The imperfect harmony of Saul’s compositions intrigued me. I felt as if he had a lot to say, and yet his photographs left something unsaid. In more ways than one, Rumi’s lyrical ballads and Saul’s visual imagery collapsed into each other, despite their great divergence. The first time I saw Saul Leiter’s images, I was reminded of a couplet from Jelaluddin Rumi’s poetry. He was encouraged to take up photography, and finally bought a 35mm Leica in exchange for a few photographs. As a young adult in a big city, Saul befriended the camera more than it befriended him. He almost became a Rabbi, until he took a midnight bus from his parent’s home that brought him to the hustle and bustle of New York City. Saul Leiter began photographing in colour in the early 90s, much before anyone else. On the other hand, one can never gauge the oceanlike profundity that lies beneath a quiet interior. The worth of a master’s life and works cannot be measured simply by the amount of newspaper articles written about him. This article was originally published in November 2012. Priyanka Chharia glances at the magical world of Saul Leiter and pries loose the life of a living genius.
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