Met Bruce Gilden this morning on the way to work...

I dont know, but there is something about his personality that i love. I think its that he seems so fearless with what he is doing. In one of those videos someone complains about what hes doing, and his reaction is something like (in that classic NYC accent) "IM TAKING A PHOTOGRAPH - I DIDNT KNOW YOU OWNED THE STREET." Classic.
 
I'm with the "rude SOB" crowd. I guess I can say that because "I AM OFFERING MY OPINION - I DIDN'T KNOW YOU OWNED THE INTERNET."
I also think street shooting in Manhattan has been done too many times before, he!!, even I did it and got some good shots.
 
You know, I've never had a waiter be rude to me in Paris. They've all be warm, welcoming, delightful and professional.

Mr. Gilden looks like he'd be a hoot to hang with and he definitely has a recognizable style to his images. I reckon that counts for a lot. At least for me.
 
LOL.

I agree with mabelsound: it would be funny to have a shot of him trying to record my face with a flash... But I wouldn't like to own any of his shots... I'd like to own Bresson's shots, and it wouldn't be funny (to me) having an image of Bresson shooting at me, but his shot!

Photography is not about "close recording of lots of characters saying nothing" with a wild flash and "getting some winners for sure..."

LORD OH LORD

And maggieo is right, the style thing is important for the masses, and even for galleries and museums, but if we look at 3 Frank's shots (from all his work) and 3 Bresson's shots (from all his work), do they really show different, recognizable styles? No. They show life in an intelligent way, not peculiar or pathetic characters whose rendition depended on angles and position, and not on creation... Would Frank's or Bresson's shots have more style if they used a wild flash close to their subjects? No. Would theirs be better photographs for the ages? No.

Cheers,

Juan
 
maggieo said:
You know, I've never had a waiter be rude to me in Paris. They've all be warm, welcoming, delightful and professional.

Mr. Gilden looks like he'd be a hoot to hang with and he definitely has a recognizable style to his images. I reckon that counts for a lot. At least for me.
Click to expand...

I remember a classmate many years ago... He was cross processing all his shots without any reason or sense... He talked about his style one day, and I told him that wasn't called style but chemistry. He's old and yet he hates me...

Style has nothing to do with materials (wideangle, flash, nearness), but with the way a photographer decides to make his images express beyond flat "recording"... Any security cam with zoom and flash would be as interesting as that guy... ¡Some winners for sure! ¡No creation, no consciousness, just a percent thing! Let's wait to see what comes out peculiar or strange!

Just my opinion, let's hear other opinions...

Cheers,

Juan
 
It does amuse me that people can form such strong opinions of someone from a couple of You tube clips. Bruce Gilden's work is far more substantial than just his street shooting shown in the clips. Some of which I think is superb, some not all!!

He's been with Magnum for a couple of decades so is hardly a "new kid on the block."
Check out this link for another side of the man and his work
http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/detroit-troubled-city
And before anyone gets paranoid again my post is not commenting or directed to specific individuals just a general comment!
 
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Hi Nigel,

"Paranoid again?", for sure not me: not now, not before... We would have to check, apart from photography, what you consider paranoia...

I checked your link's shots: the same. Recording. I mean, other photographer there, would have got the same or similar images. I see no "photographer's touch. Even if reality can be seen. That's all I said. That's the meaning of irrelevant. Not irrelevant reality, but irrelevant photography.

A war and suffering are always relevant, but 1000 shooters shooting desolation can't be relevant as shooting either, even if we all suffer about stupidity, and even if wars are relevant.

I just see a camera that's in, and a flash, and reality. I prefer others. No problem if you or anyone think he's amazing.

Cheers,

Juan
 
What we're seeing is a typical reaction to Gilden's work. It's normal, his work often attracts harshest of critique and hate even. I can probably understand where this hate is coming from, but I certainly do not share it. Bruce is great, his photos speak to me a lot and that's as much validity as I need.

But this thread turned into whining over validity of someone's dislike of Gilden's work. Why is so much explanation necessary? You don't like it, join the masses, we get it, you're not the only one. Bad vibes man, I'd rather be reading about Gilden here than your divine right not to like him.
 
Phantomas said:
What we're seeing is a typical reaction to Gilden's work. It's normal, his work often attracts harshest of critique and hate even. I can probably understand where this hate is coming from, but I certainly do not share it. Bruce is great, his photos speak to me a lot and that's as much validity as I need.

But this thread turned into whining over validity of someone's dislike of Gilden's work. Why is so much explanation necessary? You don't like it, join the masses, we get it, you're not the only one. Bad vibes man, I'd rather be reading about Gilden here than your divine right not to like him.
Click to expand...

Just the contrary.

Next time those masses can just say "we the masses think he's relevant", and keep cool no matter what I say, instead of feeling their world came down and instead of insulting...

Cheers,

Juan
 
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Juan. You think my post was directed at you? The same way you thought Renzu was directing his post at you! I stated my post was "a general comment"

No I don't think he's amazing! Did I say that? I appreciate some of his work and the man himself. I was fortunate to meet him when he gave a talk at my college some years ago.

And the link was not to show he has done "amazing" work just another side to his work. Ultimately he is a working photojournalist who has completed much work in his time as a photographer and is a member of Magnum. I'm not attempting to defend him or put him on a pedestal.

As photographers we interpret the world as we see it; our own truth, our own beauty? maybe.

What's relevant? Everything is relevant to some degree.

Juan any links to your work ?
 
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Nigel, you ask me about my shots and say you're not arguing. You've made me laugh!

I'm not famous, but I have worked in commercial photography apart from a six-year career in photography only, specialized in fashion, architecture and product. But it doesn't matter at all... I love street shooting. I'm not very used to internet shows, but you can google flickr Juan Valdenebro, and you'll see a mix in all formats and from the last ten years... I've only uploaded a bit for friends, family or RFF.

Cheers,

Juan
 
Okey Dokey now.....

Time for a deep breath kids....

OK, now go back to the conversation with a warmer feeling ... and smile.
 
Juan my first post was not designed to pick an argument with you. My first post was not directed at you! Please show me where in either of my posts I did or did not claim to be arguing? This is a polite enquiry by the way not in any way or form part of an argument! Disclaimer, disclaimer! But I must say that you making such a deal out of it and calling it an argument is very revealing about you!
Secondly I asked about your work purely out of curiousity as you don't have a link anywhere on RFF. Again you have interpreted that as being linked to an argument. I'm glad to know that it made you laugh though! Glad to put a little humour into your life! ;):D
I'm drawing a line here as the direction the thread has gone in the last few posts was far from my intention when adding a link to some of his non-street work.
 
Hey does anybody know that Fashion Magazine that often published/publishes his work? I spotted it in a couple of videos.. it showed photos of his Yakuza report as well as for example the shot of two shoes on a sidewalk with cars passing.
The more interviews I see of the guy the more I appreciate him. Maybe not the jumping at strangers shots but more the observant ones that he did on Coney Island for example. He almost seems like an extreme version of Winogrand.

Btw, I didn't know the Magnum had this whole interactive part with video essays, so thanks Krzys for posting that link on the first page, I spent an hour or two yesterday just watching some amazing work pass by (not just from Gilden).
 
OP should be pleased - I'd not heard of BG or (knowingly) seen his work, OK....I know....! I had a look through his portfolio on Magnum, I don't like it all, I loathe some of them and I think some of the shots are fantastic and inspired - thanks for the intoduction to hm. Guy.
 
Another opinion here, not mine... The first part is about Gilden's lack of ethics and respect. Then a few lines translated:


“If his name was not Bruce Gilden, if he wasn't a member of Magnum agency, and if he didn't have so many videos on youtube, he'd be just a foolish and misbehaving guy playing with a camera in the streets of New York. About his aesthetics, his use of flash makes no sense. Reflecting street scenes' reality with a blast of light is unnatural. This makes me think that much of his fame of today comes from the controversy in the way he photographs.”


Clever. If photographs can't be interesting enough, let's generate attention on myself in any other way. What I said.


Cheers,


Juan
 
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Juan Valdenebro said:
The first part is about his lack of ethics and respect. Then a few lines translated:


“If his name was not Bruce Gilden, if he wasn't a member of Magnum agency, and if he didn't have so many videos on youtube, he'd be just a foolish and misbehaving guy playing with a camera in the streets of New York. About his aesthetics, his use of flash makes no sense. Reflecting street scenes' reality with a blast of light is unnatural. This makes me think that much of his fame of today comes from the controversy in the way he photographs.”
Click to expand...


Using flash on the street never hurt Weegee's photographs.
 
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