[Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.

[bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen)]

BUZZ!!!! Get your butt in here!!! :-)

In fact, HCB himself has been quoted as saying that around the time of
the founding of Magnum, the late Robert Capa "...was very wise. He told
me not to
call myself a surrealist, but instead, a photojournalist."

I admit that I had some trouble getting my brain around this idea,
focused as I was on HCB's subject manner. But then I saw some classic
HCB images blown up to slide screen size - and BINGO! There is was -
shape, form, shadow, odd juxtaposition of objects.....

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Jim Hemenway
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 10:49 AM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.


I don't think of him a surrealist with a camera BD... a painter with a 
camera perhaps, or maybe a sociologist with a camera? :-)

Parke-Harrison are surrealists with a camera:
http://www.bonnibenrubi.com/Parkeharrison/parkeharrison.html
http://www.parkeharrison.com/
http://www.decordova.org/decordova/exhibit/parkeharrison/parkeharrison04
.html

Jim


B. D. Colen wrote:

> True enough. The other thing to keep in mind when thinking about HCB 
> is that while we may be looking to capture something about the human 
> condition, he was looking to capture something having to do with form,

> shape and light. Not to start the surrealist thread again, but 
> Gdamnit, he was not a PJ - although he did some PJ - he was a 
> surrealist with a camera.
> 
> B. D.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
> [mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf 
> Of Ted Grant
> Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 12:32 AM
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.
> 
> 
> B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
> To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org>
> Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 2:13 PM
> Subject: RE: Re: [Leica] Intro
> 
> 
> 
>>I'd argue that the "decisive moment" was that instant in which he saw,
> 
> 
>>or anyone sees, the possibilities in a particular setting or
>>situation. He didn't see a guy in mid-jump across a puddle and shoot -
> 
> 
>>he saw a puddle and the possibilities it presented; he didn't see
>>someone on a given staircase - he saw the staircase, and waited for 
>>the right person in the right position. Others of just might have shot
> 
> 
>>a puddle, or a staircase. ;-)<<
> 
> 
> And because he was a consummate artist he would see elements in a 
> street
> 
> scene and know one element was missing just by looking. However, the 
> gift he had was to see and then wait for the one element that created 
> the "Decisive
> moment."
> 
> The rest of us see things and capture good photo moments, but he had 
> this ability to see something good and yet know it required one tiny 
> extra thing
> or wait the moment longer to make it the perfect picture if you like.
> 
> 
>>>he didn't see someone on a
>>
>>given staircase - he saw the staircase, and waited for the right
>>person in the right position. ;-)<<
> 
> 
> Absolutely! As that's one of the gifts he had, was to wait for the 
> icing on the cake to make it perfect. But most of all he had the 
> patience to wait.
> The rest of us are always in a hurry to go some place, either to work,
> going 
> to the Mall or wherever and our pictures quite often are a grabbed
> moment 
> instead of seeing the complete moment by waiting a few minutes or
longer
> for 
> the filling in the cake to make it great!
> 
> ted
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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