Table Of Content

Photography and Cinema David Campany Photography and Cinema EXPOSURESisaseriesofbooksonphotographydesignedtoexplorethe richhistoryofthemediumfromthematicperspectives.Eachtitle presentsastrikingcollectionofapproximately80imagesandan engaging,accessibletextthatoffersintriguinginsightsintoaspecific themeorsubject. Serieseditors:MarkHaworth-BoothandPeterHamilton Alsopublished PhotographyandAustralia HelenEnnis PhotographyandSpirit JohnHarvey Photography and Cinema David Campany reaktionbooks ForPolly PublishedbyReaktionBooksLtd 33GreatSuttonStreet Londonec1v0dx www.reaktionbooks.co.uk Firstpublished2008 Copyright©DavidCampany2008 Allrightsreserved Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem, ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,photocopying, recordingorotherwise,withoutthepriorpermissionofthepublishers. PrintedandboundinChinabyC&COffsetPrintingCo.,Ltd BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData Campany,David Photographyandcinema.–(Exposures) 1.Photography–History 2.Motionpictures–History I.Title 770.9 isbn–13:9781861893512 Contents Introduction 7 one Stillness 22 two PaperCinema 60 three PhotographyinFilm 94 four ArtandtheFilmStill 119 Afterword 146 References 148 SelectBibliography 154 Acknowledgements 156 PhotoAcknowledgements 157 Index 158 ‘...everythingstartsinthemiddle...’ GrahamLee,1967 Introduction OpeningMovement On11June1895theFrenchCongressofPhotographicSocieties(Congrès dessociétésphotographiquesdeFrance)wasgatheredinLyon.Photography hadbeeninexistenceforaboutsixtyyears,butcinemawasanewinven- tion.LouisandAugusteLumièrehadjustbeengrantedapatentfortheir Cinématographe,thefirstmoviecameraandprojectionsystem.Louis,who workedforthefamily’sphotographybusiness,wastheretodemonstrateit. AboattriptoNeuville-sur-Saônehadbeenarrangedforthephotographers andLouissetuphiscameratorecordthem.Hefilmedastheycamedown thenarrowgangwayontothequayside.TheLumièresmadeseveralfilms ofpeoplefilingpasttheircamera,includingoneofworkersleavingtheir factory,thefirstfilmtobescreenedpublicly.1Thesubjectmatterwasideal: endlesslydifferentfigurespassingthroughafixedframeexpresssomuch sosimply,aboutphotographsinmotion. ThephotographershadheardoftheCinématographeandwerekeen toseeit.Inthefilm,whichislessthanaminutelong,somesmileself- consciouslyastheypass,otherswavetheirhats.Oneman,lookingmore serious,clutchesalargeplatecameratohischest.Heslowsdownashe passes,takesaquickphotoofLouisandthemoviecameraandrejoins theflow.2Thewhereaboutsofhissnapshotisunknown.Hemayhavenot actuallytakenone.Perhapswhatreallymatteredwasthefilmingofthe gesture,thefirstfootageofastillphotographer‘inaction’.Louiswasnot bluffing.Infact,thosephotographerswerethefirsttoseethefilmwhenit wasdevelopedandprojectedforthemthefollowingday. 7 Whatmighttheyhavethoughtofwhattheysaw?WastheCinéma- tographesomethingfamiliarandagreeableorradicallydifferent?What effectwouldithaveonphotography?Whatpurposemightitserve?Was itcompetition?Wasitanoveltyorwoulditlast?Andwhatwasthemean- ingofthatmomentwhenLouiswasphotographedandthephotographer wasfilmed?Itpassesinsecondsbutitsenigmaremains.Wasitafriendly affirmationthatphotographerandfilmmakerwereessentiallythesame, orarealizationofprofounddifference?Wasthiscinemaaffirmingadebt tophotographyordistancingitself?Thequestionsmusthavebeenfelt 1ArrivéedescongressistesàNeuville- acutely.Whatevercuriosityortrepidationthephotographersexperienced sur-Saône[ThePhotographicCongress astheywerefilmedwouldhavebeencompoundedastheywatchedtheir ArrivesinNeuville-sur-Saône].(Louis encounterplayedbackinrealtime. andAugusteLumière,1895),frame. Ofcourse,wecantracethedepictionofmovementinimagesasfar backaswelike,viatheperceptualrevolutionswroughtbyrailwaytravel, opticaltoys,theatre,panoramasandnarrativepainting,backtotheshadows flickeringonthewallofPlato’scave,butthereisnoparticularorigin. TheLumières’filmisagoodenoughplaceforustobeginhere.Notonly wasitthefirstmeetingofphotographyandcinema,itwasalsoameeting thatseemedtotakeplaceoncinema’sterms.Thisbookisathearta reflectiononwhatcinemahasdonefor,orto,stillphotography.Itlooks attheinfluencesofcinema–aesthetic,intellectualandtechnical.Itlooks attheinfluenceofthemovingimageonthesocialfunctionofphotographs. Itlooksatquestionsofcinematictimeandmotionandhowtheyhave reconfiguredphotographicstillness. FromOnetotheOther Photographyhasbeenmoredispersedthananyothermedium,including film.Almostfromthebeginningitwasputtouseacrossthespectrum oftheartsandsciences.Infact,itspreadsoquicklythatgettingagrip ontheparticularnatureofphotographysoonproveddifficult,andithas remainedso.Howcanoneuniteunderasingleidentityimagesasvaried aspassportphotos,advertising,topographicstudies,familysnaps, medicalrecords,newspicturesandpolicedocuments?Facedwithsuch 8