Elliott Erwitt
by Erin Martin.
Born July 26th, 1928 in Paris, France.
Why Photography?
Elliott Erwitt.
Elliott Erwitt.
Elliott Erwitt.
Job Experience?
Proceeding college, in 1951, Erwitt was drafted into the military service and undertook multiple photographic duties while serving in a unit of the Army Signal Corps in Germany and France.
After his military service, Erwitt traveled back to New York and met Roy Stryker, the former head of the Farm Security Administration. Stryker originally hired Erwitt to work for the Standard Oil Company, where he was going to build up a photographic library for the company, but then ended up commissioning him to undertake a project to document the city of Pittsburgh.
In 1953 Erwitt joined Magnum Photos to worked as a freelance photographer, allowing him to shoot multiple photographs around the world.
Trademark?
What is he famous for?
Erwitt is also known for his shared interested in film making. Some of his feature films include, "Arthur Penn: the Director" (1970), Beauty Knows No Pain (1971), Red, White and Bluegrass (1973) and the prize-winning Glassmakers of Herat, Afghanistan (1977).
Awards.
What he says about his work vs. what others say:
Erwitt then explained his process of complying his photography books together. He said he is constantly combing his archives for things he missed and joining them into themes he loves. He took a lot of beach pictures, hence a beach book. He likes dogs -- a lot. “I have eight dog books out,” he said.
A lot has been said about Erwitt’s great eye for the absurd and unusual. His favorite interview question happened in Moscow when someone asked him — seriously — “Were you there when you took that picture?” His reply was. "Probably."
When asked more along the lines of his personal work, he said, "I don’t think a lot,” . “That’s all I’ve ever done, so it comes naturally. I’ve had some very good subjects: my kids, my wives, my travels and my leisure time."