I’m very happy to be included on the Redfin real estate blog, and their feature on NYC. The post highlights some of the best spots to visit and to take photos in the Big Apple. Various talented photographers talk about what fascinates them at each location. I comment on Coney Island, one of NYCs most vibrant and ethnically diverse neighborhoods. You can find the full article here…
Photo book collection
I recently purchased a copy of this reissue of the 1979 monograph of Lisette Model. I had heard of Model, but didn’t know much about her work. She was a rather private individual who actually fought celebrity. Until the publication of this Aperture monograph she refused to publish her work in book form.
Lisette Model was born in Vienna, Austria in 1901. She initially studied music under the tutelage of Arnold Schoenberg. She moved to Paris in 1926 to continue her music and voice studies. By the early 1930s she began to paint, and in 1934 she began a series of photographs of the Promenade des Anglais on the French Riviera.
In 1940 Model moved to the U.S. with her husband, the painter Evsa Model. It was the start of numerous exhibitions and a 15 year association as a freelance photographer with ‘Harper’s Bazaar’. From 1951 to 1982 she taught at the New School.
At first glance, what strikes me about Model’s work is its diversity and depth. She was as at ease with photographing the brisk movement on the streets of NYC as with capturing elderly folks relaxing on the French Riviera. Like many photographers who develop one style and stick to it, Model successfully adapted her style to the subjects and situations that she photographed. I find this trait very powerful and adds to the overall complexity of the work
Berenice Abbot wrote the lead text of the book. She writes, “I know of no other photographer who has photographed people as inwardly as Lisette Model….She has that necessary rapport with the human species of whatever hue or faction. She is very much at home with all kinds of people. She feels for them and understands them..”
Upon discovering and learning more about Lisette Model’s work it became evident that her work inspired numerous photographers… Elliot Erwitt, Robert Frank, Saul Leiter, Vivian Meier, Raymond Depardon, Bruce Gilden, Diane Arbus, and Larry Fink among many others. At the end of the text Abbot wrote, “It is a large order to look at life unblinkingly in the midst of general confusion….She (Model) is part of no cult or fad. She is always herself. Hers is the fearless eye.”
Fes medina © David Bacher
Twitter in the news
Recently the company Twitter has been in the news as a result of Donald Trump’s seemingly uncontrolled rage against the company and all of social media as a whole. In my opinion Twitter should block the president’s messages that are racist, unethical and which could ultimately lead to more acts of violence.
On another note, all of this talk about Twitter made me think of a photo that I took last August in Fes, Morocco. I was exploring the ancient medina and came across a particular section that was a food market. The chicken sellers, or butchers one might say, have caught my attention on each of my 6 trips to Morocco. The time it takes from grabbing a live chicken, killing it, taking off its feathers and head, is about 5 minutes or less.
This particular chicken seller was cool with me hanging around and taking photos of him working. I probably spent 20 minutes with him, watching his skillful techniques. At first I was only interested in getting some documentary photos of him working. Then I noticed some other chickens in the frame including the two painted ones on the right and the whole chicken lying on the counter behind on the left. It had been de-feathered and was ready for the customer. I probably shot 100 frames and luckily enough I caught this one where the chicken’s face covered the butcher’s. The chicken’s eye became the butcher’s. I didn’t notice the 5th bird until I got back home and viewed the image on my computer screen. Sure enough, the guy was wearing a Twitter shirt, and the live chicken that he was holding was facing the same direction. Maybe they were both flying off to ‘Twitterland’? This is one example of the beauty of street photography. Sometimes the photos are smarter than you, the photographer.
I think Donald Trump should also wear a Twitter shirt. :-)
COVID photo
in COVID
I should have posted this image a couple weeks ago before the COVID lock down started easing in France. Although the image may still hold true as elderly people are being recommended to keep close social interaction to a minimum. From the hundreds of photos swirling around the internet since the outbreak of the virus, I find this one exceptionally strong. This image has many layers. At first glance there is the close interaction between the young girl and her grandmother, I would imagine. They are looking at each other, the girl with her young eyes wide open, and her grandmother equally engaged but with an older gaze and tired aged eyes. The girl is blowing her a kiss, something that my girls do to me. It is a strong sign of warmth and affection. Her smooth young hands are in contrast to her grandmother’s wrinkly thin fingers tightly pushed against the inside of the car door. It is as if the two want to make physical contact, but they cannot. The car window is a symbol of the virus, a kind of invisible wall keeping people a part. Finally, I notice the grandmother’s gray hair replaced by the wispy white clouds reflected in the window. They seem to follow the shape of her head, replacing her real hair with something imaginary.
René Maltête inspired?
The first photo was taken by the French photographer René Maltête, probably in the 1950s or 60s. His street photographs are simply amazing and what’s even more impressive is the sheer number of fleeting moments that he was able to capture. I don’t pretend to know about every photographer working in this spontaneous manner, but I have heard of quite a few. Thanks to a post on Facebook today by Maltete’s son I was fortunate to discover his father’s keen eye and ability to play with the world using a camera. I won’t get into a lengthy summary of his biography. I recommend having a glance at this site which gives a great overview. It’s in French, so just copy and paste the article into Google translate if necessary.
After skimming through some of his photos I noticed the photo he took of a man, probably throwing his son in the air. Strangely enough I took a similar photo in the Place des Vosges in Paris, hmmm, probably 4-5 years ago. Maybe at the time I was inspired by Maltête without even knowing it.
Website launch - First blog post
in Photography
I would like to dedicate this first blog post to my two favorite cities, Paris and New York City. They are the topic of my first photo book, published last September by Lammerhuber Editions in Vienna Austria. They are also two cities which have been severely affected by the current Covid19 virus. I took the first photo at a hand ball court in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NYC. I hung around with the players for an hour or so, mainly taking photos of them inside the court. On my way out I noticed how the chain link fence was casting interesting shadows in the late day sun. I asked one player to come my way and he agreed to pose for a portrait. To me his face symbolizes the strength and tenacity of the people of NYC. I took the second image on the steps just below the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre, Paris. The street performer’s name is Iya Traore and he is known for doing amazing stunts with a soccer ball. Here he climbed up a lamp post and started juggling the ball at the top. This photo symbolizes the vibrant and spontaneous moments which one can find when exploring Paris on foot. These moments will surely return after the virus lock down ends.