The Importance of a Still Image

Golf007sd

Words and thoughts of the late Bill Eppridge.

paulr

We all have memories of Newsflash images, I will never forget the Image Eddy Adams Took of the VietCong Guerrilla being shot in 1968, at the time this was shown as Video too, A true life Epic. Showing Man's disregard to Man.

Msmoto

I could not agree with him more. The still image captures a moment in time which will never be repeated. A video has a lot of information, yet is not as focused on the moment.

I remember in 1965 when I was in NYC for two weeks searching for a job, I went to the studio of Francesco Scavullo. He said he had nothing to do that morning and invited me in for a chat. He was excited about doing what was then called "cine" and was telling me how this was the latest in new media. During the hour he gave me many pearls of wisdom regarding photography. I do not know if he did a lot of cine work after that, but I was always grateful to have spent time with one of the greatest fashion photographers of his time.

DaveyJ

I constantly remind my guys (son and grandsons) who are enamored with video the NEED to take stills as well.
I believe in both stills and video but just video alone is often "stranded" and I see a number of movies that have STILLS within the movie. WHY? because it focuses on the moment and they way we USE our eyes is probably a combination of almost still concentration and moving subject. I think memory is quite apt to lock into "still" mode. But that is pretty philosophical for a farmer....

proudgeek

This might be an over generalization and probably shows my age, but I see still images as things that make our imaginations work harder. They capture only an instant in time and make us fill in the remainder, whereas video tells the whole story and allows us to sit back and watch/listen. I suppose it's similar to the way a movie, even one faithfully produced, can never fully replicate the experience of reading the book.

ChasCS

That's very true, but some movies make wanting to read the books more compelling.
"Some Times A Great Notion", "A Clockwork Orange", "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" are but a few that come to mind immediately.
I don't know if any one ever wrote a book about "Woodstock", but the movie was incredible, with a sound track awesome, too. I love to read, mainly novels. Been reading the Arturo Perez-Reverte series about swashbuckling sword fighting Captain Alatriste. Too bad Viggo Mortenson wasn't all that exciting in the movie role.

kyoshinikon

Good video. Thanks for the post Golf

ThomasHorton

I suppose one could make the awful photography pun and say that few things can be as moving as a still image?