Photographer Bill Cunningham prowls the streets of New York, zooming in on his targets, shoes, accessories and clothing.
It's always a Sunday morning treat to pull out the Style section of the New York Times—I get old-school delivery instead of reading it on the Internet—and turn to Bill Cunningham's "On the Street" photos.
Through the Hawaii International Film Festival's art and design showcase, I got a chance to see Bill in action through Richard Press' documentary "Bill Cunningham: New York," which screened on Friday and Saturday at the Regal Dole theaters.
Even with my familiarity about the print business, I came away with a greater appreciation for his work. Most mind-boggling with that he still uses film cameras for his deadline work, when the rest of the media world converted to digital about 15 years ago for the obvious reason of speed.
Anyone who has a blog knows how much time it takes to upload dozens of digital files, much less take the time to process film, which is done for Bill off-site at commercial printers. And with his work for the "Evening Hours" party/society/gala scene, he goes through a lot of film.
Apparently, because of his preferred medium, he's often late in meeting deadlines, something his editors regard with humor, understanding the value he brings to the paper.
Photographer Bill Cunningham on the job.
I also appreciated the input he has in the design of his pages. Major daily newspapers work with a simple grid for speed an efficiency in page design that incorporates relatively few large rectangular photos, both horizontal and vertical. His layouts comprise dozens of tiny, extreme vertical and a few of horizontal blocks that don't seem arranged to work on any particular grid, due to his desire to show all the photos that convey his visual story. He works closely with a page designer in painstakingly shuffling dozens of photos around on the page until getting the right mix, with photos that speak to each other.
Let's put it this way. If he were are at our paper, he would be shot for all the time-consuming demands on a page editor's time. Yet, this is the same photographer who is so articulate and passionate about fashion that early Details magazine, one of my favorite magazines (before Condé Nast bought it), considered it perfectly normal to devote as many as 111 pages per issue to his fashion photography.
At 81 years old, he's still as spry as any 20something papparazzo (just don't call him that), and zips around the city via bicycle.
In his print space, he's given about 2 inches to talk about the fashion presented, so in all my years of looking at the page, I didn't realize how eloquent he is in speaking about fashion, until the Times started creating video slide shows with Bill's voiceovers. Here's another from Paris. In the videos is where his enthusiasm, good humor and intelligence about interpreting what he observes really shines through. He said he never sets out to look for individuals who buy into a trend, instead allowing the street to speak for itself in revealing the fashion zeitgeist, free from editorial and retail dictates.
While some people always see great mystery in trends—whether from the streets or from the fashion elite— or believe it's a retail ruse to get people to buy, I always feel there is something in the air that causes people to act in concert.
I don't believe retailers can urge people to buy what they don't want, no matter how many advertising dollars they may spend, whether in promoting a bubble skirt or caftan. All I know is that my eyes grow tired from seeing certain colors and shapes and actively seeks something different.
Once, I went to a pau hana event wearing pink and black. Unusual, right? And, a combination I rarely put together. Well, three of four women in our group were wearing the same combination. It was bizarre!
Even in this place, where seasonal change is barely perceptible, there's a natural inclination toward lighter colors in spring, and darker, richer, saturated colors in fall. It has to do with light, ambience and mood, and I notice this even with people who do not particularly follow fashion. There are some days, when nearly every editor here or nearly everone in our feature section is wearing the same color. I believe we are more in tune with this subconscious fashion wavelength than not.
I tried street photography years ago and started this blog with the idea that I could make note of what people are wearing on the streets and at events, but it's discouraging to go to just about any Hawaii event, ask what people are wearing, and hear only Forever21 and Wet Seal. Not that you have to spend money on fashion, but I just like to see an unusual mix, whether high-low or contemporary-vintage. Off the same rack doesn't interest me at all, whether it's all trendy-inexpensive or all Louis or Gucci. Mix it up!
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