P3D Re: Departing from technical standards

[Rehotshots@xxxxxxx]

Want to share this with you.  It is from another list, but is relevant to the 
ortho discussion.  Hope we don't lose the information in our process of 
departing though 
as we have in the past with so many other art forms.  The processes are 
scientific and must be preserved no matter how far we decide to deviate from 
them.  


Joe said:


> As  practitioners of the medium, we've let ourselves be duped into
regecting a 
valid way of seeing the world photographically by the f/64 legacy and many 
photohistorians.<

This was just the point.  People. including photographers and historians,
who insist on the approach of the F64 group or the similar  approach of
their grandfathers  are allowing themselves to be limited by the tools.  By
insisting on photographic purity not only is the mind  denied the benefit
of the previous centuries of seeing but also the thought that accompanied
that seeing.  In general a photographically purist approach leads to
unsubtlety and shallowness. This is not to suggest that those who made
sharp pictures are necessarily blinkered in this way.  One has only to
compare the work of Frederick and Walker Evans to appreciate that the work
of both is heavily and beneficially influenced by wider cultural influences
and understanding.

Just to take up Arnold's point on sharpness in Emerson's photography. When
I made a shorthand reference to 'less sharpness' I was referring to
Emerson's use of differential focus as he thought that as the eye could see
only in one plain of focus we should have only one plain of focus sharp in
our photographs. He had, of course, confused 'seeing' with 'perception'.
Our eye wanders over a scene so that our perception is of a wider range of
sharpness. In much the same way film is only sensitive to a particular
colour temperature
but our brain compensates for changes in colour temperature so that we
perceive constant colour within limits.  David Stone has researched this
area and the contrast point in some detail .  Although Emerson based his
approach on misunderstandings his photographs were very effective although
often limited in both tone and sharpness. Before being dogmatic about what
a good photrograh or platinum print should look like it is perhaps a good
idea to hold a Frederick Evans and an Emerson print in one's hand so that
one can realise that these two radically different approaches both produced
images of great beauty.

Terry King

It's a little lengthy.  Didn't have time to edit it.   on my way to work.  
Hope you find this point of view helpful and relevant.  




                                                        Teri