maggieo
More Deadly
And you believe everything that is being told? The subject is not even having any eye contact with the photographer.... Besides, with or without the back story the image is exactly the same image. Nothing changes. No weaker, no stronger.
If making eye contact and show the subject this way "your shared humanity" means something, that is your individual, personal experience of shooting, but you can't make that to an universal law for all photographers.
I believe first-person accounts, taken from original documents and studied and confirmed by art historians and by Florence Owens Thompson herself.
You don't need to know the backstory. The image stands on its own.
But, if you're interested in how it was made and how it might improve your own photography, the backstory is very useful.
Lange made several photographs of Florence Owens Thompson, some of which had her looking at the camera.
I think you missed my point in your defensiveness. No one has made anything as ridiculous as a "universal law for all photographers." I'm just showing a way to be a better photographer and human being.
maggieo
More Deadly
I really like the first photo. I wish you'd gotten in closer in the second, so we could better see what effect the intervening two weeks had had on the fellow.
Thanks for sharing them.
maggieo
More Deadly
maggieo
More Deadly
I reckon folks might be interested in this:
http://100photos.time.com/photos/dorothea-lange-migrant-mother
http://100photos.time.com/photos/dorothea-lange-migrant-mother
airfrogusmc
Veteran
Worth a watch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXj9f3SC0CA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXj9f3SC0CA
lynnb
Veteran

Sydney. Could be anywhere. Rollei 35S HP5+ @iso800 in Fomadon LQN
lynnb
Veteran

Outside the State Library of NSW, Sydney, and a stone's throw from NSW Parliament House.
lynnb
Veteran

Begging at Town Hall, the busiest pedestrian precinct in Sydney. Tony Abbott was Prime Minister at the time. Nikon F80, Nikkor 50/1.8 AF-D, HP5+ in D76.
Taipei-metro
Veteran
Tim Murphy
Well-known
We see things differently and that's OK
We see things differently and that's OK
Dear airfrogusmc,
If it's OK with you I'm fine with saying let's just respectfully agree to disagree on this?
I can and do appreciate the power of photographs, but I do have a preferred type of photograph to view and pictures of the homeless are way low on that list.
If that makes me a bad fella I'm OK with that just as I am OK with you photographing whatever suits you.
To quote John Prine, "It's a big ol' Goofy world."
Regards,
Tim Murphy
Harrisburg, PA
We see things differently and that's OK
Tim, I think Bob also stated in a previous post and aluded to how important a body of work can become. But having said that those photographers also caught some of the same heat in their day that you are saying now and if they or the bigger cause had been swayed by those detractors and had not taken those images at the time we wouldn't have that record. I see a lot of things that I might not have taken but I would rather have it out there than to censor in any way or discourage anyone. Time has a way of sorting it all out and the cream in many cases will rise.
Liam I think exactly the same thing was said in the day about the FSA photographers and later Diane Arbus, Robert Frank etc.
In fact some would say what DeCarava said "You should be able to look at me and see my work. You should be able to look at my work and see me." - Roy DeCarava
So isn't the act of creating usually as much about the creator as it is about the creation? Adams once said something like a great photograph is an honest representation about how the photographer feels about the world.
Dear airfrogusmc,
If it's OK with you I'm fine with saying let's just respectfully agree to disagree on this?
I can and do appreciate the power of photographs, but I do have a preferred type of photograph to view and pictures of the homeless are way low on that list.
If that makes me a bad fella I'm OK with that just as I am OK with you photographing whatever suits you.
To quote John Prine, "It's a big ol' Goofy world."
Regards,
Tim Murphy
Harrisburg, PA
nomadia
Established
Dorthea Lange's famous and moving photograph of the migrant mother was made after Lange and her partner had spent some time speaking with her, learning her story and explaining their own work. They didn't treat her as an object nor as an abstract visual concept; she was treated as a fellow human being.
"Migrant Mother, Nipomo, California" by National Media Museum, on Flickr
Dorothea Lange is a great photographer, but apparently this isn't true. Lange didn't even know her name.
Taipei-metro
Veteran
sjones
Established
I'm sure if you met or knew Liam and the work he's produced, you'd reconsider your post.
Couldn’t this be said about anyone on this site, at least in the sense that there’s a a good chunk of blanket judgement about intent being spit out on this thread.
We’re talking about getting to actually know the homeless people, to elevate them above just being an exploited prop, and that’s fine.
But how about realizing that the photographers on this thread are not one dimensional objects either.
And just because some folks on here don’t have a friendly character witness to defend them doesn’t mean that they are, at least initially, not worthy of similar consideration.
bushwick1234
Well-known
Don't get me wrong, I am just trying to understand, not arguing or offending.I believe first-person accounts, taken from original documents and studied and confirmed by art historians and by Florence Owens Thompson herself.
You don't need to know the backstory. The image stands on its own.
But, if you're interested in how it was made and how it might improve your own photography, the backstory is very useful.
Lange made several photographs of Florence Owens Thompson, some of which had her looking at the camera.
I think you missed my point in your defensiveness. No one has made anything as ridiculous as a "universal law for all photographers." I'm just showing a way to be a better photographer and human being.
How the backstory of Lange's image improves other photographer's work?
Better human beings because you seek eye contact to your subject before shooting? Are you being romantic or just misleading us?
Where you guys make up those rules?
bushwick1234
Well-known
Pablito
coco frío
Dorothea Lange is a great photographer, but apparently this isn't true. Lange didn't even know her name.
Well, that's a simplification.
bushwick1234
Well-known
![]()
Begging at Town Hall, the busiest pedestrian precinct in Sydney. Tony Abbott was Prime Minister at the time. Nikon F80, Nikkor 50/1.8 AF-D, HP5+ in D76.
Well, since D. Lange was brought up into discussion, here clearly shows up the human condition...
bushwick1234
Well-known
Pablito means the migrant's name, of course.Well, that's a simplification.
airfrogusmc
Veteran
Dear airfrogusmc,
If it's OK with you I'm fine with saying let's just respectfully agree to disagree on this?
I can and do appreciate the power of photographs, but I do have a preferred type of photograph to view and pictures of the homeless are way low on that list.
If that makes me a bad fella I'm OK with that just as I am OK with you photographing whatever suits you.
To quote John Prine, "It's a big ol' Goofy world."
Regards,
Tim Murphy
Harrisburg, PA![]()
I never said that you were good, bad or anything. I just think we all have our own lines and shouldn't push our morals on others.
Pablito
coco frío
Pablito means the migrant's name, of course.
No, I simply meant what I said.
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