Does anybody besides me think Ralph Gibson's "Leica Picture of the Year"...

[ptpdprinter]

Looks like he used a 135 APO-Telyt-M for the shot - for a little compression à la Saul Leiter? Interesting that the model number and s/n are missing from hot-shoe frame. Perhaps an early R&D model or it was digitally obscured for privacy?

It's an M11. For the seashell/seersucker shot, he is using the electronic viewfinder which slides in the hotshoe, You know, he is triangulating...oh wait, that's when he's using the rangefinder. Maybe when he uses the electronic viewfinder he is biangulating or something since he can't see outside the frame. I guess when you have made as many great pictures as he has, you can get away with saying stuff like that. If it were a video of me saying that, everybody would involuntarily spit their coffee all over their laptop screen. And I could swear he was chimping.

Anybody find his guitar noodling menacing? It was sort of like the opening of an episode of The Twilight Zone:

"You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into… the Twilight Zone."

The next thing that appears on screen is Ralph Gibson walking along the dock with his pant legs rolled up taking pictures of boats with his new Leica.

Speaking of boats:

“As photographers, we are only as good as our next photograph. In this sense we are all in the same boat, however, I have been in the boat for a longer time…”- Ralph Gibson

I certainly agree with the first first sentence.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

Well, as a noun photo and picture can be synonymous. As a verb, telling someone to photograph this means something different than telling someone to picture this.

One of the Band had a camera. So it would have been funny if she had said "Photograph this" and he did. Looks like a Canonet with the pop-up flash.

 

[icebear]

You know that moment when you see a master at work, when it all seems so easy?
And the results, almost laughable... like your grandma could do better?

And then you try... and can never come close?

Well, that’s when the Master owns you in his little backpocket.

^^^THIS +2


Obviously no one has to agree on a chosen picture or like it. No one is forced to fork out the asking price for a signed print if he/she doesn't like it.
Being jealous about the Artist (yes that's a capital A on purpose!) reaping in some money based on 5+ decade long career that's kind of lame.

The photographer has a life of experiences up to the point he pressed the shutter to take that particular image.
The viewer has a different set of experiences. It would be exceptionally rare if both perfectly match up, you should quickly buy a lottery ticket ...

In the video link on the background how the chosen picture was taken, Ralph explains that he tried to never think about the viewer when he takes a photograph.
Perhaps that somewhat transpires in his images and some viewers get pi..ed.
So what, life is not a pony ranch. Take a look at something else.


PS: I took part in a 4 day workshop with Ralph in 2017 and I paid for it an arm and a leg.
It was the best way I've ever spent money on anything.

 

[Godfrey]

Eh? Not one of my favorites. But I like it for what it is.
I don't really follow Ralph Gibson very much.

G

 

[robert blu]

...

Obviously no one has to agree on a chosen picture or like it. No one is forced to fork out the asking price for a signed print if he/she doesn't like it.
Being jealous about the Artist (yes that's a capital A on purpose!) reaping in some money based on 5+ decade long career that's kind of lame.

The photographer has a life of experiences up to the point he pressed the shutter to take that particular image.
The viewer has a different set of experiences. It would be exceptionally rare if both perfectly match up, you should quickly buy a lottery ticket ...

...

100 % agree !

 

[olakiril]

The photographer has a life of experiences up to the point he pressed the shutter to take that particular image.
The viewer has a different set of experiences. It would be exceptionally rare if both perfectly match up, you should quickly buy a lottery ticket ...

I agree completely.

Also after watching the video it seems as a Leica promo for that new visoflex to me, which puts new life into that rarely used-not often bought long Leica glass.