Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/20

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Subject: RE: [Leica] Keepers [was: David Bailey...]
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 13:58:28 -0500

Well, Bob, LOL all you want...I would guess that if you asked the average
photo fan about the Decisive Moment, they would be under the impression that
what sets HCB apart is his ability to pick out, to grab, that instant that
will never be repeated.

But bottom line - who cares?

B. D.

- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of BOB KRAMER
Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2002 1:28 PM
To: 'leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us'
Subject: RE: [Leica] Keepers [was: David Bailey...]


B.D., where did you hear such a ridiculous story as to HCB's methodology?
Sipping on lattes until the decisive moment slaps him in the face, indeed!
LOL!  Did you or anyone else ever really believe such a thing?  Honestly,
that is a new one to me.  Everything I have ever heard has him dancing
around firing off shots like a wild man when he sees something that strikes
his eye, just like Winogrand, Friedlander, and everyone else trying to do
quality street photography.

Two comments:

1.  Don't believe every urban legend you hear.

2.  In a way, I wish HCB had never coined the phrase "decisive moment".  It
really doesn't mean anything at all other than you took a good well timed
photo with intrinsic artistic value.  This has absolutely nothing to do with
the actual number of frames that were exposed, and I don't believe HCB ever
said otherwise.  The phrase has become bastardized to mean many things I
seriously doubt HCB ever intended it to mean.  Everything to everybody has
come to be a decisive moment.  It has become too easy, and is therefor
meaningless.

Cheers,
BK

> -----Original Message-----
> From: B. D. Colen [mailto:bdcolen@earthlink.net]
> Subject: RE: [Leica] Keepers [was: David Bailey...]
>
> Yes, Bob - I do have a point. The Legend of HCB and the
> Decisive Moment has
> him either strolling along, or sipping his cafe at a cafe,
> spotting the
> image of all images, whipping his IIIg to his eye, clicking,
> and resuming
> his watching.
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