W. Eugene Smith
W. Eugene Smith (w/ Magnum) is one of the outstanding old guards of photojournalism. Many know him for his seminal project on Pittsburgh – which I’ve heard incredible stories behind of endless work and obsession and amphetamines – but maybe they’re just that, stories – I don’t know. But mostly I go to Smith’s work to see his printing, b/c it’s expressive and dramatic and necessary for the total effect of the images. This is something common place today in photojournalism, but I don’t believe it was so when Smith was doing it. In the case of Smith’s work it is something that takes a good picture and turns it into a great picture…a narrative, an idea, a dream-scape.
photo: © W. Eugene Smith / Magnum Photos
photo: © W. Eugene Smith / Magnum Photos
photo: © W. Eugene Smith / Magnum Photos
I enjoy your blog greatly. His project was actually in Pittsburgh.
Larkey, thanks for taking the time to point out the error. The post has been corrected. Philly is so much more common in conversations I have than Pittsburgh, so I mistakingly defaulted to it.
I’ll try and be more careful in the future about double checking posts. This is the second mistake in a month that wasn’t careless but certainly scatter-brained on my part.
Compare Smith’s photo of the coal miners with that of Moises Saman in the NY Times- young boys from Afghanistan, alone and living in Europe, trying to survive.
I am a great fan of Gene Smith.. and glad to see the work of Moises Saman.. perhaps unconsciously inspired by Smith, but certainly capturing some of the same empathy that Smith was able to capture.
I’m a senior in high school studying photography, and I greatly appreciate Eugene Smith’s photos. The stills he captured are absolutely amazing, and heartbreaking at the same time! I’m glad I chose him to do my final on. (: