MAGNUM 'On Set' exhibition
Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2013 9:18 pmThe above exhibition is now finished and was a collection of images made on the set of some very big Hollywood productions. They were taken by members of the MAGNUM picture agency, most of whom are quite famous. The movies included Planet of the Apes...The Alamo...Cat on a hot tin roof, and a few others. Firstly, I gotta say that if you are privileged enough to get onto the set of one of these big productions then you ain't gonna have a hard time getting good pics. The sets are superbly lit, the actors are ruggedly good looking, actresses sexy and photogenic, (think Munro and Taylor etc), and the props are extraordinary. So, I was not that impressed with the images overall because, damn it, how could you fail? But the work of one of the photographers caught my eye...he is the photographer I most respect and probably the only one worthy to be called a genius. W. Eugene Smith. In my eyes the worlds best ever photographer. The images were of Charlie Chaplin on set and they had a quality that lifted them above all others. The print quality was just perfect. It did not get in the way of the picture but gave it a quality that held me glued to the spot for a very long moment. This was the first time I had seen a genuine Smith print and I was not disappointed. Most of the images were taken in low light and I was quite surprised to see how soft the focus was on many of the images. Something we don't see anymore in the digital age....yet it's a pity because the softness adds a charm to the works that do them no harm. I always walk away inspired by exhibitions like this and I'm thinking I need to slow down, take my time, do some projects and use the light. And that's something I going to do...after I've sat down with Gary Stark to watch the re-runs of the 'VOICE'. 
