Leapology

Philippe Halsman, Eva Marie Saint, 1954, from The Jump Book

A post most apropos for the day, by Rachel Hulin at The Photography Post.

Mike
(Thanks to Peter Vagt)

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Original contents copyright 2012 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by Jussi: "Rather than jumping, this photographer in Tokyo, Japan concentrates on levitation. I'd say that's even more impressive."

Comments

[Vadim Gordin]

Given the location of the buildings and the fact that it appears to be overlooking Hoboken, I'm 98.2% certain that this is the view I see every morning when walking my pup outside Lens Loop World Headquarters.

Any idea if this was taken from one of the parks in Jersey City Heights?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zDeM8wRtw1E/T06UgL8VftI/AAAAAAAAS-I/yc-kEXYB-fY/s640/IMAG0027.jpg
(cell phone snap of my pup earlier this week)

[Matt Stevens]

I love the work of Philippe Halsman! I have long argued (even though I don't do this myself) that there isn't much difference (from an final image perspective) between photoshopping images and what Philippe did in his image constructions like Dali Atomicus.

[Walter Glover]

Great to see a forgotten hero remembered.

W

[David Wilcox]

I have the book, bought while I was studying Photography in the mid 60's.
It lacks some of the ones shown here. Fab nonetheless. His Dali Atomica. Is a priceless piece. DW

[Kevin Purcell]

Wouldn't about 50% of Lartigue's photos qualify?

e.g.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Jacques+Henri+Lartigue+jump&hl=en&prmd=imvnso&tbm=isch

[malcolm]

According to Douglas Adams the only thing you need to be able to fly is to throw yourself at the ground.... and miss.

[Chris Lucianu]

Is it just me, or does Halsman's sly positioning of the Empire State Building silhouette in relation to Eva Marie Saint in some way prefigure Hitchcock's more blatantly phallic final shot of North by Northwest?

Seeing Eva Marie Saint jump, I'm wondering what on earth made Anna Sokolow, the noted choreographer, and her movement teacher at the Actor's Studio, lash out at her, accusing her of 'lacking physicality' in her movement? Eva Marie Saint has all the grace and poise of a ballet dancer.

Not present in the selection at the 'Photography Post' link is my favourite of all Halsman's jumpers: Judge Learned Hand, imprinted forever in my memory. In my impecunious student days, I used to squat a photography bookstore — ah, the days of legend, when such brick-and-mortar outfits still existed… One of the treasures I used to eye with envy, time and again, was Halsman's Jump Book. By the time I had saved up enough to buy it, it was gone, and unobtainable.

[Simon]

Just in case anyone missed the visual joke, spot the sexual innuendo (strategically located phallic symbol) in the image!

[John MacKechnie]

In a head to head of the Jump Book and the Yowayowa Camera Woman Diary, I'm casting my vote for the amazingly creative teenager. It's always fun to look a celebrities, but the images created by the kids are wildly refreshing and original. I have a feeling that's she's going to pay for Art School with the proceeds of a very popular book.

[andy]

Did Blake Andrews beat you to it, http://blakeandrews.blogspot.com/2012/02/happy-leap-day.html, or were you first, Mike?

[David H.]

Sorry, but Natsumi Hayashi (yowayowa camera woman) is not a teenager. She is in her twenties. She has worked as an assistant to art photographer Hisaji Hara for 2 years and I assume is still assisting him.

[Kenneth Tanaka]

@ Jussi: What do you think would be the chances that I've met that Yowayowa Camera Woman on a recent visit to Japan? 1 in 32 million (Tokyo population)? Well I think I have. I think she's an assistant at Katsuya Ishida's MEM Gallery. This image is certainly from in the small gallery.

Such astonishing personal coincidences remind me to mind my manners.

[Mike Johnston]

Andy,
I hadn't seen Blake's post, but I like it. Three of those pictures are ones I hadn't seen before.

Mike

P.S. My post was Peter Vagt's idea.

[hugh crawford]

Funny, I read the headline as "Lepidopterology", and I thought "Hey that's one hell of a moth!"

[Steve Duffy]

It amazes me how much more personality is expressed in jumping, like being caught off guard doing your best effort.