toke_hage Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Just received this book by Alex Majoli; "Leros". It's a great classic B/W reportage book about a Greek Asylum. Amazing photos and story. Bought it from foto8 in london, for 10.35 British Pounds ($19 US). Arrived after 11 days with a nice handwritten card and a great catalogue! I highly recommend the book and the company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanford Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Shot with Olympus point and shoot cameras according to the information in previous posts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toke_hage Posted June 9, 2005 Author Share Posted June 9, 2005 I don't know about the camera used, but don't care either. It's an amazing reportage! Here's a link to photos and stories. http://www.cestino.it/leros/gallery-ing.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason_hupe1 Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 He is using olympus p&s now, but this project was tri-x and leica...but that really doesnt matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich815 Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Why this concept of "film and equipment doesn't matter"? As if it's some kind of pride to not care? Why pretend it does not? Sure does to me. I'm infinitely interested in what film and camera was used and am not ashamed to say so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtk Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Richard, it takes away from the photographer's contribution to obsess on the technology. Yes, of course it's interesting to know how he made shots...but to an actual photographer the film camera is no more interesting than the film and developer (if as interesting). And if digital, the workflow is interesting. But this stuff is very much secondary to the man's vision and experience. Djon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich815 Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 I'm not obsessing, and agree with you: it's secondary. But to dismiss it seemingly completely and say "it does not matter" is ludicrous and somehow seems to smack of a pompous attitude to me. As if to wonder or care which film he used and what camera he used to accomplish what he did makes me less of a photographer or artist myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toke_hage Posted June 9, 2005 Author Share Posted June 9, 2005 Richard. Equipment matters a lot! I love my Leica gear, and my Tri-x negs. But I very often end up preferring the result, rather than the equipment. Don't misunderstand me. I have tons of very nice and too expensive gear, but what really counts in my book, is the photos, and the stories they tell. Choose the equipment that You like, and works for You/the situation. I do anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas_sullivan Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Alex Majoli's "Leros" pictures, as per Magnum's photosite, were taken in 1994 and 1995. Now, if you go to Olympus's History of digital cameras, you will see that the first Olympus digital cam, at 0.8MP, was put out in 1996. duh! this digital vs film, lieca vs anything else, is really getting old. One should at least do a little checking before they just blurt out the makings of another this vs that thread. Yep, the pics are pretty good. Probably Leica.......however, I undetstand from a reliable source that he also has a nice collection of Konica Hexar AF's. So, unless someone knows for sure, and can point to a reliable website that proves it, the camera used is UNKNOWN! So, just enjoy some great photography until then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edmo Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 <i>"...he also has a nice collection of Konica Hexar AF's."</i> <p> ahhhh, a fondler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiebedell Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Toke, There is a good interview with Alex Majoli in the new issue of Camera Arts magazine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toke_hage Posted June 9, 2005 Author Share Posted June 9, 2005 Robbie, what is Camera Arts magazine? Got a link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toke_hage Posted June 9, 2005 Author Share Posted June 9, 2005 Robbie. Found it, but it seems I have to subscribe. Don't want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liam_maloney Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Toke, Leros is a great book. Here's a link to a brief piece on Majoli, from a while back: http://www.apple.com/ca/pro/photo/majoli/index2.html Cheers, L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtk Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Majoli's moving Leros photos remind me of Avedon's in "Nothin Personal," his collaboration with James Baldwin...(Avedon's sister was institutionalized and he was motivated). From direct volunteer experience in the Sixties I'll say that even then, in the era of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", the nightmare asylums in the US were far ahead of the one Majoli documents in Greece. Terrible places either way, but worth thinking about, especially given Greece's EU status. Avedon, famous for 8X10 and Rolleiflex, shot his asylum photos with Minox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtk Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 oops...typo... "Nothing Personal" recently $75 in paperback on Ebay... eg. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/avedon_r.html http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/ro/gj13019/gjbooks/bookfiles/bookimage_o01.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich815 Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 The British rag "Black & White Photography" had a spread on him and this project in particular. I will have to dig it up, I have that issue at home somewhere. My fav is the image of the old patient laying on the beach holding hands with the worker in the bikini. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toke_hage Posted June 9, 2005 Author Share Posted June 9, 2005 Liam and John. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbiebedell Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 Toke, Email me your address and I will send you an extra copy of the magazine..Robbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edmo Posted June 9, 2005 Share Posted June 9, 2005 you guys figure it out yet??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toke_hage Posted June 10, 2005 Author Share Posted June 10, 2005 Edmo. eh, figured out what? By the way checked out Your site. Cooool shots! What cam/lens? Do You always use HP5, or.... And do You scan negs or ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alun Posted September 16, 2005 Share Posted September 16, 2005 This is emphatically NOT a Leica-plus-TriX vs. digital thread, but I'm interested in hearing what other readers may think about this book. I bought a copy shortly after reading this thread. It is a fantastic book and beautifully printed and produced. The more I looked at it the more I realised just how little of it is shot in sharp focus. In some instances this may be attributable to the very low light situations, but not always. It seems more of an attempt to render what I can only call "painterly" qualities in the photographs. That is, it seems an intrinsic part of Majoli's vision in telling this story. I wonder if anyone else has been looking and puzzling over these stark, challenging and moving pictures? alun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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