[Leica] Light and shadows

[lew1716 at gmail.com (Lew Schwartz)]

HCB actually endorsed both ideas, "Decisive Moment" and "Images a la
Sauvette." I don't believe it's of much use to attempt to see one as a
translation of the other, rather both were the attempt of HCB, his
gallerists and publishers to point at some things that made his work
unique. Decisive Moment famously points to images such as "Behind Behind
the Gare Saint-Lazare" where having camera, photographer and the world
ready at exactly the right, kind of zen moment was key, whereas "Sauvette"
emphasizes the unposed, intrusive spontaneity of some shots, without the
collaboration of the image subjects(eg Juvisy, France 1938). In French, "a
la sauvette" refers to grey market or illegal street vendors of goods with
unknown origins. You can save money by buying from these sources "a la
sauvette." No one should see you doing this. The ideas often overlap in the
images themselves. I believe that if you keep them in mind, you can pick
out which is uppermost in any given image. Also, keep in mind that HCB
still had to validate his images by looking backwards to Brassai's
wonderful, forbidden and often posed recreation of a Paris "noire" in
"Paris de Nuit."  Brassai's images have a forbidden quality in their
subject matter and the almost salacious way they make his Paris visible to
self-respecting, voyeuristic citizens such as ourselves. HCB expanded this
idea by grabbing images unannounced and without the permission of his
subjects, an issue we still debate on this list.

-Lew Schwartz


On Wed, Jul 31, 2013 at 1:44 PM, Lluis Ripoll
<lluisripollquerol at gmail.com>wrote:

> Hi Ted, and other friends
>
> I'm absolutely agree with what do you say, in your usual words KISS.
> Actually I van't imagine what kind of work could has do HCB with the
> automatic cameras and digital facilities, we have all reed that the
> darkroom work of better said, darkroom after work of HCB was very hard,
> many of his negatives was under or over exposed, but what counted was the
> value of the moment, as you have said, instinct, thoughts become later...
>
> I've sincerely smiled when some of the comments has said me that the head
> of the children was perfectly framed with the background....., just luck my
> friend! I really don't know at that moment what I had in front of my eyes,
> like a "flash" as you say "see--click" ... , keep it simple.
>
> Thanks for your excellent explanation about the photography reactions and
> considerations, your comments are always a Master Class!
>
> Cheers!
> Lluis
>
>
> El 31/07/2013, a las 19:28, <tedgrant at shaw.ca> escribi?:
>
> >> Steve Barbour: IN ANSWER TO LlUIS:
> >> Subject: Re: [Leica] Light and shadows
> >>
> >> STEVE BARBOUR OFFERED:
> >> Lluis, Ted, friends of the LUG, my friends,
> >>
> >> this phrase used by Lluis is of course from the title of Cartier
> Bresson's
> >> famous book. These words have often troubled me,  what is the real
> meaning
> >> of this phrase......?
> >>
> >> perhaps something like ,     on the fly...    unguarded, unauthorized,
> >> without permission, spontaneous....   who can really say ?
> >>
> >> the title  "Images a la sauvette"    has been translated as "the
> decisive
> >> moment",  but this, almost certainly, is at best, a very loose
> translation,
> >> possibly a title selected out of commercial motivations, even so it has
> >> assumed a most profound significance in the world of photography.
> >>
> >> Surely we can do better, what does it really mean ?   why? Does it tell
> us
> >> something about the way HCB worked ?
> >>
> >> Please give me your thoughts on this....The answer to these questions,
> might
> >> bring us to the motivations, the methodology of Henri Cartier Bresson,
> one
> >> of our most iconic photographers....
> >> Steve Barbour
> > =======================
> > AND TED SAID:..............
> >
> > Hi Steve, Lluis and interested others,
> >
> > My feelings ever since I became fascinated with the work of HCB has been
> > that he worked from a "visual instinct of the moment." I suppose the
> > "Decisive moment" as he has been tagged with lo these many years! I don't
> > think a great deal of thought as we see and read these days about "what
> > lens, what ISO, ec etec of details when a photographer is about to take a
> > picture today."   He saw, "CLICK!" Or faster!
> >
> > It's a heart, gut, instinct fashion of shooting. Virtually very little
> > thought process as one "click's the shutter release!"  The thought
> process
> > comes after the "CLICK!" As I have written on many occasions,
> "SEE-CLICK!"
> > Don't think............ "SEE-SHOOT!" Basically that's how I re-act to the
> > triggering moment! Regardless of subject. Particularly when shooting the
> > Olympics and other sporting events. And on many occasions, people and
> > moments.
> >
> > THE BIOGRAPHY: "Ted Grant: Sixty Years of Legendary Photojournalism."
> > The biography about my wicked wicked life as a photojournalist is on the
> > market in October. However you can pre-order from AMAZON now and save a
> > bunch of money. In this book you hopefully will appreciate my instinct of
> > "see-shoot!" when looking at the photography.
> >
> > As I feel it, HCB shot from his see-click fashion simply from a re-action
> > process of ... "see--click!"
> >
> > The "hully-gullies" in the belly of seeing his "decisive moment" was
> > appreciated later when viewing the photograph and seeing the moment he
> > caught of instant life!! :-) See, keep it simple!
> >
> > Anyway that's how I sort of feel it. ..... "SEE-SHOOT!" :-)
> >
> > cheers,
> > Dr. ted :-)
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Leica Users Group.
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>
>
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