Photographer of the Week: W. Eugene Smith

 William Eugene Smith

William Eugene Smith was born in 1918 in Wichita, Kansas. He took his first photographs at the age of 15 for two local newspapers. He actually entered the Notre Dame University where a special scholarship was made for him and then he went to New York a year later. He was there a while before he was fired for refusing to use a specific camera. This continued with many jobs as he was quite hard to work with. 

Eugene Smith's "claim to fame" was his photo essays. They stood out because they had a strong sense of empathy and social conscience. He photographed civilians' reactions to whatever was happening and it would have a strong sense of truth in them. His photographs always had a purpose, and for the most part, it was to bring awareness to something. This is really ironic considering the fact that he was a colossal asshole who was very self-sabotaging and was very hard to work with. He had a difficult time with editors and he refused to allow any photographs and their layout to be anything but his own personal vision. And he was an alcoholic and had a long term addiction to amphetamines. 


Nun Waiting For Survivors (1956)

I would say this is my favorite image because I love the way Eugene shows the facial expressions of his subjects. The way the nun looks towards what is happening, which was waiting for survivors of the S.S. Andrea Doria, is beautifully captured. 

Eugene Smith has a ton of very famous photos. He was known for his beautiful photos and his heartfelt photo essays. From the photo of his children walking through a forest to a photo showing the effects of mercury poisoning, Smith takes care to show what is happening in his photos to the people that is being affected. 

In 1957, he became a full member of Magnum. He was fanatically dedicated to his mission as a photographer. Because of this dedication, he was often regarded by editors as 'troublesome'. A year after he moved to Tucson, to teach at the University of Arizona, Smith died of a stroke.


https://www.britannica.com/biography/W-Eugene-Smith

https://www.magnumphotos.com/?s=W.+Eugene+Smith

https://iphf.org/inductees/william-eugene-smith/

https://www.contact-sheet.net/post/10-iconic-photos-of-w-eugene-smith-must-see-for-photographers

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