Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/03

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Subject: Re: [Leica] HCB didn't crop, mostly...
From: Ted Grant <tedgrant@shaw.ca>
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 2003 19:53:20 -0700
References: <EC031055-ADAC-11D7-B7D8-0003936D5D4A@twcny.rr.com> <000401c341c8$39953410$fbfea8c0@DHHZSZ11> <3F04DA4F.C85C1306@transbay.net>

Rich Lahrson
Berkeley, California said: or quoted:

>>>>Cartier-Bresson's photographs come to us as they were taken: no darkroom
magic
has been performed. He does not even crop his pictures and refuses to allow
others to do so. This is a truly miraculous eye.

Well, I recall seeing the original negative of his shot in the '30s of
the guy leaping the puddle and it's way cropped using about a third of the
negative.  Maybe he decided not to crop later. <<<<<<<

Hi Rich,
Well when he's been around as long as he has and thousands of words written
about him, pictures published adnausem, he can say whatever it is he wants
and the "HCB followers" will believe whatever is written or supposedly
repeated that he said.

Sure he's great, interesting and many other superlatives.... no question!
But he comes from an era when life was easy and free flowing without any
photographic rules and rent-a- cops and brain deranged bureaucrats who think
the world is an evil place if you snap with a camera.

Today Cartier Bresson would not be the photographer he was back in the 30's,
40's, 50's and later into our time slot, because he'd give up from the
harassment we hear daily. Hell he'd be spending more court-time than picture
taking time if he carried on as he did long long a go!. :-(

So guys and gals we must always keep the time factor in perspective of "then
& now" when judging how great a shooter was or is perceived to be. And if
you don't, you can easily be duped into believing the photographer from the
by gone days was an absolute master.

Which of course for their time, many of them were!

Don't forget, I say this from a tad over a half century of published work as
a professional photojournalist and I'm still clicking to keep it truthful in
every way I can. And as much as I admire HCB, Capa and many of the others of
the past, I try to keep their time and our time in perspective when judging
how good they were.

Just think about Capa for a moment, would he have produced the same magical
images as he did from WW ll and Vietnam? Say compared to the possibilities
of the recent controlled media dust up in Iraq? Unless of course he used his
connections to be loose on his own with the blessings of the military.

So it's essential we keep all the elements in perspective as to who was, is
& was great, in relation to their time frame as photographers.

However in another 50 - 100 years it would be nice to think we're looked
upon as one of the greats of this century. ;-) A nice kind of dream. :-)

ted













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In reply to: Message from Ernest Nitka <enitka@twcny.rr.com> (Re: [Leica] Ted., Vancouver and the Olympics)
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Message from tripspud <tripspud@transbay.net> ([Leica] HCB didn't crop, mostly...)