French Kiss, by Pete Turnley

David_Manning

David_Manning

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A love letter to Paris by Pete Turnley.

French Kiss

He shot Paris from the early-mid 1970's to present day. All the images in the book shot with Leicas, M4 in the beginning, and M Monochrom most recently (most recent image from August 2013).
 
The Leica promo video shows the negative for the cover image being held up to the window with the master printer Voja Mitrovic. It looks like a rectangular medium format negative. The Online Photographer site will later be offering a print of that image.
 
the video shows Peter shooting with a digital M... I realize it's a promo video... but it also shows him looking at negatives ( larger than 135 format ).... some inconsistencies, but does anyone know his workflow...

Casey
 
shimokita said:
the video shows Peter shooting with a digital M... I realize it's a promo video... but it also shows him looking at negatives ( larger than 135 format ).... some inconsistencies, but does anyone know his workflow...

Casey
Click to expand...

I believe Peter uses a process that allows the digital RAW file to manipulated digitally, then output to a transparent material as a negative. This is then used by his printer to produce darkroom prints in the traditional way. I wonder how much manipulation (similar to dodging and burning) is done digitally and how much is done in the darkroom? If I was working with a master printer, I would not want to insult their skills and interpretation.

EDIT: I've just received this response from a query to Peter

"Chris thanks so much for your interest in my book. The book represents 40 years of photographs. Approx.%60 were made with analog cameras and %40 with Leica M9 and then Monochrom. The book was printed using silver gelatin prints from analog, and directly from digital files from the M9 and Monochrom. The reproduction quality of the pages of the book is seamlessly homogenous-really outstanding. The book was printed by one of the best printing presses in the world, OGI in Hong Kong. I think you will find the quality of reproduction and the elegance of the book and slip case quite special. Exhibition prints and collector prints are another thing. My prints are made by Voya Mitrovic, one of the greatest printers in the history of photography. We took the digital files from the M9 and Monochrom, and had 4x5 internegatives made, so all of my exhibition and collector prints are traditional silver gelatin prints. I am having an exhibition of French Kiss at the Leica Gallery in Salzburg starting on Nov.21, and when I saw the silver gelatin prints from digital files, my breath was taken away-I have never seen a digital photograph on computer screen look like this-the tones are so rich and the blacks and highlights amazing. All very exciting and a real light of new hope and satisfaction for me for prints from digital photography!"
 
I have a copy of "Parisians" myself and I've ordered "French Kiss". Excellent photographs; reminds my why I picked up a camera in the first place.
Thank you for the link!
 
Chris.... Thank you for sharing that response from Peter. I found it extremely interesting. I am looking forward to getting this beautiful book (and going to Paris someday).
 
ChrisN said:
...this response from a query to Peter

"... We took the digital files from the M9 and Monochrom, and had 4x5 internegatives made, so all of my exhibition and collector prints are traditional silver gelatin prints. I am having an exhibition of French Kiss at the Leica Gallery in Salzburg starting on Nov.21, and when I saw the silver gelatin prints from digital files, my breath was taken away-I have never seen a digital photograph on computer screen look like this-the tones are so rich and the blacks and highlights amazing. All very exciting and a real light of new hope and satisfaction for me for prints from digital photography!"
Click to expand...

Chris thanks for your update and contact with Peter... He seems like an open and friendly individual, all the best with his new book... and a very reasonable introductory price ;-)

Casey
 
Just received my copy of Peter Turnley's French Kiss.
Absolutely outstanding!
Exceptionally high quality book and slip case full of tremendous photographs with a personal inscription from Peter.
The big problem with books like this one is that I immediately want to pack a bag, grab my M2 and head off to Paris - ah well maybe next year
Best
Harry
 
I got the book today. Peter Turnley has a good eye and a weak spot for romantic shots.
The book is enjoyable, with most of his best known photographs of Paris (kiss or no kiss) included. Personally, my favourites are on page 37 ( I bought this print) and on page 127 ( for me, it's the best picture of the whole album). From the "kissing" photographs, my choice would go to the one on page 50, as it is the only shot, where he dares to break some canons.
From an "artistic" point of view, I believe, there is not enough of an original stylistic impulse to make the news here. Peter has been a champion of press photography - getting the "events" covered. Here, he "covers" the romantic side of life.
On a critical note - some of the digital photographs really strike out with ugly tonality, notwithstanding the artistry of Voja Mitrovic.
Finally - this has been THE book, that made me really understand, that I wholeheartedly dislike the 3:2 aspect, and the black frame around the photographs, particularly when it gets added artificially to digital images.
 
I've only seen online pictures from the book — and they strike me as technically competent, but trite and sentimental. They peddle an antiquated and elegant image of Paris that has little to do with the real life of the city today, the most typical view of which, for example, at lunchtime are the long queues at takeout sandwich shops: obviously that's not what the book shows, but it doesn't show much that is "real life" either. But, then, what can you expect after seeing the kitschy title of the book? Think of it as the opposite in spirit of Robert Frank.

Of course, Anders Petersen has a book called "French Kiss" as well, published several years earlier than Turnley's book; but no worry about that, since these are two worlds that will never meet. In Petersen's book the title is ironic — and irony counters kitsch.

—Mitch/Chiang Mai
Looking for Baudelaire [WIP]
 
mfogiel said:
- this has been THE book, that made me really understand, that I wholeheartedly dislike the 3:2 aspect, and the black frame around the photographs, particularly when it gets added artificially to digital images.
Click to expand...

It gets added artificially in the darkroom, too.
 
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