Re: [Leica] sneak thief photographers!

[Peterson_Art@hq.navsea.navy.mil]

     Ted,
     
     There is something inconsistent in what you've written.  You say that 
     when photographers take people pictures, "being a 'gentleman of honour 
     with a camera'...[means having] the guts to stand and be counted when 
     they take their pictures," and you argue against taking photographs 
     "in a sneaky fashion towards unsuspecting subjects," which you assert 
     is "not being a photographer...[but] an out and out image thief by 
     gutless wonders!"  Yet, on the other hand, you write that "there are 
     all kinds of ways to 'making oneself invisble' and still capturing 
     satisfying photographs of human nature at play or work," and in later 
     posts, you (and others) have described some of those methods.  I can 
     see that there is a difference between what you advocate and what you 
     argue against (e.g., the camera is at your eye rather than hanging on 
     your chest with a wide angle lens); but I cannot see how methods of 
     "making oneself invisible"---which in one of your examples extends to 
     telling people, "I wasn't taking your picture," after you've "been 
     standing there shooting them"---are any the less taking pictures "in a 
     sneaky fashion towards unsuspecting subjects" or any the less being 
     "an...image thief."
     
     In addition, for a photographer to "stand and be counted" implies that 
     the subject is aware that he or she is being photographed, and someone 
     who is aware of being photographed may be a very different subject 
     indeed from one who is not. :)
     
     Art Peterson
     Alexandria, VA
     


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: [Leica] sneak thief photographers!
Author:  leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us at Internet 
Date:    12/1/98 6:00 PM
     
     
Arturo do not take this personally!:)  ted
     
I guess Arturo has an idea he wants to try, however it is completely 
against what I call being a "gentleman of honour with a camera."
     
If one doesn't have the guts to stand and be counted when they take their 
pictures, then they shouldn't be taking pictures!  Certainly not calling 
themselves "photojournalist nor photographer!"
     
I've read alot of this "street photographer/photography" thing over the 
past couple years and I always thought these guys were "cool shooters" with 
lots of guts. That was, until I discovered they walked around with their 
cameras hanging by their ass with wide angle lens attached and clicking the 
shutter hopefully at capturing something or other.
     
Or putting a wide angle lens on and walking about, sort of bodily aiming 
the camera in a sneaky fashion towards unsuspecting subjects. Then some of 
them having the audacity of raving about their "street pictures!"
     
Hell that's not being a photographer, that's just being an out and out 
iamge thief by gutless wonders!
     
I know I've made this point before, but if you are taking pictures on the 
street of people doing things, there are all kinds of ways to "making 
oneself invisble" and still capturing satisfying photographs of huamn 
nature at play or work.
     
But to go around and jury rig Leica's to expose film, please note I said 
"expose film," I didn't say "take photographs," Photographers take 
photographs. These others are merely manipulators of a box with light 
sensitive material!
     
It doesn't take any talent to walk about clicking in the general direction 
of a subject on the premise they'll have a great "street photograph" due to 
their talent as a photographer.  Heck we can train monkeys to walk about 
doing that!
     
You are either a straight shooting photographer with the balls to stand and 
be counted or you're a "sneak picture thief!"
     
Take your pick!  Me? I'm a straight shooter!
     
ted
     
Ted Grant
This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler. 
http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant