Cartier-Bresson

In honour of his birthday today. A photo I grabbed at a 2003 exhibition of his work in Paris. Yes, I did get told to put away my camera immediately, but sometimes quick shots are the best.

35mm Contax with Zeiss 50mm f1.4 back in the silver halide days.

Digital has made me a better photographer, but I do sometimes miss the excitement and fear of seeing the film when it first comes out of the developer tank.

the decisive moment

This photo competition has me in a lather. Oh I want that X100 sooooooo bad. Help me decide.

Which of these best reflects Cartier-Bresson's concept of a photograph that is not only aesthetically great, but is timed perfectly - his 'Decisive Moment'?

girl at Cartier-Bresson exhibition, (Paris 2003)

heart of stone

Even though it isn't true anymore, one day I will publish a book of photographs of sculpture entitled "I only love women with hearts of stone".

I met la Jeune Tarentine in 2003 and was entranced as long as I could stay with her. Even with the evidence of chisel marks on the plinth and her slightly stylised facial features, it was hard to believe she was not about to take a breath and roll over languidly. She may be 99 years older than me, but she will stay heart-achingly lovely long after I am dust and and can no longer remember her.

history lesson for the day

A random snippet from our London-Paris-London-Mallorca-London trip in July, this amazing fact: did you know that the Romans had glass manufacture all sorted out by AD 100? It was a surprise to me. If the thought had even crossed my mind I would have assumed they only had ceramic or some kind of tin or lead alloy for drinking ware, or the usual gold and silver for the rich.

But not only did they have glass, they were already making baubles of loveliness like this.

Although the patina of 2000 years does add a certain something, I'd bet that this would be the next hot thing if someone made it today.

(British Museum: Mould-blown glass beaker. Made in the eastern Mediterranean about AD 70—100. From Tyre.)

ready grown temptations

I'm a reluctant Woolworths shopper. I do admire their apparently genuine commitment to stocking sustainable and more ethical food, and certain items are definitely worth making a detour for —  waxy potatoes, their bulk packs of spinach and asparagus, organic dark chocolate and maybe the occasional free range chicken. But I am not ready to be one of the aspirational, and it must be said, mostly miserable looking masses, buying my ready-chopped veg, ready-made meals, all blemish free and over-packaged.