The Crit House - Masters - Vivian Maier 

One of the most interesting facts about Vivian’s work is that, since thousands of rolls of exposed film was found in the storage facility undeveloped, a huge portion of her work was actually unseen even by herself. The psychology of this alone boggles the mind.

This was such an insightful talk about the work of Vivian Maier. As a street photographer myself I have a story to share. I was in Paris with my wife, armed with a small fujifilm xt30 and a pretty compact lens, found a great picture to take of a beautiful gothic cathedral in the background and many people in the foreground. I took a few pictures when a young man of North African heritage and a few of his African friends started making threatening gestures at me - I assume thinking I was taking pictures of them... I pointed at the church behind them, but the main guy started approaching me rather quickly... (no police in sight) kind of a sketchy part of Paris... I grabbed my wife's hand and walked and told her not to look behind (biblical reference). We walked away fast and nothing happened. In today's world, some of these major cities are no longer as safe as they once were. This experience completely made me rethink street photography. I am a New Yorker, so I am used to taking shots in big cities and normally don't think twice... this experience in Paris really has made me think twice. However, I love cities and capturing the many stories of people that work and live in those cities... so I will head back out there but please everyone becareful.

Her reward is the process of creating the image. Seeing the subject, choosing how to present it, framing it, decisions of exposure, letting her past creative history informing the moment. It isn't the Decisive Moment, it's the path to the decision that absorbs her introverted nature, not the extroverted life of display.

Vivian Maier's collection is incredible. Worthy of being noted as one of the Great photographers of our time... Great overview

I just became aware of her. As I look at her work I'm already in an excited mindset knowing the whole intriguing story behind her. It's like my mind is already in an elevated state. I'm in a constant state of anticipating something extraordinary. I am quite sure though that I would love all the images even if I didn't know the back story........really love them.

Great episode. VM could speak 2 languages lived in France , lived in NY, her mothers friend was a photographer, we know she visited galleries from her photos, she was an obsessive reader, lived in as a nanny with some wealthy articulate families, traveled the world, she left over 100k images - reverse the camera we know where she was 100k times almost social media like, she left hundreds of items in the storage it was almost like a museum to her, just points and questions, NY in the 50’s could be rough you can see where she went , its recorded she punched a guy in the face! Love u VM cheers

One of the greatest street photographers I've ever seen. I remember when those negatives were first found, and so thankful they went to search for who she was.........priceless. Just re-watched "Finding Vivian Maier" again this morning. Grateful that young man had creative curiosity.....

Vivian is a magnificent photographer!!!

Hey, Haven't you seen her Photography Book on a shelf in one of the other videos with massive amounts of photographic books that she owned? It blew my mind away, that she had owned these books even. She studied all the greats.

I enjoy her work. I like every photographer that I see today. If it wasn't for all of their work I wouldn't enjoy photography today. Every artist is talented, and deserves to be shown as a role model for the next generation taking up a camera, a brush, or a microphone. We need more examples that anyone can, and should take up a great hobby. I have been taking photographs since I was 8 years old. I'm 57, and still love it. What I enjoyed about her work is how she captured the daily every day moments from the past. I love her work. I love photography. It's a time machine recorder. I enjoy your video. Thank you for sharing.

Working in complete isolation and privacy, exploring the world in her mind and capturing the moments of life. Her eye is incredible. To me she is one of the greats. When you browse her work, she captured such deep understanding and emotion and invaluable moments of time. A true artist she went through life without any expectation her images and hence her view of the world would never be known. What an incredible story.

Great conversation thank you. I particularly liked Lou's concept of 'waiting for months', very interesting. That challenge of getting to know a space and community well, and also pushing through feelings of 'taking it for granted' or being 'bored', in order to be able to see something spectacular that also looks natural. Reminds me of the idea of sudden awakening in zen buddhism, where after doing the same chores and meditations for years you suddenly see the mundane differently. But for me the exercise of looking through the frame of a camera is a bit more enjoyable than a lot of monastic chores haha.

Great video. An observation looking at the photos is how clean of distraction they all were. I know there were not so many neon signs and plastic bags back then but, I also know street photography and how difficult it is on the street to frame a shot without elements in the scene that distract, clutter and impede.

Great formal structure, framing and insight into human nature brought out by exciting inner qualities Vivian spent years thinking about. It was all hers and, for Vivian, stays that way.

No one better than VM at getting the decisive moment, and no one better at the intimately revealing street portrait.

VM is definitely one of the greats. How I wish I could have met her.

great conversation! thanks for sharing!

I don’t think street photographers should be shamed for not getting all up into people’s personal spaces. Social media has completely changed that. Plus the best street photography is more about the composition, whether the subject is facing you, behind you, close or far. That’s why I believe Alex Webb is the best street photographer, imo. This notion of get super close and take a shot of them staring at you is being a true street photographer is ridiculous.

This is a great conversation. One thing I like to think about is the way that she seems to connect with the subjects she photographs on the street. Tho she was intensely private, (and never viewed her work after she shot it) she has to have some level of ability to approach and have her subjects let her in. She was opinionated and seen as very odd for the time, but I imagine she was quite a character who must have felt at home approaching people in the street, perhaps it’s where she felt most comfortable. She has video reels and tapes where she interviews people at the market, she knows how to get reactions and she does not shy away. I don’t think of her as a lonely quiet person in her youth, I would say she was just deeply misunderstood for her era. How I wish we could have heard her speak about her methods, but the blank slate that we have adds some allure to her story and work. What I feel most is her connection, she captures emotion, captures irony, showcases injustices and she felt strongly about it because it SHINES thru.

I find this discussion very fascinating but I do want to say that the 50s, especially in New York, had a lot more diversity in many ways than we have right now. The second thing is that people were not so used to being photographed or even shocked by the fact that a photographer was taking a picture of a wall of a building. SO they just let it happen and if it was a person involved in the shit, they didn't pose unless they wanted to or she indicated she wanted them to. Well now people are on 24/7 and they conduct their lives as poseurs rather than living their lives. So I think the subject matter she had was so much richer than we have nowadays. I will say she had a definite eye 👁️for seeing the whole of the picture and it does have a back layer & the front layer which is often the people or animals but it has a bilateral quality to it as well. SO you have to look right, left, right again and up and down. Frankly, that's how I take pictures. I just use my cell phone and I'm definitely NOT as committed as she is but I know when I take one, that what I'm thinking in my head is that what & when that composition appears, it's like a still life or a "nature morte", as the French call it. AS for being thought out, I don't think it is in the usual sense of the word , in large part because she is self-taught, but I think it's an instinct she has and of course it involves the brain and thinking but the instinct is there she knows it when she's got it and then she clicks on the camera. I'd be curious to know of the hundred thousand fotis, did she throw out any or did she keep everything and and not judge. I think that would be fascinating to know or to try to Intuit. Unfortunately, she NEVER spoke so we can't know from her OWN lips. So, using the French definition, she caught a slice of life and she froze it as occurs in death & she clicked just in time to capture its live quality.

One of the best videos in this channel. I have learnt more than a lot. Thank you so much Jeff! I'm very much looking forward to something like this.

To Mr Jones point. I grew up in the 50s and I can confirm that the attitude towards photography was vastly different than today. The points he made were quite true. I have maintained for years this was a vital component in the photography of the day.

First. I’m willing to bet that the kid on the bike is not being slammed by his (we assume) mother, but she is consoling him in some way. Second, I’m getting where those who claim condescension are picking that up. I feel there is a wonderful appreciation for this woman and her photography. Early on it is said that Vivian is in a category all her own. And I couldn’t agree more.

I am so enjoying this The Crit House video and seeing so many images I have not seen. Thank you.

Wow. This is amazing! Please stay with it. This will be found!!

I was told of her some years ago and the story was very short. I was told there was a lady who in her spare time from being a nanny would go out on the street and take pictures of everything and anything and her negatives were discovered after her death and she and her work became very famous. I am now fascinated with her and her work the more I learn about her. I would have loved to have known her.

This discussion was excellent. VM is my favorite photographer.

Gentlemen, an excellent presentation. One thing that everyone failed to mention was her ability to nail the exposure setting. I don't believe she used a light meter, I don't think she bracketed her shot, she nailed the exposure. There is detail in the highlights and shadows of most, if not all, of her photos. Even the image of 'Alfred Hitchcock' on the ferry, detail in the darkness of his coat. She truly was a talent. By the way I still shoot film and my Rollei 3.5 Schneider is my favorite.

I have enjoyed the show very much. I love Viviam and I have been lucky enough to see two exhibitions here in Barcelona. Greetings

This was really cool. You should do more of these discussions.

Loved this, thank you.

Thank you! This is a great way of exploring photography

I've been using 35mm analog cameras for decades. Now, because of her, I'm dusting off my Flexaret medium format camera and starting to use it now.

Great episode, Jeff. This new series is very interesting: I'll be looking forward to seeing more, especially about masters that are less 'advertised' in social media such as Dayanita Singh. As for Vivian Maier, while I find a lot of her work interesting, I am not comfortable at all with the fact that it has been marketed by a third person without any wish on her part for it to be shown to anyone. Had she bequeathed it to a critic or something, then we would at least know she was fine with it being shown. As is, there's some ethical issues I struggle to cope with.

Great video

Great video!!

Thank You for the great conversation.

I really enjoyed this

Sweet direction for the Crit House, well done!

Great episode Jeff

Great discussion

"Amateur" is someone who does a task for the love of it. It is in contrast to "professional" who does it for commercial reasons. "Commodity" is a word used to describe something that is created to be sold or the object itself. It in in contrast to "gift." Vivian was an amateur who created gifts.

She was living in New York in 1955 ... so possibly saw the "Family Of Man" exhubition ... and that may have been enough to have inspired her 🤷‍♂️

A certain Frenchman named Henri Cartier is in love with you Viv' - highly recommend the Heaven cafe..

Truly the best photographer of the 20th century. She would have been a major portraitist - had she felt the need for that. But she enjoyed anonymity and poverty, respected and loved those things and above all knew a deep sense of belonging with it. That is clear by how often her presence in the scene is shown. If you want money and/or fame then by all means exhibit. If you don't, why bother? I have to wonder how many talented people have kept their gifts to themselves alone. Bet Ms. Maier wasn't the only one. And I am all in favor of having all her work out there somewhere for everyone to see. She would have hated the dollars and cents fight over her work above all else. But I think she would have been fine with displaying it - after all she took people's pictures without permission most of the time so why not show her work without her blessing?

...is it spooky, when i look at my own introduction to the silver? How many light artists approach their domain in a similar fashion to that we see here? i saw something of this in my own work on the streets of Liverpool in the later 70s, it blows my away. I gave up the cameras for teaching English in Germany and I'm soooo glad I'm not on the streets these days.

I think she is better than these two critics , according to the pictures that were demonstrated

Let's remember that Maier and Bresson showed interest, compassion and understanding of their subjects. Most (so-called street photographers) are just just trying to "grab' a shot. I wonder what Bresson ,Maier et al would say?

If she was not educated in photography any form of way, well then I would say that she wrote the manuals on the subject. The timeframe, photography was also seen as a male dominated era at that point. So she had to contend with that as well. That must have had a impact on her non disclosure. Then many of us do miss the bus, because of life and decisions we have to make in life ..... I honestly feel it was the timeframe and her gender at that point of time. That's my gut feeling.

quick decision about the frame, shooting from the hip and being a woman helps in being more anonymous and receiving trust from the people in the street

Also especially when she was out taking pictures with the children she was nanny to, she comes off as a real world Mary Poppins. With camera instead of umbrella.

She's clearly a great artist, and the fact that many are making millions off her posthumously goes well to assenting to that obvious judgment. Her work should be in the public domain and available, No one had a right to profit from her work but her, and the initial discoverers, and that for a brief time.

That was really interesting; however, Rolleiflex were produced in 55mm, 75mm, 80mm, and 135mm

I’ve always been interested to know how much she saw. What was her feedback?

I wonder if she would be upset about her work being should. They look pretty formal and relaxed. What if this was her way of chilling out/ relaxing because of the hectic life she led looking after children. If the lady wanted to be famous or put in the masters category, she would have sort a way of selling her work like the photographer's of her time?

A very good discussion. I just have one critique and that would be that in one of your past videos with Alex Kilbee and Sean Tucker you immediately mentioned Vivian Maier as not one „great photographer“ and in this video you agree in the discussion with the greatness of her photography. I think you should have more of your own opinion and not be influenced by the position of your guests. I think Alex Kilbee does not know much about photography if he considers Vivian Maier as a mediocre photographer, but this is just my opinion. Other than that I think your channel is very good and intresting.

These gentlemen obviously didn't read her biography. She was not shy and she did not ask people's permission to take their photos.

It looks like the car in the picture is parked and waiting for someone. Could it be that Vivian was waiting to see who it might be and then along comes the woman in the fur stole?

What stays with me is the over-the-top exaggeration of the scariness of shooting street photos today. Maybe just don't do it in obviously dicey situations. Unfortunately it is trickier nowadays when shooting children, but it's very rare to be nastily confronted as long as you're not being obnoxious.

I found a slightly condescending undercurrent during this analysis..

0:50 She couldn't have been entirely self taught especially as her mother was a keen photographer.

I am sure it would have delighted her to have her work honoured - but all the attention would be too much for a person of her kind. So fame had to be posthumous!

ONLY PEOPLE

She’s no Elizabeth Holmes. I enjoy her work …

Vivian Maier flipped the bird to the photography establishment. She shows that the greatest photographers need no education, or study, or a need to be part of a class or photography club, or possess a degree in composition and the gamut of photography rules taught in universities and colleges today. She needed no instruction, or publicity, or reassurance from fans or followers and needed no likes. She is the antithesis of the American ideal photographer, and so unlike Ansel Adams, who was all about monetisation and loved publicity. Americans are puzzled as to why she sought no fame and fortune. So how did she rise to become probably the best woman photographer the world has ever seen? She was born with an eye which could see and not only look. All photographers need to look, but most fail to see. Incidentally, the panel forgot to mention that the cameras she used had no light meter, or autofocus, yet look at the way that she nailed exposure and correct focus time after time. Today’s so called street photographers, should learn from Vivian’s work, then go into a corner and cry, as you will never be that good!