The story goes like this: It was 1950 and the French photographer Robert Doisneau was in a terrace of a bar with his camera. Watching closely to passers by on the street and the crowd could see a couple of lovers who, heedless of everything around him, kissing passionately advanced. Quickly, thephotographer took his camera and shot this snapshotknown as Le Baiser de l'Hotel de Ville that was made famous to become the best selling photo history with $410,000 copies.
That way I heard the story, and so I fell in love with this photo, I bought a large poster and put it on my wall ... that cutest couple, love in its purest form, the beauty of the moment, the passion of youth the carefree feeling mixed with the day to day in the city, everything was too perfect.
In 1992 a couple came out saying they were those of the photograph. Doisneau had no other choice but to tell the truth before a judge to prevent impostors who might be entitled to the
$100,000 claimed as image rights.
Life magazine had commissioned a story about lovers in Paris. And it was Doisneau himself who made a series of photos that entitled The Kiss. Those two young lovers to those who, coincidentally, caught in the Parisian streets were but unknown actors (boyfriends, yes!) who asked to pose for a photograph ...
However, the kiss is still my favorite picture ....
Very good story and English Marcela....
ReplyDeleteDoes the picture above show the couple that was taken while kissing? Or does it show who were posing for the camera? I remember having seen a documentary about saying that the photographer saw the couple kissing first and then asked them to do so again in order to take the picture that became famous finally. Or was a diferent one?
ReplyDeleteLove is such an interesting theme. See this one I took at the Oktoberfest in Munich:
http://galerie-hueck.de/arias_f00001.html