----- Original Message -----
From: "William Robb" <[email protected]>
To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 12:12 PM
Subject: Re: Distance [was Re: V. Maier exhibition in London]
On 20/07/2011 9:57 AM, Christine Aguila wrote:
I suspect, in reality, he is talking about intellectual distance, not
physical distance, which is what Capa was talking about (and probably
what got him killed).
I find if I am not at least somewhat intellectually connected to my
subject, my pictures are complete crap rather than just mostly crap.
Writers establish what's called psychological distance between the work
and the reader primarily through point of view (language itself can
contribute to this)--1st, 2nd, 3rd person pov, and all the shades
thereof. Through what photographic technique does a photographer
minimize or maximize intellectual distance? Cheers, Christine
I don't really think it is so much of a photographic technique as an
operational technique.
That's a good distiction to make, Bill. Thanks!
As Paul mentioned, the subject being unaware of
the photographer is what works for him, and while I am by no means an
aficionado of street photography (quite the opposite in fact, I just don't
get much of it), I do know from my wedding photography days that I do get
different expressions from people when they are being posed compared to
when I am shooting pictures of the reception line.
I have an unenviable knack of catching people at their worst in candid
situations, making the most attractive people look like retards and the
plain people looking like retarded trolls.
Unfortunately, often my portraiture isn't much better.
We had a guy on the list here somewhat before your time named Shel
Belinkoff. I found his street work to be quite compelling, though he had
more of a knack for capturing pathos than anything else.
He described his method as engaging the subject until they were
comfortable with having a guy with a camera nearby and then he would snap
a few photos.
I've always found this image of his to be quite touching, and his
description below describes what was often his way of working:
http://pug.komkon.org/00apri/bobangel.html
Others will think it quite banal, overdone, or perhaps a bit too affected,
but there is no way he was keeping any sort of distance from his subjects.
At the same time, I see a lot of genuine emotion in the example given,
anyway.
I don't photograph street people because I don't think I would do it well,
and I don't feel comfortable doing it. Also, I often don't like the way
other photographers photograph street people, but I agree that in this
picture the expression of the subject is compelling.
Cheers, Christine
--
PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List
[email protected]
http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow
the directions.
