Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Possibly there is some lack of appreciation going on here about HCB. Here is the last paragraph from a 6 page essay Robert Doisneau wrote in his book 'Three Seconds of Eternity' near the end of his long career: "A hundredth of a second here, a hundredth of a second there, put together end to end; that never makes more than two or three seconds wrung from eternity." He was talking about his 'decisive moments.' sl > I have about 108 (36x3) decisive moments each week, and about 3 of them are > really good images. I know of only one person on this forum who can get > PAWs from January 1 to July 1 from just one roll of film. > > I'm hoping that in a few years, I'll have 6 really good ones from 3 rolls. > Part of my problem is motor drives. But, like a machine gun, my "hit" rate > has gone up. > > Jeffery Smith > > > At 01:58 PM 3/20/02 -0500, you wrote: >>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. >>-- - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html