A brief Lisette Model article

Queen of street photography: Lisette Model's New York – in pictures

Thanks JDMvW, I have been a fan of hers for a while.

JDM, I'm grateful for you providing me with a valuable lesson on this amazing photographer. Considering the technology available at the time, she pushed the boundaries of what a photographer could do with a camera and a darkroom.

Considering the technology available at the time, she pushed the boundaries of what a photographer could do with a camera and a darkroom.

A friend turned me on to her by giving me a gift of one of her large-size books. The first thing that struck me was her the eccentricity/quirkiness of much of her work as well as an direct approach, realism in a sense but often with an unusual perspective or approach to that realism. There’s a lot of what I would call bold photos, not necessarily in her subject matter as much is in her unflinching approach to it. Interestingly, technology of the time never struck me as much of an issue with her. Can you say more about that and mention some of the photos where you see that at play? It’s an interesting observation.

Right now, with limited time, I viewed photos from the 1st to the 8th. #2 seems to be the result of compositing. In #3, the left-hand woman appears to lack a torso. #4 involves dark shadows on several of several of the person's cheeks, giving it an abstract feel and look. The 6th seems to be the result of compositing . And, finally, the 8th, while appearing like a straightforward street shot, has a key abstract element - the way the woman's dress/skirt which is jet black seems to blend into the blackness of the car's right rear door. In 'reality" the dress/skirt simply blocks a viewer's being able to see the door. Although Model obviously was skilled at selecting scenes and subjects before clicking the shutter, and although she controlled the exposure by expertly setting aperture and shutter speed setting, my intuition is that she was a magician in the darkroom.

OK, thanks. I wonder. Nothing struck me as a composite. The two you mention seem to be using perspective and reflections in glass, show windows. I sense a consistent approach to the prints but not significant kinds of manipulation, more street/documentary with a very individual take. Thanks again for explaining.

Framing and cropping magic... angles, reflections, immediacy, immersion, found photomontages, surreal flavors ... very impressive and a very significant avant garde & documentary influence and teacher. Also a solid darkroom skillset. Her original thought was to be a darkroom technician.

Surprisingly the oversized aperture book is still available for low cost. Great deal!

Edited August 19, 2021 by inoneeye

Right now, with limited time, I viewed photos from the 1st to the 8th. #2 seems to be the result of compositing. In #3, the left-hand woman appears to lack a torso. #4 involves dark shadows on several of several of the person's cheeks, giving it an abstract feel and look. The 6th seems to be the result of compositing . And, finally, the 8th, while appearing like a straightforward street shot, has a key abstract element - the way the woman's dress/skirt which is jet black seems to blend into the blackness of the car's right rear door. In 'reality" the dress/skirt simply blocks a viewer's being able to see the door. Although Model obviously was skilled at selecting scenes and subjects before clicking the shutter, and although she controlled the exposure by expertly setting aperture and shutter speed setting, my intuition is that she was a magician in the darkroom.

Michael, deep apologies. I meant to reply to you and hit "report" let me know if you get any flack over it.

 

#2 is not a composite, its just the lighting and camera tilt. I don't think # 6 us either. I believe t's as the title says, reflections. inoneeye is correct I believe about her dark room skills. I had read, I believe in "Bystander" (I do recommend that book), had taken 1 roll of film in France before she immigrated and the pictures were so interesting that one roll launched her professional photo taking career. @inoneeye: Do I have that right about her 1st roll?, if you know or anyone else.

Sam, Inoneye, and Barry: I bow to all of you, gentlemen. I know I'm not in your league. However, I still think my last sentence is correct. And it addresses, at least partially, the technology available to Model during her career.

Sam, Inoneye, and Barry: I bow to all of you, gentlemen. I know I'm not in your league. However, I still think my last sentence is correct. And it addresses, at least partially, the technology available to Model during her career.

No doubt she knew her way around a print in the darkroom. She herself is quoted as "They say my prints are bad, darling they should see my negatives".

Michael, and anyone else who's interested in "street photography", you might enjoy reading the book "Bystander" by Joel Meyerowitz and Colin Westerbeck, it a very good overview of the history of the genre.

1st roll, idk. I was aware of the very quick recognition of her early work via the series in Nice 1934 'Promenade des Anglais'. Published 1935. My first exposure to her after some reading of Diane Arbus.

In a shallow internet browse it seems that these were taken the same year she decided to pursue photography as a career after minimal experience shooting and in the darkroom... they are exceptional for the 1st, 10th or 50th roll or any.

She knew her way around art, artists, music, drawing, and her first interest in photography... the darkroom.

Edited August 23, 2021 by inoneeye