Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/03/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]On Mar 23, 2009, at 5:24 AM, Jim Shulman wrote: > C'mon, everyone makes their own irony--sometimes it's single malt > and a > Leicastack, other times it's paying the two bucks to wear the stupid > outfit > (and pose accordingly.) <g>. > > When I was about twelve years old I tried to make a movie about the > degrading effects of poverty and greed. Filmed it in the backyard > with my > friends. At the first showing, the audience was on the floor > laughing--and > I had been totally serious. proves your main point...people are very often oblivious... they often just don't get it... Steve > Then I tried a film about the corrosive effects > of WWI propaganda. The same effect. > > Some people have a knack for flowers, others for historic buildings, > still > others for cute kids. I have a knack for getting weird and funny, > almost > irrespective of the occasion's original intent. Give me a pretentious > funeral, a pork products festival or a high society horse show, and > I'm in > my element. > > However, if I take a picture I'd like it to show someone interacting > with > their surroundings, or at least with the photographer. For > instance, at the > Philadelphia tattoo convention a few weeks ago I saw the following: > > A midget, covered with tattoos, had a birth defect so that his hands > were > attached directly to his shoulders. He was yelling at a security > guard (who > demanded to see his wrist band, proving a paid admission), "Fucking > wrist > band? Dude, I don't have a fucking wrist!" The guard admitted him > without > incident. > > Now, I've shared this story privately with a few LUGgers, who all > asked if I > had snapped a picture of the midget. I refused to do that, since I > didn't > want to just shoot him for the sake of getting a picture of someone > who > looked strange. He looks that way every day, without making an > effort (such > as wearing a special occasion t-shirt with wacky message, or posing, > or > whatever.) > > Then, of course, once I was home I realized the picture: he should > have > flipped me off. > > Warlord Jim > Wynnewood, PA > Who just shot several rolls over the past week or so, including a > scrapple > festival > > -----Original Message----- > From: lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net at leica-users.org > [mailto:lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net at leica-users.org] On Behalf Of > Marty > Deveney > Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 5:04 AM > To: Leica Users Group > Subject: Re: [Leica] Even more Adelaide photos from Brian's visit > > Very good - but it doesn't count if you make your own irony or > weirdness ;-) > > M > > On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 2:33 PM, Jim Shulman <jshul at comcast.net> > wrote: > >> Not just America: >> I also seemed to have good luck in China, Marty >> >> > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/focusit/the+great+shmuck+of+china.JPG.html >> >> Of course, I paid a fellow several yuan to push the shutter button >> on my >> M3. >> >> Jim Shulman >> Wynnewood, PA >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: lug-bounces+jshul=comcast.net at leica-users.org >> [mailto:lug-bounces+jshul <lug-bounces%2Bjshul>=comcast.net@ >> leica-users.org] On Behalf Of Marty >> Deveney >> Sent: Sunday, March 22, 2009 11:22 PM >> To: Leica Users Group >> Subject: Re: [Leica] Even more Adelaide photos from Brian's visit >> >> Ken's post is on-list, it's here: >> http://www.leica-users.org/v38/msg16385.html. I don't quite have >> the hang >> of GMail yet but I can tell the difference between a post and an >> off-list >> message - that's one thing the interface gets right. >> >> Steve asks a very on-topic question about the kind of photography >> people > do >> with their Leicas and Leica-like cameras. >> >> To me, Jim's photos are characterised by irony (in the true sense - >> where >> the literal and the actual implied meanings of the photographs are > opposite >> or fundamentally incongruent) and poking fun at western society. >> Anywhere >> where society is fundamentally different (as it is almost >> everywhere else >> in >> the world) a person doesn't have a sufficient context to poke the >> same > kind >> of fun. You can see this in my photos of Russia: >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene/Russia/ and Japan: >> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/freakscene/Japan/ which (to me) >> say more >> "this is really forgeign and that amkes it different" rather than >> "look at >> this weirdness". >> >> The side of life that many of Jim's photos point out as humorous are >> dependant on wealth and a relative lack of self-consciousness. The >> following examples are from my experience and might vary depending on > where >> you go in a given place. In Japan, for instance, people maintain a >> very >> careful public image most of the time, making these kinds of shots >> impossible. In a lot of parts of Scandinavia, almost everyone is >> very fit >> and attractive, removing one of Jim's obvious sources of humour. >> >> But more than anything, walker Evans' old nemesis, prosperity, >> removes a >> lot >> of the good-natured aspects of public life. People become more >> self-conscious, change how they act and look and take on a more >> serious >> general demeanour. This interferes with the kinds of scenes Jim >> captures. >> Adelaide is the least economically developed Australian mainland >> city of >> its >> size and in many ways its residents are very natural and lack >> self-consciousness. A lot of obviously incongruous things happen. I > doubt >> Jim would do very well in the middle of Sydney or Melbourne. >> >> Analysis is always personal; anyone who posts a themed body of work >> to the >> LuG gets a lot of attention and analysis from me. I don't always >> post >> about >> it, but I am always looking and thinking. >> >> Marty >> >> >> On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 9:14 AM, Steve Barbour <kididdoc at cox.net> >> wrote: >> >>> >>> On Mar 22, 2009, at 3:34 PM, Geoff Hopkinson wrote: >>> >>> Seems like Marty accidentally replied to the list about an off >>> list joke >>>> from Ken. Then Steve replied thinking also he was off-list! Whoops! >>>> Check the headers. You guys are in soo much trouble! >>>> >>> >>> hey, let's get back on track... >>> >>> regrets... >>> >>> mille fois... >>> >>> >>> Steve >>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- >>>> From: Steve Barbour <kididdoc at cox.net> >>>> Date: 2009/3/23 >>>> Subject: [Leica] Even more Adelaide photos from Brian's visit >>>> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Mar 22, 2009, at 4:37 AM, Marty Deveney wrote: >>>> >>>> No, but we're trying to get him to visit. There's plenty of >>>> fruitful >>>> areas >>>> around here for Jim's style of observation. >>>> >>>> a very interesting comment Marty, it really got me thinking. >>>> >>>> Is there a place in the world not fruitful for Jim's style of >> observation? >>>> Then I realized that it varies a lot...with some places much less >>>> fruitful...even in the civilized world. >>>> >>>> we don't have to get into that right now... >>>> >>>> but my very simplistic impression is that the very unfruitful >>>> areas > may >>>> be limited to third world parts of the globe... >>>> >>>> I wonder if that is seen by veteran travelers as an >>>> oversimplification, >>>> somehow unfair, >>>> >>>> >>>> Steve >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Marty >>>> >>>> On Sun, Mar 22, 2009 at 9:14 AM, Ken Carney <kcarney1 at cox.net> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>> My God that's an ugly dog :). Has Jim Shulman been to Adelaide? >>>> >>>> Ken >>>> >>>> >>> > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information