Robert Doisneau

CMoore · Jun 10, 2019

These past masters really grab me.
Its funny, "Street Photography" is somewhat like golf for pro athletes. Be they Hockey, Baseball, Football, or Tennis players, they "All" seem to have a thing for golf.
Seems like many of the successful Commercial and Fashion photographers had a pretty extensive catalog of street photography.There is a certain spontaneity and improvisation that is unique to Street Photography.
Anyway........... Robert Doisneau

guangong · Jun 11, 2019

However, from what we know now, Doisneau’s “street photography” were posed set-ups often using models. Quite different from the usual idea of street photography.

EdSawyer · Jun 11, 2019

agreed re: posing but it's still good work. and it's not like he is/was the only one using models and posed situations for "street" shots. That's more common than some people let on...

NB23 · Jun 11, 2019

He was the best. My fetish photographer is him and I stopped looking elsewhere ever since I was 15.

He had it all: the moment, the genius of composition, the magical eye. HCB could learn from Doisneau.

guangong · Jun 11, 2019

guangong said:
However, from what we know now, Doisneau’s “street photography” were posed set-ups often using models. Quite different from the usual idea of street photography.

Not among the photographers that I know. My friend Lou Stettner never posed anyone. Same goes for Helen Levit. If they took a portrait, it was presented as a portrait, and not a the capture of the moment. HCB’s genius was his ability to capture the moment, not to create a tableau. Lou had a magical eye...to see subject and composition as well a content in an instant, raise his camera and shoot. Setting up a composition is a different talent.
I am not saying that Doisneau’s photography is not good, but our expectations for documentary photography is that it be genuine, and not re-enactments or staged.
I remember that around 1960, the Met Museum of Art discovered that a valued bronze sculpture of a horse was fake. Did that diminish the aesthetic quality of the horse? Maybe not. But in historical context it did.

NB23 · Jun 11, 2019

Guangong,
You’re mixing things here. Doisneau was Absolutely a documentarist. And he never pretended to be a “on the fly street photographer” although he was also that. He was after the beauty in all things human.

It’s us, that started giving value to street photography of a “decisive moment” bullsheet.

Besides, hcb also did arrange a lot of his scenes, for his documentary work. Do not go thinking that he was always “like a ghost” clicking away. That’s a concept that all the noob street photographers love to believe.

CMoore · Jun 11, 2019

Ye

NB23 said:
Guangong,
You’re mixing things here. Doisneau was Absolutely a documentarist. And he never pretended to be a “on the fly street photographer” although he was also that. He was after the beauty in all things human.

It’s us, that started giving value to street photography of a “decisive moment” bullsheet.

Besides, hcb also did arrange a lot of his scenes, for his documentary work. Do not go thinking that he was always “like a ghost” clicking away. That’s a concept that all the noob street photographers love to believe.

Yeah.
There is a reason this was not posted in the Street Photo Thread.
As mentioned already, it was not unusual for HCB to "get involved" with his photos or give direction to people.
Doisneau said it himself, and was "famous" for saying....... "I do not photograph life as it is, i photo life as i want it to be".
I am not aware of anybody saying his photos were "Candid or Natural".
I believe "The Kiss" was done with hired models for Life Magazine. Nobody should feel that Mr. Doisneau was trying to pull the wool over their eyes.
They are pictures taken by a photographer......until you know otherwise, assume they might have been rehearsed.

Bumba · Jun 13, 2019

Sorry to derail this thread but any idea what focal length he used for these photos. Can't tell if they're 50mm or 35mm and any help would be appreciated.

NB23 · Jun 13, 2019

I would definitely tend for 35, except for the jumper/diver.

Bumba · Jun 15, 2019

NB23 said:
I would definitely tend for 35, except for the jumper/diver.

Thanks for the reply and that's kind of what I was thinking. For some reason I couldn't inaimag him using a 35mm lens much but I guess he must have.

That one of the diver is amazing because it's taken from such a crazy vantage point on the side of that bridge and low down. It also looks like it was taken on his Rollei possibly so getting that set up at that angle would be tricky

CMoore · Jun 15, 2019

Bumba said:
Sorry to derail this thread but any idea what focal length he used for these photos. Can't tell if they're 50mm or 35mm and any help would be appreciated.

View attachment 225189 View attachment 225187 View attachment 225188

Why did the Nazi's lose the war.?
Because they scared, silenced, jailed or killed Millions and Millions of the worlds best people.
Mr Doisneau did his part to stick it to those A-Holes.

War service and resistance
Doisneau worked at the Rapho agency until the outbreak of World War II, whereupon he was drafted into the French army as both a soldier and photographer. He was in the army until 1940 and from then until the end of the war in 1945 used his draughtsmanship, lettering artistry, and engraving skills to forge passports and identification papers for the French Resistance.

Louis Nargi · Jun 15, 2019

Thanks for the post

Deleted member 88956 · Jun 15, 2019

NB23 said:
He was the best. My fetish photographer is him and I stopped looking elsewhere ever since I was 15.

He had it all: the moment, the genius of composition, the magical eye. HCB could learn from Doisneau.

How does one have a "moment" when scene is staged? Not sure what "had it all" means either, nobody has it all (Sieff had it a lot closer to that kind of perfection), but good work nevertheless.

NB23 · Jun 15, 2019

Witold said:
How does one have a "moment" when scene is staged? Not sure what "had it all" means either, nobody has it all (Sieff had it a lot closer to that kind of perfection), but good work nevertheless.

Because if you knew his body of work, you’d know.

Robert Doisneau

Deleted member 88956

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