Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/03/02

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Subject: [Leica] Migrant father : sorry, this is the genuine text!
From: pdzwig at summaventures.com (Peter Dzwig)
Date: Sun, 02 Mar 2014 22:49:45 +0000
References: <DUB110-W36C711B9C4E4A21D73ACAF8D8C0@phx.gbl>

Jean-Michel,

I think it does compare with the Lange picture at the very least at the 
level of
a documentary photo of  a kid "eyeing an uncertain future". In Lange's photo
it's the mother and you don't see the children's faces. Here it's the child, 
and
you don't see the father's.

You can argue about the technical aspects of which is better until forever. 
But
it remains an excellent picture.

Peter

On 02/03/2014 16:51, Jean-Michel Mertz wrote:
> Thank you Philippe, Jayanand, Geoff, Luis, Dr Ted, Tina, Ric, Steve, 
> Douglas, Jay, Alan, Gerry, Peter, Jim, Nathan: I love your comments and 
> appreciation, thanks for looking and responding! Sure, when the picture 
> appeared on my screen in B&W (M8, summicron 35 asph. + lightroom + 
> silvereffex) I couldn't help thinking of Dorothea Lange's 1936 series - 
> the way the boy gazes into some vague and uncertain future, the dirt on 
> his face, the comforting presence / arms of his father, the focus on his 
> eyes ... I thought there was a slight similarity. Sorry to compare this to 
> someone as famous as D. Lange! The difference is that my picture is 
> absolutely spontaneous: this is a single picture of a single event! We met 
> this migrant family in the South of France, on our way to Albi - there are 
> still many such migrant families in Europe, traveling from place to place 
> in their mobile homes or trailers. There's indeed a fierce controversy as 
> to whether they should be asked to settle down or 
 
 tr
>  avel back to Romania, their country of origin, supposedly. Well, anyway, 
> our grand children played with their children and as things happen, we 
> started talking, etc. and then one child jumped into his dad's arms and I 
> grabbed my camera. That's the story. 
> True, the B&W brings about some pathos that wasn't there at all at the 
> start. Interesting thought about the way reality can be transformed once 
> the camera has caught the picture!
> 
> Jean-Michel
>  
> 
>                                         
> 
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> 

-- 

===========================================================
Dr Peter Dzwig                          



Replies: Reply from j2m46 at hotmail.fr (Jean-Michel Mertz) ([Leica] Migrant father - Peter D.)
In reply to: Message from j2m46 at hotmail.fr (Jean-Michel Mertz) ([Leica] Migrant father : sorry, this is the genuine text!)