Eliot Erwitt's Photography (I)

Even if you are not familiar with the name Eliot Erwitt, you must have read his works intentionally or unintentionally. As one of the founders (and former chairman) of magnum photos, this old artist has contributed countless classic works to the world during his photography career of more than 50 years.

The most striking feature of Everett's works is a slightly sharp and ironic sense of humor. This ubiquitous humor, together with his straightforward photographic language and his absurd philosophy with some characteristics of the times, combined into his unique flavor. The following attempts to analyze the artist's photographic works from several aspects.

Street photography is a kind of "simple" photography, but many photographers try to get into the dilemma of over-thinking. A good photographic work needs perfect composition and careful design, while street shooting needs to quickly capture the "decisive moment" at hand. Looks like a dilemma. Eliot shared his experience in an interview:

Everett's photos are so attractive because the author always adheres to the principle of fun and casual. This relaxed and happy attitude is naturally revealed in his works.

Well-planned shooting naturally has its reasons, but it is often possible to take good photos at will. Beginners may wish to try both methods and then choose a creative method that suits them. There is no difference between the two styles. The best policy is to get rid of sectarian disputes and use them flexibly.

Leisure produces art, and walking happily in the street to take wonderful photos is the working state that every street photographer yearns for. This "unintentional victory over intentional victory" has won the deductive inheritance of many street shooters. Urvitt is also good at this:

Shuttling between different cities to shoot is desirable, but street photographers should be careful not to become pure tourists. The most typical behavior of the latter is to go straight to landmarks and ignore the beauty of ordinary streets. Art always strives for perfection. When you browse the masterpieces of photography, you will find that few photographers take pictures of those palaces and historic sites.

Therefore, the next time you put a new city early, you might as well give up your careful sightseeing plan and let curiosity and casualness take you to appreciate the local customs of the streets. Shooting in street shops and street corners will have different beauty.

Street shooting often gives people the impression that there are many people and many people. In fact, the character is just one of thousands of themes, and it can be a good photo without a photo of the character in the lens.

Many of Everett's great photos don't contain the people in them. Everett believes that humanism can be expressed even without characters. For example, Everett has a picture of Jesus being crucified with a huge Pepsi billboard next to it. Although no one appears in the picture, the tension contrast between its ancient compassionate religion and modern commercial hedonism is obvious.

As a street photographer, you should not only focus on people. Scenery, snow and the moon can all be painted, and pure image landscapes can sometimes convey different social mysteries.

Magnum photos started from documentary photography. People can always hear the words "tough" and "rough" when commenting on its works. The war photos taken by robert capa in the hail of bullets are the best embodiment of Ma Genan's spirit. However, this does not mean that all Ma Genan photographers are tough guys on the battlefield. Especially when the war ended and the peaceful period came, more different photography styles were accepted by Ma Genan. Kappa is bold and unconstrained, Bresson is quiet and elegant, and Erwitt's contemporary style is more humorous.

Everett intends to be a less serious photographer: "I have no intention of becoming a serious photographer." I am serious about making myself' not so serious'. "

Genius can be admired, but not imitated. Don't think that you can become a master photographer by imitating Bruce Gierden or William Colin. The trajectory of others can't be their own path after all. If you are naturally funny, you don't have to worry about the suppressed eyes of the public. Even if the whole world thinks that taking pictures should take pictures of people, and you only like taking pictures-you must have the courage to fight against the whole world alone. There are two kinds of success, one is excellent catering to the public, and the other is self-persistence. The latter is more valuable.

"Film photography or digital photography"-Few other areas of technological upgrading will cause such a long debate as photography. On the one hand, convenience is the criterion, on the other hand, tradition is the right path, which often leads to blushing and being divided into two factions.

People tend to focus on differences rather than gender. In fact, whether it is film or digital, it is just a means of photographic creation. It should be gratifying to have more creative means to choose from instead of causing disputes. Really don't worry about standing on the wrong side. Everett is not the kind of person who puts everything first, but uses different equipment according to different occasions. For example, he takes commercial photos with a digital camera, while privately he still uses film for his own creation.

"The convenience and reliability of digital cameras are suitable for the production of commercial works. When I shoot for interest, the warmth brought by the old film camera is irreplaceable. "

Study more problems and talk less about socialism.

Whether it's a black cat or a white cat, catching a mouse is a good cat.

Everett took many iconic photos in his life. He always appears at the scene of many events properly, and can record historical pictures with photos. For example, Nixon "accused" Khrushchev in the above picture, and the tit-for-tat and contradiction between the two international groups seems to be reflected in the confrontation between two individuals. Makes people think and ponder.

On how to make such a masterpiece, Everett admits that diligence and luck are both indispensable factors in creating classics. The difference is that one is controllable and the other is uncontrollable. Although a person can guarantee to travel around the world to witness history, whether he can take a good moment or a good photo is beyond his control. People can only expect heaven to reward hard work, or in other words, "luck favors those who are prepared."

No matter what industry, in the long run, the effect of down-to-earth practice is better than trying to gain fame. When you can really enjoy the present, the future will be open to you.

Good works are always good in form and spirit, but when your ability is not as clever as nature itself, it is better to focus on the content. In an interview, Everett also suggested that photographers should pay more attention to the content:

The most difficult thing about street photography is to have both form and spirit. As long as the design is artificial, but completely caught, the "decisive moment" is like a catfish in the water, but I can't reach it.

When facing such a dilemma face to face, choosing one side to go deep into it often ends in mastery. Looking back suddenly, I am delighted to find that the two seemingly opposite ones are actually the same thing. When obsessed with choice, neither is allowed; If you catch one, you will recognize one, and if you catch one, you will get two. Not only photography, but also many things are so wonderful.

(To be continued)