RE: [Leica] quiet cameras in cathedrals?

[Greg Locke <locke@straylight.ca>]

At 09:48 AM 14/09/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Well, Kurt, while I certainly agree with you about the list's equipment/tech
>preoccupation, and I am a great admirer of Greg's work and generally agree
>with him, I tend to think Greg has gone a little too far here,

...who me? ... NEVER! :^)
You know how it is on these lists when you need to move a thread in a 
certain direction.

>  You don't need to do into the jungles of Brazil
>or Congo to photography the daily lives of families, interactions of their
>members, or their reglious rites and practices. If you don't want to do it
>in your own home, go next door....

         Well, BD, you raise a good point here and I certainly agree with you.
For a while now I have struggled with the question "why can't I do this in 
my home town?"

It actually took me YEARS to figure this out but this past year I have not 
travelled and spent a lot of time around home and have come to the 
following observations about "how I work".

1/ The nature of how I work tends to be that I submerge myself in the 
subject with total focus on the subject and task at hand. I need to "live 
it".  This is most likely a product of my academic training and the concept 
of "field work".  Yes, I know this is dysfunctional in "normal" social 
constructs.

2/ When you work in this model, "domestic issues" are very intrusive and 
distracting.
     Will I stay out all night to photograph these street people or will I 
go home and
     a/ paint the baby's room.
     b/ print those pix for Uncle Fred.
     c/ go pay the bills
     d/ pick up groceries.
     e/ visit Mom.
...and on and on and on and....

All worthy things that have to be done, BUT when I am on the road, working, 
I don't have to deal with it and can give full attention to producing pictures.

3/ There are MANY issues in Newfoundland that are worthy of news coverage 
and documentary attention.... but no one cares.  I have been doing what I 
can, when I can but there is no "commercial" value.
Thus it becomes a "hobby" I do after paying work and domestic chores.
There will be a book eventually but for now....

4/ I ENJOY and am interested in other people and cultures. I LOVE meeting 
other people and learning about how they lead their lives and why they are 
what they are. I WANT to learn about their beliefs and witness their 
births, deaths, weddings and

Soooo, I continue to do the majority of my work "overseas".
It is better paying, there is greater interest in the market, and I 
actually produce better work because of the lack of distraction by domestic 
issues.

I "go away" to work and I come home to relax and enjoy my family and home 
culture. Home is therapy for the stress of work (just like everyone else) 
because I know I don't have to "work" when I am home.

Again, these are just observations on how I approach documentary 
photography and my personal experience as to WHY I could never seem to do 
the same work in my home town.
It's not a defence or criticism, simply and understanding of the "work 
process".

Thanks for raising it. It's is a good point about what we choose to photograph.

Greg Locke                         St. John's, Newfoundland
locke@straylight.ca              http://www.straylight.ca/locke
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