[LargeFormat] Photography as art? And philosophy?

[john frost]

See? Unkle Dick knew it was a safe offer...
Now, a cold root beer...... hmmmm, better not go there.

john (:>)

Karl Wolz wrote:
> 
> P-s-s-s-t.  Uncle Dick,
> 
> The folks around Provo don't drink much tea - nor coffee - not likely to
> bend an elbow in a bar either.  It's a religious thing.  Sorta like an
> Aussie NOT drinking beer.
> 
> Karl Wolz
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: largeformat-admin@f32.net [mailto:largeformat-admin@f32.net] On
> Behalf Of rstein
> Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2002 5:55 PM
> To: largeformat@f32.net
> Subject: Re: [LargeFormat] Photography as art? And philosophy?
> 
> Dear Andrew,
> 
>      Middle aged dentist here again. Dust is bad this
> morning....kangaroos
> got the cat....camel for lunch...mmmmmm, camel.....
> 
>     Back to art. You will take good pictures if you love the subject.
> You
> will take good pictures if you hate the subject. You will take bad
> pictures
> if you don't care about the subject.
> 
>     You will take bad pictures if you are contemptuous of the subject -
> I
> remember reading a passage from John Cato's book I CAN TAKE IT - an
> Australian photographer's autobiography - where he describes doing
> figure
> and nude work in Great Britain in the 40's or 50's. He is very
> dismissive of
> the sitters and their husbands - it was work done for private pride -
> and
> his attitude is not based upon any moral grounds. It is mere complaint
> that
> the ladies are not great beauties. One wonders if snobbery is available
> as
> an adjustment on the side of a whole-plate view camera.
> 
>     You will take good pictures if you occasionally let the subject take
> the
> picture. Just follow on and press the button and never mind the waste of
> a
> frame. There is always more film and the idea that drove the sitter to
> cup
> his chin or turn away from the hair light will drive him again to hit
> just
> the perfect position to reveal the inner beauty/ strenght.
> 
>      Be aware that you will sometimes get to see the inner workings of
> the
> person - and I don't mean just a glimpse through the underwear.
> Sometimes
> people open up their souls to a Schneider lens when they wouldn't let
> out a
> peep in conversation. Sometimes they clam up visually and nothing will
> penetrate the shell. Sometimes you glimpse down deep in their soul and
> there
> is nothing there....
> 
>     Andrew, do you have a camera? Do you take pictures? What pictures do
> you
> take? Our turn to ask questions - you sound like an interesting person
> and
> we want to know. You never can tell - we might show up there at Provo
> and
> take you out to tea. Or stay for a month.
> 
>      Uncle Dick
> 
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