[Leica] Myth and the Man

[buzz.hausner at verizon.net (Buzz Hausner)]

Well, lots of people hate to be photographed for a variety of reasons,
some of them are photographers.  Regardless, Karen, you are perpetuating
another undocumented Cartier-Bresson myth (like never cropping an image,
never posing a picture, never using flash, using only a 50mm lens, &
cetera).

I am quite familiar with the literature by and about Cartier-Bresson,
and I am unaware of him ever saying that he "hated" to be photographed.
Indeed, there are a great many pictures of Cartier-Bresson.  See in
particular, "Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Man, the Image and the Work."
Back in the Sixties, "Popular Photography" even ran a photographic essay
of Cartier-Bresson at work in New York's China Town which was prepared
and published with his cooperation.  It is true that he cultivated his
anonymity which he claimed made it easier for him to work unobtrusively.
Nonetheless, I suspect that when he worked in Africa, for instance, he
was about as unobtrusive as Leni Riefenstahl.  I find neither hypocrisy
nor irony in his known opinions.

        Buzz Hausner

-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+buzz.hausner=verizon.net@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+buzz.hausner=verizon.net@leica-users.org] On Behalf
Of Karen Nakamura
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2005 7:21 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] BD PAWS


I find it ironic that people hold HCB as some kind of demi-god of 
stealth photography, but remember that he HATED to have his own 
photograph taken.   I think that is pure hypocrisy.