HelmutH
I’ve been subscribing to the Berlin-based photography magazine *brennpunkt* for some time now. The January 2012 issue has just arrived. Reading it has annoyed me so much that I simply have to get this off my chest.
In it, the photographer Manfred Kriegelstein, a member of the editorial team(!), has written an article entitled “Counter-Revolution”.
The trigger was apparently a call to “label digitally edited images separately in photography competitions”. This seems to have annoyed Mr Kriegelstein greatly – and indeed, it is a matter open to debate. What follows, however, has nothing to do with a constructive discussion.
A few quotes:
“Back then, I already (...) came up with the phrase >Anyone who doesn’t jump on the digital bandwagon now will be left standing at the station...< Well, many of those stuck in the past did eventually squeeze themselves into the last carriage, which was already rolling – or so I thought.”
“It’s almost embarrassing that, twenty years on, I have to repeat the arguments that make analogue thinking nonsensical in the digital age.”
“Nevertheless, I think it would be an exaggeration to speak of an ‘analogue revanchism’. There are probably still a few die-hards who were too slow to >jump on the digital bandwagon< and who are now still wandering aimlessly around the long-deserted >analogue station grounds< ..."
In other respects, too, Mr Kriegelstein’s polemic operates on a linguistic level of expressions such as “nonsense”, “museum-piece thinking” and “rubbish”.
Now, these quotations are taken out of context. As I do not wish to do Mr Kriegelstein an injustice in my own anger (in fact, I find his manner of speaking offensive and would rather keep quiet about some harsh words that crossed my mind), I would point out that the journal is available for download; the article in question can be read on p. 60:
http://www.edition-dibue.de/content/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/brennpunkt-1-2012.pdf
With best regards to all “analogue-impaired” people
Helmut
Tandemfahren
Hello Helmut,
Feel free to take that up with him?
Apart from his offensive language, he’s actually quite right; namely, that every digital image is inevitably edited and it therefore makes no sense to label it as such in a competition.
I’d cancel the subscription too, though, and write a well-worded letter to the editors. Judging by your post, you’re certainly capable of doing that.
Hope you continue to enjoy the ‘disabled’ end of photography
Frank
Tandemfahren
Haha, I’ve just spotted another cracking blunder:
Two pages on from the article in question, there’s a full-page advert by Fototechnik Berlin, promoting products for ‘disabled’ people in bold, eye-catching type.
A nice own goal by the editorial team, I’d say. If I were the editor, I’d be rushing to apologise to my advertiser right now, if that would still help!
Regards, Frank
thomas_l
Goodness me, just leave them be. I haven’t been bothered by such nonsense for ages now, and I’m delighted that some digital enthusiasts are apparently so afraid of analogue photographers that they feel the need to fight back. I’ll put it even more provocatively: the more these people get worked up, the more it promotes analogue photography; otherwise, they can just go and get lost. In truth, it is precisely these people who are stuck in the past, not analogue photographers.
Outside the cyber world, namely at the regular analogue meet-ups we hold here in Austria, I see that there is a great deal of interest in the niche of analogue photography. I also see that this interest is coming particularly from younger people who got into photography through digital photography. Three or four years ago, I couldn’t have imagined that. We have a wonderful analogue niche all to ourselves. So, for that reason, there’s no need to get too worked up about such cases.
Best regards, Thomas
AchimBauer
Hello dear Hindis,
I’ve been so modern that I’ve jumped on the digital bandwagon – not entirely of my own volition, but rather due to the adversities that life throws at you.
I have to say that digital photography has a few advantages: quick documentation, and it’s cheap if you’re just saving the images, so you can press the shutter button more often at work to document things.
But compared to the old days of slide film, which took two weeks to be developed and returned, or Agfapan 100 that I developed myself in Rodinal. There was very little waste, because you really thought about it before pressing the shutter button.
This summer, I took my son to the Hahnweide vintage aircraft meet; the photos were a disaster – the camera never worked properly because one of the what felt like 3 billion special functions had been switched on by accident and could only be turned off after days of studying the manual. You have to ask yourself whether you need to put yourself through that just to avoid being seen as a bit of a nerd. That would have been reason enough for me to jump fully on the digital bandwagon, because I have this childhood trauma of never having owned the ultra-modern LED quartz watch you needed to avoid being seen as a nerd.
But I’ve since learnt that there are people who spend hundreds of thousands on mechanical watches designed for the disabled, and vast sums on tube amplifiers and record players so simple that only disabled people can operate them.
Even the corporations based here in the south, such as Bosch and Daimler Benz, have subsidiaries that supply disabled people who are unable to operate cars with ABS and airbags.
Mr Kringeldings can be happy that he isn’t disabled, and in his happiness chase after every new fad that comes along.
I’m more inclined to go along with the Sparkasse advert: ‘When I grow up, I want to be disabled too.’
Then I’ll be disabled, but also happy – and in a way that I decide for myself, not the industry.
And that’s why I’ve now reactivated my lab; and, well, the pictures really are better, and my fingers stay clean as I don’t have to refill the ink so often.
Best regards, Achim
AchimBauer
Hello everyone,
I had a bit of fun writing a letter to the editor for *Brennpunkt*; the text is attached as a PDF.
Best regards, Achim
TiMo
I haven’t been involved in (analogue) photography for very long, but to me, digital and analogue have always really been two distinct forms of media. That is, after all, the approach taken in some theoretical treatises on the subject. I find the terms ‘photography’ and ‘digital imaging’ very apt in this context. The two no longer have much in common, apart from the fact that an image is produced in the end. The process is completely different.
What’s tempting about digital is probably the quick (supposed) success and the chance to tweak things a bit after the picture’s been taken. Those in the know will probably notice it, but the rest couldn’t care less.
The learning curve in photography is much steeper (I’m noticing that right now) and more challenging. I and a few others like that; the majority probably don’t anymore. They want everything to be quick and easy.
If Kriegelstein feels the need to publish such drivel, he’s really just making a fool of himself. It’s embarrassing for him. But why should I care about his opinion?! I take photos for myself, and whether Kriegelstein thinks I’m disabled or backward because of it is of no concern to me whatsoever.
AchimBauer
Hello everyone,
Yesterday I received a rather prompt reply to my letter from the editor of *Brennpunkt*.
He wrote to me saying that he liked my letter, and that Mr Kriegelstein certainly had no intention of offending the ‘Analogues’, as 50% of their club were ‘Analogues’. He mentioned a few names and emphasised that the article referred to a statement made at an exhibition, something along those lines.
OK, you could see it that way if you overlook the last part. Let’s give Mr Kriegelstein the benefit of the doubt and assume he didn’t mean any harm.
For me, it was still a case of déjà vu, because when I took a darkroom course at the adult education centre at the age of 14 – having already gained plenty of photographic experience and some darkroom experience – to learn it properly, I realised I already knew a lot, but still wanted to build contacts within the local scene; however, I noticed that I wasn’t taken seriously, because for good photos you need a Könner (Canon) or a Nikon will do. And of course only Ilford film and Tetenal chemicals. With my Praktica, Agfapan film and Rodinal developer, I was totally uncool. Although Praktica offered its interchangeable viewfinder model with internal metering, you weren’t allowed to say ‘Könner’ and only Nikon could measure properly with TTL.
So I paid hardly any attention to the scene’s contacts and, apart from a few loose connections, pottered about as a photographic maverick. But successfully, because if the pictures were good, nobody asked how they were taken, as the truth might well come to light. You can do it without a Könner!
Regards, Achim
TiMo
But I realised I wasn’t being taken seriously, because to take good photos you need a camera (Canon) – or Nikon will do as well. And, of course, only Ilford film and Tetenal chemicals. With my Praktica, Agfapan film and Rodinal developer, I was totally uncool. Although Praktica offered a model with an interchangeable viewfinder and in-camera metering, you weren’t allowed to mention Canon, and only Nikon could measure exposure properly with TTL.
It’s just very often a bit of a status symbol; for some, status is probably more important than the enjoyment of the activity itself.
It’s quite handy, really: it lets you quickly tell who’s interested in good photos and who just wants to be admired for their camera.
This reminds me of something:
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]
thomas_l
Yes, but thank goodness those days are over. We analogue types are now spared such nonsense. Anyone who shows off these days buys the latest DSLR every year with a long lens attached to the front :lol:
AchimBauer
Hello, friends of the light,
I have now also received a reply from Mr Kriegelstein; in the interests of fairness, I would like to forward it to you without comment.
You will find it attached as a PDF.
Best regards, Achim
piu58
There’s nothing offensive in it, of course. Still, it’s not right to publish a personal letter without asking first.
sputnik
Yes, but thank goodness those days are over. We analogue types are now spared such nonsense. Anyone who shows off these days buys the latest DSLR every year with a long lens attached to the front :lol:
Do you think so? Well then, just wait until you bump into the first Leica fan with his M7... :-)
sputnik
Although Praktica offered its interchangeable viewfinder model with internal exposure metering
The F3 also had internal rangefinder measurement that worked with ALL viewfinder attachments. The advantage of the F3 is that you can buy one on eBay at any time these days. Getting hold of a VLC (that’s what it was called, wasn’t it?) is pretty much impossible. Do you happen to know how many of them were made?
AchimBauer
Hello Uwa, hello Sputnik,
Uwa, you’re right, and I thought long and hard about it, but the letter I wrote that was replied to here was officially designated as a letter to the editor,
and besides, I thought it would calm things down a bit if everyone realised that the author had simply been misunderstood.
As for Sputnik’s comment about the F3, it’s incorrect; it may well have had internal measurements, but when it came onto the market, I was unfortunately no longer 14. But thank you for thinking I’m that young.
Regards, Achim
sputnik
As for Sputnik’s comment about the F3, it’s wrong. It may well have had an internal rangefinder, but by the time it came onto the market, I was no longer 14, unfortunately. But thanks for thinking I’m that young.
Regards, Achim
Yes. There were probably a few years between the release dates of the two cameras. I didn’t realise you could afford a new or fairly new VLC at the age of 14. As someone from the GDR, you always have to rethink things. Back then, that thing must have cost a fortune here. Which wasn’t a bad thing, though, as you couldn’t buy something like that in a shop without the right connections anyway.
What I’d be really interested to know: do you think the Cünen-Sager people talk about Neiken as well?
AchimBauer
Hello Sputnik,
Unfortunately, at 14 I couldn’t afford a new VLC. I started out at about 8 with a Kodak Retina that belonged to my father. I used the cheapest transparency film from Neckermann, exposed according to the instructions in the leaflet. At 12, I bought a Super TL 2 with my saved-up pocket money. Later, I added a Super TL from my father as a second body. The VLC always remained a dream.
But at 14, I had a phone call with Alexander Borell (a veteran of the photo press). He told me that, of all the rangefinder cameras, only the VLC has internal metering.
Much later, I upgraded and bought an Olympus, but even then I remained loyal to VEB Dresden, as the auto-dynamic exposure control was developed by them and found its way to Olympus via Minolta and Leica.
I don’t know if the C?nensager people said Neiken; I think they spoke of NIEHKOHN, but I’ve since heard Neiken mentioned as well.
Regards, Achim
