RE: [Leica] Henri Cartier Bresson

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

>
> Louis DiBacco wrote:
> >
> > LUGers,
> >
> > Does anyone have any technical information about what type of film,
> > developer, photographic paper, enlarger, etc. that Henri
> Cartier Bresson
> > used? Did he print his own work? Can anyone recommend a book or site
> > that answers some of these questions? Which Leica did he use? Lens?
> > Lenses? I look forward to hearing anyone. Thank you.
> >
> > Louis DiBacco
>
> I alwasy heard he had his Tri X developed in D76 1:1 and had
> his printer print
> them a tad flat.
> Mark Rabiner
> \
You may have it absolutely right Mark, or absolutely wrong. It makes no
difference. The bottom line is that even if any of us use the same Leica
models, with the same lenses, and precisely the same film stock used by HCB,
exposed at the same ASA under similar lighting conditions, develop it for
the same number of minutes and seconds, at the same temp, agitated the same
amount, and print it on the same paper, at similar exposures, and develop
the prints the same way - we will not be HCB. Nor will we be better
photographers. Because we will still have the same brains, eyes, and hearts.
And when it comes down to it, that is all that matters.

HCB would have been HCB, Gene Smith would have been Gene Smith, and
Sebastian Salgado would be Sebastian Salgado, even of they, or he,used a
Brownie and had their film developed in the local drug store.

As Ted of the Tundra might say, "It's the eye, s-----."

B. D.



B