mitchell Posted October 27, 2006 Share #21 Posted October 27, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I think these are really beautiful. The color is subtle, and original. The subject matter is not beautiful. The beauty has come almost completely from the efforts of the photographer making images that another would not. As for the portrayal of China... I think it interesting that there is something sterile and empty being revealed here. Human rights abuses are obviously very important, but they are not the only lens to look at a country. I think in this portrayal of the best of China one has the feeling of something lacking which is how I felt when I was there. I think Leica has done very well with it's choice. Not the same old. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Best, Mitchell Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 27, 2006 Posted October 27, 2006 Hi mitchell, Take a look here Leica Publisher's Award, Winner 2006. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
andybarton Posted October 27, 2006 Share #22 Posted October 27, 2006 Don't forget folks, next year's competition opens on Jan 1st... "#Anything you can do, I can do better#" I can't say that I am overly impressed by this collection though, I'm afraid. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael-IIIf Posted October 27, 2006 Share #23 Posted October 27, 2006 I have to admit this collection, and so-called art-photography in general, sort of washes over my humble head. However, my other half, who has recently finished her MA in Fine Art, says "they're fantastic" - and she normally has slightly less than zero interest in photography. Just goes to show Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wide.angle Posted October 27, 2006 Author Share #24 Posted October 27, 2006 Thanks for the replies so far! Michael, thanks for soliciting your other half for a perspective! I am interested in hearing why or in what way your other half thinks they are fantastic. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stnami Posted October 27, 2006 Share #25 Posted October 27, 2006 AS with all industry/ commercial based awards, never rock the boat, be nice as you never know when you need something, sometimes half a story is not better than none Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_x2004 Posted October 27, 2006 Share #26 Posted October 27, 2006 As a series, or a body of work, cliched and unimaginative and not representative of anything in particular of China. In fact you could take most of this stuff in any city. As far as the images themselves go, at this level of competition you shouldn't be able to pick holes in their technical production, composition or photographic technique, and you should just be able to say I like or I dislike or they evoke whatever emotional response. They bore me. I have to go looking into their processing, their composition, or the technique to find anything I can appreciate much less respect. Summary, abject failure. Worse, if you really want me to think hard about it, for having lived there I find it hard to accept this sort of stuff as representational of China. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stnami Posted October 28, 2006 Share #27 Posted October 28, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) .... maybe it is just a bunch of images of possible camera production facilities and we get to choose Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotografr Posted October 28, 2006 Share #28 Posted October 28, 2006 I would say they are all very nice, but only one is really noteworthy in my opinion, and that is the image mentioned previously of the two people in under the phone hoods. For the most part, the rest rely primarily on color rather than technique for their effect. I'm sure any number of people on this forum could have put together a collection of images this good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Hines Posted October 28, 2006 Share #29 Posted October 28, 2006 It remines me of the first assign in my first photo class years ago, photograph something that won't be there in the future with a comparison with new. And the order of the photo create that feeling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted October 28, 2006 Share #30 Posted October 28, 2006 Brent, I sort of agree with you, but I think the images should be judged as a portfolio rather than as invidual photographs. I think this is a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts to quote the cliche. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmr Posted October 28, 2006 Share #31 Posted October 28, 2006 At first I didn't particularly like the pictures, but I gave them another couple of viewings thanks to the activity on this thread. I have to say they're growing on me - they have an ethereal, dreamy quality, to my eye. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaneypl Posted October 28, 2006 Share #32 Posted October 28, 2006 Hi guys IMO a stunning set of images,I think the photograher has a great eye for composition ,in some images he has broken rules and place subject centre ,works imo. I think the visual image he is trying to communicate is one of change, from old to new from communism to capitalism....regardless of what we think his style of reportage has been successful ,his work has been chosen and more importantly has evoked feelings be them good or bad ,as photographer what more could one ask for, I wud love to be in his position . Peter Delaney. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
garygsandhu Posted October 29, 2006 Share #33 Posted October 29, 2006 I liked the pictures in the last National Geographic about China. I think the photographer worked with leica, or at least with film. These ones were alright, as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wide.angle Posted November 2, 2006 Author Share #34 Posted November 2, 2006 I began this intentionally without offering up my own views. I had many of the same thoughts that were in your responses here...snapshot, nice colors, lack of coherent composition. It seemed these images could have been taken in my city ... image of a congested freeway, a crane about to build new construction, decayed alleyways, etc. Probably images I would not have made. Given that they were recognized with an award by judges much more keen to observing than myself, I wanted to see another perspective, one that may have resulted in the award. Some of you have expressed that the images must be judged together, and it is the story they tell that makes it a winner. In an attempt to add to this, it seems the images would also need the viewer to have an understanding of what was going on there and why, and its imact to fully appreciate the images. To me, noticably absent (with some exception) if this is reportage photography, is signs of the people that live there, for it is people that bring its significance. I wonder if their absence was on purpose, and if so, why. Thanks for all the discussion. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan States Posted November 2, 2006 Share #35 Posted November 2, 2006 So true Bob. Since I'm sure the entire collection is not represented on the Leica website I think it's unfair to judge based on just what we see. Last time around the tone was exactly the same. When I took the time to view ALL the pictures in the collection I was impressed and suprised. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.