1、Unit 2 A lifes work Life Behind the Lens (P14) Unit 2 Understanding ideas P14.mp3 A white-haired old man riding an ordinary bicycle around the streets of New York, alwayswearing the same blue workers jacket and simple black running shoes. If you saw him,youd never think there was anything remarkable
2、 about him. And yet every member of NewYorks wealthy high society wanted nothing more than to pose for this man.This ordinary-looking man was Bill Cunningham, one of the most important American photographers of the last fifty years.What made Cunningham so great? It certainly wasnt the use of expensi
3、ve, technologically-advanced equipment. Cunningham always used simple, relatively cheap cameras and took all his pictures on the streets of New York, not in a studio. Nor was it a wide range of contacts and connections. Although he always knew where fashionable parties and events were happening, Cun
4、ningham liked to photograph ordinary people in the poor Bronx as much as VIPs in rich Manhattan. He found inspiration where others could not, in simple, everyday scenes, such as a man buying oranges at the local grocery store, or a woman riding home on the graffiti-covered subway. These things were
5、real, and it was within their reality that Cunningham saw both beauty and potential. Through his fascination with what people were wearing, and not who they were, he opened the doors of fashion to everyone fashion as he saw it belonged to the people, not just to high society and big brands.Moreover,
6、 what made Cunningham great was his devotion to photography, and the hours andhours of sheer hard work he put into his work. Cunningham would go out onto the streets of New York each and every day, regardless of the weather. He would even stay outside in a storm, not coming back until he knew he had
7、 the right photos. He hardly ever took a day offand not once stayed home sick. This devotion and hard work is what we see reflected withinhis photos. This is what makes them so special.Although he was a world-famous fashion photographer, Cunninghams approach to life wasuncomplicated. He lived in a s
8、mall apartment with a shared washroom. A simple restaurantwas where he usually had the same meal of sausages, eggs and coffee.Cunningham never accepted the benefits offered to him for being a fashion photographer. He valued his integrity and would not be bought by anyone, no matter how many free clo
9、thes or flights to faraway destinations he was offered. And if he went to a celebrity party, he wasthere to work rather than have fun. “Moneys the cheapest thing,” he once said, then added:“. freedom is the most expensive.” This lack of self-interest and promotion keptCunningham focused on his craft
10、, enabling him to capture New Yorks unique street style.Cunninghams passion for photography lasted throughout his life. He was 87 when he passedaway, and had been working right up until his last illness. Nothing ever stopped him fromgetting the photo he wanted. His hard work made him more than a fas
11、hion photographer hewas a “cultural anthropologist”, who we can thank for recording the life of a whole city andits people over half a century. Bill Cunningham was an observer, and not one of the observed,a worker not a star and this was how he wanted it.Life Behind the Lens Life Behind the Lens A w
12、hite-haired old man riding an ordinary bicycle around the streets of New York, always wearing the same blue workers jacket and simple black running shoes. If you saw him,youd never think there was anything remarkable about him. And yet every member of New Yorks wealthy high society wanted nothing mo
13、re than to pose for this man. This ordinary-looking man was Bill Cunningham, one of the most important American photographers of the last fifty years.What made Cunninghamso great? It certainly wasnt the use of expensive, technologically-advanced equipment.Cunningham always used simple, relatively ch
14、eap cameras and took all his pictures on the streets of New York, not in a studio. Nor was it a wide range of contacts and connections. Although he always knew where fashionable parties and events were happening, Cunningham liked to photograph ordinary people in the poor Bronx as much as VIPs in ric
15、h Manhattan. He found inspiration where others could not, in simple, everyday scenes, such as a man buying oranges at the local grocery store, or a woman riding home on the graffiti-covered subway. These things were real, and it was within their reality that Cunningham saw both beauty and potential.
16、 Through his fascination with what people were wearing, and not who they were, he opened the doors of fashion to everyone fashion as he saw it belonged to the people, not just to high society and big brands.Moreover, what made Cunningham great was his devotion to photography, and the hours and hours
17、 of sheer hardwork he put into his work. Cunningham would go out onto the streets of New York each and every day, regardless of the weather. He would evenstay outside in a storm, not coming back until he knew he had the right photos. He hardly ever took a day off and not once stayed home sick. This
18、devotion and hard work is what we see reflected within his photos. This is what makes them so special. Although he was a world-famous fashion photographer, Cunninghams approach to life wasuncomplicated. He lived in a small apartment with a shared washroom. A simple restaurant was where he usually ha
19、d the same meal of sausages, eggs and coffee.Cunningham never accepted the benefits offered to him for being a fashion photographer. He valued his integrity and would not be bought by anyone, no matter how many free clothes or flights to faraway destinations he was offered. And if he went to a celeb
20、rity party, he was there to work rather than have fun.“Moneys the cheapest thing,”he once said, then added:“. freedom is the most expensive.”This lack of self-interest and promotion kept Cunningham focused on his craft, enabling him to capture New Yorks craft, enabling him to capture New Yorks uniqu
21、e street style.unique street style.Cunninghams passion for photography lasted Cunninghams passion for photography lasted throughout his life. He was 87 when he passed throughout his life. He was 87 when he passed away, and had been working right up until his away, and had been working right up until
22、 his last illness. Nothing ever stopped him from last illness. Nothing ever stopped him from getting the photo he wanted. His hard work getting the photo he wanted. His hard work made him more than a fashion photographer made him more than a fashion photographer he was a“cultural anthropologist”, wh
23、o we he was a“cultural anthropologist”, who we can thank for recording the life of a whole city can thank for recording the life of a whole city and its people over half a century. Bill and its people over half a century. Bill Cunningham was an observer, and not one of Cunningham was an observer, and not one of the observed, a worker not a star and this the observed, a worker not a star and this was how he wanted it.was how he wanted it.
