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Photo Poche #113
Saul Leiter
Il est de ces photographes qui ne cherchent pas la notoriété, ni le succès commercial malgré une certaine aptitude à l’image appliquée. Né à Pittsburgh, il délaisse vite ses études pour rejoindre New York au tournant des années 1940-1950. Dans ce lieu de création intense où se croisent et s’expérimentent des recherches venues des horizons européens et américains, il rencontre Rothko et les expressionnistes abstraits, Faurer et Smith. Il découvre la Street photography et le travail d’Henri Cartier-Bresson. Mais ses images de rue sont d’une extrême originalité et ne témoignent d’aucune influence directe. Il impose sa maîtrise de la couleur dans des vues citadines non conventionnelles dans lesquelles les reflets, les transparences, la complexité des cadrages, les effets de miroir se marient à une technique très particulière des émulsions pour écrire une forme unique de pastorale urbaine.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Saul Leiter
27 books39 followersSaul Leiter was an American photographer and painter whose pioneering work in color photography and nuanced street scenes made him a central, though often underappreciated, figure of the New York school of photography. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Leiter initially pursued a religious path, studying to become a rabbi like his father, a renowned Talmudic scholar. However, by the age of 23, he left theology school and moved to New York City to become an artist.
Influenced early on by the Abstract Expressionist painter Richard Pousette-Dart and photographer W. Eugene Smith, Leiter soon turned to photography. He began with black-and-white images using a 35mm Leica and by 1948 had started experimenting with color photography—decades before it became widely accepted as an art form. His work from this period revealed a painterly sensitivity to light, form, and abstraction, setting him apart from the grittier, more confrontational style of many contemporaries such as Robert Frank48591 and William Klein. Instead, Leiter sought tranquility in the chaos of New York, often capturing poetic glimpses of life through fogged windows, reflections, and delicate color fields.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Leiter sustained his artistic practice through fashion photography, contributing to Harper’s Bazaar, Show, Elle, and British Vogue. His editorial work, though commercial, retained his distinct aesthetic sensibility and subtle sense of narrative.
Leiter’s contributions to photography remained relatively overlooked for much of his life, but later years brought a resurgence of interest. Edward Steichen had included him in a 1953 exhibition at MoMA, but it wasn't until the 1990s and 2000s that retrospectives and publications such as Early Color (2006), edited by Martin Harrison, reintroduced his remarkable body of work to new audiences. In 2008, the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation hosted his first major European museum show. That same lyrical vision is the subject of the 2013 documentary In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life with Saul Leiter.
A prolific artist in both photography and painting, Leiter continued creating work until his death in New York City in 2013. His photographs are now part of major public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Often referred to as a quiet master, Saul Leiter left behind a singular vision—intimate, painterly, and timeless—that continues to inspire photographers and art lovers around the world.
Influenced early on by the Abstract Expressionist painter Richard Pousette-Dart and photographer W. Eugene Smith, Leiter soon turned to photography. He began with black-and-white images using a 35mm Leica and by 1948 had started experimenting with color photography—decades before it became widely accepted as an art form. His work from this period revealed a painterly sensitivity to light, form, and abstraction, setting him apart from the grittier, more confrontational style of many contemporaries such as Robert Frank48591 and William Klein. Instead, Leiter sought tranquility in the chaos of New York, often capturing poetic glimpses of life through fogged windows, reflections, and delicate color fields.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Leiter sustained his artistic practice through fashion photography, contributing to Harper’s Bazaar, Show, Elle, and British Vogue. His editorial work, though commercial, retained his distinct aesthetic sensibility and subtle sense of narrative.
Leiter’s contributions to photography remained relatively overlooked for much of his life, but later years brought a resurgence of interest. Edward Steichen had included him in a 1953 exhibition at MoMA, but it wasn't until the 1990s and 2000s that retrospectives and publications such as Early Color (2006), edited by Martin Harrison, reintroduced his remarkable body of work to new audiences. In 2008, the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation hosted his first major European museum show. That same lyrical vision is the subject of the 2013 documentary In No Great Hurry: 13 Lessons in Life with Saul Leiter.
A prolific artist in both photography and painting, Leiter continued creating work until his death in New York City in 2013. His photographs are now part of major public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Often referred to as a quiet master, Saul Leiter left behind a singular vision—intimate, painterly, and timeless—that continues to inspire photographers and art lovers around the world.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 6, 2016
One of the greatest street photographers of the 20th Century. Up there with Winograd, Erwit and Cartier-Bresson. A singular and unique vision who was very underrated. An artistic genius. My personal favourite.
Very comprehensive survey of his early work from the 50s, with a good mix his b&w and colour work. He used out of date colour stock to get his unique look. Beautiful reproductions and interesting forward. It's a wonderful book for anyone interested in photography and pure expression.
Very comprehensive survey of his early work from the 50s, with a good mix his b&w and colour work. He used out of date colour stock to get his unique look. Beautiful reproductions and interesting forward. It's a wonderful book for anyone interested in photography and pure expression.
October 19, 2025
لطيف اوي
عرفت عن المصور Saul من فيلم وثائقي عنه حلو
ف قولت أستعير كتب عنه من المكتبة
الكتاب حلو كما يجب ان يكون كتب التصوير .. الصورة ع اليمين والصفحة ع الشمال فاضية وفيها سطر صغير ب سنة التصوير واسم الصورة فقط
هصور فيديو عن كتبه والفيلم الوثائقي كمان وهنزلهم ع قناة عن الفن ع اليوتيوب 👇
@3nelfn
عرفت عن المصور Saul من فيلم وثائقي عنه حلو
ف قولت أستعير كتب عنه من المكتبة
الكتاب حلو كما يجب ان يكون كتب التصوير .. الصورة ع اليمين والصفحة ع الشمال فاضية وفيها سطر صغير ب سنة التصوير واسم الصورة فقط
هصور فيديو عن كتبه والفيلم الوثائقي كمان وهنزلهم ع قناة عن الفن ع اليوتيوب 👇
@3nelfn
April 2, 2024
Cool cool
July 12, 2014
"Had passerby looked in the direction he pointed his camera, they would have been puzzled, for they would have seen nothing. His art consisted in making virtual events out of what appeared to be nothing in particular... With a touch as light as chiffon, he visualizes a city suspended in its purposes, yet filled with subliminal import." — Max Kozloff, from the introduction
I first stumbled across the brilliant street photography of Saul Leiter just one week before he died, near the end of 2013. This turned out to be terrible timing, as books of Leiter's work promptly became unavailable in new copies or prohibitively expensive when used. So I wound up buying this little Thames & Hudson "Photofile" because it was the only Leiter book I could afford.
I was worried that the size (about 5" x 8") would leave the photographs too small to be appreciated. But Leiter's striking, layered images — part documentary and part dream — come through just fine. The reproductions are pretty good in both color and black & white, at least to my amateur eye, and Leiter's fondness for vertical framing suits the format. This may not deliver the same impact as a full sized photo book, but it makes an excellent introduction to an outstanding artist. I'll definitely check out some other volumes in the Photofile series.
I first stumbled across the brilliant street photography of Saul Leiter just one week before he died, near the end of 2013. This turned out to be terrible timing, as books of Leiter's work promptly became unavailable in new copies or prohibitively expensive when used. So I wound up buying this little Thames & Hudson "Photofile" because it was the only Leiter book I could afford.
I was worried that the size (about 5" x 8") would leave the photographs too small to be appreciated. But Leiter's striking, layered images — part documentary and part dream — come through just fine. The reproductions are pretty good in both color and black & white, at least to my amateur eye, and Leiter's fondness for vertical framing suits the format. This may not deliver the same impact as a full sized photo book, but it makes an excellent introduction to an outstanding artist. I'll definitely check out some other volumes in the Photofile series.
March 21, 2008
For fans of early color photography. If you like Stephen Shore or William Eggleston then you'll probably like Mr. Leiter. If you think those other guys are wankers then you'll still probably like Saul Leiter. Check it out.
July 9, 2017
Beautiful small (in size) book of a phenomenal street photographer artist. His use of objects and their placement to create negative space, drawing your eye to the scene makes me swoon. Delightful! So much to absorb from this book and such a fun peak into history.
July 24, 2025
I encountered Saul Leiter's name when reading a book on reading recently. In my ignorance, I had no knowledge of his photography. I was able to obtain this volume from our local library system, and became acquainted with some of his work. Doing some research, I learned that Saul Leiter was a painter, in addition to being a photographer. That made sense when I looked at his photographs. There is a painterly sense to many of them, even when people are included in the images.
I struggled somewhat in giving this book (and Mr. Leiter's photographs) a rating. I tend to incline more to photography which places more emphasis on the human element (though a few of my favorite photographers tend toward abstraction - and there's often an overlap between abstraction and humanity in many photographs). So, I'm going with five stars, simply because there are so many arresting images in this book that I couldn't give it a lower rating.
In the end, what do GR ratings signify, anyway? Especially when being handed out by an amateur like myself.
If looking at photographs gives you pleasure, try and seek this book out. I'm sure that you'll find any number of images that will grab your attention and hold it.
I struggled somewhat in giving this book (and Mr. Leiter's photographs) a rating. I tend to incline more to photography which places more emphasis on the human element (though a few of my favorite photographers tend toward abstraction - and there's often an overlap between abstraction and humanity in many photographs). So, I'm going with five stars, simply because there are so many arresting images in this book that I couldn't give it a lower rating.
In the end, what do GR ratings signify, anyway? Especially when being handed out by an amateur like myself.
If looking at photographs gives you pleasure, try and seek this book out. I'm sure that you'll find any number of images that will grab your attention and hold it.
May 24, 2024
[5/5 sao] Là dạng sách photofile đầu tiên được xem, không ngờ một lần vô tình lang thang vào nhà sách vào một ngày mưa rồi ngẫu nhiên chọn lại được thoả mãn nhiều đến vậy.
Từ bố cục chụp, màu sắc, ấn tượng mà các bức tranh đem lại, cả cách đặt tiêu đề cho từng bức chụp tuy đơn giản mà chân thật như bê y cuộc đời vào trong bức hình. Có một điều bản thân cực thích mỗi lần ngắm tranh hay ảnh chụp, đó là dù cho nó chỉ là một lát cắt về không gian và thời gian nhưng dường như lại có thể kể được rất nhiều câu chuyện phía sau đó, và nó tuỳ thuộc cảm quan mỗi cá nhân.
Vậy nên ngắm tranh dù là chuyện công khai nhưng lại mang cảm giác rất riêng tư là vậy!!!
Từ bố cục chụp, màu sắc, ấn tượng mà các bức tranh đem lại, cả cách đặt tiêu đề cho từng bức chụp tuy đơn giản mà chân thật như bê y cuộc đời vào trong bức hình. Có một điều bản thân cực thích mỗi lần ngắm tranh hay ảnh chụp, đó là dù cho nó chỉ là một lát cắt về không gian và thời gian nhưng dường như lại có thể kể được rất nhiều câu chuyện phía sau đó, và nó tuỳ thuộc cảm quan mỗi cá nhân.
Vậy nên ngắm tranh dù là chuyện công khai nhưng lại mang cảm giác rất riêng tư là vậy!!!
September 20, 2024
I just adore photography like this. I need to do more street photography, this photo file gives incredible inspiration. Saul Leiter’s photography is so immersive, it’s like capturing lots of different memories and different lives, in such a creative way.
January 1, 2025
I read this in a bookshop with a mezzanine lounge in Shanghai, reflecting on the hustle of a city that emanates across continents and time.
January 25, 2021
Sprezzatura.
Leiter was anti-fame, anti-pronouncement, anti-glory. He just did the work.
The work is gorgeous. If you like painterly photography, here's a book for you. You feel that green traffic light in the snow is still burning today when you look at that photograph. It must still exist.
Today everything is documented, Instagrammed. More moments were lost in the earlier decades in which Leiter worked. That's part of the reason why these photographs are so ensorceling. A larger part is that Leiter knows how to respect the frame and distribute mystery. He's still underrated in the canon. But things seem to be changing. You see his influence everywhere.
This looks like a nice, collectible series Photofile has started. I really want to pick up the monograph on Sarah Moon they published also. I'm sure that one's worth having.
Leiter was anti-fame, anti-pronouncement, anti-glory. He just did the work.
The work is gorgeous. If you like painterly photography, here's a book for you. You feel that green traffic light in the snow is still burning today when you look at that photograph. It must still exist.
Today everything is documented, Instagrammed. More moments were lost in the earlier decades in which Leiter worked. That's part of the reason why these photographs are so ensorceling. A larger part is that Leiter knows how to respect the frame and distribute mystery. He's still underrated in the canon. But things seem to be changing. You see his influence everywhere.
This looks like a nice, collectible series Photofile has started. I really want to pick up the monograph on Sarah Moon they published also. I'm sure that one's worth having.
September 13, 2013
A newly discovered photographer for me. Masterful - abstract - from N.Y. 50s onward. Guy who doesn't want to be known, just takes his pics.
July 20, 2014
Considering the price, this is a great book of Saul Leiter photography to add to your collection. Being a small book, it's easy to take with you or to share during lunch.
March 18, 2016
Doesn't feature my favourite of Leiter's work, but a nice book nonetheless.
February 17, 2014
A wonderful photographer who traveled his own path.
April 11, 2016
Beautiful gathering of some of his greatest pictures.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews