Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:47 09 August 2016 20TH CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS This book is a compilation of interviews and essays that cover a broad range of photographers and photographic disciplines. Each photographer profi led made a living by concentrating on a specifi c aspect of the craft, but in doing so transcended their livelihood to become recognized for more than the type of images they cre- ated. Each had a distinct “style,” creative approach, dedication to the craft, and point of view about themselves and the world. These interviews were conducted during a seminal period in the shift from fi lm to digital and from print reproduction to global distribution on the Internet. Just as their photographs continue to inspire today, now these pros’ words can live on as an invaluable reference for the photographers of the future. The truth and wisdom in this collection transcend time and technology. • Features interviews with notable photographers including: Mary Ellen Mark, Carl Mydans, O. Winston Link, and Arnold Newman. • Covers a wide array of photographic fi elds such as photojournalism, fi ne art, and fashion. George Schaub (Editor) is the editor at large at Shutterbug magazine. He has writ- Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:47 09 August 2016 ten more than 20 books on photography and is an associate professor at the Parsons School of Design in New York City. Grace Schaub (Author/Interviewer) was a photographer, artist, and writer who, throughout the latter part of the twentieth century, interviewed many of the most infl uential photographers of the time for various magazines including Photo Pro, Pho- tographer’s Forum, Camera Arts, and View Camera magazine. She was a faculty member in the photographic department at the New School University in New York City. This page intentionally left blank Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:47 09 August 2016 20TH CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHERS Interviews on the Craft, Purpose, and the Passion of Photography Grace Schaub Edited by George Schaub Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:47 09 August 2016 First published 2015 by Focal Press 70 Blanchard Road, Suite 402, Burlington, MA 01803 and by Focal Press 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Focal Press is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2015 Taylor & Francis The right of Grace Schaub to be identifi ed as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notices Knowledge and best practice in this fi eld are constantly changing. As new research and experience broaden our understanding, changes in research methods, professional practices, or medical treatment may become necessary. Practitioners and researchers must always rely on their own experience and knowledge in evaluating and using any information, methods, compounds, or experiments described herein. In using such information or methods they should be mindful of their own safety and the safety of others, including parties for whom they have a professional responsibility. Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data 20th century photographers : interviews on the craft, purpose, and the passion of photography / [interviewed by] Grace Schaub ; editor, George Schaub. pages cm 1. Photographers—History—20th century—Interviews. 2. Photography— History—20th century. I. Schaub, Grace, interviewer. II. Schaub, George, editor. III. Title: Twentieth century photographers. TR139.A127 2015 770.92'2—dc23 2014029441 ISBN: 978-1-138-84095-9 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-84096-6 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-73212-1 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo By Apex CoVantage, LLC Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:47 09 August 2016 CONTENTS Introduction vii 1 J. Ross Baughman 1 2 Ruth Bernhard 11 3 Martha Casanave 25 4 Walter Chappell 31 5 Jodi Cobb 45 6 Van Deren Coke 55 7 Patrick Demarchelier 67 Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:47 09 August 2016 8 Jody Dole 73 9 Peter Galassi 79 10 Bernard Gotfryd 87 11 Lois Greenfi eld 95 12 Douglas Kent Hall 99 vi Contents 13 George Kalinsky 107 14 Art Kane 115 15 Lewis Kemper 123 16 David Michael Kennedy 129 17 Douglas Kirkland 133 18 Arthur Leipzig 145 19 O. Winston Link 155 20 Sally Mann 161 21 Mary Ellen Mark 167 22 Hansel Mieth and Otto Hagel 173 23 Carl Mydans 181 24 William Neill 189 25 Arnold Newman 197 26 Gordon Parks 203 27 Fred Picker 215 28 Chris Rainier 223 29 Galen Rowell 231 Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:47 09 August 2016 30 Rick Smolan and David Cohen 239 31 Joyce Tenneson 253 32 George Tice 259 33 Pete Turner 267 Index 275 INTRODUCTION The interviews in this book cover a broad range of photographers and photo- graphic disciplines. Each photographer made a living by concentrating on a specifi c aspect of the craft, but in doing so transcended his or her livelihood to become recognized for more than the type of images that he or she created. They all had a distinct “style,” creative approach, dedication to the craft, point of view about them- selves and the world, and, for many, a unique ability to vigorously project themselves to a wider audience and clientele. These interviews were conducted during a seminal period in the transi- tion from fi lm to digital photography and, as importantly, from print, maga- zine, and book reproduction to worldwide distribution on the Internet. They reveal only hints of what was to come, and while a few interviews here touch on those who embraced this distribution, processing, and printing change wholeheartedly, albeit during its infant years, most were as yet to be infl uenced or persuaded by it. In a sense, these artists and reporters and recorders of the world around them worked prior to or right on the cusp of these monumental changes. These interviews can be thought of as historical documents, especially when Downloaded by [New York University] at 05:47 09 August 2016 photographers such as Carl Mydans or Gordon Parks talk about the FSA (Farm Security Administration), or when O. Winston Link describes in detail his lighting setups for his amazing record of the end of the age of steam railroads. As such they become resources for study, and hopefully inspiration, for photographers today. A number of the interviews reveal the state of the photographic world from the middle to the end of the twentieth century. They give us a snapshot of a world gone by, although the dedication and sense of craft revealed throughout are as important now as they were then. As you read through this text, you can also get a sense of how these photographers came up “through the ranks” and what it took for them to achieve their goals and vision. viii Introduction What for me is most impressive about this collection is not the debate about fi lm versus digital, or how technology affects the creation and publication of work. (Too much debate about these matters today recalls the old joke about Hemingway and Faulkner arguing about their favorite typewriters.) Rather, they go to the heart of the craft of photography, the overriding importance of vision and point of view, and the sense that the work was something more than a way to make a living, that it was a calling in which those engaged in the work understood what came before and how their work might fi t into a legacy of photographic images that would survive into the future. This was not a pretentious stance, although some photographers are not shy about themselves or their work, but rather one that came from a sense of visual literacy, of understanding what came before, and how photography could affect and change the world around them. One of the interesting aspects of the work of these photographers was their “curation” by editors, art directors, corporations, gallery owners, publishers, and at times organizations concerned with propaganda or social causes. These editors were the gatekeepers of what got published and what didn’t in sometimes very competi- tive fi elds. Although one could ascribe various motives to this culling and curating of images, there is no question that it took an understanding of that infrastructure to get work published. These interviews include an underlying revelation of those environments and how each photographer dealt with them and, to me, describe the medium from the point of view of those who worked within and, sometimes, outside it. Today, the Internet allows publication of every image made, in stark con- trast to how photographers dealt with the distribution of their work and how they made their living in the past. But this book is not meant to be a lament for an age gone by but more a celebra- tion of the work and times and struggles of the photographers who helped defi ne it. As I read through the interviews I am struck by the thoughtfulness and sense of purpose, the craft and the transformation of activity to intention of each of the photographers interviewed. All of them have left us (and in many cases still create) bodies of work that will come to represent their profound infl uence on photogra- phy and on the understanding of who we are by revealing how we looked, acted, and interacted in times gone by.