I can't tell if "technically excellent" is an honest appraisal based on a deep working knowledge of the field of photography, or the best backhanded compliment ever based on a deep working knowledge of the field of photography.This. Not because I'm an epic master of the backhanded compliment, but because I like the ambiguity inherent in the idea of "technical excellence."
As you get good (at almost any discipline) you get to the point where even your intentional fuckups start to look good in their own way, and you begin pursuing mistakes as a way to change the nature of your game/hobby. Perfection is boring and sterile. Mistakes, artfully and purposefully done, leave the viewer in awe.And also this. Portraits aren't really my thing, but these shots look more like careful parody than phoning it in. Like a few others in the thread, I like the deviation from the standard Übermensch stuff.
I suppose the fuss is because he didn't portray them as the Aryan SuperMen/Women fine young patriots we want to worship, cause USAUSAUSA!!!!!111!The fuss that I'm seeing is because the photos are technically pretty bad.
Portraits of Power.posted by ericb at 12:05 PM on July 6, 2012 [1 favorite]
Richard Avedon Portraits: 1946 - 2004.
Richard Avedon Portraits 2002.
Richard Avedon Photographs: 1947 - 1977.
Portraits 1976.
Nothing Personal.
Observations.
'Technically excellent' without a comment on its composition or artistic merit is rather like reviewing a restaurant and extolling the warmness of your food.
He also points out that photo editors (AFP’s clients) had a wide selection of pictures to choose from – “serious, funky, official” – and that not all of them were offbeat. Nor does he make any apologies: “I work for a news agency and I wasn’t taking pictures for a Nike ad.”posted by mullingitover at 12:40 PM on July 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
Klamar, however, said that the real reason the photos came out looking the way they did was because he didn't know he was being sent to take portraits.posted by The World Famous at 2:23 PM on July 6, 2012
Klamar said in a statement today that AFP had never before been invited to attend the summit, and did not know that they would be able to set up a studio for the portraits.
"I thought I was going to photograph athletes on stage, or during a press conference," says the photographer. "But when I arrived in the morning, all my colleagues had already set up their mini-studio with professional lighting, backdrops, props and ... Me, nobody told me there would be the possibility to set up a studio. It was a very embarrassing situation. "
“I had no particular concept prepared beforehand, so I had to jump into the water and swim. But it’s not really a disadvantage, because in our job we have to improvise to conditions about 50 percent of the time.”...posted by snaparapans at 8:31 PM on July 8, 2012
Joe brushes off most of the criticism, but wanted to make clear that he had no intention of casting the athletes – for whom he had the highest regard – in a negative light. “My only goal was to show them as interesting, as special people who deserve their fame because they are the best as what they do. And for the little time we had together, they were willing to work with my concepts.”...
He also points out that photo editors (AFP’s clients) had a wide selection of pictures to choose from – “serious, funky, official” – and that not all of them were offbeat. Nor does he make any apologies: “I work for a news agency and I wasn’t taking pictures for a Nike ad.”
Speaking on behalf of Mr Klamar, Director of Photography for AFP Mladen Antonov told the MailOnline: 'The results of this photo shoot are exactly why we sent Joe Klamar in the first place. He has a very unconventional view and approach to both photography and the world.
'We are a news agency, not a PR or advertising agency hired by the Olympics and may I stress - as some internet sites have suggested - that these are not the official portraits of the U.S. Olympic team but only the images distributed by us.
'We have made them look like human beings, as was Joe's intention, not like pieces from Madame Tussaud's as other agencies did. They are real people, not works of art.
'And further, for him to be criticized for not using Photoshop or any other kind of digital touch up is incredible, considering how much photographers are usually criticized for this. It is not our policy to use these.
'We are very happy with Mr Klamar's work and he is very proud of it himself. He was given one minute with each athlete for which he took more than a dozen shots for each which in itself is a remarkable achievement. These are only a small selection of the hundreds he took.
'He is one of the best photographers we have.'
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posted by verdeluz at 10:56 AM on July 6, 2012 [2 favorites]