Here is an interview with long time Leica photographer Ralph Gibson.

http://bermangraphics.com/press/ralphgibson.htm

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), June 29, 2001

Answers

Thanks for passing along this great interview Al! I found it quite illuminating. I've admired Ralph Gibson's work for years and really appreciate his minimalist approach to outfitting himself with gear. I also like his approach to the digital realm, by using the Leica M for image 'capture' and then incorporating digital gear primarily on the output' side.

-- kpp (www.pragerproperties@.att.net), June 29, 2001.

thanks Al! I had just put down 'Deus ex Machina' when I stumbled upon your posting.

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), June 29, 2001.

Ralph Gibson Gallery

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), June 30, 2001.

Thanks, Martin ! Great idea to post the link to Ralph Gibson's site. I have admired his work since I saw DeusEx Machina for the first time. His photography was a complete revelation but never thought that his site existed. Thanks again. And thanks to you too, Al, for starting this thread . . . I'll make other people know about it.

Regards

- Iván

-- Iván Barrientos M (ingenieria@simltda.tie.cl), June 30, 2001.

I love Ralph's comments about the alchemy of film and chemistry, and how there can be a connection at the molecular level between film and photographer. also of interest, is the rarely mentioned bond between camera and photographer. notice how Ralph, after almost forty years, is still committed to honing his Leica skills and nurturing the synergy between the photographer, camera, and lens. an invigorating departure from our auto-everything, do it for me, sense of photography.

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), June 30, 2001.

Great interview, a all sensitive life with a leica, on the screen, deligtfull.Thank´s again Al.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), June 30, 2001.

Ralph Gibson is one of my favorite photographers, his art of formal composition and treatment of highlight and shadow suites me best. He can turn very mundane things into magical photography, for example his photography of a simple perforated cartoom box handle hole and the photo of a shirt stunned me. Learning from the the great masters is one of the best way to learn photography. His treatment of "shadow detail" is a revelation. No shadow details turns shadow into magical composition element. He also turns grain into art element, instead of avoiding graims to chase after tonality, smoothness, the uses Rodinal througout to get grainy effect. Art photography is not about high fidelity, not about reproducing every shadow detail, not about resolution, revealing every fine detail. Great classical chinese painters have a common understanding: "Art is somehing in between true resemblance and non resemblance " And, I must also mention RB delibrately used shallow depth of field in many photographs.

martin

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), July 01, 2001.

Ralph Gibson Collection, Eastman Kodak House

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), July 01, 2001.

Ralph Gibson Interview and Galllery at Zing World

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), July 01, 2001.

Check the interview at Zing quickly. Zing closes down July 2nd.

-- Jim Shields (jim.shields@tasis.ch), July 01, 2001.

Leica Camera AG put up a full page advertisment in Popular Photography for "Leica Next Step Seminar with Ralph Gibson" in Ralph Gibson Studio in NYC Sep 7-9, 2001 and from Apr 13-17, 2002 in Paris, France.

The subtitle of the ad: "Very few photographers control a Leica the way Ralph Gibson does".

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), July 08, 2001.