Previous | Next :: Iconic Image of Che Guevara : Havana : Cuba | November 9, 2010, 11:45 pm

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/david-cameron/8119067/Its-right-for-David-Cameron-to-have-a-court-photographer.html

This link above takes you to an article by Stephen Bayley appearing in the Telegraph nominally supporting British Prime Minister David Cameron's appointment of 'court Photographer' Andrew Parsons..... ( No mention of 'the Court' Videographer of course)

But that article is just so wrong....... so wrong ....... wrong on so many levels....... :

"Photography is lying's handmaiden. Or perhaps its pimp. Or even its madam. It's not so much that the camera never lies as that it has the politician's variable attitude to truth. It is errant, but immensely powerful. So great care needs to be taken in its management."

This is a great line to make you splutter over your cornflakes ........... I read it with horror........ and of course I was totally outraged...........

Again photography is regarded as so toxically political it requires 'great care needs to be taken in its management.'

By the time you have people from the 23,000 strong publicly financed BBC falling over writers from the Telegraph to condemn the toxic act of photography or the government waste in appointing a single photographer........ you know we in Britain are living through an illogical witch hunt against still photography.... we are in a misguided totally unjustified moral panic.......

Stephen Bailey goes on to praise the images made by Alberto Korda....... Fidel Castros official photographer....... recognising the iconic value of world famous image he made of Che Guevara......... he praises this iconic image....... then praises Korda for refusing any payment or royalties....... er.......... well he was being paid an ordinary fee as a 'court photographer'....... and he only recieved no royalties because Cuba had not signed the Berne Convention. Fidel Castro described the protection of intellectual property as imperialistic "bullshit" and therefore the Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli effectively stole the copyright on what became one of the most reproduced and profitable images in the world to make himself hugely rich.

But the non existent example of Korda refusing to take a fee is recommended to Andrew Parsons....... as if him asking for the very exceptionally ordinary fee it is proposed he will receive...... or indeed asking for any money for working in the inherently toxic area of photography is sordid.......... The implication it ought to be done for free otherwise you would be living off immoral earnings ....... there seems to be no suggestion that the No10 videographer or any of the 23,000 employees of the BBC or indeed Telegraph writers themselves should consider the same option ....... Hey Harv..... I know a witch hunt when I see one......... :-/

Cheers Jez XXXXXXXXXXXX

PS........ I forgot to mention Steve Marshal at http://www.photo-dialogue.com/ brought the Telegraph piece to my attention........ he knows I need a bit of stress induced indigestion with my cornflakes...... hehehehe..... thanks Steve :-)) XXXXXXXXX

PPS.......Yeah........I should really just relax a little.......... Harv takes a much more chilled view of the world......... maybe its cos he listens to stuff like this.............. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mfyCI82lWM&feature=related

www.jezblog.com

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