Thursday 23 October 2014

"Be quick and catch it as you would a fly" - Rene Burri

I came across a short 10 minute film where Rene Burri speaks about 6 iconic images he had captured during his career as a photographer:

http://vimeo.com/68146128

He starts is story as a child learning with quick hands how to capture flies and ends it saying that his quick hands and reactions enable him to capture images that could be quickly missed.

He discusses the stories and backgrounds to 6 particular images he had taken:

 - Che Guevara, 1963
 - Pablo Picasso, Cannes 1957
 - American GI's in Seoul, 1961
 - Men on a Rooftop, Sao Paulo 1960
 - San Christo Stables, Mexico City 1961
 - Re-Opening of the Suez Canal 1974


In terms of portrait photography it was interesting how described taking images of Guevara in a darkened room "dancing" around him for 3 hours yet never once did Guevara look into the lens. Dedication by Burri to capture one iconic image in a "sitting" of 3 hours.

My favourite of his 6 images is Men on a Rooftop, Sao Paulo 1960 and he describes his fortuity in being higher and capturing them, not knowing who these were:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Men+on+a+Rooftop,+Sao+Paulo+1960&espv=2&biw=1530&bih=1046&tbm=isch&imgil=SUH3UVjrW-e8HM%253A%253B7CAepcSVI8kU2M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.phaidon.com%25252Fagenda%25252Fphotography%25252Farticles%25252F2012%25252Fmay%25252F14%25252Fthe-rene-burri-interviews-1-men-on-a-rooftop%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=SUH3UVjrW-e8HM%253A%252C7CAepcSVI8kU2M%252C_&usg=__uLUcem3GLYkipnjIjXo-fczGCno%3D&ved=0CDUQyjc&ei=qclIVNKOA4bW7QbIioCADg#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=Cvu1XRyN2xp5MM%253A%3Bx1I7PKudRUwTvM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fp2.la-img.com%252F131%252F9643%252F2110781_1_l.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.liveauctioneers.com%252Fitem%252F2110781%3B600%3B386


Two things strike me in this image:

1 - Burri himself mentions the contrast between the men's lofty position and the drop back to ground level and their apparent desire for a fleeting look at =what was going on below
2 - The four men are back-lit by very low light casting long shadows back toward the lens,  the exposure putting the men into silhouette, Their anonymity in shadow, the largeness compared to the small vehicles below suggests they are powerful characters - the truth is not known.

He ends with the image of Re-Opening of the Suez Canal 1974, a tank and its commander in the foreground and in the background 15 helicopters. He jokes that it was 3 helicopters really and that he Photoshopped the rest in!

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=Re-Opening+of+the+Suez+Canal+1974+burri&espv=2&biw=1530&bih=1046&tbm=isch&imgil=OsSzFldzIZf-NM%253A%253BaRot852Bp5N_-M%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.magnumphotos.com%25252FC.aspx%25253FVP3%2525253DSearchResult%25252526STID%2525253D2S5RYD1DWGTU&source=iu&pf=m&fir=OsSzFldzIZf-NM%253A%252CaRot852Bp5N_-M%252C_&usg=__SzEUCqJmGJ5xBR3QPt2r3XVXP_Y%3D&ved=0CEUQyjc&ei=7spIVIjIHO2M7Aa_w4DADw#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=OsSzFldzIZf-NM%253A%3BaRot852Bp5N_-M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmediastore2.magnumphotos.com%252FCoreXDoc%252FMAG%252FMedia%252FTR7%252F4%252F7%252F6%252Fa%252FPAR366959.jpg%3Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.magnumphotos.com%252FC.aspx%253FVP3%253DSearchResult%2526STID%253D2S5RYD1DWGTU%3B256%3B173


Of course he didn't but it would be believable in the current digital world.

He ends pondering that the next generation needs to be shown the truth of the world, both his misery and its happiness, perhaps a dig also at digital manipulation distorting the truth.

His finally words were that without his quick hands and eye developed capturing flies he may not have captured the images he did.

A very charismatic man with a clear devotion to his art. Well travelled with some interesting stories and interestingly also with his small Leica camera.

A quote he made to the Guardian in 2010 is so very true "A photograph is a moment when you press the button, it will never come back.”

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