Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2012/06/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Sorry Mark, on the fly is different - would translate as "? la vol?e", "en passant" or "au passage, or "ce faisant", "dans le m?me temps", "en mouvement", etc A la sauvette is really different - the connotations are lost in translation, another film I enjoyed a lot BTW ph Le 19 juin 12 ? 20:55, Mark Rabiner a ?crit : > "A la sauvette" translates directly to "On the fly". > A guy I read said idiomatically for us it meant doing snap shots. > Working > fast. > > Which to me suggested the direct opposite of "decisive moment". > Which sounds very precious. and concisely planned. > > - - from my iRabs. > Mark Rabiner > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/springdays/ > > >> From: Philippe Amard <philippe.amard at sfr.fr> >> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >> Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2012 18:45:34 +0200 >> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >> Subject: Re: [Leica] Are we anal puddle jumpers or what? >> >> Just for your information the original title in French is NOT the >> decisive moment, >> it is "A la sauvette" >> which probably doesn't translate well >> but conveys the idea that permission was not granted, >> and that the action was probably swift so that surrounding people >> wouldn't notice it; >> cf. end of video #2 of HCB hopping along on the streets of Paris and >> shooting by instinct, >> sometimes nearly bumping into passers-by to get the shot. >> REM: He'd get a new set of teeth everyday if he were to try this >> nowadays ... >> >> VDO >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqsOYsZlPX4 >> Photography for him is a "way/means for drawing" or "to keep a >> diary". >> He says he would have much fun shooting without film in the camera >> were it not for the urgency to communicate and bring testimonies of >> the world as it is. >> >> "We steal, we're picpockets" ... >> >> Insists a lot on his background as a painter, and some of his masters >> >> @4'50 "I have a passion for geometry" (look at his hand movements >> then) >> >> MORE HERE >> >> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjjGiBUaf4s&feature=relmfu >> >> some references to gear - asked he says there's no recipe, he sets >> the >> shudder speed at 1/125 and knows about the rest by instinct - the >> Leica is just there because of its format (last seconds) prefered >> over >> the square ... his pet lens is a 50mm, the other two are used only on >> assignments. >> >> Some form of contradiction though : in the first document he states >> that the photog should be neutral, or at least be immersed into the >> other's culture (referring to China then) whereas in the second he >> states that the photog's - read his - point of view can conflict with >> that of the magazine's editors (in the lay-out for instance) ... >> >> Hope this didn't bother anyone. >> Bien cordialement de Metz, Lorraine >> Philippe, back to flowers due to the shortage of poodles today. >> >> >> Le 19 juin 12 ? 17:23, B. D. Colen a ?crit : >> >>> I've been reading this thread and have a couple thoughts: >>> 1. Equipment: Of course equipment is important, it was important to >>> HCB, >>> it's important to all of us today. It is not, however, the be all >>> and end >>> all many endless discussions of micro contrast, glass, and pixels >>> would lead >>> one to believe. Someone yesterday or today made the comment that >>> today's >>> photographers keep upgrading their equipment, and need to, if they >>> are >>> serious about their craft. Well, yes, but what isn't mentioned is >>> that >>> today's camera body is not simply the light-tight box bodies were 20 >>> years >>> ago, but it is the box AND the film. That is, today a photographer >>> is >>> required to upgrade equipment with some frequency because digital >>> sensors >>> are still evolving, just as film evolved over a period of many >>> decades. So >>> in order to be able to meet client and publishing standards, a >>> photographer >>> is required to upgrade. But the photographer who bought a pair of >>> M3s in the >>> 1950s, did NOT have to upgrade his bodies ? EVER ? if he didn't beat >>> them to >>> death. The photographer did, however, upgrade her film. But the >>> Nikon or >>> Canon glass from 20 years ago is plenty good to shoot with it today. >>> So, for >>> that matter, are Leica's first generation aspheric lenses plenty >>> good today. >>> If someone wants the latest $7k Summicron, good for them. But there >>> is no >>> NEED to make that upgrade. >>> 2. Analism: Anal is as anal does. HCB was not the film era >>> equivalent of a >>> pixel peeper. He did not wear a loupe around his neck for counting >>> eyelashes. He was an artist who cared most about composition, and >>> the ways >>> in which visual elements came together and played off each other. >>> Counting >>> facial hairs is not photography, and really has little to do with >>> photography. Does a particular lens effectively suppress veiling >>> flare when >>> shooting with strong backlighting? That is important to a >>> photographer, >>> because it effects her ability to successful capture a given image. >>> But >>> being able to examine a pimple on the face of the man in the moon in >>> a night >>> shot of lower Manhattan? Not so much. >>> 3. HCB and how many times he pushed the shutter release: Yes, HCB >>> shot >>> thousands of frames we have and will never seen. But don't kid >>> yourselves >>> that this somehow means that he, or similar 'giants' weren't as good >>> as >>> we've been lead to believe. The question is not, did he shoot >>> thousands of >>> frames he discarded? Rather, it is how good are his keepers, how to >>> they >>> compare to everyone else's keepers, and how many of them are there? >>> We all, >>> in our life times of shooting, may come up with one or two HCB-like >>> images. >>> What we will never come up with are the hundreds he produced. >>> 4. Was the Puddle Jumper posed, and does it matter: As I said >>> before, and I >>> gather various people's searches have indicated I am correct, that >>> image was >>> an unposed one-off. But some people have suggested over the last >>> couple of >>> days that it's the outcome that matters, 'art is art,' and we >>> shouldn't care >>> if it was posed. I vehemently disagree. Because if that, or other >>> supposedly >>> unposed images were posed, it tells us that HCB was a completely >>> different >>> kind of artist from what we thought he was. Philippe Halsman, a >>> wonderful >>> Magnum Photographer, made jumping his gimmick. He produced terrific >>> images >>> of everyone from Richard Nixon to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor >>> jumping on >>> command. But Philippe Halsman was not HCB. He was not a chronicler >>> of the >>> "decisive moment." He is not noted for creating incredibly composed >>> images >>> of moments in real life and real time; HCB is. If it turns out that >>> HCB >>> posed images ? and I am NOT suggesting, nor do I believe, that he >>> posed >>> anything other than some portraits, then he simply was not the >>> photographer >>> we thought he was and his work needs to be reconsidered. (When Bruce >>> Davidson's Outside Inside came out, I went to hear him speak at >>> Boston >>> University. During a rambling discourse he said that he ALWAYS asked >>> permission before photographing his subjects. IF that is true, I >>> think his >>> work needs to be reconsidered. He still is a brilliant photographer, >>> but IF >>> that's true, he is more a brilliant fashion-type photographer, than >>> the >>> documentarian he has been thought to be. (I must note here that I >>> have heard >>> from a number of sources I trust, and concluded myself from listen >>> to him, >>> that age has really caught up with Davidson's mental faculties, and >>> I would >>> NOT take his saying he always asked permission as reliable >>> testimony.) >>> 5. The Decisive Moment: For all the talk about the Decisive Moment, >>> and the >>> idea many have that HCB saw these special moments flash before his >>> eye and >>> grabbed them, I would contend that the true decisive moment is that >>> instant >>> in which he ? or anyone ? saw or sees the photographic possibilities >>> in a >>> scene, a situation, and THEN begins to work that scene, until all >>> the >>> compositional elements come together. With the anal puddle jumper, >>> the >>> decisive moment would have been that instant when HCB saw the hole >>> in the >>> fence, realized what was going on, and started shooting. All of >>> which to say >>> that the fulfillment of genius requires hard work. >>> Back to anal puddle jumping. :-) >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information