‘I do what I feel, that’s all, I am an ordinary photographer working for his own pleasure. That’s all I’ve ever done.’
André Kertész (Hungarian-born photographer) – July 2, 1894 – September 28, 1985.
Category: Quotation
Born on this day… Bob Carlos Clarke
‘The big problem for photography is the machine called ‘Camera’. Billions of snaps are churned out, most worth less than the chemicals and paper that created them. This relatively new and brilliant invention has been brutalised by the fumbling fingers and unfocused eyes of the ordinary man. Politicans, pathologists, parents, paparazzi – everyone’s a photographer.
And now photography lies bleeding at the feet of Art, and won’t get up until 67 billion ‘ordinary users’ are rounded up and stripped of their accessories.’
Bob Carlos Clarke (British documentary, portrait and fetish photographer) – June 24, 1950 – March 25, 2006.
Born on this day… Irving Penn
‘Using simple equipment and daylight alone is for me a pleasure and a replenishment.’
Irving Penn (American fashion and portrait photographer) – June 16, 1917 – October 7 2009.
Born on this day… Margaret Bourke-White
‘The camera is a remarkable instrument. Saturate yourself with your subject, and the camera will all but take you by the hand and point the way.’
Margaret Bourke-White (American documentary photographer) – June 14, 1904 – August 27 1971.
Born on this day… George Hurrell
‘It’s all so simple – no one believes me… you strike a pose, then you light it. Then you clown around and get some action in the expressions. Then, you shoot.’
George Hurrell (American master of Hollywood glamour photography) – June 1, 1904 – May 17 1992.
Born on this day… Bert Hardy
‘Everywhere I look and most of the time I look, I see photographs.’
Bert Hardy (English documentary and press photographer) – May 19, 1913 – July 3 1995.
Born on this day… Suze Randall
‘I had the best gimmick in the business: A sexy girl taking pictures of sexy girls.’
Suze Randall (English model, photographer, and pornographer) – May 18, 1946 (age 72)
Born on this day – Richard Avedon
‘And if a day goes by without my doing something related to photography, it’s as though I’ve neglected something essential to my existence, as though I had forgotten to wake up. I know that the accident of my being a photographer has made my life possible.’
Richard Avedon (American fashion and portrait photographer) – May 15, 1923 – October 1, 2004.
Born on this day – Bill Brandt
‘Photography is not a sport. It has no rules.’
Bill Brandt (British photographer and photojournalist) – May 2, 1904 – December 20, 1983.
Born on this day – Lee Miller
‘The personality of the photographer, his approach, is really more important than his technical genius.’
Elizabeth “Lee” Miller (American fashion model, photographer and war correspondent) – April 23, 1907 – July 21, 1977.
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