Sebastio Salgado switched format on Genesis

 

<p ><a href="../photodb/user?user_id=1815695">David Manning</a> wrote: <em>"I don't think it's s a film vs. digital debate, really. It's not even an art debate. I just think that it's sad that another critically-acclaimed photographer has changed his methods for convenience sake."</em></p>

<p > </p>

<p >How many of us are using an 8x10 view camera? Isn't there some convenience in roll film or memory cards, and in a greater degree of portability? Let the photographer, no matter how well-known or how obscure, decide for himself how much convenience (s)he wants.</p>

 

<p>Since I am the one who initiated the post I might explain why I did it. I have a lot of respect for the work of Salgado. I am a public health doctor who has been working in development in the majority world for more than 35 years. I am also a photographer and, among other things, have documented the smallpox eradication program and the polio control program. Salgado is a witness and his work is a testimony of human misery, misguided priorities but also resilience and dignity. I have in my office a picture of the African child being vaccinated with his distressed attendant and with the dog howling.<br>

Because Salgado is a hight-level professional I have always been interested in his techniques (shooting, printing, etc.). He has given many interviews, a lot in French. I noticed with interest his switch to medium format for Genesis and recently his switch to digital. He is a professional and he knows what he is doing. Period. This thread is not aimed at starting a debate on film versus digital or whatever just to pass information to interested colleagues as I had not seen it on the forum.<br>

But obviously every forum is like the proverbial Spanish inn where we eat what we bring.....<br>

Let us close the thread when all have received the information.</p>

<p> </p>

i hate him and his photographs. itd be better if he used an etch-a-sketch. he can absolutely kiss my ass.

<p>Tom?? </p>

<p>How much money does he owe you?? ;>}</p>

Must have gotten a digital print...

<p>lol...finally a comment i can understand.</p>

<p>I wonder if Tom hates Salgado but is not in hate with him.</p>

<p>I wonder if love is eternal is hate transitory??</p>

<p>Salgado sure is transitory (that bast*rd), he's transitioned to digital.</p>

<p>I should qualify that post, I was being humorous, albeit obtuse- with 70-something replies to "sebastiao salgado switches to digital", i figured it was as valid a remark as any. Obviously he's a talented successful photog, and not knowing him, could hardly hate him, now could I? tongue in cheek lads, tongue in cheek.</p>

<p>I wish I could short some of this art market..</p>

<p>Sorry to correct your math, Steve: 600x32=19200 pictures; Salgado used a Pentax 645 for the Genesis project. <br>

That's maybe 100 rolls per week or 530 pictures per day, shooting Monday through Saturday, and Sunday off. Not much considering that he was primarily shooting animals.</p>

<p>I'm pretty convinced too that the interviewer or some translator got it all wrong with the silver content quote. Just doesn't make any sense having read what was reported about the project by Salgado himself and by his lab guy in the french magazine Photo Reponses. After some trials he opted for Tri-X320 in 220 format and stuck to it until the end of the project.</p>

<p>Can't help but think the quote about his assistant is mistaken too. Those battles are not that bad after all. (OK, haven't been to Africa lately, I admit.) And either there IS a fight because you want and get your film hand-controlled OR it gets scanned with the hand luggage. Thus, having his assistant near a nervous breakdown AND reporting problems with the x-ray affected film doesn't sound coherent. Salgado often shot his 'studio Tri-X' at around 800. I wouldn't want those films to get x-rayed seven times either!</p>

<p>My question: how competent in photo technical matters was the person who did the synopsis and/or translation of this interview?</p>

<p>I wonder what his next (then all-digital) project will be about!<br>

(My bet: it is going to be shot with a Leica S2 camera. Leica will superglue a S2 body to his hands – they need Salgado that much to pull their marketing cart.)</p>

<p>I think the enormous release delay of the S2 is nothing for the Salgado kind of photography.</p>

<p>What enormous release delay?</p>

<p>Well, a couple of weeks ago I played with the S2 and the release delay was really shocking. It was a prototype but the Leica representant defented the delay and argued that the S2 will not be an reportage camera.</p>

<p>Aha! Also known as shutter lag.</p>

<p>Sorry, I'm not from Sacramento;-)</p>