Acclaimed Photojournalist Marc Riboud Speaks at J-School

In one of his most famous works, French photojournalist Marc Riboud depicted a man named Zazou teetering high above Paris’s 7th Arrondissement, painting the metal beams of the Eiffel Tower. Although the young photographer was perched safely on the tower’s staircase, Riboud couldn’t help but close his eyes each time Zazou, who stood on one foot and held onto the structure with one hand, reached out with his paintbrush. Despite Riboud’s vertigo and the general sense of impending doom surrounding the situation, the photograph, taken in 1953, depicts a sense of calm and balance.

When Riboud was introduced at the opening of a retrospective of his work, on display at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, Ken Light, an instructor and fellow photojournalist, called Riboud’s approach “humanistic photography” and called his depiction of Zazou on the Eiffel Tower a “perfect example” of that approach.

“Marc Riboud has witnessed many great events of his time with sensitivity and beauty rather than violence,” said Light at the event, held on Friday, March 12. “His skill in capturing fleeting moments in life through powerful compositions served him well for decades.”

In response, Riboud, who seemed frail but nonetheless charming as he spoke in halting English to a lecture hall filled with fans and friends, simply said: “I have a small penchant for the Eiffel Tower.”

Light and others who were familiar with extent of Riboud’s work, which has spanned close to six decades and five continents, laughed at his modesty.

Riboud got his start in photography in 1953, when he moved to Paris and joined the Magnum photo agency. He worked with Magnum founders Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa, and found himself traveling extensively, recording everything from important moments in 20th century history to the smallest minutia of daily life.

During the March 12 event, which included a reception of brownies and madeleine cookies followed by a lecture, Riboud reviewed his oeuvre on a projector while telling his audience the stories and inspirations behind each image. Photographs ranged from protests in Paris and Washington, DC, to behind-the-scenes images of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, from a provocative portrait of a French actress to pebbles scattered on the snow in front of Riboud’s home.

When the time came for Riboud to make a speech, he expressed that he was speechless.

“I’m not made to speak,” said Riboud, who at the age of 86 still carries a 35mm film camera around his neck. “I have nothing prepared to talk about. I am so surprised to see all these people, some sitting, some standing,” he continued, gesturing towards the crowd, which packed the lecture hall and spilled out into the hallway. “But it’s not my fault. It’s the fault of what we are all doing for photography.”

Marc Riboud Photographs, presented by the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism Center for Photography, will be on display at North Gate Hall through May 1, 2010. “ÓMaggie Fazeli Fard