Great Black & White Photographers, PART 2

Name: W. Eugene Smith
Birth: 12/20/1918, Wichita, Kansas
Death: 10/15/1978, Tuscon, Arizona
Why in history: An American, known for not wanting to take only professional pictures & by his World War 2 pictures.
Jobs: Graduated from Wichita north High School & Quickly started working for local newspapers called The Wichita Eagle & The Beacon. Moved to New York for Newsweek which knew him by his personality & his need to be perfect, but was fired for rejecting to take pictures by a certain camera. Later joined Life Magazine but had to quit by getting hurt by imitating a battle for Parade Magazine.

Entered World War 2 taking pictures of U.S. Marines & Japanese Prisoners of war on the front lines of Africa & certain islands. After recovering later went into a 3 week document about Pittsburg which ended up taking 3 years but was too long to ever be previewed but went into a published book of photo essays. Eventually went into taking pictures & recording jazz musicians from 1957 to 1965. Died of a massive stroke by Amphetamine & alcohol. 10 pictures of all of his masterpieces are aknowledged today.

positive on top, negative on bottom

Master of Photography

W. Eugene Smith:The Walk to Paradise Garden

Margaret Bourke-White: Taking Poison

Berenice Abbott:"EI", Second and Third Avenue Lines

The Falling Man

I cannot even believe that great pictures like this lie!!! I would have never suspected he was falling down just like the other people who plunged to their death. I hope he didn't jump like everybody else who was falling down!!! It was a great photo though; I hope I will take some pictures like that during this class. I literally thought he just accepted the fact that he was going to die either way and just chose a faster fate when I read the beginning of the story!!!