Elliot Erwitt John Bryant Basic Information Elliot Erwitt
Elliot Erwitt John Bryant
Basic Information • Elliot Erwitt was born in Paris on July 26, 1928, and immigrated to the United States in 1939 when he was only 10 years old. • While attending Hollywood High School, Elliot worked in a commercial darkroom. This was his first real introduction to Photography.
The Roots • His first photography job was in 1949 where he traveled to Europe photographing Italy and France. He then drafted into the US Army in 1951 while stationed in Germany and France. • By good luck, Elliott ran into Edward Steichen, Robert Capa and Roy Stryker who all personally liked his photographs and became mentors to him.
The Next Step • In 1953 Elliot was invited to join Magnum Photos personally by the founder Robert Capa. In 1968 he became President of the agency. Even today he stays an active member and is one of the leaders. While continuing his photography work, Elliot began making films in the 70’s, and became sponsored with a grant from the American Film Institute.
Elliot’s Photo’s • Elliot Erwitt Is famous for two main features in his pictures- Dogs and black and white. When asked why- his answers are simplistic. • “Its simple. I like dogs. They’re bice and don’t ask for prints. They’re everywhere and we bark a common language. I’ve done eight books on dogs and had a dog until recently. I had him for 17 years. He went to heaven. • “[Black and white] Looks better. I have more control and everything is out of my darkroom. I work with a printer and supervise everything. I was surprised. I never thought much about color, but looking at it, the color is pretty good. The color is mostly for assignment- ads or journalism. When I take pictures for my own amusement, it’s black and white. I prefer that for personal work. For professional work, I don’t care. ”
Famous Photographs His Photos impacted the public by showing them the reality of everyday life. Here he shows Segregation in America
Art Gallery USA 1954, Wyoming
Art Gallery Cont. USA. 1956. New York City. Central Park, New York City, 1988 Elliott Erwitt XXL Collector's Edition Engagement party of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco at the Waldorf.
Personal Reflection • I personally like Elliot and his work because of his ability to capture pictures of ordinary street life that really grabs the attention of the viewer. His use of black and white creates strong values and contrast, and allows him to have more control over his pictures. • Elliot himself is a character in his own right. He doesn’t like to talk about his work a lot. He likes to just do his own thing not for anyone else other than himself. And yet he’s one of the most famous photographers ever. • Elliot does what he does for himself, which is very inspirational for me. He doesn’t do what he does for a paycheck or fame. That all came to him just because of his skill in what he does
References • http: //www. americanphotomag. com/elliott-erwitt-work? image=0 • http: //lens. blogs. nytimes. com/2011/05/06/elliott-erwitts-best-picturethe-next-one/? _r=2 • http: //www. magnumphotos. com/C. aspx? VP 3=CMS 3&VF=MAGO 31 _10_VForm&ERID=24 KL 53 Z 1 OG • http: //www. elliotterwitt. com/lang/en/index. html
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