Brassai: The ‘Eye of Paris’

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Enjoy!

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/...on=inside-nyt-region&WT.nav=inside-nyt-region

 

[Sirius Glass]

Spoiler alert: There is a butt shot at the end of the article.

 

[Dali]

Spoiler alert: There is a butt shot at the end of the article.

What do you expect "Chez Suzy"???

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Spoiler alert: There is a butt shot at the end of the article.

Butts don't spoil it for me

 

[Truzi]

Spoiler alert: There is a butt shot at the end of the article.

Are you trying to warn or entice us?

 

[Theo Sulphate]

My favorite:

 

[Bob Carnie]

Brassai is IMO on of the top 5 photographers of all time, I would include August Sander, Brett Weston, Julia Margaret Cameron, Edward Steichan as the other contenders. I absolutely love his work.

 

[Trask]

Every time I look at photographs from that era, I am again impressed at how these photographers took great pictures using film that was rated medium speed or less by today’s standards. I assume Brassai may have used a tripod for some shots, but photographers like Cartier-Bresson, or Gene Smith, or so many others were hand-holding, and doing a great job getting the images they sought.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Every time I look at photographs from that era, I am again impressed at how these photographers took great pictures using film that was rated medium speed or less by today’s standards. I assume Brassai may have used a tripod for some shots, but photographers like Cartier-Bresson, or Gene Smith, or so many others were hand-holding, and doing a great job getting the images they sought.

Yes indeed he used a tripod I have seen a picture of him at work, he even timed some of his night shots by the length of time to smoke a cigarette.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Every time I look at photographs from that era, I am again impressed at how these photographers took great pictures using film that was rated medium speed or less by today’s standards. I assume Brassai may have used a tripod for some shots, but photographers like Cartier-Bresson, or Gene Smith, or so many others were hand-holding, and doing a great job getting the images they sought.

Yes. besides slow speeds, he probably shot on glass plates. Not casual snap shooters. I'm sure gut instinct and experience played a part in their photography.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Yes. besides slow speeds, he probably shot on glass plates. Not casual snap shooters. I'm sure gut instinct and experience played a part in their photography.

Glass Plate - that would be indeed interesting - his work inside the lounges is so detailed the company's making these plates must have been awesome. I have a few of his books and the reproductions are very good.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Glass Plate - that would be indeed interesting - his work inside the lounges is so detailed the company's making these plates must have been awesome. I have a few of his books and the reproductions are very good.

I'm sure they glass plates or safety film, it's interesting. Brassai showed a side of Paris that is long gone. It took a lot of work and courage to shoot Paris nightlife with the technology available back then.

 

[jtk]

Enjoy!

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/...on=inside-nyt-region&WT.nav=inside-nyt-region

“Dentists and photographers are never satisfied with their work. Dentists want to be doctors and photographers want to be painters.” Picasso

 

[Jim Jones]

Brassai may have been the wink of an eye in Paris, but Atget captured Paris for all of eternity.

 

[pentaxuser]

Yes indeed he used a tripod I have seen a picture of him at work, he even timed some of his night shots by the length of time to smoke a cigarette.

By the early 1950s when even your doctor thought that smoking was good for you I am surprised that cigarettes were not marketed as essential for the right exposure for night photography

pentaxuser

 

[Bob Carnie]

I always thought that was a cool story, enough to make me want to take up smoking again.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

I always thought that was a cool story, enough to make me want to take up smoking again.

They stop making Gauloises cigarettes so forget it and vaping is not as sexy.

 

[Bob Carnie]

Well I could take up a pipe..

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Well I could take up a pipe..

Now you're talking! You don't inhale either.

 

[jtk]

Now you're talking! You don't inhale either.

The connection with Henry Miller resonates. Not pipe smokers, enjoyed wimmen and excess.