[Leica] "I'm an Endangered Species."

[tedgrant at shaw.ca (Ted Grant)]

OK Crew the posted efforts of the past few days have evoked many private and 
online "You've got to do a book responses!"

A blog or other suggestions that have given me a great deal of confidence 
just maybe there's a book after all and the first publisher was wrong in 
turning it down.



I thought this might be a kind of opening piece.



Now it's my turn to ask.   Comments and critiques?

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Real Photographers Shoot BW: some times colour.



Or   "I'm an Endangered Species."



        Why this book?  Well, I'm basically the sole survivor of Canadian

photojournalists from the 50's and '60's who's still shooting in 2006.

Many from that period have gone to the big dark room in the sky or just

retired to easy living in the country -- So, at 77 years of age, that makes

me an endangered species!



Some photojournalists disgruntled that time passed them by, long for the

good old days of photojournalistic rotogravure sections and picture

magazines we  no longer see published.  Oh sure there are magazines, but

they are the "one picture tell all" illustrations and rarely ever use more

than two pictures to a story.  No longer do we see 6 - 8 or 10 page spreads

of in-depth photography for a photo-essay on a single subject.



When my first picture was published in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper on

September 17, 1951, little did I know 56 years later I would still be

taking pictures with the same passion that started my career. Probably with

greater passion to-day realizing I'm quickly coming to the final frame on

the roll.



Photography has taken me to many countries around the world and given me

experiences that fall into "truth is stranger than fiction."  There have

been good, bad and ugly assignments, some successful others just a tiring

experience of frustration.



Would I change it?



Not really!  A few things though, more rest between assignments for one, but 
when

younger you are invincible and there are too many places to go and

things to shoot.  The telephone rings and even though you are dragging it

matters not when you hear, " Can you get a plane down to Bermuda in the

morning and meet our writer there?".  The adrenalin is pumping in seconds

and off you go like a filly in a race, "Tired? Not me I'm outta here!"



Not to become angry when the weather or some other situation is completely

beyond my control.  In reality I should have sat back, relaxed, had a drink

and just rolled with it.  I used to lose a lot of sleep over totally

uncontrollable things, but time tempers those feelings and to-day it's,

"what you can't control, you don't sweat"



The stories and anecdotes of the "times of Ted" will leave you wondering,

"is it possible for one photographer to have this many experiences?"

Honestly, yes it is and then some!



For me, time has never stood still since the taking of my first photograph

and hopefully it won't, until the last. And when asked, "When are you

going to quit or retire?"  I jokingly respond, "My retirement date  is

September 17, 2021."  That will be the 70th anniversary of my first

published picture and I'll only be 92! So that seems a reasonable time to

consider relaxing.



Now, if I can only get my body to agree to that date. . .



The book's open folks, come on in and start your odyssey through my world

as a photojournalist.







Ted Grant Photography Limited
1817 Feltham Road
Victoria BC  V8N 2A4
250-477-2156