Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/09/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Mark Rabiner wrote: > > HCB has a whole book of portraits out that I was looking at this week. > Not my favorite HCB. He's better when he doesn't ask first! > Mark Rabiner I'm assuming the book is "Tete à Tete" which features images presented in the D.C. show. I, too, have the book. I have to agree with Mark that his reputation is based more on his spontaneous images, but the portraits in the book do reveal another side to his vision and genius. Lets not forget that he was one of the preeminent photographers in the world in his time and he was equally given, as well as chose, assignments that brought him to the forefront of history. This included history's shapers as well. I find it interesting, via the photos, how he interacted with his subjects. Or didn't. It brings back a thread that was raging here a few months ago regarding portraiture and whether it should be done with or without the subject's cooperation and knowledge. As usual the lUG came down on both sides of the issue. What I find interesting with HCB's portraits is that there is predominantly eye contact. The other thing I find interesting is his use of "available" light (à la Eugene Smith) and his positioning of his subjects within the frame. They are some of the finest environmental portraits I have seen. One of my favorites is the one of William Faulkner with his dog stretching in the background. It takes some courage, defiance and genius to break the rule of having the subject looking at the edge of the frame. Usually you see the subject having more room to gaze into. HCB has Faulkner gazing almost against the right edge of the frame with all the negative space on the left of the image. Rarely, if ever, do you see a tight headshot. Usually there is space around the subject. I read somewhere that when he was photographing Ezra Pound in Pound's later, arthritic years, that HCB just wandered around him making photos, each saying nothing to the other until the session was over and then he just left. All in all rather fascinating and another insight into his photographic genius. - -- Carl Socolow http://members.tripod.com/SocPhoto/