Flyfisher Tom
Well-known
HCB's work suggests that he preconceptualized his scenes internally, then waited for the reality in front of him to mirror his mind's eye. The shot of the bicyclist racing past the geometric staircase, for instance.
Nevertheless, each artist's 'decisive moment' is different. I don't think Winogrand, for example, preconceptualized as much as reacted to what immediacy he saw in front of him. Many of his greatest shots, including my favorites from Women are Beautiful, are instinctive reactive shots, that are subject-focused, rather than compositionally focused.
One modern photog who reminds me of HCB, albeit in a totally different genre, is James Nachtwey. His work possesses a similar geometry, or compositional brilliance. Granted, Nachtwey's work is harder to digest, and tinged with a bit of discomfort or guilt for some viewers, for it is artistic brilliance derived from horrific circumstances. That is not a criticism of Nachtwey. He is doing work that needs to be done and done well. And indeed, Nachtwey himself has made the point that scenes of horror, captured with an artistic eye, are the ones most likely to have an impact on his audience. And therefore, the ones most likely to move people to action.
In short, there are preconceptual artists and there are reactive artists. My opinion is that HCB (and Nachtwey ... on his more contemplative works, the ones where he wasn't being shot at) was a preconceptual artist who waited for the pieces in reality to fall into form.
HCB's passion may have been art, but his talent was compositional photography. We're lucky he put in a few decades into photography before giving it up.
Nevertheless, each artist's 'decisive moment' is different. I don't think Winogrand, for example, preconceptualized as much as reacted to what immediacy he saw in front of him. Many of his greatest shots, including my favorites from Women are Beautiful, are instinctive reactive shots, that are subject-focused, rather than compositionally focused.
One modern photog who reminds me of HCB, albeit in a totally different genre, is James Nachtwey. His work possesses a similar geometry, or compositional brilliance. Granted, Nachtwey's work is harder to digest, and tinged with a bit of discomfort or guilt for some viewers, for it is artistic brilliance derived from horrific circumstances. That is not a criticism of Nachtwey. He is doing work that needs to be done and done well. And indeed, Nachtwey himself has made the point that scenes of horror, captured with an artistic eye, are the ones most likely to have an impact on his audience. And therefore, the ones most likely to move people to action.
In short, there are preconceptual artists and there are reactive artists. My opinion is that HCB (and Nachtwey ... on his more contemplative works, the ones where he wasn't being shot at) was a preconceptual artist who waited for the pieces in reality to fall into form.
HCB's passion may have been art, but his talent was compositional photography. We're lucky he put in a few decades into photography before giving it up.
