How Saul Leiter influenced my work?

Saul Leiter in Snapper Mode

Where on earth do you start with a creative genius such as Saul Leiter?? More importantly how has he influenced my work and what direction has it been taken in? This is important stuff. If you want a quick summary of what this article is all about, here it is....."be careful what you look at".  If you want a more in depth look and summary then read on!

Introduction to Saul Leiter

Saul Leiter is a Street Photographer that achieved fame and recognition for his work relatively late in life, but was also well known for his professional work in his earlier life as a fashion photographer.

He was also a prolific painter in the abstract expressionism mould. His work was heavily focused on women and the female form but representing it in a highly artistic way. This seemed to seep through into his street photography work as well.

Saul Leiter

His trade marks were often very intelligent reflections, the use of complex layering, partially obscuring objects or subjects, shooting through objects, shooting through glass and of course his now famous use of  umbrellas.

You could say that Saul Leiter is the perfect meeting and cross over point where Fine Art Photography meets Street Photography. He does both incredibly well but it's where Fine Art meets Street is where it think its at! 

Saul Leiter New York

He was known for his black and white street photography, but it is less about lighting and more about looking at the world in a complex layered way, bringing elements into the frame to increase creativity levels, the use of reverse bokeh with the foreground subject blurred and the background sharp. Daido Moriyama wasn’t that interested in umbrellas whereas Saul Leiter delved into a whole new creative world around this wet weather piece of equipment.

Unusual angles and perspectives is another Saul Leiter hallmark and shooting through objects and surfaces was another trademark. He seemed to be fascinated with the more extreme weather with snow and ice and rain featuring heavily in his photos in some shape or form?

The Influence of Women

Saul Leiter just like Daido Moriyama had a soft spot for the ladies. He featured women prominently in his work. He was a renowned fashion photographer  which was his professional creative outlet. Whereas Daido Moriyama focused more on the sexual side of women such as his famous lips and tights portfolio photos, Saul Leiter came in more from the beauty and arty angle although some of his work features nude women but in a more arty and creative style.

Saul Leiter New York 1957

It's why I can relate to these two Masters. I have had a similar experience getting involved with Female Celebrity Photography and then more briefly itto Fashion then onto Street Photography which as you have guessed involved photographing mainly women again, but in my now recognisable Fine Arty style often reducing them to silhouettes, curves and a more abstract representation of the female form

VIDEO:   Discover the Colourful Genius of Saul Leiter

What Saul Leiter influences have been brought into my work?

How has Saul Leiter influenced my work?

I would say Saul Leiter has had a completely different effect on my work to say Daido Moriyama as follows:

1. Umbrellas as a creative tool: People with umbrellas in the rain was his trademark. I tend to show the umbrella form more in silhouette.

2. The painterly effect in camera.  Painterly Photography features  brushstroke effects, rich textures, and color or black and white applied in expressive masses rather than strict outlines

3. Shooting through glass, using reflections to create depth, atmosphere and an other worldly appearance.

Saul Leiter New York

4. The use of layering. We are talking  how you compose a physical shot by building depth. By deliberately framing an image to include a strong foreground (like a hanging branch or archway), a middle ground (your subject), and a background (scenery), you can make your flat photographs look highly dimensional and cinematic.

5. Reverse Bokeh.. Subject blurred .......background sharp/clear

6. Splitting the frame into two or three parts with related/unrelated things going on in each

7. The use of negative space to draw or concentrate the focus on a particular subject/part of the frame.

8. The use of women bringing a feminine element into the work. 

Saul Leiter New York

9. Ariel perspective  as in a top down view style of photography in an urban environment placing more emphasis on the environment

10. Frames within a frame. If the whole surface of a photo with it's four edges is considered a frame, dividing that frame into smaller frames within it would  be classed as frames within a frame.

The list goes on with Saul Leiter, but you get the general feel of how he views the world, not the same as the vast majority of people.

VIDEO: Masters of Photography Saul Leiter

Conclusions:

What can be learned from this? Whatever you do ........ always find a Mentor for someones work that RESONATES with you.. If you can't get the actual person for whatever reason, if they are still alive or not, follow them on social media, take a look at their website, see if they have published any books or  zines.  Basically look closely at all of their work, find out what makes the work stand out to YOU and why it RESONATES so strongly, then incorporate that into your own work to arrive at your own distinct style which will be unique to yourself. It takes time, often years.

Saul Leiter has his own very unique style, a Saul Leiter photo is a Saul Leiter photo, there is no mistaking it.. countless people have imitated his work but very few can replicate it. I would say Craig Whitehead aka Six Street Under who is in the UK and his work is mainly colour, quotes Saul Leiter as a major influence, but as with many talented photographers he has taken Saul Leiters work, twisted it and made it his own. The influences can be seen, but he has as created his own style that is distinct in its own right.

Saul Leiter's work for me Resonates strongly and is evident in the form of umbrellas, shooting through glass, layering and more. With my work, the influence can be seen but it is not quite as clear, also my work is in black and white whilst Saul Leiter who did produce black and white work, was primarily known for his colour work

An example of a Saul Leiter inspired photo by myself at Pavement Pulse

My work I would say is a distillation or melding of Daido Moriyama with a Saul Leiter twist. Evidence can be seen of both these Masters in my work, but my work looks like neither. When you have achieved that...you have found your STYLE that will be unique and something you can call you own.

All Saul Leiter photos sourced from Pinterest

Saul Leiter screen grabs from the video "Discover the Colourful Genius of Saul Leiter"