I’ve only just found Saul Leiter’s work and have viewed a couple of TouTube clips of interviews with him.

I’m really taken by his colour and composition. The colour was a consequence of poverty and his purchasing out of date film. It gives the colour a semi bleached appearance, more akin to the way a painter would paint. Hugely refreshing to see his work in the age of Photoshop and Instagram.

Blimey! The Nazis had Coca-Cola?

Blimey! The Nazis had Coca-Cola?

They are postmen.

That 2nd from last picture, is the name a image a watermark or on the original?

Great use of colour and some unusual viewpoints used, thanks for posting

Love these. The first two are just 😯 superb!

A timely reminder I need to unpack my Mamiya and get some film bought.

Sorry but I don’t get it… if I wandered around shooting off random shots of street scenes I’m sure I’d end up with a handful that looked edgy and arty. The Art world is a sucker for the unconventional and there’s a strong element of The Emperor’s New Clothes about this kind of photography.

Nice colours though, on that I do agree.

Sorry but I don’t get it… if I wandered around shooting off random shots of street scenes I’m sure I’d end up with a handful that looked edgy and arty.

Globalti, before you present your results, have a quick squint at this. 😉

7 Lessons Saul Leiter Has Taught Me About Street Photography

Each to their own globalti. I happen to think they’re rather wonderful.

Mcmoonter – I was given this Mamiya C3 a few weeks ago.

More than happy to loan it if you’d like to experiment ?

More than happy to loan it if you’d like to experiment ?

Wow, what a beautiful camera. I’m no photographer. I’d love to see what some of the ‘pros’ on STWs Proud Pics thread could create with it.

Quite literally rescued from being thrown out 😯

Still in good working order apparently. I do know people who can show me how to use it, and I have access to a dark room, so I’m aiming to put some film through it, but it won’t be until later on in the year.

mcmoonter – Member

I’m really taken by his colour and composition.

Not heard of him before – googling shows he was originally a painter who became a photographer.
Saul Leiter

ski – Member

That 2nd from last picture, is the name a image a watermark or on the original?

Snowy atmosphere, in homage to Saul Leiter
by
Anne-Laure Jacquart

Quite literally rescued from being thrown out

Still in good working order apparently. I do know people who can show me how to use it, and I have access to a dark room, so I’m aiming to put some film through it, but it won’t be until later on in the year.

Be sure to post up your experiences and results.

I did some photography whilst at art college. I enjoyed it enormously, but I’m a painter and really need to get my hands dirty.

Sorry but I don’t get it

I love these images, they are the kind of thing I try to do. It’s about playing with light, almost painting with it as a modern artist would splash it about a canvas in a fit of self expression.

Too much ‘street’ photography is heavily cliched – a wrinkly old man sitting on a box, a couple of barefoot Indian kids running around, a greengrocer etc etc etc. These pictures are exploring the light rather than simply the subject… I love them.

Interesting. Thanks for that, something to look at.

I really love this kind of photography. He picks his focus so well and his composition/framing is superb. I struggle photographing humans, so his perspective appeals for its sense of the detached or at-a-distance observer. Have you seen Vivian Maier’s work? A bit different, maybe more personal, but a real pleasure to see. I’ve a couple of books of her images. Thanks for sharing, by the way.

I quite like his stuff. Think he died recently – seem to remember seeing an obituary in the Guardian.

I love the shots, but I’m not sure how you see this as refreshing in the world of instagram? Obviously those shots are a lot better than 99.999% of those on instagram but the colours are exactly what instagram seeks to emulate?

Obviously those shots are a lot better than 99.999% of those on instagram but the colours are exactly what instagram seeks to emulate?

There is a world of difference between the colours of the low-res emulations on Instagram and the deep, natural saturation of colours in film.

JPR – That’s true, but it’s not colours that have been recreated afterwards by using a digital effect, it was something that was achieved in camera by using film that had lost its saturation as it was old stock.

Now, you could argue that this is one and the same thing, and the end result would be similar, however, the difference is the process that was used, and therein lies the difficulty which marks the brilliance of his work.

he was originally a painter who became a photographer.

It does remind me of Edward Hopper, in a fashion.

I like them, reminds me of first seeing the colour work of Ernst Haas

I am not saying they are completely analogous, just that they are closer together than you imply. While old film does have a slightly unpredictable quality film itself mostly looks the way it does because of the efforts of chemists to achieve certain colour palettes.

Additionally, surely it would be more impressive to completely control the colours yourself and achieve this look, rather than relying the luck of old film stock?

I’m not fond of talking about digital effects as if optical equivalents never existed, or putting the word natural in front on something to make it sound less contrived. It is after all just a way of counting photons and interpreting the objects they are reflected from.

There is a world of difference between the colours of the low-res emulations on Instagram and the deep, natural saturation of colours in film.

? what is “deep natural saturation” ? film emulsions were always skewed in their colour sensitivity, as somebody who shot on film for a living and tried most of them i struggle to think of any that were particularly ‘natural’? Provia but it was very cool and not for skin tones or velvia which was far from natural and had very saturated primaries.

as to the imagery? a poor mans Egggleston IMHO but can see why people like it.

Mr Smith,

Fuji pro 400h?

Negative film and it sounds like you stuck to positive. I suppose it’s more natural than accurate?

Additionally, surely it would be more impressive to completely control the colours yourself and achieve this look, rather than relying the luck of old film stock?

I think it is precisely this lack of control that appeals to me as a painter, the chance and accident element is something I find energizing and all the more engaging in his work. Its something I strive to achieve in my own painting.

it sounds like you stuck to positive

yes. colour neg was for those who didn’t know how to expose properly 🙄

NPS 160 and the old kodak VCL were about as close sit got to ‘natural’

JPR – I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree, and I’m sure we could take up valuable internet space trying to score points in the digital v’s film debate, but that’s not going to happen today.

There is a world of difference between the colours of the low-res emulations on Instagram and the deep, natural saturation of colours in film.

Agreed. When I look at these on my iPad, what I’m actually doing it trying to imagine the photographic print framed on the wall. There’s nothing quite like seeing a photograph printed.

My Mamiya is the c300, so not unlike what ToD has. A wonderful looking object in itself and a joy to use. Heavy!

Trail, this is the internet I’m not sure that’s allowed. Plus it film vs digital and I reserve to change sides repeatedly throughout the discussion – both are awesome and both have their advantages I just don’t like the way the discussion tends to be framed as one or the other.

Mrsmith, I like my highlights infinite and my exposure dubious.

😀 I’m sure we could have a very in depth ‘discussion’, however, my greatest fear these days is simply boring the pants off everyone else in the periphery.

I actually agree with most of your points, but having been here before, it mostly boils down to personal choice and individual taste.

As you say, neither better nor worse.

JPR – I think we’re going to have to agree to disagree, and I’m sure we could take up valuable internet space trying to score points in the digital v’s film debate, but that’s not going to happen today.

Yes it is! DIGITAL IS BEST! FILM SUCKS!

So we’re actually agreeing to agree, just not to discuss the extent to which we agree?

Technically I said both are better and worse…

Film vs Digital arguments are dumb. Almost a dumb as Canon vs Nikon. Surely a photograph either has merit, or it doesn’t.

Mcmoonter, do painters get like this about oil vs acrylic?

I’d argue that a discussion of the relative merits of each such that they can be used to maximise their strengths or developed to account for their shortcomings is anything but dumb.

Unless it happens on an internet forum, then it’s almost certainly dumb.

I imagine painters are much worse.

Mcmoonter, do painters get like this about oil vs acrylic?

Rembrandt and Velasquez never used acrylics. 8)