Webtip: Bruce Gilden "Head on"

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What a huge crap his false tales on "I'm getting characters..." He's not getting characters at all! He's getting scared people because a guy almost touches their faces unexpectedly with a camera and a huge flash. "His images look different": of course they look different, as he doesn't respect people or even real scenes... He can't find real characters with real expressions as the real best photographers did and do, so he pushes people without decency, and he can't get enough internet boom for teenagers if he stays just a bit away from people... Photographs looking different, in his case, mean disturbing anyone, all people, "something will come", to abusively photograph their scared or uncomfortable or surprised faces flash washed and distorted because of proximity... He should learn a couple of lessons on respect first, and on photography as an honest act, as Winogrand used to say.

I've looked at lots of his images from different decades, and he's not an interesting photographer to me in general. Not for social content, not for intimate content, not for composition, not for creativity, not for genius or lyricism... Not even a little bit. I see lots of his images and hear him saying what can I do to do something now that I can't get enough in any other way... Seeing his shots after photographs by great photographers, is like listening to Britney Spears after a great evening with Bob Dylan, or listening to Richard Clayderman after Beethoven directed by Von Karajan. Of course Bruce Gilden gets attention from controversy, and of course there are people looking at those images, but especially at those videos, as there are millions of records by Britney Spears and Richard Clayderman being played right now.

And I don't want anyone to share this opinion. Anyone with a great opinion on those photographs and that kind of acts? Great! No problem with me! Remain there! My opinions are not in general those by the masses.

Hey, I'm not angry... 🙂

Cheers,

Juan
 
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Juan, his photographs are what they are because he is being confrontational. He's not out on the side of the street to take photos that look like Winograd's photos and I also think he is being extremely respectful when you consider his method, he says thank you and will stop to chat.

There is no right or wrong in art. Bruce Gilden's photographs fill the void that would have existed if Bruce Gilden did not take photographs like that.

The work may not appeal to everyone, however no one can discredit it as wrong or bad as I assure you that street photography has no rules beyond the idea that you're in the 'street', whatever that may be.
 
I think he is an interesting photographer. And he's honest. The people he photographs at least KNOW that they are being photographed. 😀

On the other hand, I could never do that. Living in a rather small town here... I guess 80% of people would kick my head in, if I would confront them like that.

cheerio
 
Neare,

People get scared, and feel uncomfortable while he does it. I don't hate Bruce Gilden. Only that kind of work he does. Other previous things are nor aggressive: this is aggressive to me, and to some people. And I also hate the reasons he has for doing it: controversy and promotion, and not interesting photography. You call it "he's being confrontational" and I call it "people get disturbed so he's not getting characters but transitional moments of anguish that don't show how people are but how Gilden works". We're saying the same.

By the way, I never pretend anyone should make photographs that look like Winogrand's shots.

Cheers,

Juan
 
I don't have a problem with his rudeness per se. He shouldn't be surprised if he gets punched in the face but that's a risk he's willing to take. I do, however, think that after a while his images become somewhat boring. I keep wondering about people like Gilden or T-Bone how they can keep doing the exact same thing for tens of years and not get bored by themselves.

I agree with Juan that he's definitely not getting "characters". He's getting quirky expressions. I get lots of those during a photoshoot when I use strobes. They're fun to look at but usually they get deleted right away.
 
igy said:
I think he is an interesting photographer. And he's honest. The people he photographs at least KNOW that they are being photographed. 😀

On the other hand, I could never do that. Living in a rather small town here... I guess 80% of people would kick my head in, if I would confront them like that.

cheerio
Click to expand...

Indeed they don't: what Gilden tries to do is shooting them precisely while they feel scared for an instant. But they were not scared, Gilden makes them scared.

Well, I said what I thought and won't discuss on that guy anymore, so I leave the thread.

Cheers,

Juan
 
What is wrong with aggressive if you want aggressive looking photographs?

Again, there is no right or wrong way to do things and his work doesn't have to float everyones boat, no ones work does. Seriously, I don't know why people criticise others work as if they're doing something wrong... he is a magnum photographer, how many of the people who criticise him are? He doesn't have to float your boat, but he surely floats many others.

Juan honestly, how can you say he does this and does not want to create 'interesting' photography. I bet he thinks differently.
 
Neare said:
What is wrong with aggressive if you want aggressive looking photographs?

Again, there is no right or wrong way to do things and his work doesn't have to float everyones boat, no ones work does. Seriously, I don't know why people criticise others work as if they're doing something wrong... he is a magnum photographer, how many of the people who criticise him are? He doesn't have to float your boat, but he surely floats many others.

Juan honestly, how can you say he does this and does not want to create 'interesting' photography. I bet he thinks differently.
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I'm trying to leave...😀

Neare, I never said that. I plainly said his shots are not interesting in any way to me.

Do you really think he's surprised at discovering people can get scared and look scared when you shoot them being scared? 😛

His motivations are self promotional, and the images weak from an aesthetic point of view, and I'm not talking about images should be beautiful in any way, but they should be interesting in any way... And the people filming him... were passing by? 😀

I have nothing new to say, so please don't discuss this with me: better with other forum members... Thanks!

Cheers,

Juan
 
If you have seen one photograph by Gilden, you have seen it all. He has a modes operandi and that is his claim to fame, not his pictures.


As far as magnum goes, most of their guys are out of work and making money by doing workshops.
 
Well, if someone shoved a camera in my face, I am afraid that said camera would end up in the other person's arse before I knew what I was doing. oops! Talk about filling the void....

IMO, this is not photography. It is a gimmick to make money. Idiot.😡
 
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That was an embarassing moment with that lady at the entrance of the shopping centre.... I mean she's not stupid, she knows very well why he photographed her. She seemed very self conscious and I bet that incident ruined her day, like "OMG people take photos of me now, do I really look that weird?". Dunno, making people feel bad about themselves is not my idea of doing things, and for what, a friggin photo? Nah.
 
Spyro said:
That was an embarassing moment with that lady at the entrance of the shopping centre.... I mean she's not stupid, she knows very well why he photographed her. She seemed very self conscious and I bet that incident ruined her day, like "OMG people take photos of me now, do I really look that weird?". Dunno, making people feel bad about themselves is not my idea of doing things, and for what, a friggin photo? Nah.
Click to expand...


Precisely, there are many people that have a bad self-image for whatever reason, genetics, child abuse, any number of things. To make money (fame or whatever) by ruining someone's day is reprehensible in my opinion.
 
Spyro said:
That was an embarassing moment with that lady at the entrance of the shopping centre.... I mean she's not stupid, she knows very well why he photographed her. She seemed very self conscious and I bet that incident ruined her day, like "OMG people take photos of me now, do I really look that weird?". Dunno, making people feel bad about themselves is not my idea of doing things, and for what, a friggin photo? Nah.
Click to expand...

And it was made worse by Gilden's cheap flattery to calm her down and lying to her face that "his not that kind of photographer", the other guy interjecting made it even more embarrassing. I mean that lady had both of those guys under control.
 
Well, let's just call him what he is - a pap who photographs normal people. Paps do exactly what he does, they try to aggravate their subjects in order to get something ugly from them. Gilden shoots ''characters'', paps shoot ''celebs''. Is he a pap all the time? I wouldn't say so. His portfolio suggests that his aesthetic sensibilities go a bit further than just being 'in your face'. And there is also a case to be made that there's some artistic merit in taking the paparazzi approach to photographing normal people given our culture's obsession with celebrity.

As for passing moral judgement on him, I think we should put it into perspective. Sure, it's uncomfortable for his subjects and he's rude and everything. But that's not the end of the world. For most of these people having their picture taken by Gilden, while being somewhat uncomfortable, will not mean much.
 
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