Leica M Monochrom: best pics

airfrogusmc said:
Sometimes documentary work is a miror of society. You just turned your camera on what you saw. And these type of racial attitudes are still alive and well today unfortunatly. I'm glad it wasn't pulled. Great work Vince. .
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I always enjoy looking at new posts on this thread, trying to discern for myself if there is, or isn’t, anything special about M Monochroms. Impossible to tell from web photos, but I do enjoy images posted here, while trying to avoid the temptation of buying another redundant camera.

As someone who grew up in “The West”, however, and deeply influenced by the character of the place, I must note that there is pretty much zero possibility that the body hanging from the fence gate has anything remotely to so with “racial attitudes”, or anything of the sort. It’s not sinister, it’s an old gag. It’s a reference to cattle rustlers, horse thieves, and trespassers, not blacks in Alabama. It’s in the same vein as signage you can still buy out here saying “This property protected by Smith and Wesson”. It’s a joke about local cultural heritage. Nobody’s going to hang or shoot you if you go through the gate. Probably.

But, different reactions to the photo do highlight the fact that what we see in a photo, or any work of art, has as much, or more, to do with the predispositions we bring to it as what is actually in the photo.

Nice work, Vince. Looking forward to more. Your perspective on the West is different from mine, as someone who has lived it, and loved it, and I enjoy seeing yours.
 
Larry Cloetta said:
I always enjoy looking at new posts on this thread, trying to discern for myself if there is, or isn’t, anything special about M Monochroms. Impossible to tell from web photos, but I do enjoy images posted here, while trying to avoid the temptation of buying another redundant camera.

As someone who grew up in “The West”, however, and deeply influenced by the character of the place, I must note that there is pretty much zero possibility that the body hanging from the fence gate has anything remotely to so with “racial attitudes”, or anything of the sort. It’s not sinister, it’s an old gag. It’s a reference to cattle rustlers, horse thieves, and trespassers, not blacks in Alabama. It’s in the same vein as signage you can still buy out here saying “This property protected by Smith and Wesson”. It’s a joke about local cultural heritage. Nobody’s going to hang or shoot you if you go through the gate. Probably.

But, different reactions to the photo do highlight the fact that what we see in a photo, or any work of art, has as much, or more, to do with the predispositions we bring to it as what is actually in the photo.

Nice work, Vince. Looking forward to more. Your perspective on the West is different from mine, as someone who has lived it, and loved it, and I enjoy seeing yours.
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Many thanks Larry -- Yes when I saw that 'hanging' scene, I regarded it as an extreme version of a 'no trespassing' sign. At the time I didn't see any racial overtones in it at all, however many viewers are definitely disturbed by that photo (and have let me know!) -- even folks who live out there. And of all the backroads and remote places I’ve been to out West over these last 8 years, this is the only example of this kind I’ve ever encountered. Of course I didn't get too close to it when I took the picture, for fear that I could end up like that!

It's going to take quite some time for me to go through all these latest photos. It was an interesting and always educational time. I got to photograph things that I didn't think I'd hadn't planned on (you'll see!), and unfortunately the rains curtailed the pecan harvest. I did end up getting some pecan harvest shots, but just not as many as I'd hoped for.


Jesse by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
 
Larry Cloetta said:
I always enjoy looking at new posts on this thread, trying to discern for myself if there is, or isn’t, anything special about M Monochroms. Impossible to tell from web photos, but I do enjoy images posted here, while trying to avoid the temptation of buying another redundant camera.
Click to expand...

I was in the same boat. I was tempted by the Monochrom, but saw little in the online images that was compelling. Finally yielding to temptation, I got the first version and was blown away by its images. Now I have both versions. 😀
 
FrozenInTime said:
Very impressive as always Vince, great contrast and tones; love the blowing leaves.
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Many thanks -- this trip didn't go quite as planned, as the rains held back much of the pecan harvest, but I think I got some worthwhile photos to add to the project.

This may or may not be one of them!


Jim and Jay by Vince Lupo, on Flickr


The cotton fields of Dell City, Texas.

Dell City Cotton by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
 
Vince,

The new work looks really good. What a great body of work. Congrats again on the exhibit Mapping the West which looks like a continuing project that still has a lot of legs.

Allen
 
airfrogusmc said:
Vince,

The new work looks really good. What a great body of work. Congrats again on the exhibit Mapping the West which looks like a continuing project that still has a lot of legs.

Allen
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Many thanks again Allen -- I keep discovering new opportunities out there, but of course I have to seek them out. I was thinking of doing something about the wall (I made it to Columbus, NM, which is right at the US-Mexico border), but I haven't quite figured that out yet. I may or may not go down that road, so to speak, but it's definitely something worth considering.
 
Vince Lupo said:
Many thanks again Allen -- I keep discovering new opportunities out there, but of course I have to seek them out. I was thinking of doing something about the wall (I made it to Columbus, NM, which is right at the US-Mexico border), but I haven't quite figured that out yet. I may or may not go down that road, so to speak, but it's definitely something worth considering.
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Vince, you mean those visual opportunities don't just fall in your lap? (he he) As deep as you dig you have to make connections, build trust and spend a lot of time laying the ground work before you can make those kind of meaningful photographs. I know that you know what a privilege it is to be invited into other peoples lives. You always approach your subjects with respect and it shows in the work.
 
airfrogusmc said:
Vince, you mean those visual opportunities don't just fall in your lap? (he he) As deep as you dig you have to make connections, build trust and spend a lot of time laying the ground work before you can make those kind of meaningful photographs. I know that you know what a privilege it is to be invited into other peoples lives. You always approach your subjects with respect and it shows in the work.
Click to expand...

Actually the opportunity with the farms kinda fell into my lap -- earlier this year (April) I was down in Hatch and the winds were blowing about 60mph. My truck was shaking and threatening to topple over, or so it seemed! I noticed some workers out in the fields, stooped over toiling in the dirt, their faces covered with bandannas to shield themselves from the wind and blowing debris. On the one hand I felt sorry for them being out in all this mayhem, but at the same time I wished that I was out there with them taking pictures. But I wasn't about to venture into those fields, as I didn't want to get them or me in trouble. I didn't know anyone down there who owned a farm, and none of my New Mexico friends knew of any in the Las Cruces / Hatch area. Ah well, wasn't meant to be. Fast-forward a few mornings later and I'm staying where I normally stay when I'm in Santa Fe. It had snowed the previous evening and I was in the parking lot brushing off my truck. Another fellow was also in the parking lot brushing off his truck, and we struck up a conversation ('How about this weather' etc). He then noticed my Maryland license plate and asked what I was doing out in New Mexico. I told about the Mapping the West project etc. He then mentioned that he lived down near Las Cruces and I then mentioned that I was in his neck of the woods earlier in the week and told him about my experience in Hatch. "And I wished that I knew someone who owned a farm down there!" "Well gee, I own farms down there. Anytime you want to come down and take pictures on our farm, you just let me know!" And that's how this phase all started.

One of this farmer's friends owns a chile sauce company down in Las Cruces, and he let me come in and wander around for a couple of hours.


Annabelle by Vince Lupo, on Flickr


Chile Sauce1 by Vince Lupo, on Flickr
 
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