Ahh! I have visions of a "pepper gallery" competition. The many
protagonists involved in this discussion will photograph bell peppers
purchased at their local market, and submit their best efforts to be
critiqued and judged by Bob Maxey and each other. To make the
competition fair, they will have to agree to use the same type of
camera. I would suggest Brownies or an 11X14 equipped with a
Hypergon lens, but all may not have access to them so a popular one-
time use camera should suffice.
Andy could easily set this up and serve as a second to the winner in
the duels that will surely follow.
Roger
Roger Eichhorn
eichhorn@xxxxxx
On 6 Feb 2006, at 18:37, Don Roberts wrote:
Elson, don't for a minute consider yourself ignorant or a failure
because you don't see much in Weston's peppers. I have been
involved in photography as a livelihood and and a personal
compulsion for over 50 years and I never saw much in those photos
either except as an exercise in lighting. The only thing in this
thread that amazes me is that so many intelligent, experienced
photographers seem to be reluctant to admit that there are many
different kinds of photography besides what drives them and many
different preferences in visual {and other) forms. Too many here
make the assumption that art drives the photo bus, or scenics, or
science, or self exploration. The truth, and you all know it, is
that there are many equally valid uses and applications for any
form of human endeavor. Get your heads out of your respective body
parts and read what people are saying and take a little time to
think before you leap screaming into the fray. My friends and I
often recommend movies, plays, books or music to each other and
then ask what the other person thought. If they don't share our
enthusiasm, that's okay. They are not me; I am not them. It would
be a hell of a boring world if we all liked the same things and
thought alike. But that's my viewpoint. You are not me. If you
prefer to scream and shout and run about, feel free. I just get
tired of seeing ill considered opinions and misinterpretations
blown into tirades about photographic heresies. This seems to be
becoming an increasingly contentious age so perhaps we are all
victims of the times. Sad thought.
Don Roberts
Elson T. Elizaga wrote:
Forgive my ignorance and my failure to see. I'm astonished about
my comment myself. Sometimes I share with other photographers the
same or similar reaction to an admired photograph -- such as
"Afghan Girl" by Steve McCurry -- sometimes I don't. In my place,
I sometimes find myself watching a movie, such as "Mystic
River" (and recently "Beautiful Boxer"), and discovered only less
than people with me. But I love these films. I've just been
watching "Seven Samurai" and "Hidden Fortress" by Akira Kurosawa
(who else?), but I'm not moved -- perhaps, not yet -- by Weston's
"Pepper".
I've read some articles about the photograph. But then, it's a
photograph, it's supposed to strike us by its being a photograph,
not by the volumes of text about it, right?
lookaround360@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Elson,
I am astonished by your comment. If you are seriously
interested in
photography look at a lot of it and read what is being said about
it. I
just saw a magnificent Weston exhibit and even after decades of
seeing
his prints (the real prints) I was deeply moved by there clarity of
intent and perfection. Perhaps because he is one of the most
imitated
photographers along with Adams his work may not seem special to you.
I am not bashing Elson,
AZ
Build a Lookaround!
The Lookaround Book, 4Th ed.
Now an E-book.
http://www.panoramacamera.us
--
On the whole, human beings want to be good, but not too good, and
not quite all the time.
George Orwell
