If someone makes an effort to share something that never gets shared, because it’s never released to the conversation, well, they might think harder next time about the manner in which they share it. Bravo to you Duck Rabbit.

Your assertion that I “dismiss race and gender” is arrogant, absurd and offensive. Moreover it is absolutely not what my post is about and I suggest that you read it again in context. My family is mixed race and the suggestion that I dismiss the issue of race or gender is pitifully ill informed.

My post argues for a more inclusive stage not a less inclusive one. What the original Lightstalker post ignores – and what most western journalists and photographers ignore – largely because they are so protectionist – is the value of having photographers/journalists from the majority world sitting at the table. You view the conversation about racial equality in our profession through the prism of the western economies. That is like the Tories telling us they are not racist because they have a black neighbour – give me a break. To limit the conversation to one about race and gender in the US/Western context marginalizes anyone living outside those boundries yet they are the people who are grinding out the words and images we need to put the world in its proper context. The photography and media business has changed and its time to include the rest of the world in our dialogue whether you like it or not.

John Edwin Masons article that you suggest I read was well written, well formed and articulate, and I think there is little he and I would disagree on. Your point of view is a far more protectionist one than I have ever had which you would have known if you did your research and looked beyond the colour of my skin.

Cordially

Gary

I would like to ask you a question Joe and think very carefully before you answer it-

If you are in a room full of deaf and mute people at a party would you

A/ Try and strike up a conversation with one of the deaf/mutes to find out where the beer was?

B/ Wander around aimlessly until you stumbled on where the beer was kept

C/ Or wait around until someone brought in someone that could tell you where the beer was?

I am curious to see your answer, as I am curious figure out how you surmised that I am some kind of ‘disgruntled substandard photographer’

Ask any film festival judge, or entrant, or member of the audience; it’s essentially anonymous. There’s no reason to think this doesn’t hold true for photography as the barrier to entries with the gear required to make it happen is less prohibitive than moving pictures and the web makes photographs even easier for a willing provider to come in contact with a willing audience.

Photography is essentially less susceptible to unfair ‘play’. If good work is not finding it’s way in front of our eyes by the people that Lisa wish to see it by, people like her?, it is probably because it’s not being produced at all, or not being produced to the quality that the public finds appealing.

This whole tantrum seems an absurd extrapolation of Steven Mayes sentiment, a sentiment already flawed because it suggest the WPP is the judge and jury of important photojournalism. We all know what some Magnum photographers think of WPP and their voice is no less strong than VII. I hope WPP gets found out someday. This year’s selection screams scandal as the ‘people’s’ choice was the real winner as discovered later. (Palestine Gassing)

Anyway, This whole article screams of a photographer-affirmative-action. It screams of a disgruntled substandard photographer blaming some incidental statistic for the reason her work is not better received? It’s really cringe worthy, really. I hope I’ve got this all wrong.

Good Stuff Duck Rabbit, keep in coming! : – )