The next part of my research will be covering Brassai (Gyula Halasz). Brassai was Hungarian and started his career as a journalist in Berlin in 1920 before moving to Paris in 1924, where he would live out the rest of his life, and what a life it turned out to be!
Falling in love with Paris is essentially what got him into photography, he often walked the streets by night due to his line of work keeping him out until all hours. Brassai would use photography 'In order to capture the beauty of streets and gardens in the rain and fog, and to capture Paris by night' - Wikipedia.
In 1933, Brassai had his first collection published in his book named Paris de nuit (Paris by night). The photographs in this book captured the essence of the city brilliantly. They were a mixed bunch of images, ranging from the seedier side of the city, to the higher class side, the ballets and the operas. As he began to mingle with the upper class residents he befriended many now famous artists including Salvador Dali, Alberto Giacometti and none other than Pablo Picasso!
In his later working life he went on to direct a film, wrote some 17 books and various, again now famous articles. In the 1960's he turned his back on photography and became somewhat of an artist, taking up sculpting.
Brassai passed away in 1984, a few months before his 85th birthday. He left somewhat of a legacy behind, kickstarting aspiring photographers careers and leaving hundreds of works, some undiscovered, behind.
Avenue de l'Observatoire 1934
Open Gutter 1933
Lovers in a Bistro 1932-33
Brassai photographing Paris at night 1932
Grand Central 1957
I love the sunlight on this.
Picasso 1932
I tried my hand at night photography properly for the first time just recently, around Manchester City Centre, and I must say I really enjoyed it. Teaming up with a fellow student, off we went snapping, obviously Manchester is a busy, vibrant city come day and night but if you get to the right areas it's quite 'romantically quiet' if that's a fitting description? I will definitely be going back out and shooting again in the near future and 'Manchester at night' may just be my big break... Well we can but dream eh?
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