Mike Johnston is posting his thoughts on the top 10 greatest photographs and is writing astute explanations for his decisions. Today he offers up, in his opinion, The Greatest Photograph Ever Made. I submit the following comment and will wait and see if it passes moderation.
Good choice and I have no disagreement with the logic that places this image in your top spot. I do have an ongoing debate with myself about the meaningful difference between a chemical photograph and an electronic photograph, and this is clearly an electronically created image. I keep thinking there is a real difference between the direct effects of photons and the assemblage of photon data. The prints of Ansel Adams and W. Eugene Smith are masterpieces of images derived from film. Is there an artistic distinction between their work and work that is “not something that was ever witnessed directly by a human being”?
