The Controversy
At the launch of the Fujifilm X100V, Fujifilm released lots of X100V promo videos, some of them made by their talented X photographers. One of those videos, though, raised a huge controversy, so much, that Fujifilm removed the video just a few hours after it went online.
However, here on FujiRumors, we shared a link where you can still find the video.
The video raised a massive debate, with currently over 730 comments in our original post. Is this a legit way to make street photography or is Tatsuo Suzuki’s style to intrusive and aggressive?
Over 4,000 people voted a survey on this subject, and you can see the results here. Spoiler: it’s an extremely divisive topic.
The Update
Today the story get’s an important update.
Not only Fujifilm removed the video, but it seems like they removed Tatsuo Suzuki from the Fujifilm X Photographers program.
In fact, I don’t see him listed anymore at the official Fujifilm X photographer website, but if you look at this google cached page, you can still see him. Also, his dedicated X photographer page is now empty.
The removal of the video was extremely divisive, but what about the removal of the photographer from the Fujifilm X photographers program? Vote the survey down below.
In any case, Fujifilm put itself in a situation, where they can only lose, as this is a PR debacle, no matter if they delete the video or not.
And I don’t know if Fujifilm makes things better, by even removing the photographer from the program.
Or Maybe
Another option could be that Tatsuo Suzuki asked to be removed immediately from the Program, when he saw Fujifilm removing his video. In that case Fujifilm had no other option than to remove him.
My Take
I just try to put myself in Tatsuo Suzuki shoes… from a teacher perspective.
I imagine my school principal offering me a project to realize with my students, and I do it. I work, and then I present the results of this project to my principal. The school principal approves it and allows me to share it with the parents of my students.
Some parents, though, don’t like it, and start attacking me.
If that happens, I’d expect the school director to stand behind me, no matter if the parents are right or wrong in their critique. It was a common project. It was approved by my boss. We stand behind it together, and I can’t be suddenly fired or removed from my class for that.
Maybe I could still accept it if my project is removed, for the sake of making the waters calm down, but not paying alone the price for something that was a common decision.
But again, maybe it’s Tatsuo Suzuki, who asked to be removed from the program. We don’t know that. In that case Fuji just had to remove him.
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Street Shots with Magnum Photographer Bruce Gilden