Who would you be? HCB or WeeGee?

[Krasnaya_Zvezda]

These are two of my all-time favorite photographers, but they differ fundamentally in philosophy. Both were quintessential street shooters, one primarily by night, one by day. HCB was adamantly opposed to flash, Weegee lived by it. HCB, although decrying photography as 'art', nonetheless produced brilliantly asthetic work. Weegee similarly produced beautiful work, but approached it from a completely different perspective. I know one doesn't have to choose one or the other, it is possible to have the broader perspective, and take the best attributes of each--- but if you had to choose, as a photog, who would you be?

 

[Krasnaya_Zvezda]

I started this poll, and I'll tell you why I voted for Weegee, even though I think HCB is 'hors d' categorie', like Wagner or Feynman:
Weegee is the guy who you'd really want to do some serious drinking with. (Hmm, I could say that about Feynman as well... but since he's not a photographer, he doesn't count.)

 

[rover]

Weegee photographed the spectacular, HCB the average. You kinda get the feeling you could have taken the images HCB took in the course of our every day life (even though we know we couldn't), with Weegee you had to be there, have access, sniff out THE places and people TO shoot.

I guess HCB is more my style, but I agee, I bet Weegee was a lot of fun.

 

[ddutchison]

...
Weegee is the guy who you'd really want to do some serious drinking with.

If you survived the evening...
http://www.icp.org/weegee/weegee03.html

As Rover pointed out, HCB made spectacular images of the mundane, something I find to be both an inspiration and a challenge. Personally, I enjoy his photographs more (although enjoyment wasn't what Weegee was after), and feel he was the greater talent.

As to who I'd rather be, well there's something very appealing about the idea of cruising the night-time streets of NYC in the 40's with a police radio up front and a darkroom in the trunk. I'd go with Weegee there.

 

[FrankS]

If you think about their lives and which life you would rather live, I'd vote hands-down to be HCB. While there may be some appeal to cruising around at nights chasing police radio calls in NYC, one or two nights, a week at the most, I'd get tired of that pretty fast. Involving yourself in the often gruesome termination of ussuccessful lives of unfortunate people day in and day out, has got to be a downer! Now think about HCB's lifestyle, taking the images he took. It's a no-brainer for me and my personality/temperament.

There have been 2 instances in my life fairly recently that have proven to me that I am not cut out to be a Weegee style street photog. One day I was walking my dog (with my camera) around our small town when I heard the squeal of breaks and a sickening thud sound, not at all like the crash of 2 cars meeting. About 100 yards ahead of me at an intersection a small group of people were gathering and acting agitatedly. I discerned enough of the senario to realize that a child had been struck by the car passing through the intersection. Weegee would have run to get that shot. I turned and walked the other way with a queazy feeling in my stomach.
The second incident occurred while I was chatting with photography buddies on a sidewalk table of our coffeehouseand while listening to the guitar player performing inside. A drunken/reality challenged teen and his girl who was in only a little better shape were seen across the street. The teen was shirtless and had blood smeared on his skin. The police were called and eventually they intercepted the unfortunate couple around the corner from the coffeehouse. I went with my camera with the intention of getting some "really cool" pictures, but as I was watching the scene unfold could only think of the consequences, the evening spent in lockup, the phonecall to the parents, the dissappointment and shock of the parents, etc. Again, I turned and walked away. Weegee would have exposed at least 2 double-sided 4x5 fimholders on those unfortunates!

BTW, does anyone know if he used Grafmatic film holders?

 

[Peter]

If I have the choice I would rather be like HCB. His ability to find beauty in the mundane everyday life inspired me to take photos of my environment. I probably would never reach his level of mastery but I would be a happy man knowing the images I preserved could be used by latter generations as a reference of the era I lived in. I have seen enough sufferings and tragedy in my daily work and I have no desire to see them when I am at home looking at my work on the computer.

 

[peter_n]

If you can move a viewer with a photograph of something mundane they see every day, then you have really accomplished something. HCB did that on a consistent basis throughout his photographic life.

 

[FrankS]

I agree with Peter. It takes more skill and artistic talent to make a fantastic picture of an ordinary subject, than it does to make a fantastic picture of a fantastic subject.

I have always felt that our great Canadian portrait photographer, Karsch, became so famous, not because of his talent, but because of the famous people he had access to. Certainly he was extremely competent, but not brilliant.

 

[Doug]

Yes, there's something about celebrity photographers; those who gain access through being interested, competent, and/or knowing somebody.

And indeed a portrait of a grumpy Winston Churchill, for instance, has more wide-spread interest than an equally good portrait of the grumpy baker down the street.

But there are probably enough celebrity photogs competing in the market that to continue in that genre you have to be innovative as well as good.

 

[DougK]

While Weegee undeniably produced some great shots, for some reason his work feels invasive to me and has that "paparazzi" feel to it, which I don't particularly care for. Maybe it's the idea of blasting away with big flashes, I don't know.

Obviously my vote went to HCB 🙂

 

[Stu :)]

I too prefer photographer who turns the ordinary into extra-ordinary. But I also like many of Mr. A Fellig's "scenic" photographs. A personal favourite is Simply Add Boiling Water.

For me when it comes to HCB vs. WeeGee, six of one and half a dozen of the other, so-to-say. I prefer the works of Walker Evans and Minor White.

Stu 🙂

 

[Pherdinand]

I prefer HCB, although I still want to be myself (as lousy photographer as I am).
🙂

 

[yossarian]

A qualification...

A qualification...

Yeah, I voted HCB, but I feel genuine kinship with Elliott Erwitt--a bit more whimsey. But then everytime I see Eugene Smith's "Minimata" I am overwhelmed by the beauty and humanity of that image. Take a look in the eyes of the mother--no image of an expression of genuine love has ever been more affecting and true. I have the same emotional response each time I see it.
It is, for me, perfection.

 

[wlewisiii]

Of the two I'm probably closer to Weegee. But if I had to choose one person to model myself on it would be Mr. R. Capa. There is a touch to his journalism that I just don't see, personally, elsewhere. I guess, in the end, I'm in awe of someone who could go ashore at Omaha with only 2 Contax II's around his neck, not even an M1...

William

 

[brcha]

HCB and Weegee

HCB and Weegee

I started this poll, and I'll tell you why I voted for Weegee, even though I think HCB is 'hors d' categorie', like Wagner or Feynman:
Weegee is the guy who you'd really want to do some serious drinking with. (Hmm, I could say that about Feynman as well... but since he's not a photographer, he doesn't count.)

If you think that HCB is "hors catégorie" just light up my "lanterne" and tell me what is the point of your poll? All the more if you vote "Weegee" it sounds a little "oxymoronesque", don't you think? Especially within the context of a range-finder user forum (agreed Weegee may have used a Graflex with a range-finder 😉 ).

 

[x-ray]

Tough to say. Look and tell me.


http://www.rangefinderforum.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=5045

 

[GeneW]

Tell me which one was richer and I'll give you my answer 😀

Gene

 

[phototone]

I would be Julia Margaret Cameron, of course I would have to have a sex change operation.

 

[RML]

HCB. For his artistic vision.
Weegee, for his ability to capture human emotions so strongly in a flash.

 

[wierdcollector]

I prefer Weegee myself, not dissing any other photog here. That said, if I don't slow down on my collecting, my wife will have me at intersections cleaning windshields for cash. Then I can go by the name," Squeegee".