emraphoto

<p>there are so many variables in this i don't know where to start. scanned? scanner? wet print? c print? printer? density of negative? jpeg? raw? my head is spinning.</p>

<p>i recently did this. M6 classic .85 with zeiss 35mm C</p>

<p>hexar lens not sharp? is this for real?</p>

<p>well i assure you your mind may change after a few days in </p>

<p>i have a pair of FM3A's. i have put one through 100% humidity (West Africa) numerous times, sported one across Chad into Darfur, towed one through the civil war in Syria, clutched one while bouncing about in a trawler in the Atlantic and covered numerous G20 events/clashes/riots with one. neither have skipped a beat.<br>

i know a fellow journalist who has sported two fm2n's since the late 80's. still in use today with zero service required.<br>

i am not going to say either camera will be 100% reliable for you... just that the 4 cameras of this series i know of have been subjected to extensive environmental challenges and continue to purr along.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>film is not something i consider 'better' or 'worse'. where the question begins to gain significance (for me) is when the resources to charge, dump etc. digital files does not fit in to my travel plans. I have been on assignments that involve me being way of the coca-cola grid for extended periods of time and in those cases, some hammer proof film cameras fit the bill. as per the quickly derailed FM3A thread, that particular machine has proven to be a very capable bread winner for me and a pair of them, 2 lenses, a studio master and a load of rolls is a very compact package for me. <br>

horses for courses.<br>

or ins<em>ert the 'they are just tools' line here</em></p>

 

<blockquote>

 

 

<p>"Seriously, if he can win awards with shots like those I need to start clearing some space on my shelves. I must say I am not impressed. A good street shot should look good no matter how it is processed. Shooting with a Leica in B/W, adding glow and then a vignette doesn't make a great shot.<br>

I believe that many of today's "great" photographers are only in the public eye because they have relentlessly pushed themselves there, have got lucky, or know somebody. Don't get me wrong, there are many amazing photographers but there are just as many bad ones pretending to be good."</p>

James deserves all the press he receives. He is a brilliant photographer, superb fellow and very dedicated.

 

 

 

 

</blockquote>

<p>a modern writer, encountered mostly in 2 dimensional design/art programs... wucius wong.<br>

worth some reading.</p>

 

<p>Fred - Take what I have to say with a hefty grain of salt. These are my opinions and as such, amount to a hill of beans in the grand scheme of things.<br>

I have photographed in many 'very dangerous' slums. Some huge ones and some not so huge ones and most of them are not very dangerous.<br>

My recommendation for you would be to go to the same area or spot repeatedly and leave the camera in your bag. Buy things from vendors, say 'hi' to people and show up for church service in the relevant building. In short, meet and become friends with some of the community you choose to focus on. I assure you, once you know the people, they know you and your presence and activities are accepted and trusted, both the community around you and your photographs will become a whole new world.<br>

Always greet/ask/give people a choice first. Always. It makes for better pictures and less danger.<br>

I don't want to sound like an old geezer know it all but I have worked in many, many communities like the one in your photo. Almost 99% of the time, the communities are governed or run by somebody. As chaotic and disorganized as they seem, this is almost never the case. Find out who said person is, make a visit with a gift or donation and you will stand a far greater chance of avoiding confrontation. <br>

To this day, I continue to work in one of the largest slums in West Africa. I am welcome there and have friends who live there. I rarely shoot anything longer than a 35mm focal length equivalent and the people I photograph always know I am there working.<br>

In fact, I have photographed rebel armies, drug dealers, pimps, paramilitary police forces, militant islamists that western governments consider terrorists, slum gangs and more with this same approach. <br>

Really good photographs of this nature rarely have anything to do with the camera. It comes from heart, respect, bravery and an open mind. <br>

Good luck!</p>

 

<p>"99% of the so called PJ we see is point and shoot jpg garbage anyways"<br>

there are two worlds being judged here. wire service and news photography versus long form photojournalism and documentary work.<br>

either way, to say 99% of it is garbage is a fairly large leap and incredibly subjective. there is loads of top-flight work being produced outside the dailies and wire. </p>

<p> </p>

<p>i don't know why anyone is getting worked up about this. the dailies and the staff photographers have been done for a long time and anyone still clinging on to a job was taking a gamble. they all knew it and if they say otherwise they have been under a rock for at least a decade.<br>

good photojournalists are still able to work and earn. it is just a different world than 20 years ago, with the dailies being one of many revenue streams for well set-up freelancers, who saw the writing on the wall at least 8-10 years back.<br>

if you are looking for top flight photojournalism, the dailies (outside of a few committed outlets) is not where you are going to find it. <br>

it's not the end of the world, it's just a different ballgame out there.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>"There is no one making sure that we get a quality image anymore."<br>

there are many people who work tirelessly, everyday, to make sure only the best is supported and represented. there are also people who see content as the measure of a good photograph, not the particulars that would distinguish a film image from a digital image. most of them have VERY good eyes.</p>

<p>i use an x pro and x100 daily for work. i love it when the 'next version' comes out as i can usually snap up the 'outdated' versions for cheap. i have spent the whole digital era a generation or two behind and i am quite pleased to do so.<br>

i have also seen, in person, the eastern reaches of the DRC and the impact of super fast digital device cycles.</p>

 

<p>Starvy would be the critique i'd listen to. define yourself.</p>

<p>remember that a lot of times the people 'teaching' are not always in the best position to do so.</p>

<p>i think the photo essay originally posted has been lost on some of us. unfortunate.</p>

<p>Leslie, your comments were not lost on all of us and in my opinion you are correct.<br>

speaking with my petit level of experience i will add that photographing people as they are dying is a very difficult thing to do. with the level of connection and history this man had with his wife i would assume the process was unfathomable in it's complexity.<br>

discussion and critique is a healthy means to disseminate this project. i ask that everyone keep in mind the level of humanity required (or in some regrettable cases absent) to do this. a lot of criticism has been heaped upon photographers who are faced with situations they never prepared themselves for. mistakes or missing critical pieces happens to the best of them.<br>

overall though, i thought it was a beautiful example of how much more photography can be in an age when white noise seems the most apt definition.</p>

 

<p>well Russ, it would be very hard to top the bargain that f100s are these days. one of the members of our collective is in the territories right now and comes in and out of Tel Aviv regularly. i roll though on occasion as well. i will drop a note next time i am in the area. coffee or chai on me!</p>

 

<p>^^^Alex Webb. Not a link that will destroy the inner working of you computer</p>

<p>http://www.webbnorriswebb.co/#mi=2&pt=1&pi=10000&s=0&p=8&a=1&at=0</p>

<p>you can't just walk in. in cannot be done. repeat, you cannot walk in to the refugee camps along the border in Hatay or beyond. letters or not.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>i assure you, having worked all over sub-saharan africa for a decade, a shopping bag IS your best option. cover gear with a shirt and water bottle. i could give you a long list of working photographers who will tell you the same thing but... your decision.</p>

<p>smell it. a vinegar type odor? get rid of it and make sure it doesn't come in contact with any of your enlargers, projectors, other film stock etc.</p>

<p>a shopping bag. seriously.</p>

<p>Clive - thanx for the heads up on that one. wasn't on my radar for some reason.</p>

<p>"Stephen, I strongly disagree that having links to news organization or other established media is the only way to better the plight of those oppressed in the area. The Internet as a medium has reached millions and millions of people. What's to say that one of his pictures is not the one that says a thousand words and goes viral."<br>

i agree 100%. the old ideas of media outlets and dailies are finished. they are struggling to remain relevant and the message from the audiences is yeah, we'll read it but we aren't paying for it. with the deluge of mediocrity that has permeated much of said world in the past decade, i can't say i blame them.<br>

i was witness to a very gruesome and terrible event when i was in Syria. i had photo's. not a single outlet in Europe, North America and beyond would run them. they were admittedly deeply disturbing. in a rather dazed state of mind i decided they had to be seen and posted them to Facebook. within about 1 hour they were everywhere in the 'un-official' online media world. a few NGO's started picking up on them and within a day i suspect hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people had seen them. none of them knew who took them nor did they care. but they sure as (insert swear word here for effect) knew about them and forwarded them on in outrage.<br>

i was not the only one to experience this sort of a situation. and i am talking about very well known and credible photojournalists.</p>