Camera Straps and Robert Capa

[ClaremontPhoto]

Latest camera strap thread: just three hours old and already 13 posts and 39 views, it looks like it will run and run.

Robert Capa thread: 48 hours old with 3 posts and just 72 views, and probably dead now.

What is it with people that they would rather read and write about how they carry a camera than about one of the great photographers?

I really don't get it.

This is no criticism at all of the camera strap thread in itself, but bewilderment at the way people prioritise where they click and what they respond to.

 

[Simon Larbalestier]

Jon

Perhaps it's because people feel they have something personal to contribute from their own experience, easier perhaps, rather than reponding to a great photographer's work - who BTW i greatly admire as i'm sure many others on this forum do.

Simon

 

[kvanderlaag]

I think Simon hit the nail on the head.

I'm not extensively familiar with Robert Capa's work, and not even close to a level where I could analyze it productively.

Conversely, I know about camera straps. I understand how they work, and why they do what they do.

Thus, I post a mini-novel on camera straps, and have nothing productive to contribute to discussion of Robert Capa, save for "He was neat."

 

[taffer]

Yep, I think they are right Jon.

Either that, or camera strap threads load a lot faster 🙄

 

[Simon Larbalestier]

Another point is on looking at the Robert Capa post i went straight to the Slate site and the Magnum link, both which seem to load much faster than RFF forum today. Hence no need to add a comment in that thread.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

It's the number of views disparity. People will read about camera straps but not read about a great photographer. Yes, posts are a different matter. Thank you.

Let's ask Jorge for a Camera Straps forum, bag people could use it too.

And maybe even as we speak Luigi Leicatime is planning his new 'Moleskine Slipcase'.

 

[remrf]

I was one who viewed the Capa post and went to several sites to look at his work. Thank you for posting the thread. I was familar only with the fallen soldier image from his extensive body of work. I have not been making many comments because the site has been very quirky of late as we all know.

And I couldn't care less about the strap on my or anyone else's camera so I ignore such threads.

But as a friend of mine once said,

"Whatever blows yer' hair back". 🙄

 

[Paul T.]

Well, I looked at this thread thinking there'd be something about Capa. and I can't find the original because the search function isn't working.

Actually, p/net is pretty good in that at least a few people are interested in photographers and photo culture, rather than just gear. But that's counterbalanced by the pretension and inferiority/superiority complexes on display.

 

[ClaremontPhoto]

Clicky> Slate Magnum and you'll see today's pictures. They change every day.

But in the right column you can see the past few days including Robert Capa.

 

[Flyfisher Tom]

Thanks for the tip Jon. Capa is one of my favorites.

In the others' defense, however, Robert Capa used camera straps too ;-)

 

[VinceC]

>>Robert Capa used camera straps too ;-)<<

Actually, he used an ever-ready case.

Capa used Contaxes instead of Leicas, so there is less interest among gear-oriented folks in examining his work for "glow" and optical perfection and what-not. For that matter, nobody pays all that much attention to Gene Smith, another Contax RF user. So we're left with the images themselves, no technical connection to them.

Leica enthusiasts have reduced Henri Cartier-Bresson to a ubiquitous HCB. Capa, Smith, Mydans, Duncan and the other seminal photojournalists who didn't exclusively use Leica are generally not studied in excruciating detail and kind of fall into a background whisper of greatness.

When I learned photography, I did it by studying a large number of very great (and not so great) images by lots of photographers. I frankly didn't give much attention to the camera used, though I did think through how I could achieve the same results with the cameras I had. Available-light photojournalists of the 1930s, 40s and 50s were using essentially the same equipment we are using, and they used it to solve all kinds of technical problems that we still encounter today in our seemingly ordinary lives. If you study Capa's work, I think that you're mucy better prepared to photograph your six-year-old's birthday party or a family reunion. There is the same display of raw emotions and subplots and social maneuvering. If you've seen great photojournalists' many portraits under less than ideal conditions, you're better prepared when a neighbor or relative stops by because everyone knows you're a shutterbug and can you please -- in the next 90 seconds -- take the best possible picture of my son/daughter?

 

[einolu]

Sorry if you are upset, I can't keep up with all these threads when RFF gives me a server error every few minutes. In fact, I thought this thread was going to talk about what camera straps robert capa used, and I thought to myself 'where would people get the scoop on that, a personal diary or something? Anyway I thought he used everready cases...' 😉.

People spend so much time talking about gear on the Forums because there is so much appreciation of photography already going on in the Gallery.

 

[back alley]

aren't you the same guy that wants to use disposable cameras for an easter shoot?

 

[rool]

Oh man! I thought I would finally know which camera strap Capa used......oh well....

 

[ch1]

But why would I care what camera strap Capa used?

Or, perhaps, why would I want to use the same?

Costume time, anyone? Am I supposed to dress up as Capa at next Fall's Halloween Party?

I presume Capa used the strap of the day that he liked the best!

I use whatever strap I find comfortable based on my weak neck, sloping shoulders and aching back!

 

[VinceC]

Looks like an ever-ready case to me.

 

[kmack]

I don't use no strap...

 

[ruben]

I love Photography gossip.

 

[VinceC]

If you want to channel you inner Capa, shoot with a Kiev. Same camara.

 

[matt fury]

I didn't read the thread in question because generally threads with that kind of topic aren't very interesting. Don't take it personally, but the thread in question proved to be no different.