Comments on: 1/500th of a second http://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/90/ photographica, miscellanea, etcetera Sun, 13 Apr 2008 09:40:17 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: rob http://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/90/#comment-166 rob Sat, 17 Mar 2007 12:29:17 +0000 http://alecsoth.com/blog/2006/09/13/90/#comment-166 A fascinating replay of this is taking place on conversation surrounding Spencer Platt's <a href="http://blogs.smh.com.au/photographers/archives/2007/03/its_all_in_your_mind.html" rel="nofollow">world press winning photo</a> of young Lebanese in war torn Beirut. A fascinating replay of this is taking place on conversation surrounding Spencer Platt’s world press winning photo of young Lebanese in war torn Beirut.

]]> By: alec soth - blog » Blog Archive » One question for Thomas Hoepker http://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/90/#comment-165 alec soth - blog » Blog Archive » One question for Thomas Hoepker Sat, 16 Sep 2006 19:26:19 +0000 http://alecsoth.com/blog/2006/09/13/90/#comment-165 [...] One question for Thomas Hoepker The Thomas Hoepker photo debate is running wild now. Another one of the subjects of the photo has come forward. Read about it here (scroll to the bottom of the page). It turns out she is a photographer too. What are the odds? (I think this might be her work).But I don’t see much need for this to go on and on. I think Thomas Hoepker was forthcoming in his response on Slate. His piece just left me with one question. In an email to Hoepker, I asked, ‘Why do you think the picture was published 15 times in Germany? Do think the picture was used to propagate some idea of America’ [...] [...] One question for Thomas Hoepker The Thomas Hoepker photo debate is running wild now. Another one of the subjects of the photo has come forward. Read about it here (scroll to the bottom of the page). It turns out she is a photographer too. What are the odds? (I think this might be her work).But I don’t see much need for this to go on and on. I think Thomas Hoepker was forthcoming in his response on Slate. His piece just left me with one question. In an email to Hoepker, I asked, ‘Why do you think the picture was published 15 times in Germany? Do think the picture was used to propagate some idea of America’ [...]

]]> By: alec soth - blog » Blog Archive » A must read http://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/90/#comment-164 alec soth - blog » Blog Archive » A must read Thu, 14 Sep 2006 12:56:22 +0000 http://alecsoth.com/blog/2006/09/13/90/#comment-164 [...] In response to the Frank Rich/Thomas Hoepker controversy, one of the ‘young’ New Yorkers in the picture wrote to Slate: “A more honest conclusion might start by acknowledging just how easily a photograph can be manipulated, especially in the advancement of one’s own biases or in the service of one’s own career.” [...] [...] In response to the Frank Rich/Thomas Hoepker controversy, one of the ‘young’ New Yorkers in the picture wrote to Slate: “A more honest conclusion might start by acknowledging just how easily a photograph can be manipulated, especially in the advancement of one’s own biases or in the service of one’s own career.” [...]

]]> By: Brian http://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/90/#comment-163 Brian Thu, 14 Sep 2006 12:53:45 +0000 http://alecsoth.com/blog/2006/09/13/90/#comment-163 Unreal that any court in the world would except photography as evidence. From those traffic cams to crime scene investigation, simple visual literacy would tell you all photographs unknowingly or not as crafted fictions and all to easy to dispute. Unreal that any court in the world would except photography as evidence. From those traffic cams to crime scene investigation, simple visual literacy would tell you all photographs unknowingly or not as crafted fictions and all to easy to dispute.

]]> By: Robert Wright http://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/90/#comment-162 Robert Wright Thu, 14 Sep 2006 02:46:59 +0000 http://alecsoth.com/blog/2006/09/13/90/#comment-162 Certainly it says a lot about how non-new yorkers don't understand that we ride bicycles instead of drive cars, move along, it's not that strange....Had you photographed me on that day you would have seen me astride an expensive mountainbike (privelegeded!) at the Brooklyn promenade (too picturesque!) with everyone else completely not knowing what to do or say or think, but like new yorkers, willing to talk to anyone and listen. And perhaps that is the most foreign thing to those outside of the city who might see this picture and not understand-you can have conversations with strangers about important things and you don't shy away, you pay attention. But the image is very ambiguous, it is beaucolic, postcard-like, almost a lifestyle ad in collision with an enourmous tragedy. The picture "says" nothing, but does lead you to think. It also reminds me how beautiful that morining was, in a string of beautiful days, unbelievable light, and of my optimism in 2001 regarding my life and work. Yesterday almost had that light here in NY, a little more haze perhaps, close, but so far away. Certainly it says a lot about how non-new yorkers don’t understand that we ride bicycles instead of drive cars, move along, it’s not that strange….Had you photographed me on that day you would have seen me astride an expensive mountainbike (privelegeded!) at the Brooklyn promenade (too picturesque!) with everyone else completely not knowing what to do or say or think, but like new yorkers, willing to talk to anyone and listen. And perhaps that is the most foreign thing to those outside of the city who might see this picture and not understand-you can have conversations with strangers about important things and you don’t shy away, you pay attention. But the image is very ambiguous, it is beaucolic, postcard-like, almost a lifestyle ad in collision with an enourmous tragedy. The picture “says” nothing, but does lead you to think. It also reminds me how beautiful that morining was, in a string of beautiful days, unbelievable light, and of my optimism in 2001 regarding my life and work. Yesterday almost had that light here in NY, a little more haze perhaps, close, but so far away.

]]> By: Alec Soth http://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/90/#comment-161 Alec Soth Wed, 13 Sep 2006 22:53:43 +0000 http://alecsoth.com/blog/2006/09/13/90/#comment-161 I am enamoured of photojournalism. I just think that pictures alone are very limited in what they can do. The inclusion of text or narration can help. This is why things like Magnum in Motion are meaningful: http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/ I am enamoured of photojournalism. I just think that pictures alone are very limited in what they can do. The inclusion of text or narration can help. This is why things like Magnum in Motion are meaningful:

http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/

]]> By: S http://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/90/#comment-160 S Wed, 13 Sep 2006 22:16:43 +0000 http://alecsoth.com/blog/2006/09/13/90/#comment-160 Great essay, very truthful. It is not very hard to guess what they are talking about at that moment, but somehow we wish they were not talk about what we think they should talk about it, because a picture like that give us an opportunity to blame. Great essay, very truthful.

It is not very hard to guess what they are talking about at that moment, but somehow we wish they were not talk about what we think they should talk about it, because a picture like that give us an opportunity to blame.

]]> By: steph http://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/90/#comment-159 steph Wed, 13 Sep 2006 22:00:35 +0000 http://alecsoth.com/blog/2006/09/13/90/#comment-159 i meant pace, not page. sorry. i meant pace, not page. sorry.

]]> By: steph http://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/90/#comment-158 steph Wed, 13 Sep 2006 22:00:07 +0000 http://alecsoth.com/blog/2006/09/13/90/#comment-158 you've just basically indicted photojournalism. but you also seem enamored of it. this reminds me of a sebastio salgado image ... one of his famous muddy mine photos where a guy is climbing up a steep pit wall and a disembodied hand enters the frame in such a way that it looks like someone offering help, but if you see the entire image it's just the person in front of him hand flung out in mid page. i don't know how one reconciles this particular issue. i've never been able to and reading susan sontag's take on it left me feeling completely battered as a photojournalistic wannabe. but somehow in my gut i feel they do tell a story, just not a very specific one. the image above may tell us something about the many contradictions of our condition. or not. you’ve just basically indicted photojournalism. but you also seem enamored of it. this reminds me of a sebastio salgado image … one of his famous muddy mine photos where a guy is climbing up a steep pit wall and a disembodied hand enters the frame in such a way that it looks like someone offering help, but if you see the entire image it’s just the person in front of him hand flung out in mid page. i don’t know how one reconciles this particular issue. i’ve never been able to and reading susan sontag’s take on it left me feeling completely battered as a photojournalistic wannabe. but somehow in my gut i feel they do tell a story, just not a very specific one. the image above may tell us something about the many contradictions of our condition. or not.

]]> By: Christian http://alecsothblog.wordpress.com/2006/09/13/90/#comment-157 Christian Wed, 13 Sep 2006 21:17:16 +0000 http://alecsoth.com/blog/2006/09/13/90/#comment-157 "While they can’t tell stories, they are brilliant at suggesting stories." Well said, Alec. Yeah, it was a sunny day. The water didn't stop being blue. The leaves didn't stop being green. People didn't stop riding bicycles, wearing sunglasses or sitting by the river. They didn't stop going outside or talking with friends and strangers. The plume of smoke suggests/tells enough of a story. And I can almost guarantee that these people had one of the saddest sunny days they will ever have. “While they can’t tell stories, they are brilliant at suggesting stories.” Well said, Alec.

Yeah, it was a sunny day. The water didn’t stop being blue. The leaves didn’t stop being green. People didn’t stop riding bicycles, wearing sunglasses or sitting by the river. They didn’t stop going outside or talking with friends and strangers.

The plume of smoke suggests/tells enough of a story.

And I can almost guarantee that these people had one of the saddest sunny days they will ever have.

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