"If you photographs aren't good enough, you are not close enough"
-Robert Capa
-Robert Capa
Robert Capa
-
A
- Thread starter sfphoto
- Start date
Recent Classifieds
-
For Sale FS: 3x4 Pacemaker Speed Graphic Camera with 4x5 Cambo Back
- Started by B.S.Kumar
-
Want to Buy 135mm 5.6 enlarging lens
- Started by ediz7531
-
For Sale New 55 instant film (replacement for polaroid type 55)
- Started by Early Riser
-
Free 16x20 and 20x24 expired Ilford multigrade paper, Portland Oregon pick up
- Started by Early Riser
-
For Sale Helipan 112mm Circular Polarizer
- Started by Early Riser
Forum statistics
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2015
- Messages
- 6,748
- Format
- 35mm
Or maybe you screwed up your shutter speed and blamed it on a lab tech.
Or maybe - not judging at all - you got yourself into the most hellish situation in history and understandably panicked and didn't get the shot off because you had a million bullets flying in your direction and then blamed it on the lab tech.
Or maybe - not judging at all - you got yourself into the most hellish situation in history and understandably panicked and didn't get the shot off because you had a million bullets flying in your direction and then blamed it on the lab tech.
...if you haven't walked a mile in his shoes...
....And don't let the truth get in the way of a good story.
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2015
- Messages
- 6,748
- Format
- 35mm
Doesn't mean I don't have an opinion.
To me he's a historical figure. Nothing personal about my view. Just saying what I see. Like Mr Flibble says.
Robert Capa set the stage for conflict photography. He had a chance to make a lot of money in Hollywood, although he said that he was tired of wars he took one last assignment in French Indochina, it was his last assignment.
I agree that a lot of great shots result from getting physically close to your subject, especially when you first get your camera.
A set of close-up lens, a teleconverter and extension tubes should be part of your kit; leaves, flowers, bugs, friends and all kind of topics that will allow you to be close to your target and you'll learn to work more easily
in awkward situations/positions, without elbow in the eye results.
Get use to getting up and down, on the belly, knees, squats and between objects, as well as handling monopods and tripods close in.
Long lenses are one way to get closeup, but gaining the skills, confidence and knowledge of being close in with a kit lens, is a great first lesson in getting close
IMO.
A set of close-up lens, a teleconverter and extension tubes should be part of your kit; leaves, flowers, bugs, friends and all kind of topics that will allow you to be close to your target and you'll learn to work more easily
in awkward situations/positions, without elbow in the eye results.
Get use to getting up and down, on the belly, knees, squats and between objects, as well as handling monopods and tripods close in.
Long lenses are one way to get closeup, but gaining the skills, confidence and knowledge of being close in with a kit lens, is a great first lesson in getting close
IMO.
Last edited:
OP
OP
There is even a Robert Capa photo-journalism award.
When I was working I had the occasion to meet with Jim Nachtwey as a fellow NPPA member. At the time he was working at the Journal in Albuquerque. One of his balloon fest images from that time is below. If not retired would think he is at least semi. He won the Capa award multiple times.
Not sure whom is the favorite young / upcoming conflict photographer.
As to getting close Nachtwey was not much of one for telephoto lenses as the second image also shows.
Nachtwey has been criticized for overly "aestheticising" his pictures. He does have a degree in art history.
Capa didn't blame it on the lab tech. He learned while in France what had happened to the negs because of the darkroom assistant's mistake. His own account:
"Seven days later, I learned that the pictures I had taken on ‘Easy Red’ were the best of the invasion. But the excited darkroom assistant, while drying the negatives, had turned on too much heat and the emulsions had melted and run down before the eyes of the London office. Out of one hundred and six pictures in all, only eight, were salvaged. The captions under the heat-blurred pictures read that Capa’s hands were badly shaking."
He did not panic, He took over a hundred pictures. And yes, he had no problem admitting that he was scared to death. You can read the whole account here:
D-Day and the Omaha Beach landings • Robert Capa • Magnum Photos Magnum Photos
The only photographer landing with the first wave on Omaha Beach, Robert Capa’s iconic photographs provide a unique documentation of the event
www.magnumphotos.com
Capa didn't blame it on the lab tech. He learned while in France what had happened to the negs because of the darkroom assistant's mistake. His own account:
"Seven days later, I learned that the pictures I had taken on ‘Easy Red’ were the best of the invasion. But the excited darkroom assistant, while drying the negatives, had turned on too much heat and the emulsions had melted and run down before the eyes of the London office. Out of one hundred and six pictures in all, only eight, were salvaged. The captions under the heat-blurred pictures read that Capa’s hands were badly shaking."
He did not panic, He took over a hundred pictures. And yes, he had no problem admitting that he was scared to death. You can read the whole account here:
D-Day and the Omaha Beach landings • Robert Capa • Magnum Photos Magnum Photos
The only photographer landing with the first wave on Omaha Beach, Robert Capa’s iconic photographs provide a unique documentation of the event
Did he really go in with "the first wave" at Omaha.?
If so, it is amazing he was not wounded....at least.
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2015
- Messages
- 6,748
- Format
- 35mm
Capa didn't blame it on the lab tech. He learned while in France what had happened to the negs because of the darkroom assistant's mistake. His own account:
"Seven days later, I learned that the pictures I had taken on ‘Easy Red’ were the best of the invasion. But the excited darkroom assistant, while drying the negatives, had turned on too much heat and the emulsions had melted and run down before the eyes of the London office. Out of one hundred and six pictures in all, only eight, were salvaged. The captions under the heat-blurred pictures read that Capa’s hands were badly shaking."
He did not panic, He took over a hundred pictures. And yes, he had no problem admitting that he was scared to death. You can read the whole account here:
D-Day and the Omaha Beach landings • Robert Capa • Magnum Photos Magnum Photos
The only photographer landing with the first wave on Omaha Beach, Robert Capa’s iconic photographs provide a unique documentation of the event
This version has been debunked many times. I'm not going to charge out and show sources.
However, in all your time in a dark room have you ever melted an emulsion? Is it even possible? I've tried, on modern and ancient emulsions. I've not been able to. And after such a harrowing shoot why would you trust sending them off in a bundle? Every single navel vessel had a darkroom capable of everything needed for processing. The story doesn't pan out under scrutiny.
Don't know about "many times", just aware of one pretty interesting investigation.
Source: https://petapixel.com/2019/02/16/debunking-the-myths-of-robert-capa-on-d-day/
Until ICP opens up the archives, we're stuck with the two versions.
There's debate about that. Check the link on my post above.
10-4. Thank You
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2015
- Messages
- 6,748
- Format
- 35mm
I'll remain fully skeptical of the official story. Like we say in the current day 'Let's see the negatives'
Although psychologically and morally Jimmy Stewart's character has nothing to do with Capa's real personality, the way this story unfolded back then reminds me of that great quote at the end of John Ford's The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence:
"This is the West, Sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2015
- Messages
- 6,748
- Format
- 35mm
Is a Pil-i-grim an unhappy Pillsbury doughboy?
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2010
- Messages
- 9,323
- Format
- 4x5 Format
I offered to help Coleman with his story because I have walked through the scenario he outlined with a Contax II and similar vintage Super-XX. Haven’t heard back.
I think Capa shot everything at 1250 and the shutter was capping. Dutifully, he created several blank rolls until the light changed and he moved the shutter speed down.
The sprocket holes showing in the gate is plausible with Contax II based on poorly loaded film stressed as pulled because the sprockets aren’t engaged. That part I agree with Coleman. Excellent find.
I assert that melting emulsion is a non-possibility. Super-XX emulsion does not melt in my experiments. It does curl very tightly when dipped in alcohol/ether and exposed to heat.
But the misdiagnosis of melting emulsion is plausible. They dip it in alcohol/ether hang in heated cabinet and open to see a snarl of twisted blank rolls.
Why not believe the emulsion melted off from a snarled mess of blank rolls? I would have thought it too.
But really I think Capa was Capping.
As to the where and when and who? I didn’t dig into it. I am fascinated by timelines and it looks like records tie together the scene with people who were there. That’s excellent detective work that can be checked.
I think Capa shot everything at 1250 and the shutter was capping. Dutifully, he created several blank rolls until the light changed and he moved the shutter speed down.
The sprocket holes showing in the gate is plausible with Contax II based on poorly loaded film stressed as pulled because the sprockets aren’t engaged. That part I agree with Coleman. Excellent find.
I assert that melting emulsion is a non-possibility. Super-XX emulsion does not melt in my experiments. It does curl very tightly when dipped in alcohol/ether and exposed to heat.
But the misdiagnosis of melting emulsion is plausible. They dip it in alcohol/ether hang in heated cabinet and open to see a snarl of twisted blank rolls.
Why not believe the emulsion melted off from a snarled mess of blank rolls? I would have thought it too.
But really I think Capa was Capping.
As to the where and when and who? I didn’t dig into it. I am fascinated by timelines and it looks like records tie together the scene with people who were there. That’s excellent detective work that can be checked.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Oct 26, 2015
- Messages
- 6,748
- Format
- 35mm
No doubt.
But the murky facts and stories behind it just add to the legend. Why not discuss it? It just makes the photos all that more interesting.
You may remember photo critic A.D. Coleman. He still goes on about it at length on his website, Photocritic International.
Sure, let's discuss it. But I'm so blown away by those pictures that everything else seems moot.
Sure, let's discuss it. But I'm so blown away by those pictures that everything else seems moot.
| Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here. |
PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:  |