Quotes by
Brassai

[1899 – 1984] Hungarian–French photographer, sculptor, medalist, writer, and filmmaker

Brassai

From the book: Brassai by Jean-Claude Gautrand

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I came late to photography; until my thirtieth year I knew nothing about it— indeed, I rather despised it. And I never had a camera in my hand. It all came about because I am a noctambulist (je menais une vie noctambule); and the aspects of the capital at night fired and excited me. How on earth, I asked myself, could I capture and fix these powerful impressions —by what medium? I had been haunted for years by these fugitive images. My friend Andre Kertesz broke the spell by lending me a camera; I followed his advice and his example. So was Paris by Night put together. I transformed my hotel room into a laboratory. I bought (a credit) a really good camera —the Bergheil by Voigtlander, 6-5 by 9 cm., with the Heliar f/4.5 lens. For long months I only shot at night. By the way, I have always been faithful to this camera. I have always done my own developing and printing and enlarging. Of all printing papers I love the glossy—it's the only type which tells you straight away that you have to do with a photograph and nothing else. I think you will be able to judge for yourself about my favorite subject-matter, it s self-evident from the work. But I only want to emphasize the extremely practical considerations which provoked me to learn to photograph. On the other hand I would like to add something else: I've always had a horror of specialization in any one medium. That is why I have constantly changed my medium of expression —photo, drawing, cinema, writing, theater decor, sculpture, engraving And I've published about fifteen books, no two of which are alike.

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lecture given before the Société Française de Photographie.

The picture history of photography: From the earliest beginnings to the present day by Peter Pollack

ISBN: 0500271011 Page: 141 This book is available from Amazon

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