Interesting HCB Video

kdemas

kdemas

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A translated HCB chat I had not seen before. Nothing ground breaking but I enjoyed some of his commentary, such as what he says about photographing politicians and actors.

Have a peek.
 
This is on the "Henri Cartier Bresson Collector's Edition" 2 dvd set from Arthouse Films. I just got the set last week and watched the 2nd dvd, that has this and several other HCB docs on it. The first dvd has docs that HCB shot. I haven't watched the first dvd yet; but that second one is worth it alone.

The best part is seeing his contact sheets so you get to see the frames surrounding the "hits". You definitely have to be a fast reader though- or be fluent in French.
 
Thanks for the link, its from the Contact series created by William Klein.


He makes it sound so easy, don't think, don't want, be receptive and let your unconscious do the work... And then you believe him and buy a Leica and go out to do exactly as he said, only to find yourself like a deer in the headlights...

Instead of being so cool about, I think he should have been honest about the inherent difficulty of photography, but I guess he was from a different time and generation.
 
GSNfan said:
I think he should have been honest about the inherent difficulty of photography
Click to expand...

He WAS being honest. It just takes a lot of practice, a very sharp and observant eye and a wit - an intellect.

See Elliott Erwitt interview on LENS blog from yesterday. Photography is easy, very easy. Being good at it is not.
 
Thanks so much, Kent! I love hearing from the artist directly. Their thoughts about their work always seems so much more 'real'... not so much pretension. I love his remark that justifies a lot of street photography: "We are thieves, but to give." Excellent.
 
GSNfan said:
Instead of being so cool about, I think he should have been honest about the inherent difficulty of photography, but I guess he was from a different time and generation.
Click to expand...

Like many people who are great at what they do it probably was easy for him, so that's his perspective. Do you think a top athlete, say a Beckham or Jordan, thinks that their actions are so incredibly difficult compared to how we perceive it? Nope, it's their "thing".

I'll have to check out the DVD set mentioned above, sounds interesting.
 
Pablito said:
He WAS being honest. It just takes a lot of practice, a very sharp and observant eye and a wit - an intellect.

See Elliott Erwitt interview on LENS blog from yesterday. Photography is easy, very easy. Being good at it is not.
Click to expand...

For one HCB like many top photographers worked from early morning until sunset, of course with some breaks but basically the whole day on their feel and looking for photos, now how many of us, even the experienced ones can do that? But not only once a week but day after day if working on a project.

Forgetting even the difficulty of actually taking interesting pictures, the whole physical effort that is required and mental concentration is beyond the means of many.

Photography is not easy.
 
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