Elton John's photographs at Tate Modern

Once you look passed the gaudy frames that are more bling than a blingy bling thing, but then, that's his taste and he can be forgiven, this is a great shown of Modernist photography.

Man Ray, Dorethea Lang, Alfred Stiglitz, Walker Evans, Ansel Adams and more; key examples of their work, grouped thoughtfully by theme, along with a short film revealing the genuine love of a man for this art form, not at all a collector just pinning his money to the wall.

Swing by over the holidays when the Tate will be quiet. Wander and enjoy.

Henri Cartier-Bresson at the Pompidou

What do you deduce if, as a member of the Pompidou, you still have to wait in line to see the latest big show? Well, that the French like photography, naturellement, and that this a show worth seeing, bien sur.

Henri Cartier-Bresson went everywhere and photographed everything in the twentieth century from the Spanish civil war - he was in the International Brigade, to the second world war - he was in the Communist Resistance, to Ghandi's funeral, to the 1968 uprising.

This exhibition is huge and showcases his entire oevre from experiments in Surrealism, to portraits of the great and the good - there's a wonderful one of Matisse and his pigeons.

There is so much to see and enjoy. Marvel at the technique and his brilliant composition. Watching footage of him photographing in the streets of Paris was an education in the speed at which he worked.  Some of my favourites were the homages to well known Impressionist paintings.

Two hours disappeared in a flash, if you'll pardon the pun. It's an tour de force. If a picture speaks a thousand words, then 500 say, well, you do the maths. Seriously, don't miss it. It's on until June. I will be back next time I have a visitor. Wait, that's this weekend.

Museum of European Photography

Sometimes I amaze myself at how slow I am to actually go and see things in Paris that are literally on my door step, especially if they are things I am really interested in, like photography. This Museum is in St Paul, 4eme (i.e my 'hood) is in a lovely building which combines 18th century and modern architecture. The front court yard has a gorgeous Zen gravel garden of black and white raked gravel with a lovely glass sculpture.

On at the moment is a huge survey exhibition of French photography from the last fifty years: many iconic images and much of them familiar, but worthy of close inspection  Do visit if snapping is your thing.

Costs 7 Euros plein tariff. No queues. Well stocked book shop. Check it out.

Details here: http://www.mep-fr.org/us/

Doisneau at the Hotel de Ville

If ever there was a case of less is more needing to be applied to a photography exhibition, then this is it. Having waited for over two hours to get in, in the freezing cold I might add, I was hugely disappointed.

Yes, there are some wonderful photographs, about a dozen or so really brilliant portraits, but the curatorial decision to pack in as many pictures as possible of Les Halles diluted their impact. Why the prints were so small and hung so close together beats me. Any photograph that needs me to wear my reading glasses is a failure I'm afraid. Not a credit to the work of Doisneau.

A morning not well spent and a catalogue for 30 Euros was not tempting. Luckily it's in its last week, so if you missed it, don't bother to rush. At least it was free.

http://www.paris.fr/english/english/doisneau-paris-les-halles-at-hotel-de-ville/rub_8118_actu_111434_port_19237

Diane Arbus

A comprehensive retrospective of her work at the Jeu de Paume - get your skates on it closes on 5 February. Famous images (trannies, circus performers, nudists, scary-eyed patriots, even scarier old women and odd-looking children) and the almost unknown such as the Hallowe'en parade of Down's children and young adults.




Titles are striking in their political in-correctness. Today we would not note ethnicity or religion so boldly, yet the Down's children are all 'Untitled'. This provoked a discussion with my companion as to whether PC is too PC and whether I am trying to hard. One favourite was Germaine Greer sticking a finger at the world, curiously just titled as 'Feminist', but in a book I riffled through later it is titled with her name. I wonder why this was changed? Curious.

Favourite Arbus quote on photography: 'They are the proof that something was there and no longer is. Like a stain. And the stillness of them is boggling. You can turn away but when you come back they are still there looking at you.' Just so.

A haunting exhibition. It was good to see all these images gathered together. Well worth 8.50 Euros of anyone's hard earned. Go early as there was no queue before noon.

http://www.jeudepaume.org/