[Leica] Shoot less... ?

Sat Mar 21 13:20:59 PDT 2015

Absolutely Steve.
Image on the fly is a French idiom for snap shots I think.
- it means the exact opposite idea of what we think Decisive Moment means.
Which is waiting for a magic moment to happen while standing up against a
wall pretending to be invisible with a camera.
It means what HCB and other photogs then and now really did and do which is
to shoot the hell out of everything and take no prisoners.

But the English term The Decisive Moment became so important for HCB that he
seemed to try to incorporated it into his writings and interviews.
I think he had fun with confusing people.

On 3/21/15 3:43 PM, "Steve Barbour" <steve.barbour at gmail.com> wrote:

> it seems important to appreciate that the original title of
> Cartier-Bresson's famous book was "Images a la Savette", meaning something
> like Images on the Fly.   The English version of the title was changed to
> The Decisive Moment, to sell books.
> 
> Steve
> 
> On Sat, Mar 21, 2015 at 12:22 PM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> More people should see the video  I saw in San Francisco of HCB shooting in
>> a crowd with a screw mount.  I cant find it on Utube. He was shooting a
>> picture every two seconds and winding to the next from with a quick flip of
>> his thumb on the wheel. I tell the rapid advance lever first on the M3
>> which
>> at first a double stroke would have done nothing but slow him down.
>> I'm saying this because of the  supposed "decisive moment" thing that you
>> wait for.
>> HCB was not waiting for nothing. He was shooting everything that moved and
>> a
>> few that were not. He was working it and covering it.
>> Some people on this list call this a mindless shotgun approach.
>> And it belies how photographers have always worked. Especially since roll
>> film. And perhaps even more especially since digital.
>> 
>> People think that film makes us better more contemplative people. And the
>> decisive moment thing especially.
>> Well it didn't. Its double speak and weasel words.
>> 
>> But If there's anything dumber than shooting one picture  and walking away
>> with a digital camera with 600 pix in the memory card I cant think of what
>> it is.
>> That's not capturing an image its making it go away.
>> Been there done that.
>> 
>> 
>> On 3/21/15 1:31 PM, "Tina Manley" <tmanley at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Thank God there are professional photographers on the list who know what
>> it
>>> means to have to come up with photos to pay the bills.
>>> 
>>> Thanks, Ted, for understanding.
>>> 
>>> Tina
>>> 
>>> On Sat, Mar 21, 2015 at 1:23 PM, Ted Grant <tedgrant at shaw.ca> wrote:
>>> 
>>>> John McMaster OFFERED:
>>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] Shoot less... ?
>>>> 
>>>>>>> I have wondered that, I cannot imagine taking 16K shots in a few
>> weeks
>>>> without binning the vast majority (no good or repeats). I am a sparse
>>>> shooter (not sure if I have taken more than 200 shots in a day) but with
>>>> what I regard as a high success rate.....<<<<<<<<<<<
>>>> 
>>>> JOHN MON AMI,
>>>> Don't become a documentary photographer and have a "WHEAT HARVESTING
>>>> ASSIGNMENT!" That's everything LIFE to DEATH" OF A MONTH OR TWO on the
>>>> ground, in the air shooting aerials! The day is usually pre-sunrise
>> until
>>>> moon is up.............EVERYDAY! Ok so maybe a couple, you sleep in
>> until
>>>> 5.30 a.m.! :-)
>>>> 
>>>> One never ever thinks about how many frames simply because you are
>>>> recording
>>>> a "PHOTO ESSAY" covering everything that occurs lives/dies during the
>> month
>>>> or two!
>>>> 
>>>> That includes the "field mice or gophers to filling the tractor fuel
>> tanks
>>>> to the farmer's wife making/baking the meals.............. To tell and
>> show
>>>> "THE HARVESTING FARMERS LIFE CORRECTLY IS TO SHOOT EVERYTHING FROM
>> BIRTH TO
>>>> DEATH!" Every single moment while you are on the assignment. And the
>> LIFE
>>>> of
>>>> the DAY IS IN MOTION!
>>>> 
>>>> The number of frames doesn't matter as long as you completely have your
>>>> "ASS
>>>> COVERED" in showing the complete story.  Oh sure once in awhile you may
>> not
>>>> shoot a frame........... PROVIDING YOU ALREADY HAVE A SMASHING GREAT
>>>> SIMILAR
>>>> BEAUTY TAKEN AND BACKED-UP ON ANOTHER DRIVE, WHATEVER? Even then? If you
>>>> are
>>>> motivated to "jeeeeesssshhh look at that?" FOR HEAVAN SAKE "SHOOT IT!" A
>>>> "maybe similar looking image? But what the heck "SO WHAT?" Better to
>> have
>>>> it
>>>> in the can than find out later the back-up drive failed! :-(
>>>> 
>>>> If one is on holiday or work there's no such thing as......... "DON'T
>> TAKE
>>>> TOO MANY!" If you have camera in hand and you are scene motivated?
>> "SHOOT
>>>> IT!"
>>>> Don't shoot too many? jeeeeeesh!
>>>> 
>>>> cheers,
>>>> Dr. ted :-)
>>>> 
>>>> john
>>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+john=mcmaster.co.nz at leica-users.org] On
>>>> Behalf
>>>> Of Steve Barbour
>>>> Sent: Saturday, 21 March 2015 4:20 p.m.
>>>> To: Leica LUG
>>>> Subject: [Leica] Shoot less... ?
>>>> 
>>>> Tina, a number of Luggers have suggested somehow showing less, ie being
>>>> selective....
>>>> 
>>>> Is it not true that this suggestion applies to shooting ?
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> steve
>>>> 
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>> Steve Barbour
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Leica Users Group.
>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> ---
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>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Leica Users Group.
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>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> Mark William Rabiner
>> Photographer
>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Leica Users Group.
>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>> 
> 
> 

-- 
Mark William Rabiner
Photographer
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/