A blog about the art of photography, more or less.
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
McCurry
Mike over at ToP has the definitive commentary. As usual. He'll never waste your time, and frequently he's the only voice that matters. You've already read it, because you read ToP before you come here, don't you? Don't you? If not, why not?!!
Howdy from down under again Andrew, For my part, TOP, VSL (Kirk), and here are the three blogs I check every day. I have a long list that I like to look at, but these three are always checked each day.
Regarding McCurry - I think both Mike's column and slightly lesser, Kirk's piece on McCurry have been the best written. Mike in particular has made an excellent summary of both sides of the debate. Kirk was maybe a little too much one side of the debate. that's ok. Everyone is different and long may that be.
I agree with your comment on Kirk's page. It is essentially what I was trying to say also in the comments section there.
McCurry's big issue is that he allowed himself to be perceived as, or even deliberately presented himself as a PJ/Documentarian and traded on that even while selling Fine Art.
The two are not mutually exclusive, but there are expectations (and reasonable ones at that) when photojournalism is alluded to.
Mike has a lot of readers, very good readers also. Which is as it should be. What is curious is that he doesn't have even more readers. Consider this truth: "He'll never waste your time, and frequently he's the only voice that matters." I seldom see him referenced by all those fauxtographers who claim to have an interest in photography. Maybe because he is the best editor writer on photographic culture? Not appealing enough for the camera-and-software fondlers. As a straight forward critic of photographs I find Francis Hodgson to be the best one, however.
I followed ToP for the last 3-4 years, until around two weeks ago. Now it seems more about gear or tech advancements, lately I counted the posts and, on ten of them, 5-6 were around gear, a couple about pool/making coffee, and two about the meaning of photography. Not interesting anymore.
Because Photos and Stuff alphabetically comes before The Online Photographer, but Mike is always next.
ReplyDeleteMy next blog will be named Aaaardvark's Aaaadvanced Aaaaprooach to Photography.
DeleteHowdy from down under again Andrew,
ReplyDeleteFor my part, TOP, VSL (Kirk), and here are the three blogs I check every day. I have a long list that I like to look at, but these three are always checked each day.
Regarding McCurry - I think both Mike's column and slightly lesser, Kirk's piece on McCurry have been the best written. Mike in particular has made an excellent summary of both sides of the debate. Kirk was maybe a little too much one side of the debate. that's ok. Everyone is different and long may that be.
I agree with your comment on Kirk's page. It is essentially what I was trying to say also in the comments section there.
McCurry's big issue is that he allowed himself to be perceived as, or even deliberately presented himself as a PJ/Documentarian and traded on that even while selling Fine Art.
The two are not mutually exclusive, but there are expectations (and reasonable ones at that) when photojournalism is alluded to.
Cheers.
Mike has a lot of readers, very good readers also. Which is as it should be. What is curious is that he doesn't have even more readers. Consider this truth: "He'll never waste your time, and frequently he's the only voice that matters." I seldom see him referenced by all those fauxtographers who claim to have an interest in photography. Maybe because he is the best editor writer on photographic culture? Not appealing enough for the camera-and-software fondlers. As a straight forward critic of photographs I find Francis Hodgson to be the best one, however.
ReplyDeletehttps://francishodgson.com/
I followed ToP for the last 3-4 years, until around two weeks ago. Now it seems more about gear or tech advancements, lately I counted the posts and, on ten of them, 5-6 were around gear, a couple about pool/making coffee, and two about the meaning of photography. Not interesting anymore.
ReplyDeleteI see this too, sadly. But still better content than elsewhere IMO
DeleteT.O.P always on top! ;)
ReplyDeleteThe truth may be here: http://www.nearbycafe.com/artandphoto/photocritic/2016/06/09/guest-post-23-robert-dannin-on-steve-mccurry/
ReplyDelete