One shot interview with Richard Bram

What made you push the shutter button to capture this image?

October, 1992, Sergeiev Posad, Russia. It was the first snow of the season as I stepped up onto the sidewalk. To this day, I’m not sure if I consciously made a quick hip-shot or if my elbow accidentally tripped the shutter of the Leica M3. In the long run, it doesn’t matter.

Is this image part of a wider project, if so what is the projects focus?

That trip to Russia in 1992 was a seminal moment in my growth as a photographer. For the first time in my career I was on the streets of someplace new, at the height of my powers, with lots of film, no agenda, no shot list, and complete freedom to photograph whatever caught my eye. It was my first truly great experience of what I would later think of as street photography.

Why is this image special to you?

It expresses perfectly what I was feeling at the moment: the excitement of being in an entirely new place, far different from anywhere I’d been before, the beauty of falling snow, and feeling very, very cold.

Are there any photography books that inspired you to capture this image?

Directly no, but the influence of Kertész, Cartier-Bresson, and others of the classic period is clear to see. They, especially Kertész, were my first masters when I was studying photography in the public library. To this day, I have more books by these two men in my library than any others. I hadn’t yet gotten deeply into Frank and Winogrand; that came a bit later.

What camera are you currently using?

Mostly either a Leica M10 or a Leica Q, but also a Nikon Df if I need a longer lens. I have a lot of glass for both systems that I’ve accumulated along the way so I try to keep it to one of the two systems. When I shoot film (which I do whenever I want black and white), it’s usually with a Leica M6.

Please tell us about yourself.

After a lack-lustre business career came to an ignominious end, at the tender age of 32 I went mad and decided to become a photographer. Thirty-six years later I am still doing it.

Links to your social media and website

richardbramphoto.com

Instagram: photobram52 

Twitter:Photobram

Facebook: richard.bram.39