion of the US population owns guns and > considers > them a part of their home life. Yet, there must have been some > unspoken > taboo against showing this, as people would show off their doggies, > cute > kids, or macram? collections. Pictures like this just aren't taken or > shown. > I can't think of a better definition for art: it makes me consider the > commonplace in a wholly different manner. > > If he can sell it, all the more power to him. That means so many > other > people will be forced to consider the middle-class normality of gun > ownership, whether they approve of it or not. Personally, I'd > prefer far > stricter controls on access to guns, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't > consider the pervasive ownership and public affection for firearms. > > Jim Shulman > Bryn Mawr, PA > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net@leica-users.org > [mailto:lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of > Steve > Barbour > Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2006 12:32 PM > To: Leica Users Group > Subject: Re: [Leica] Dog wrangling - guns, kids, and saying "cheese" > > gosh Kyle... > > you are such a fine photographer.... why do you insist on taking a > tiny slice of the psychopathology that's out there, glorifying it... > and making it seem cute and harmless... > > is it only because you can sell it? > > > > Steve > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information _______________________________________________ Leica Users Group. See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information