Thanks to Simon Gammelin, who brought this wonderful article to everyone's attention on photo.net.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/08/arts/08ARTS.html

Not exactly a Leica link, but M camera users may wish to note Cartier-Bresson's huge hands in the first picture accompanying the article. His technique makes good use of those hands, he uses them to hide the camera body until he is ready to lift camera, shoot and scram, to paraphrase him.

-- Mani Sitaraman (bindumani@pacific.net.sg), February 08, 2001

Answers

Very interesting- the master doesn't like the tables turned on him, eh? He and his wife claim that it's a question of quality- that none of the 37 or so frames shot by DDD are truly portraits. Somewhat of a subjective argument, no? How many thousands of his subjects would've said the same if given the same choice.

And, to his credit, DDD is turning royalties to his scholarship fund. Did HCB ever do similar?

-- Tse-Sung Wu (tsesung@yahoo.com), February 09, 2001.

What marketing genius! HCB has always enhanced his stature by being aloof and refusing to be photographed (oh the irony!). A television interview showing just his feet and legs?

So now we have two people who have been friends for over thirty years suddenly at thermo nuclear odds over of all things a few pictures?

DDD needs a book published, HCB wants to further enhance his fame.

HCB is right about one thing; who wants a book of snapshots? But suddenly, with the right marketing ploy, DDD's book and HCB both get free coverage in the NY Times.

Don't fall for this cheap trick, refuse to buy the book. I can't imagine that you would learn anything about photography and the snapshots are not likely to inspire.

-- skylab (openmri@execpc.com), February 09, 2001.

There is some truth in the assertions made above. HCB cannot expect to remain anonymous, and in fact I do not really see his point in general - it is not as though he is a subject for the paparazzi. However, he might well feel aggrieved by his "friend" deciding to make money off him without his consent (even if it is going to a "good" cause). That might indeed be annoying which is no doubt why he wanted the book cancelled. It no doubt feels like a betrayal from his point of view. I might well feel the same way under these circumstances. If he really was his friend he could have waited for HCB's death which will surely come within ten years - then he could not offend HCB. We could probably wait for this book.

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), February 09, 2001.

Has not HCB referred to the snapshot as "the artless art"? If this has gone ahead without his permission, I can understand his desire to stop publication.

Mr.Duncan has earned his reputation and I cannot imagine that the photos aren't worth looking at.

-- Jeff Voorhees (debontekou@yahoo.com), February 09, 2001.

Jeff: Take a look here: http://www.asc.upenn.edu/usr/cassidy/pix/sorority/hcb.jpg

-- skylab (openmri@execpc.com), February 09, 2001.

I took the liberty of looking at the photos at the web site noted above. I assume they show HC-B. So?

-- Keith Nichols (knichols@iopener.net), February 10, 2001.

What kind of person would publish photographs of a famous friend without asking his/her permission first? Particularly when he knows that friend does not like to have his photograph taken or published? This seems to be a lapse in ethics as well as a breach of etiquette.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), February 10, 2001.

Skylab- I checked the website...in retrospect perhaps there is more than one definition of "snapshot".

-- Jeff Voorhees (debontekou@yahoo.com), February 10, 2001.

What I find interesting is that it is coming from a man who spent his life 'stealing' moments, with talent and sometimes some genius maybe.

-- Luc Novovitch (luc@overland.net), February 11, 2001.

Thank you for posting the photographs of HCB, those taken by David Duncan presumably.....17 of 37? The wonderful thing i find is that i am able to hear about this disagreement so easily, through the internet. I was intrigued by the photographs, you look tired Mr. Cartier-Bresson, and rather bored, thank you for your inspirational work. With regard to these photographs, I feel that they are a contact sheet none of which i would care to publish, simply because they are of a subject pinned down like a moth, unlike those of HCB's photographs which i love, which show people in flight. I have worked as a news cameraman, in many situations in which I filmed, I wasn't welcome, my best work involved me getting past the point where i was unwelcome, either by being unobtrusive or being sympathethic, these are neither. I am glad to have discovered this forum, I have recently become involved in photography again and the information and opinions available here are excellent.

Regards

John Billington

-- john billington (jbillington@xtra.co.nz), March 22, 2001.

HCB once said that the photographer should be unknown,I say maybe even invisible.We all know though his amasing stardom and legacy.Which of course is totaly understandable.Here is a man who has never stoped defining and re-defining the medium.I personally dont know of these DDD photographs and HCB's objection of them being published.But I can definitely say that I have seen shots of the man.To be exact, they are in the PHOTO and American PHOTO special issues for him.They are trully stunning in that they show to us the great eye that's behind the lens.I can only say that I'm in awe of this person and that I praise and cherish him.

-- Peter Nikoltsos (katnik@otenet.gr), August 13, 2001.