Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2005/01/04

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Subject: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.
From: Jim at hemenway.com (Jim Hemenway)
Date: Tue Jan 4 16:47:02 2005
References: <007c01c4f277$b0c2c140$6401a8c0@ccapr.com> <007c01c4f277$b0c2c140$6401a8c0@ccapr.com> <3.0.6.32.20050104135145.008bbdb0@pop.mail.yahoo.ca>

Dan:

I don't think of it as weird, but even if you do, I don't agree that
it's surreal.

Jim

Dan C wrote:
> What about the shot of all those children playing, with the big fat man
> walking by?  That's gotta be called weird!
> 
> -dan c.
> 
> At 01:31 PM 04-01-05 -0500, Jim Hemenway wrote:
> 
>>Calling Sir "Buzz of Belmont"!  :-)
>>
>>
>>
>>>shape, form, shadow, odd juxtaposition of objects.....
>>
>>But BD, did you see _incongruous_  juxtaposition when you saw those 
>>large prints?
>>
>>And... there isn't any "weird" in HCB's work... at least none that I can 
>>remember. I've always thought that any surreal art needs to be a little 
>>bit weird.
>>
>>I don't mean the now common usage of the word surreal to mean almost 
>>anything unexpected and/or different.
>>
>>Jim
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>B. D. Colen wrote:
>>
>>>BUZZ!!!! Get your butt in here!!! :-)
>>>
>>>In fact, HCB himself has been quoted as saying that around the time of
>>>the founding of Magnum, the late Robert Capa "...was very wise. He told
>>>me not to
>>>call myself a surrealist, but instead, a photojournalist."
>>>
>>>I admit that I had some trouble getting my brain around this idea,
>>>focused as I was on HCB's subject manner. But then I saw some classic
>>>HCB images blown up to slide screen size - and BINGO! There is was -
>>>shape, form, shadow, odd juxtaposition of objects.....
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
>>>[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
>>>Jim Hemenway
>>>Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 10:49 AM
>>>To: Leica Users Group
>>>Subject: Re: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.
>>>
>>>
>>>I don't think of him a surrealist with a camera BD... a painter with a 
>>>camera perhaps, or maybe a sociologist with a camera? :-)
>>>
>>>Parke-Harrison are surrealists with a camera:
>>>http://www.bonnibenrubi.com/Parkeharrison/parkeharrison.html
>>>http://www.parkeharrison.com/
>>>http://www.decordova.org/decordova/exhibit/parkeharrison/parkeharrison04
>>>.html
>>>
>>>Jim
>>>
>>>
>>>B. D. Colen wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>True enough. The other thing to keep in mind when thinking about HCB 
>>>>is that while we may be looking to capture something about the human 
>>>>condition, he was looking to capture something having to do with form,
>>>
>>>
>>>>shape and light. Not to start the surrealist thread again, but 
>>>>Gdamnit, he was not a PJ - although he did some PJ - he was a 
>>>>surrealist with a camera.
>>>>
>>>>B. D.
>>>>
>>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>>From: lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org
>>>>[mailto:lug-bounces+bdcolen=earthlink.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf 
>>>>Of Ted Grant
>>>>Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2005 12:32 AM
>>>>To: Leica Users Group
>>>>Subject: [Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
>>>>To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org>
>>>>Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 2:13 PM
>>>>Subject: RE: Re: [Leica] Intro
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>I'd argue that the "decisive moment" was that instant in which he saw,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>or anyone sees, the possibilities in a particular setting or
>>>>>situation. He didn't see a guy in mid-jump across a puddle and shoot -
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>he saw a puddle and the possibilities it presented; he didn't see
>>>>>someone on a given staircase - he saw the staircase, and waited for 
>>>>>the right person in the right position. Others of just might have shot
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>a puddle, or a staircase. ;-)<<
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>And because he was a consummate artist he would see elements in a 
>>>>street
>>>>
>>>>scene and know one element was missing just by looking. However, the 
>>>>gift he had was to see and then wait for the one element that created 
>>>>the "Decisive
>>>>moment."
>>>>
>>>>The rest of us see things and capture good photo moments, but he had 
>>>>this ability to see something good and yet know it required one tiny 
>>>>extra thing
>>>>or wait the moment longer to make it the perfect picture if you like.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>he didn't see someone on a
>>>>>
>>>>>given staircase - he saw the staircase, and waited for the right
>>>>>person in the right position. ;-)<<
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Absolutely! As that's one of the gifts he had, was to wait for the 
>>>>icing on the cake to make it perfect. But most of all he had the 
>>>>patience to wait.
>>>>The rest of us are always in a hurry to go some place, either to work,
>>>>going 
>>>>to the Mall or wherever and our pictures quite often are a grabbed
>>>>moment 
>>>>instead of seeing the complete moment by waiting a few minutes or
>>>
>>>longer
>>>
>>>
>>>>for 
>>>>the filling in the cake to make it great!
>>>>
>>>>ted
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>Leica Users Group.
>>>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>Leica Users Group.
>>>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Leica Users Group.
>>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>Leica Users Group.
>>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>Leica Users Group.
>>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
> 




In reply to: Message from bdcolen at earthlink.net (B. D. Colen) ([Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.)
Message from bladman99 at yahoo.ca (Dan C) ([Leica] WAS: Intro NOW: HCB.)