david_killick9 Posted December 22, 2002 Share Posted December 22, 2002 Just got a book , China in the 1950s, by New Zealand photographer Brian Brake. Sorry, I don't have a web link for his pictures, though someone might know. Brake was a member of Magnum, and like the celebrated HCB (who actually hired him), used a Leica and 50mm just about exclusively. There's a pic of him with an M3 and collapsible Summicron - a lens frequently looked down on these days. Pictures are both B+W and colour, presumably Kodachrome. Two things strike me about his pictures: first, how fresh and natural they look. They could have been taken yesterday. There is a delightful simplicity and happiness in children's expressions in contrast to the posturing of the leaders and the staged look of the parades. These images of course coincided with a traumatic period in that nation's history, and Brake was lucky to capture them. China was all but closed to "foreign devils". The other thing is the technical qualily of the pictures: sharp where they need to be, soft out of focus areas, bright but natural colours. For all the technical advances of today, do we really take better pictures now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djphoto Posted December 22, 2002 Share Posted December 22, 2002 Brake was also the photographer of "Monsoon," one of the most celebrated and argueably the most beautiful photo essay ever created. It ran in "Life," "Paris Match," and other magazines in the early 60s, and is reproduced in the "Photojournalism" volume of the Life Library of Photography. Judging by the look of the photographs is this essay, he had acquired a wide angle and a portrait lens for his Leica before going to India. I believe he used Kodachrome II (ASA 25). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_elek Posted December 22, 2002 Share Posted December 22, 2002 David, The book sounds truly fascinating. Having visited China a number of times in the past 2 1/2 years, I certainly would like to see what it was like in the 1950s. Mao's body (or what's left of it after more than 2 1/2 decades) continues to be on public display, while not more than 50 feet from the doors of the crypt/mausoleum, scores of hawkers sell everything from disposable cameras to pendants to pens and paperweights, and all other sorts of cheaply made crap for Western tourists. There doesn't seem to be any shortage of traumatic periods for China. Many people definitely get caught up in the gadgetry of photography or dwell on minor, minor points and forget the bigger picture ... or photo, if you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dick_van_nostrand Posted December 23, 2002 Share Posted December 23, 2002 I'll add my vote about Brian Brake's essay Monsoon as being one of Photojournalism's finest. It's too bad, like so many creative people, he died at too early an age from a heart attack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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