AP photographer gets an image of "Historic Value"

Arkady2 said:
Politicians just don't talk that that anymore, do they...:shake:
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You might want to read the start of the next paragraph before you praise that speech too highly:

France has taught many lessons to other nations: surely one of the most important lesson is the lesson her whole history teaches, that a high artistic and literary development is compatible with notable leadership im[sic] arms and statecraft. The brilliant gallantry of the French soldier has for many centuries been proverbial;
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http://www.theodore-roosevelt.com/trsorbonnespeech.html

It's also worth noting that Nixon used the critic quote in both his victory speech, and his address to the US on his resignation!!
 
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Every photo taken is historical, the issue I have is with the claim its historically valuable.

It most certainly is not, as far as I am concerned a defining political moment in the history of our country, it will be forgotten about in a month.
 
Radiohead said:
Of course it's historical - it's a defining political moment.
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In what way? It merely shows a middle aged couple in their car being attacked by a bunch of rioting thugs. IIRC, at one point, the horsier faced one got hit or prodded by a stick, presumably through a smashed window.
 
Nod said:
In what way? It merely shows the future King of England and his wife in their car being attacked by a bunch of rioting thugs. IIRC, at one point, the horsier faced one got hit or prodded by a stick, presumably through a smashed window.
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Slightly different when you read it like that....
 
I saw a scared middle aged couple, who just happened to be Charles and Camilla. Who they are is secondary to what they are IMO.
 
this isn't the first time POAH has spouted off an arrogant comment like this. It's commonplace for him/her.

well done to the tog who grabbed the moment
 
I still think its a cracking photo, and I think too many people seem to forget how difficult it is to shoot in situations like this... there is so much going on and you are potentially in danger too. You have to also be able to read the situation constantly and adjust things on the fly as you see it. Hardly luck.

You make your own "luck"... thats how I see it anyway ;)
 
Nod said:
I saw a scared middle aged couple, who just happened to be Charles and Camilla. Who they are is secondary to what they are IMO.
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It's who they are who makes the picture.

Someone sees Beckham snorting coke in a nightclub. Is that just a 35 year old man, or a world famous footballer.
 
Radiohead said:
It's who they are who makes the picture.

Someone sees Beckham snorting coke in a nightclub. Is that just a 35 year old man, or a world famous footballer.
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I know that Victoria's lost it completely, but calling her a 35 year old man is a bit harsh! :D
 
Actually, going off topic a bit, I was watching a programme the other day about the 1990 World Cup and they had the tog on there who captured Gazza lifting his shirt crying at the end of the game.

He said the thing that amazed him was that while he was taking the pictures, all the other togs had downed tools and not one of them had spotted the opportunity, so he was left to get an image that 20 years on remains iconic and will do for years to come.

That wasn't a lucky capture, he anticipated the moment and caught something which has no doubt made him a hell of a lot of money over the years. Same as this chap we're talking about here.
 
Yup. Lucrative for the photographer and a good news photo but of Historic Value, I think not. IF someone had a gun to PC's head and was blowing his brains out, yes. But sitting in a car quietly crapping himself, I'm less sure.
 
Nod said:
Yup. Lucrative for the photographer and a good news photo but of Historic Value, I think not. IF someone had a gun to PC's head and was blowing his brains out, yes. But sitting in a car quietly crapping himself, I'm less sure.
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Actually, not lucrative for Matt at all...since he's staff at AP. Just his salary!

I can't remember who got the Gazza shot, but I would imagine the same would apply! If you're staff/contract, you're paid your rate/salary and thats the end of it.
 
I guess it more depends if the student riots become a historical event, if they do then this picture will follow it... If the student riots are forgotten in a few months will the picture go the same way? Only time will tell...
 
jamesoliverstone said:
I guess it more depends if the student riots become a historical event, if they do then this picture will follow it... If the student riots are forgotten in a few months will the picture go the same way? Only time will tell...
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There are images from the Poll Tax riots that still resonate today.

No reason to imagine they'd be less so with Royals in the middle.

How you separate who they are from what they are in this instance is beyond me.
 
Some of the most ordinary pictures we take today have 'historical value'. They show what the world is like today and will be of interest to historians and scholars in years to come. Many of my own everyday pictures of news events where I live and work are wanted by the local museum to catalogue and store for posterity. This particular picture - which includes royals in a way we don't normally see them has enormous historical value for that reason alone.
 
Radiohead said:
There are images from the Poll Tax riots that still resonate today.

No reason to imagine they'd be less so with Royals in the middle.

How you separate who they are from what they are in this instance is beyond me.
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awp said:
Some of the most ordinary pictures we take today have 'historical value'. They show what the world is like today and will be of interest to historians and scholars in years to come. Many of my own everyday pictures of news events where I live and work are wanted by the local museum to catalogue and store for posterity. This particular picture - which includes royals in a way we don't normally see them has enormous historical value for that reason alone.
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Both very true points, who knows what will become significant in future events, after all we have no idea what will happen tomorrow...
 
Radiohead said:
How you separate who they are from what they are in this instance is beyond me.
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Very possibly because like most others here, while I know who they are, I don't know them personally. As I've said, I see a scared middle aged couple being terrorised by thugs. I can see who they are but my feelings are for the scared couple, not the PoW and his current wife.
 
Nod said:
In what way? It merely shows a middle aged couple in their car being attacked by a bunch of rioting thugs. IIRC, at one point, the horsier faced one got hit or prodded by a stick, presumably through a smashed window.
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I agree with this.. It's a great picture, and well done to the tog who captured it as he anticipated to be at the right place at the right time, and manged to capture the shot in that chaos, but I wouldn't call this a historic event..

Now, if they actually broke the window and started attacking them... then it would be much more "historically valuable"... or he got out of the car to talk them down :D
 
Im not really into the goings on with royals or students for that matter, but to me it looks like a fairly typical media shot. Its great for the guy who got it, as far as the luck thing is concerned im with the majority that it is a great achievement for the tog involved.

But Historic? Technically yes i suppose because it documents (very well) something that involved a political issue/situation and also involved the royal family. But i wouldnt say historic in the sense that it will become an iconic image, or even remembered at all really. But who knows, the students could stage a government coup in a years time, and then the image would be become very historic, because in 30 years we'd be all "Ooh look, the warning signs where there" or "Oh i remember that picture, it was just before the great revolution of 2010"....Or something like that :D

I dunno but im just not getting the Historic vibe really, that doesnt mean i right, thats just my feelings that try as i might i cant change, so no one should feel any need to put me straight.

Ade
 
All i'll say is it's a combination of a huge amount of skill and using that when he got a bit of luck. He still had to recognise it was a royal motorcade and get close.

My money's on it winning several press photo awards so i'm sure he'll be chuffed with that as well as his numerous front pages around the world.
 
POAH said:
I'm not ****ing on anyones fire - the tog clearly does a good job but you can't tell me its not luck to get a shot like that.
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It is amazing how the best photographers have all the best luck.

Luck does not come into it. If you are waiting for that lucky money shot, you will wait till doomsday. It takes experience, thought, work, and effort.
 
adam* said:
All i'll say is it's a combination of a huge amount of skill and using that when he got a bit of luck. He still had to recognise it was a royal motorcade and get close.

My money's on it winning several press photo awards so i'm sure he'll be chuffed with that as well as his numerous front pages around the world.
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:plus1:
 
I'm not so sure about awards...I think the World Press Photo award has something to do with the Corby Trouser Press as I've never seen many of the images published.

Though, that said, I am entering this year in the Sports Singles category. We'll see... :D
 
It would be more likely to win awards if she was sitting open legged and was snapped like that.
 
I love this shot and I think its going to be HUGELY historic. I mean how often do you see the constipated face of the royal family slip like this? And what made it slip? Yes, over-the-top students but to others, the budget cuts did this. This is going to be the image that may define the Coaltion goverment. When the left wingers or political activists want to show how the public reacted to cuts they need only show this photo, why would they want just a photo of a student protest when they have this cracker. This image is wholly damaging to the current goverment and they probably know it.

This guy will probably make a tidy mint of this shot I think.
 
I think it will do well in the UK awards for spot news single or photo of the year. But it is a long way until they're announced again I think so anything could happen.
 
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