First... John I'm glad that you saw that I wasn't trying to pick a fight. Merely working through some questions. On the same subject, Luis wrote: >There are no cliche'd subjects, only cliche' >approaches to them. I'll agree with this. Always avoid cliches like the plague. My complaint about John's review is that he called for originality in approach to the subject. I'm not sure that this was a helpful critique. Originality is exceedingly rare, a point that you help me to make. Luis goes on to say that: >It's not the subject, but what you do with it. Look >at what Weston did with peppers, a toilet, rocks on >Point Lobos....Bullock with a naked child in a >forest.....nudes in old cabins....Eggleston with >parked cars....Walker Evans with peeling >posters....Ernst Haas with snow.....E.J. Bellocq with >prostitutes....Alice Austen with vegetable >vendors....Martin Munkacsi with a running model on a >beach on a cold day....Diane Arbus (snipping)....ROy >DeCarava.....Helen Levitt ....Jan Groover....Sally >Mann....Minor White....Paul Strand....Ken Josephson >with a postcard....etc., etc., etc. Awfully high standards, Luis. These are artists with, in my terms, original vision. It's wonderful to have this kind of person around. One can't imagine photography without Evans any more than one can imagine jazz without Ellington. But there haven't been, aren't, and won't ever be many folks like this. Isn't it the case that most artists, the overwhelming majority of artists (the overwhelming majority in any field), aren't particularly original? Isn't it also true that quite a few do marvelous work anyway? Two photographers who come to mind, because I've been looking at their books recently, are David Plowden (Imprints) and Lauren Greenfield (Girl Culture). Neither is particularly original. That doesn't stop Plowden's combination of flawless technique, emotional restraint, empty rooms, vacant landscapes, and fading industries from moving me tremendously. That doesn't stop Girl Culture from being the happiest marriage of art, reportage, and (social) science I've ever encountered. The book will be a big deal. If not originality, then what? How about consummate craft, artistry, and passion put into the service of a distinctive vision. As for Kostas's photo, which started this discussion... Kostas is clearly developing his own voice. And the photo doesn't, in fact, strike me as particularly cliched. It also doesn't strike me as particulary compelling, in part because the craft isn't there. Part of the problem is your scanning, Kostas. Flatbeds are hard to work with, but you can make your blacks much smoother and deeper. The highlights are blown, which I think is probably an exposure problem. With richer blacks, more mid-tone detail, and detail in the highlights this photo will tell much more of a story than it does right now. --John ===== J. Mason, Charlottesville, Virginia New Pics, Greg Howard Band at Starr Hill Music Hall: http://www.greghoward.com/sights/stills/starrhill/ __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com
