[Leica] Re; Buying Leica

[lrzeitlin at aol.com (lrzeitlin at aol.com)]

 So Ted,


We're into speech censorship now. No one criticizes your right to 
pontificate on photographic matters so why should you criticize Chris for 
expressing his opinion. Leicas are not holy relics. They are optical, 
mechanical, and now electronic devices. You have a feeling for them, GOOD. 
But don't disparage someone else's different opinion. The LUG is an open 
forum. Not a church. I admit that Chris was not as deferential in his 
response to Tina as you might like but neither were you particularly politic 
in your response to him.


But I want to criticize Tina on another ground. She justifies her adherence 
to Leica equipment on the grounds of meeting the criteria for stock 
agencies. She should realize that stock agencies are the curse of working 
photographers. Every sale by a stock agency takes the bread out of the mouth 
of a working photographer who would otherwise be employed to take a similar 
picture. The availability of stock photos of almost every description is the 
justification of the mass layoffs of working photographers from newspapers 
and magazines. If you want to show how poor folk live in Guatemala, don't 
pay to send a photographer down there. Just buy one of Tina's photos from an 
agency. It will be much cheaper and the magazine will not be troubled by 
transportation or medical costs.


She can justify the purchase of a $7000 camera on the grounds that it makes 
her sale of pictures to stock agencies possible. But how does the laid off 
photographer from the Chicago Sun-Times explain not being able to afford 
milk for his children. Or for Chris for having to downplay a profession that 
he clearly loves to support his own family. Blame it on Tina?


The answer is not to criticize Chris for his attack on the LUG faith but to 
chastise Tina for her subversion of full photographic employment. And you 
Ted. You should be ashamed. Youv'e got yours. You were fully employed for 
years and received many honors for your work. Suppose many of your 250,000 
photos had been available from stock agencies. What then?


Don't boycott Leica. BOYCOTT STOCK AGENCIES. Photographers should maintain 
exclusive copyright to their pictures. One shutter click equals one 
publication right. Else photographers are dooming themselves to 
technological unemployment. I've seen it happen on newspapers, on TV, in 
college education, now in photography.


Larry Z