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Interesting IG post by David Alan Harvey


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If you're referring to DAH, his digital work is always processed — the same way that a negative would be manipulated in printing. At this stage an assistant does that. In his B&W film work, I imagine initially he did it himself. Now he has a skilled printer who does that.

 

How very, very strange.

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Guest Nowhereman

After I wrote post #20, someone pointed me to an Instagram post that DAH made yesterday. He writes about an Leica IIIf shot he made of his sister when he was 14 and states, "In 1958 when I shot this picture, only a very few moments of our lives were documented. Now every day of our life is recorded. Yet do we make prints? Here I am making a fiber silver print of this very old picture, yet will I make a print of Patricia that I shot yesterday? Less likely."

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Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

Nowhereman Instagram

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After I wrote post #20, someone pointed me to an Instagram post that DAH made yesterday. He writes about an Leica IIIf shot he made of his sister when he was 14 and states, "In 1958 when I shot this picture, only a very few moments of our lives were documented. Now every day of our life is recorded. Yet do we make prints? Here I am making a fiber silver print of this very old picture, yet will I make a print of Patricia that I shot yesterday? Less likely."

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Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

Nowhereman Instagram

 

I actually called him out on that for the very reason you are highlighting. He was a bit occupied by the hurricane to focus on a response.

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Good - mission accomplished!

 

David is a gentleman and a teacher who puts in a lot of time to "teach" his students about not just the process (technical) but also the mindset of a photographer.  I am guessing that digital allows him to stay in the flow longer and he has the work and output and reputation where he no longer needs to be judged so he does what he pleases and constantly pushes boundaries e.g. A lot of his recent work is with a mobile phone since a mobile phone allows people to get in closer and without the attention a bigger camera would cause .  His printer does adjustments as do all printers.  BTW, that printer also did a few Nachtwey prints so not sure why there needs to be a judgement on whether David does PS or not.  He does his job shooting as best as he can in camera and the printer does his job to make the image look best on the paper on which it is being printed.  

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A lot of his recent work is with a mobile phone .....

 

He does his job shooting as best as he can in camera and the printer does his job to make the image look best on the paper on which it is being printed.  

 

This is the essence of what I detest about the modern idea of 'photography'. It offers little control and yields what it will and finally has to be fudged by a printer. Not real photography as far as I am concerned - this is snap-shooting which relies on automation and lacks pre-visualisation (second guessing an automated process makes this very difficult) - whoever does it.

 

Image creation - yes. Photography - no.

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This is the essence of what I detest about the modern idea of 'photography'. It offers little control and yields what it will and finally has to be fudged by a printer. Not real photography as far as I am concerned - this is snap-shooting which relies on automation and lacks pre-visualisation (second guessing an automated process makes this very difficult) - whoever does it.

 

Image creation - yes. Photography - no.

 

No different than HCB or Ansel Adams or Salgado in my mind.  All their work was dodged and burned as well.  Definitely different than Steve McCurry or Annie Liebovitz with changing the content of some of their photographs through photoshop.

Edited by Arif
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Perhaps I misunderstood his (Ansel Adam's) quote "“Dodging and burning are steps to take care of mistakes God made in establishing tonal relationships.” :)

 

No the bit you misunderstood was not about the process, but that it was AA himself who controlled the whole process - he didn't rely on pure automation or others to produce his creative vision. 

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No the bit you misunderstood was not about the process, but that it was AA himself who controlled the whole process - he didn't rely on pure automation or others to produce his creative vision. 

 

Correct I certainly agree with that. 

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David is a gentleman and a teacher who puts in a lot of time to "teach" his students about not just the process (technical) but also the mindset of a photographer.  I am guessing that digital allows him to stay in the flow longer and he has the work and output and reputation where he no longer needs to be judged so he does what he pleases and constantly pushes boundaries e.g. A lot of his recent work is with a mobile phone since a mobile phone allows people to get in closer and without the attention a bigger camera would cause .  His printer does adjustments as do all printers.  BTW, that printer also did a few Nachtwey prints so not sure why there needs to be a judgement on whether David does PS or not.  He does his job shooting as best as he can in camera and the printer does his job to make the image look best on the paper on which it is being printed.  

 

David is a gentleman and a nice man, and has always been and still is nice to me. The issue of this thread is HIS pronouncement of shifting to digital, although he is quite favorably nostalgic about film and his M6, when we add on this the open commercial relationship with Fuji. I suspect if Sony came to him with the same deal first he would be pushing Sony or, for that matter, Leica (he loved the monochrome but when it came time for Leica to take it back, not sure why they did, he said he couldn't justify the cost -- he liked the Q, but couldn't use because of his relationship with Fuji). I have no fault with him for whatever way he chooses to go, it is his life and his business, but it is somewhat disingenuous to proclaim digital superior when there is an obvious sponsorship moving him in this direction. BUT, on the other hand, would this thread exist if he was, instead, extolling the virtues of the SL or M10 over the M6?

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Guest Nowhereman

I don't think that DAH wakes up at night thinking, "I wish i wasn't saddled with this Fujifilm deal: I should really have a deal with Leica, with the camera bodies and lenses that I really want. Looks to me that DAH keeps his independence and objectivity and shoots with equipment he really wants to shoot with. He only says what he feels like saying about the gear — and keeps his independence and integrity. 

_______________

Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

Nowhereman Instagram

Edited by Nowhereman
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I don't think that DAH wakes up at night thinking, "I wish i wasn't saddled with this Fujifilm deal: I should really have a deal with Leica, with the camera bodies and lenses that I really want. Looks to me that DAH keeps his independence and objectivity and shoots with equipment he really wants to shoot with. He only says what he feels like saying about the gear — and keeps his independence and integrity. 

_______________

Alone in Bangkok essay on BURN Magazine

Nowhereman Instagram

 

Agree and he is open that he is using Olympus these days.  He uses gear as gear (his video on his large storage space for his large number of camera bags is another example).  There is always nostalgia whenever one sees an item that one was attached to in the past, but then there is always a reminder why one moved on to something more suited for the present.

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1.) Fuji money talks.

 

2.) There won't be a digital camera that you use for 20 years from now.

 

Let's be realistic about this:  Pictures of dead U.S. statesmen (Benjamin Franklin in particular) and dead U.S. presidents do one hell of a lot more talking than the real statesmen and presidents did when they were alive - and that's saying something.

 

What would happen if  ____________________ (insert name of any camera manufacturing company) came to DAH - or any one of us here for that matter - and said, "Look, if you will just use and endorse our cameras, we will give you all the free cameras and lenses you want.  Oh, and we'll also give you a check for $50,000 USD once a month for the next 24 months and another check for $250,000 USD right now -  just for signing on the dotted line."  What would happen?

 

I would imagine DAH or any one of us here would find something we like about Fuji cameras and would tell others about it.

Edited by Herr Barnack
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What would happen if  ____________________ (insert name of any camera manufacturing company) came to DAH - or any one of us here for that matter - and said, "Look, if you will just use and endorse our cameras, we will give you all the free cameras and lenses you want.  Oh, and we'll also give you a check for $50,000 USD once a month for the next 24 months and another check for $250,000 USD right now -  just for signing on the dotted line."  What would happen?

 

I would imagine DAH or any one of us here would find something we like about Fuji cameras and would tell others about it.

 

sounds imminently realistic to me.  

 

Mitch - Sometimes, I honestly don't even know what planet you live on...

Edited by A miller
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