Mark Cohen - Photographer
Вставка
- Опубліковано 8 лют 2025
- DOWNLOAD available at www.michaelengl...
CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHIE IN THE USA
Cinematic workshop discussions about an art form
in our day and age.
Justification for the rating
"Especially worthwhile":
The German Film and Media Rating Board primarily uses this highest rating to assess the film's particularly informative value. In this case the film has succeeded in documenting the specific individuality of fundamental representatives of modern American photography since the early 1950s. This refers to both their methods of working and personal means of expression, as well as to their overall attitude toward photo-graphy. The common denominators among them are the immediate way in which they capture everyday reality and their efforts to allow people and things to speak for themselves. For some, the matter at hand stands exclusively in the foreground; others strive to make reality transparent for subjects that common sense tells us is intangible.
In each case the film succeeds in depicting the artistic principle as shown in the photos once again in the way the photographers are characterized via words and footage. This occurs accompanied by a distinct 'feel' for each person's work atmosphere. The successful coupling of film footage and stills thereby proves to be an intriguing element.
Documented photographers: Robert Frank, Duane Michals, Garry Winogrand, Lee Friedlander, Thomas Roma, Alfred Stieglitz, Harry Callahan, Lisette Model, Ralph Gibson, Mark Cohen, Joel Meyerowitz, Stephen Shore
English - Colour - PAL or NTSC - 4:3 - 52 Minuten - Germany 1982
© Michael Engler Filmproduktion
I feel like if I tried this I'd end up on some community watch list
Yep, you likely would. I personally have very mixed feelings about Mark and Bruce Gilden's techniques, Gilden being far more aggressive and confrontational. Needless to say that these videos made in the 80s, the world was a very different place. I am much more a fan of Winogrand and Bresson's non-confrontational style of shooting.
I don't think we can follow a young girl and take a close-up shot of her legs in modern times anymore without getting a "FBI open up".
I already am on it. The cops enjoy going to my exhibits
You do this in LA you’ll end up in a body bag
Don't even try this in Europe. You'd end up in jail with bruises all over your body if you try that in a southern European country and a missing limb if you try that in a Eastern European country.
@2:20 What an absolute master. Arms folded to conceal camera, gets INCHES from the guy and the guy still oblivious. Takes the photo and it's all over in 3 seconds. He and Gary Winogrand knew the "extra" social part of it. There's a scene in Winogrand's segment of this where he's trying to photograph a gentleman and the gentleman notices and seems confused. Winogrand just plays with his camera like he has no idea what he's doing and looking beyond the guy. Check it out, it's really amazing to see them handle these kinds of situations to avoid confrontation.
Gosh. You could never get away with this in todays age. It’s literally FASCINATING watching how nonchalant the people being photographed are. Just a quick “what the heck? Oh… carry on” 😍❤️
@streetnuggets_ paranoia, "invasion of privacy", toxic positivity, political correctness. I hate these
Many still do this today. Look up Bruce Gilden, or newer photographers like Trevor Wisecup. Most people still don’t care too much about it, in my experience. I don’t use flash but i do tend to get close lately.
@streetnuggets_ The rise of social media, internet, iphone... etc. Has made it a very real fear for some random guy to take a picture of you, the first thought is "where is he going to post that? Why did he take a picture of me?" Doing this in the '60s-90s was not as big of a deal as today, there might even be laws passed to stop this kind of street photography as some deem it unethical. I started doing street photography when I lived in the UK, but in my home in Spain, it's legal for me to be arrested for doing so.
@@jb.photography Trevor wisecup is almost terrified of doing it, judging by how frail he is, it's no wonder he's always out with an entourage. His photos are also fairly lifeless. He uses flash from like 6-8 feet away which makes everything look flat and boring.
@@Adrian-wd4rn?????
street is the best. street takes a lot of skill..street takes balls, courage, knowing your camera like the back of your hand....observe, question, think, act, be hidden, be in the moment, slow down, listen to the environment, the smells...everything....composing a shot on the fly and using the surrounding environemnt as a frame...street photography is bliss...
Its even harder when you add "not being a dickhead" to the mix. Something, the Cohens and Gildens tend to bother too much about.
hrm, maybe it was in the 20th century, in 21th century i rarly see street photograhpy in which the photographer archives to catch something substantial. the rise of media society / smartphones / social media / digital photography changed how peopel look at photographs and how people act towards photographers.
This dude is acting like a creep. Get off your pretentious high horse.
@@ericjamesphotography ?
street takes no skill. Just like portraiture or landscapes takes no skill. It’s the ability to see with your eyes and be able to match that with the click of the shutter that takes skills
the guy gets some good images for sure but i just cant get over how its executed
His body language after taking the shot is so creeeeepy
Keep in mind a lot of these photographs were taken in the 1970s and 1980s
@@shahn78 nothing about this mans "body language" is creepy... I think you just have weird fantasies about this man in your brain at night pal...
The Michael Scott energy he gives off is beautiful.
omg so this is how awkward and weird it gets behind great street photos
This guy might be a pervert 😭🤣
I love photography and taking pictures, though, in my opinion, there’s a limit as to how much personal space there should be done when getting in people’s faces
Same, its complicated
I 100% agree with you, it made my hairs stand up just watching this, haha. But As a fellow photographer/artist, i do respect the evasive style he does. It definitely gives you this weird reaction to see him behind the camera, but the final product is even more beautiful.
@@alexsaenz7429 I take these evasive style photos on digital but I use a 70-300 lens so the shots are take from afar - u get the same evasive affect without the worry of someone coming at you - some beautiful shots are captured you get the odd look but people don’t tend to care - if u have a “proper” camera it’s far less sketchy than using a phone like my teacher asks us to do at times that makes me fell wierd ahahah
It’s complicated and subjective , but at the end of the day; these are great photographs
@@ameliahiam Amelia, you're actually being more creepy by using a telephoto lens.
Imagine if he did this in the hood. LMAO
Aye yo cuz for real bruh
Got that right.
@@JimBarcelona Travis Jensen's most look consentual, a number of them even posed and with him guiding the subjects. This guy just straight up gets a camera and flash in your face and walks away. Pretty much asking for a sucker punch.
😂
They would laugh and pose. What makes you think a white suburb is more safe? Probably get shot by NRA member.
Wow ! So nice to see the ancestor of Bruce Gilden working !
I was thinking the same thing!!
1:18 "I'm gonna do the girl against the wall"
uhhhhhhhh
Jamal l'Friedchicken smart guy
does he ever get punched in the face for flashing strangers unexpectedly?
if he did this shit to blacks he would.
@@JimBarcelona In Chicago, it would not be enforced. Police have bigger fish to fry. They let you sit in the station all day waiting until you give up and go home. Result is that he could have his butt kicked and the person would get away with assault.
@@Smaug1 Oh yeah? What are they busy arresting the scumbags and criminals behind the current world "health" "scare" and returning peasant rights to breath oxygen, travel freely and maintain sentient individual sovereignty?
@@oinkooink 😭😭
Well since the photographer is doing nothing illegal and the puncher is I doubt it. I mean think about it is it worth going to jail over a picture?
That was funny as hell at 3:17 where he made an image of the worker with his back turned. He was lucky the dude didn't punch him!
he flashes to his hearts content
THIS IS WHAT PAULIE B IS DOING WITH HIS UA-cam CHANNEL. HE IS BRINING THIS STYLE BACK VIA HIS INTERVIEWS
Walkie Talkie time!
Paulie B is less creepy about it though at least, and he actually has a proper social interaction with his subjects
@@CianMcsweeneyhe means the interview
Courageous guy. Great photos.
Golden age of street photography
Lui, you’ve lowered the bar for crap. Cohen’s photography isn’t the “Golden Age” of anything. This man was a rude, obnoxious slob. Period!
yes, it's aggressive and disrespectful. don't forget, please, that it's a file footage from the 80's and that sometimes artists invented their own way of working, their favorite tools.this style it's not for everybody, except bruce gilden i don't know anyone else to use it today. and he couldn't use it, say, in berlin. to each artist, his own method, ideally.
+Liviu Cristian (Embassy-of-toy-soldier) every street photographer still does this, only without flash, i think in 90% of the people that stands on photo's made by street photographers don't know they are on that picture.
what about wiktoria wojciechowska's short flash. or Óscar Monzón shots of cars. theyve both innovated on the same impulse to impressive effect. I'm sure there are more but you'll have to do your own home work.
i know 5 people (all on IG & Flickr) in my city who do it daily.
i’ve done it without any issues in Berlin 🤷♂️ just be nice and honest about it if they approach you
Utter BS, man. Be discreet and explain if confronted and everything will be alright. ;)
4:13: COOL IT GETS MORE WEIRDER
As he mentioned, it's a privacy invasion. What makes it work is that it's ultimately harmless and victimless, neither of which would benefit from explanation if it came to that.
I once attended an outdoor craft faire and took a quick image of products on a vendor table. Wow, was that ever a mistake. I was accused of wanting to use my image of their product to sell my own products, as if I couldn't take pictures of my OWN products. People are nutty. I felt like saying, "If you only knew how bad my images turn out, you would realize I'm no threat to you."
In my opinion, these vendors might come across as a small business. Found in farmers, night, and flea markets. It's their copyright protection of their products, branding, mediums, and their logo that can get us sketchy. Especially if the vendor doesn't know the (male) street photographer. It's not your fault for not knowing their small business vendor at the craft fair or night markets.
ps I do try to ask permission in a small town night market and farmer market when I want a more direct image of their vendor. While providing myself what I do in town and city making some pictures. I may not agree with asking permission if I intend of photographing like that Bloke Mark or Garry Winogrand. And even striking for street or time for print (TfP) portraits than a traditional form of street photography. Ergo, that no longer becomes the "Mark Cohen" approach.
hit(shoot) and run!!! I don't think I could ever be so bold but I also don't think this style of street photography might be appreciated by the public. Who knows, I may give it a try some day...
It won’t work in today’s day and age. The world has changed significantly.
That‘s crazy how the way you make your photos is more “important” than the actual photos you’ve made. People are missing the point of what photography is.
I do not agree with you, art can be very conceptual and the thought and making of it can be so much more beautiful or interesting than the final result. I love knowing how an artwork is made instead of just looking at it. Art is not just a beautiful or a great thing to look at, the essence is so much more. And its the same with photography
His art is very good.
You are just expressing your subjective taste
2:30: CREEEPEEEEEEPY
MuiBueno yo at least say thank you to the guy 😂
I kept waiting for a clip where he says, “It rubs the lotion on its skin...”
...or it gets the flash again.
😂👌
Noticed how when he talks about the sexual nature of his photographs the screen shows a child and he immediately transitions to children. Cohen, Epstein, Weinstein... they like em young.
@@pankakotakismegalomavropou3355 Be careful man you'll have a SWAT team on your doorstep arresting you for being anti simiticicicicic
mark and bruce style of photography is called COJONES street photography
What a madlad. Respect
just imagine him shooting a wedding! ''Honey, do you think we need to hire some sort of entertaining at the venue? Nah we have Cohen!''
Definition of point and shoot
honestly, i love this fucking weirdo.
Different times we live in.
Say what you want about him being invasive, rude etc -- he definitely is -- but there's no denying that the photo at the end is amazing
but is it, really?
Yes there is denying it. The large majority of his images are total trash because he doesn’t take any time to compose.
It’s a picture of someone’s leg with a flash on, there’s nothing amazing about it. It’s trash
Not amazing, especially when he himself complimenting photo taken by himself.
Uhhh...amazing? No..
Pioneer of Bruce Gilden style?
But not as good as bruce gilden
Gilden is better ... he at least tries to frame ..... Gilden style was pioneered by WeeGee
To pull off street photography I think it's better to have Winogrand's style, you can clearly tell that he engages with his subjects in a positive way, and smiles alot, even if they know they have been photographed they are more ok with it. This style of Cohen you can see some people are not happy about being photographed. Even Gilden's approach is better at engaging with his subjects, it's in the personality.
I think that fear for being punched if you try this way of street photography is something from these days. We've reached a point in which everyone will feel touched and surely offended for this type of interactions. 70's and 80's were amazing times for street photo indeed.
Depending on which country you live in, it's also illegal to make such close-up portraits (even in public). E.g. here in Germany it is.
@@PhilippLenssen lots of things are illegal in lots of places.
@@jehandelange6266 Absolutely.
@@PhilippLenssen it’s not illegal to take the photos just publishing is a grey area
@@maxf.8999 In Germany, to quote from a law article, "Even just taking a picture of a person requires permission, even if you don't intend to publish that picture in any way." (If you find specific law texts that prove this wrong, I'm happy to hear, as I'm a photographer and would enjoy for the law to be different.)
Anyone know what kind of camera this video was filmed on?
There is no “social interaction”. I can’t find in this photo action.
I’ve watched this a few time times now and can’t get past his technique? If someone were to try this today they would get chased down the street - unfortunately it detracts from what can be learned because you cringe at how he approaches his next subject, and then pounces on them. I’m trying to focus on composition, and subject matter, but man...I’m waiting for the cops to show up at any moment.
People do the same thing today, you’re just scared and they aren’t
I wonder how much times have changed, if people would still go with this today
I do it all the time
I know people that do this all the time, you’re just scared
HI everybody! Does someone know what flash unit he uses in this video? I'm looking for a flash that would fit my Leica m6, a small one like this? Can someone help me, cause I've been on it for a while now... Thanks!
lol, this would get you a quick trip to the ER today.
It looks like your doing an upskirt half way through! 4:03
The ultimate prankster. Was doing it before UA-cam made it cool.
Watch Mark Cohen - Dark Knees. He's 73 in the video, doing the same thing and seems pretty fine to me lol...
3:24 WOW, this guy has got balls.
balls ? more like no respect ... i know it were different times man but cmon ... holding a flashy thing 10 cm from someones face without saying a word and then hopping away like a pervert...no thanks
@@michaelangelo0305 no privacy in public
@@nickfanzolegally yes you're right, still doesn't mean you're not an asshole for doing it
woman on the wall was UNCOMFORTABLE
'Trespass their space' - says it all.
This is back when people thought it exciting to be photographed
El aire es Libre y la imagen en lugares públicos también. The air is Free and the image in public places too.
Can anyone tell me what flash he uses?
Ahhh, so this is how flashing started
You mean to tell me something GOOD has actually come out of Wilkes Barre, Pennsylavania aka the town I live in?
They jump for joy! Did you ever flash someone with heart trouble?
Wondering what camera was used to record the video
***** I think you miss the fact that different people have different intentions with photography. While you might not think up close and personal shots of people you don't know are worth it, that doesn't mean somebody else doesn't. Why you might not "throw your morality out of the window for the sake of a picture" other people do and enjoy it. So to answer your question, Yes, I think a photograph up someone's nose or right in their face is worth scaring someone or making someone uneasy. It gives you unpredictable and exciting results, some positive and some negative. At the same time, I respect the way others use photography, street photography or even just street photography using the technique of invading space is not for everybody. I encourage you to learn how to respect other methods, even if you don't like them.
The picture that he shows of the leg looks completely different from the picture that we watch him take. Where did the wall come from?The girl was wearing heels but in the picture, the foot looks like it's angled parallel to the ground?
These days he would be arrested for suspected "upskirting" lol
"Sorry, iwas just relally interested in your knees lel"
@@whispercafe1515almost sounds worse haha
As you can see, people found his behavior strange. Now they find it offensive. Because everybody nowadays own their face. Like a product. They have no problem taking millions of selfies or be recorder by multiple CCTV everyday, but you, taking meaningless pictures of them, for pure fun or art? "Piss off!"
Yep. Agreed.
Well to be fair there's intentionality in your photo, and the issue usually is the person doesnt know what your intentions are.
3.19 hilarious 🤣 almost as good as a Chaplin or Keaton movie scene
Fantastic! Wanna see all of it!
Gary winogrand
So, how can you use a Flash at 1000/s like Mark Cohen on a Leica that haves a 55/s flash sync speed ?
Had the same question
Because he uses a flash to freeze the subject. The flash has a faster exposure time than the shutter speed
The flash is the dominant light source and provides most of the light for the exposure, overwhelming the available light. So effectively the exposure time is the duration of the flash rather than the shutter speed.
look at the work of bruce gilden and you will see the point of it. And like robert capa said, "If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough"
Is anyone knows that Cohen using the strobe light? / I am using M6 but I can't search that strobe in Google... help me someone pls~!
Every one just wants to be in their safe bubbles
Wonder how long it would take for him to get beaten up if he tried this approach today...
can anyone guess what lens hes using the get so close on the leica? Maybe an old 21mm?
He mentions in the video that he either uses a 21mm or 28mm, not clear what exact model, but I guess you could just look up what lenses Leica had available at those focal lengths in the 80's
how does manual focus so fast???
Zone focussing (focusing in advance). He knows in advance how close he's going to be, so just set the focus ring to, say, 0.5m, then use the aperture to stretch the depth of field in front and behind. He's using wide lenses so this is already an advantage in this regard
He’s like a street magician...using misdirection. Pretty cool
Despite having a frankly invasive style, Cohen is not as annoying as Bruce Gilden.
What an amazing time in photography. What a simple time. I love all the old cars on the street!!! If you started randomly doing photos like this today you might get punched 😮
You WILL BE punched !
There's a video of matt weber doing an interview a couple of weeks ago, he saids back in the 80's it was harder, now ppl care less.
its cute though and Cohen is an artist
amazing footage ypu ve got thanks!!
2021 Finding this videos on recommended page. Is back then life is so much better? Old camera, old flash, old film, printed. Life so much better back then.
How can shoot without control the focus on the lens???
Zone focussing. The focus is set before even approaching his subject, because he knows in advance roughly how close he's going to be. From there, he can use the aperture to stretch the depth of field in front of and in behind the focal distance. A side benefit of using flash is that it allowed was you to use aperture settings that increase depth of field.
why is it so hard and difficult to take good pictures :( ...
It's all about privacy, paranoia, lack of trust, neighbour watch groups, BEEG BRUHDDDA CCTV cameras, social media, and keeping up with the joneses combined!
What Camera did this filmed by can anyone tell pls
.?
All people can have their own perspective in art so.. I don’t think his photo is aesthetic in any way, it’s so random and that’s a weird way to approach as well. Using his art “perspective” and then being rude to people is a problem too
Would this be legal if you'd do this today?
Who's the original Gilden or Cohen?
Cohen is OG. Sometimes I get perverse. Hence, I'll need to be careful with what I'm about to post on SNS. As much as possible, I'd rather shoot with flash with older people.
But I like Gilden's approach more because he's more overt with his approach and sometimes switch to a portrait sessions for a project covering homelessness and addicts.
Hi, you there?
incredible
Could you upload the part about Ralph Gibson, please ?
Does he mean a 1/1000th of a second hypothetically? The Leica flash sync speed is 1/50th.
1 subscriber with no videos A camera flash can freeze a movement up to a 1/8000 of a second. It can work if the ambient light is weak.
@@othomsen1but not if that flash isn't synced with the shutter, what happens in that case is most of your image will be black/underexposed with a small section being exposed to the flash
Sorry but I cant download it from your webpage
Was he the first to use this style ?
the times you can shoot like he do is definitely over
Why do you think that? Bro technique lives on forever.
No they aren’t. I know many that do this in 2022 . You’re just scared
i was watching how to catch a predator from dateline how did i end up here?
with how he behaves, I wonder if he has a really mild form of autism.
Not so mild
Not my place to say but fuck yeah 100%
More like sociopathy
I ask a lot of people on the street for permission to take their photo and they say “NO!” Imagine the brutal reaction I would get if I took the shot without their permission like Mr.Cohen and they saw me take their picture?! That said, I will commonly use zoom lenses and shoot from far away in a stealthy manner without the subject ever knowing I took their picture. I mostly shoot black and white with 50 year old vintage film SLRs.
You’re better off not asking. You get better results and less aggression
@@nickfanzo I don’t always ask. Only infrequently or once in a great while depending on the circumstances. But I am always discreet and polite and respect people’s personal space. I am not rude and obnoxious like Mr. Cohen.
@@henryrogers5500 I know people that were photographed by Cohen and never said he was rude about it. They just had a “huh” moment and it was over. He even smiled after and waved . Much of which you see in the video. No one is yelling over it
Again this is your own projection of the process
I think it's about the energy/approach of the photographer, and their confidence. Photographers who are confident in what they're doing are more likely to put people at ease. Photographers who are timid or self conscious are more likely to get an awkward reaction. But I think nowadays people are more concerned about being made fun of on social media, so are less tolerant to having their photo taken, whereas in the past, someone taking their picture might have left them bemused or even flattered.
And everyone has different style and objectives but I think shooting from a distance with a long lens might get equally good or better results (depending on what you want) but doesn't look the same as being close.
As for asking permission, I guess it depends on what you ask for and how you ask - but you could always try this approach: see how many times you can get rejected, and aim for rejection. It might actually get better results. Just my opinion.
tbh using a lens to zoom in is way more creepy than getting in their face. you got nothing to hide dude, you can give them a business card that links them to your photos.
a smile goes a long way. e
I made a street photo of a group of construction workers on a lunch break a couple years ago. I was probably 20' away, no flash. They were obviously on lunch, sitting at some outdoor cafe tables. Even in THAT scenario, one of them shouted angrily after me, demanding an explanation.
Brazuca domina o mundo. tem brazuca nesse video.
" Invade their space, try to make something happen" Bad advice!! Is this guy still alive?
Yes and he is known all over the world for his art.
Fear shouldn’t limit your passion as an artist
Do we need another Bruce Gilden??
+Fron Villa it goes other way around, Cohen started doing this in the late 60's.
+mannicca Didnt know it. Good to know, but I still dont like that street photography style, but I respect it
true contemporary photography
This way of photography looks so hilarious
i like his approach. i never used to like this technique but i understand it now so it makes sense. it's not creepy at all. it's daring to be different.
Great photography
📸
I'd like to see him use that technique on a cop standing in the street.
It's not illegal to photograph someone on the street. It is, however, a dick move to do it the way he does. I know he wants the reality of the situation, but getting as close as does without even talking to them afterward sucks. IMHO.
He has and it’s legal to do so
Tried and failed at this so many times, he is very lucky he doesn't get a smack in the face. Do really love his work.
He has been attacked before and so was winogrand.
But when you’re a real artist and have that drive, it won’t stop you.
people find this offensive yet our society has so much more invasive stuff that are legal