Saul Leiter is a pioneer of color photography, shooting brilliant impressionistic street photography in New York City in the early-ish days of color stocks, the 1940s and 1950s.  By the 1960s he had established himself as a premiere photographer and worked for magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue.  Yet his most original work may well be from his humble beginnings, quietly observing the great city from behind cafe windows and through the reflections of car windows.

At less than 20 USD on Amazon the compact (around 7 inches on the long side) Photofile is a very affordable entry point to his work.  It is a consistent and well-edited collection that displays Leiter’s masterful sense of color palette.  In our digital era we’re accustomed to seeing average images enhanced with vibrant colors but Leiter had no such crutch to rely on.  In this environment his choice of hues and shades was critically important, forcing him to find high levels of order and structure in his scenes in a medium with limitless choices.  In this respect color photography is often quite a bit more difficult than monochrome.

Before his photographic career Leiter trained as a painter and clearly took a painterly, abstract approach to his work.  In many ways he is to color photography what one of his major influences, Mark Rothko, is to painting.  Rothko combined unique color palettes that included burnt amber, ochre, rust, and even cobalt with simple lines and geometry to create compositions that balance wonderfully.  Saul Leiter harmoniously employed similarly earthy-but-lively colors in the city – from then-modern shades of car paint to neon signs.

For all his canvas sensibilites Saul Leiter is nonetheless a photographer, grappling with harsh manmade cityscapes and the moods of people passing by in a grand city.  One thing that separates Leiter from most documentary photographers is his preference for vertical frame formats.  He is able to layer images densely, giving the viewer’s eye a path rich with meaningful storytelling elements from bottom to top (this is usually the path of recognition for everything but portraiture).  Leiter’s artistry lies in his ability to combine layers, color, and geometry with the snow, steam, dreariness, and amalgams that are symbolic of big city life.  The fact that he is able to create such coherent images in the fluid and fleeting environment of New York City is nothing short of remarkable.  (Sam Abell achieved similar success using horizontal formats in rural landscapes.  In both cases their photographs have such depth that a passing look will not suffice.  Very enjoyable viewing.)

Pick up Saul Leiter’s ‘Photofile’ today.  For an expanded study Leiter’s Early Color is quite beautiful, around 40 USD. Thanks to Lens Culture which is the primary source of Leiter’s work displayed here. -KL

Author’s Note:  This review is part of a series on sophisticated color composition.  It includes overviews of important works by pioneering photographer Saul Leiter, legendary painter Mark Rothko, photographer and educator Harald Mante, painter Greg Albert, National Geographic photographer Sam Abell, and prolific travel and stock photographer Michael Freeman.  Each book represents a spoke in the wheel in a very large wheel.

On book reviews: I own everything I review and have read each book in its entirety.  I have no financial connection to the authors or publishers.  These are intended to be guideposts for photographers who want to explore the masters.  Everything mentioned is highly recommended.

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