[Leica] Shoot less... ?

Sat Mar 21 13:56:41 PDT 2015

> On Mar 21, 2015, at 1:20 PM, Mark Rabiner <mark at rabinergroup.com> wrote:
> 
> 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.

sure, when he had something worth shooting, otherwise that approach is not French….
I appreciate his use of classic french irony, and I do believe HCB took many photos at times, but I also believe he very much appreciated the thought…..

“it’s not what you shoot, it’s what you show…

steve

> 
> 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
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> ---
>>>>> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
>>>>> http://www.avast.com
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> 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/
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> 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/
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information