Helmut Newton

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FrankS

FrankS

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I think he is one of my favourite/greatest/best photographers of all time. His photos often shock. People seem to reveal themselves in his photos. What do you think?
 
Haven't seen a whole lot. The 'big nudes' didn't do much for me, but I still remember a picture of a mannequins legs standing on the edge of a bridge platform. You couldn't really tell it was a mannequin so it had a very visceral impact, heights are not my favorite. The sexy legs/shoes coupled with the fear/phobia is an uncommon choice, the guy's got his oervre in order.
 
No accounting for taste. A phenomenon, no doubt. Nobody does it like Helmut. But in the scope of things, not a photographer I personally want to spend much time with. Seems like a downright unpleasant character too, in the interviews I've seen of him.
 
I have a book of his portraits, which I like, but his 'erotic' photography leaves me cold. To me, it fails on every level, and I find it difficult to understand why anyone would like it. Each to his own, I guess...
 
Oh, it's the erotic stuff that I like! But I'm a bit of a pervert. As stated above, not a great fan overall. Check out the material on him on YouTube.
 
I don't know to what extend he himself was responsible for this, but the JM Le Pen shot he took with the Doberman, and what Le Monde did with it, genius.

martin
 
I like the quirky, other-worldly, uncomfortableness of his photos. Dianne Arbus is similar that way. That, and being able to get something more, something special out of his subjects.

Lawrence, I hope I've explained somewhat why I like his photos, to help with your difficulty understanding why anyone would like his work. I understand that you may not like it, but to actually have difficulty understanding why someone else might, is troubling.
 
I met him once in a Parisian café. He was shooting strangers using a Olympus Mju II. He was testing it for the French magazine "Chasseur d'Images".
 
I Think Helmut Newton is the most overrated photographer of our times. Although he was technically capable, I think he wanted to go for the easy shock (and maybe the easy money) by showing some nudity. And maybe that works in the U.S. or some other country where nudity is still a taboo. But here in the Netherlands (and probably a large part of europe) it has less of an impact.
He made some nice pics in my opinion, but they are rare and few.

just my 2c.
 
One of the greatest of all time. He changed fashion/commercial photography forever and gave it a new and more honest air allowing real fears and desires to come in...

I find myself looking at Atget's and Newton's books constantly... The last one I got (amazing!) is called Pola woman, from Schirmer/Mosel: all surviving polaroids from his fashion sessions... More than 100 survived... (Most were lost: used constantly by him and his beloved wife as invitations for their parties...)

Cheers,

Juan
 
HoodedOne said:
I Think Helmut Newton is the most overrated photographer of our times. Although he was technically capable, I think he wanted to go for the easy shock (and maybe the easy money) by showing some nudity. And maybe that works in the U.S. or some other country where nudity is still a taboo. But here in the Netherlands (and probably a large part of europe) it has less of an impact.
He made some nice pics in my opinion, but they are rare and few.

just my 2c.
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It seems that way for Europeans nowadays, but it sure wasn't easy in his time. He had to fight to have those pictures published, even to be able to take them. I think it was a breakthrough, but I wasn't even alive. My opinion is merely based on reading.

I'll take a James Nachtwey over a Newton or Leibowitz any time 🙂
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They all use cameras, so they have to be comparable, right?

martin
 
martin s said:
They all use cameras, so they have to be comparable, right?
martin
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Right. Well let me say it like this then: you buy a few Playboys, and, photographically speaking, how much more contents can there be with the next one ? Maybe I'm easily bored by little to no subject matter and not easily shocked.

I can understand why people like Newton. But I wouldn't call him one of the greatest photographers of all time as stated by the OP, with an implied generalization across genres.
 
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ferider said:
Right. Well let me say it like this then: you buy a few Playboys, and, photographically speaking, how much more contents can there be with the next one ? Maybe I'm easily bored by little to no subject matter and not easily shocked.

I can understand why people like Newton. But I wouldn't call him one of the greatest photographers of all time as stated by the OP.
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I think that's an issue. Setting expectations too high (claim the impossible) and eventually it's all or nothing. In my opinion he's not the best photographer ever, or even one of my favorites - but he has his place. I can spend hours in his museum at the Zoo, that says a lot. And to be honest, I bet most people can. It is really diverse, interesting work.

martin
 
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