Light-Headed Man Causes Obstruction

[Rob MacKillop]

It was heading for the bin before I came up with the title...

 

[John Allen]

If you were famous, people would rave over this photo. Since, to the best of my knowledge, you are not a famous photographer, ehh, learn to use auto-focus better.

 

[Brian Moore]

It's brilliant!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Infamous, yes. Famous, no, and I'm thankful for that!

Auto focus - what's that? I was deliberately shaking the camera, actually hoping for more movement than I got here. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. But the guy in the trench coat is perfectly placed - that was gift.

 

[Pete Askew]

A gift indeed. You're famous here, Rob! I love it.

 

[Pete Askew]

Actually that brings me to something I was thinking about the other day. David Bailey ("David who?" as George Cole was famously asked in a TV ad.) once said something along the lines of, "Most people end up taking one great photo in their life, I'm a professional though and so I'll probably manage two!". I was thinking at the time of well known photographers, like Strand etc and certainly he certainly had a few in the bag. Take also Cartier-Bressson, Capa, Atget, Doisneau etc. Then we have more recent 'well known' photographers and I started to think about 'memorable' and potentially great pictures by them, Rankin is very famous but I cannot think of one by him. Same for LaChapelle - I saw his exhibition the other year. Tedious! Great at self-promotion or great photographers? Quiet determination (e.g. Sally Mann) vs flamboyance?

A bit of exercise for a Sunday morning!

 

[Rob MacKillop]

I think I've taken two, maybe three good photos, but none of them great. If you set out to do such a thing, you'd soon be very depressed. But those guys you mention, Bailey, Cartier-Bressson, Capa, Atget, Doisneau, etc, are in the super league, with a dozen great shots. Amazing.

 

[Pete Askew]

And these new, alleged, famous photographers?

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Hmm...good careerists.

 

[Pete Askew]

Probably closer to the mark. I do not doubt that they are very good, professional photographers (for me though, the jury is out with LaChapelle) but destined to be great? We'll see. I bought a book by Rankin supposed inspired by his 'muse' - it is rubbish (and not even printed well - about as good as a Sunday magazine, which probably tells you something). Almost soft porn and if that's him inspired, well...

 

[Ivar Dahl-Larsen]

What is a great photo? Cartier Brisson has a lot of good ones, but if the same ones were done today, would they have been considered great? Living ones today as Steve McCurry, lots of wonderful, colourful indeed good ones, but... When you are assigned for work, everything provided for, assistants helping out and scheduled for great events, all paid for. Yes you have to have an eye for it, but stayings months and weeks at the same place, having done research by yourself and by others as well as help from interpreters, one should at least be able to come up with some good ones to cover an article or two. I saw Bailey's exhibition in London as well, mostly celebrities, wasn't that impressed. So Rob, you just carry on, right!