Dotan Saguy
“If you want to make a small fortune as a photographer, start with a big fortune“
Dotan Saguy (website) is a renowned documentary photographer known for his compelling visual narratives that reveal the beauty and complexity of human life. His work captures the essence of diverse communities and cultures, inviting viewers to explore and understand the world around them.
Early Life and Career
Dotan Saguy was born and raised in Israel, where he developed a passion for photography at a young age. He later moved to the United States to study film and photography at the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. After completing his studies, Saguy began his career as a documentary photographer, focusing on capturing the human condition in various communities and cultures.
Photographic Style and Techniques
Saguy's photographic style is characterized by its candidness and authenticity, with a strong emphasis on storytelling. He strives to document the everyday lives of people, revealing their individuality and humanity. His work often explores themes of social and cultural issues, showcasing the resilience and strength of the human spirit.
To capture these intimate moments, Saguy immerses himself in the communities he photographs, building trust and rapport with his subjects. This allows him to create genuine and emotional connections that translate into powerful images. His photographs are often shot in black and white, which adds depth and timelessness to his work.
Other notable documentary photographers with a similar style are Sebastião Salgado, Mary Ellen Mark, and Dorothea Lange.
Career Highlights
Throughout his career, Dotan Saguy has received numerous accolades and recognition for his outstanding work in documentary photography. Some of his most notable achievements include:
Winning the prestigious Leica Oskar Barnack Award for his series "Venice Beach: The Last Days of a Bohemian Paradise."
Being a finalist in the World Press Photo contest.
Having his work featured in prominent publications such as National Geographic, The Guardian, and The New York Times.
Exhibiting his photographs in prestigious galleries and museums worldwide.
Photography Books
"Venice Beach: The Last Days of a Bohemian Paradise" by Dotan Saguy: This visually stunning book captures the unique spirit and vibrant culture of Venice Beach, California. Saguy documents the community's eclectic mix of artists, street performers, and colorful characters before gentrification started to change the neighborhood. The book serves as a tribute to the bohemian paradise that once was and a reminder of the importance of preserving cultural diversity in urban spaces.
"Nowhere to go but Everywhere" by Dotan Saguy: In this compelling photo book, Saguy follows the life of a family who has chosen to live on the road, exploring the United States in their converted school bus. The book delves into the unconventional lifestyle they have chosen, the challenges they face, and the joys of living a nomadic existence. Saguy's intimate photographs capture the family's resilience and their pursuit of freedom, offering an inspiring glimpse into an alternative way of life.
Photography Gear
Dotan Saguy uses various equipment to capture his evocative images. Some of the key gear in his arsenal includes:
Leica M10: A high-performance digital rangefinder camera known for its exceptional image quality and unobtrusive design, perfect for documentary photography.
Leica M6: A classic film rangefinder camera that offers a timeless aesthetic and incredible reliability.
Leica 35mm f/2 Summicron lens: A versatile and sharp lens that provides excellent image quality and low-light performance, ideal for capturing candid moments.
Leica 50mm f/2 Summicron lens: A compact and lightweight lens that offers great detail and depth for portrait and documentary photography.
These tools enable Saguy to create his captivating images while maintaining the intimacy and candidness that define his work.
QUOTES
“If you want to make a small fortune as a photographer, start with a big fortune“
“I don’t need to worry about booking assignments or looking to freelance,”
“I got bored of travel photography, and decided I wanted to challenge myself,”
“If there’s a Coke bottle in the sand, you can’t stage it out. You can’t ask anyone to take it out. You can’t photoshop it. You can’t add anything. Patience is where it’s at.”
Legacy and Influence
Dotan Saguy's work has left an indelible mark on the world of documentary photography. His ability to capture the essence of humanity in his images has inspired countless photographers to pursue similar paths, fostering a deeper appreciation for the power of visual storytelling. Saguy's photographs not only document the lives of diverse communities but also encourage a sense of empathy and understanding among viewers, bridging cultural and social divides.
Other notable documentary photographers with a similar style are Susan Meiselas, Bruce Davidson, and Alex Webb. Like Saguy, these photographers excel at capturing the human condition and presenting it in a visually compelling and authentic manner.
In conclusion, Dotan Saguy's work stands as a testament to the power of documentary photography to connect us and provide insight into the lives of others. Through his dedication to his craft and his unique approach to capturing the human spirit, Saguy continues to be a major influence in the world of photography.
Mary Ellen Mark
“You don't need to retouch if you know how to light.”
Mary Ellen Mark (1940-2015) was an American documentary photographer known for her compelling black-and-white images that captured the lives of people living on the margins of society. Her empathetic approach to photography and her ability to connect with her subjects enabled her to produce intimate and powerful images that have left a lasting impression on the world of photography.
Early Life and Career
Mary Ellen Mark was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1940. She developed an interest in photography during her high school years and later studied painting and art history at the University of Pennsylvania. She eventually earned a Master's degree in photojournalism from the Annenberg School for Communication at the same university.
In the 1960s, Mark began her career as a freelance photographer, working for various publications, including Life, Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker. Over the years, she received numerous awards for her work, including three Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, the World Press Photo Award, and the Infinity Award for Journalism.
Photographic Style and Techniques
Mark's documentary photography style was characterized by her ability to connect with her subjects, often spending extended periods with them to gain their trust and capture their true emotions. She focused on people living on the fringes of society, including the homeless, drug addicts, and sex workers.
Her black-and-white images were marked by strong contrast and a rich tonal range, which emphasized the emotions and expressions of her subjects. Mark was also known for using medium-format cameras, primarily the Rolleiflex, which allowed her to achieve a high level of detail and clarity in her images.
Career Highlights
Some of Mary Ellen Mark's most significant projects include:
"Ward 81" (1976): A series documenting the lives of female patients at the Oregon State Mental Hospital.
"Falkland Road" (1981): A body of work capturing the lives of sex workers in Mumbai, India.
"Streetwise" (1983): A project focused on the lives of homeless children in Seattle, which was later turned into an Academy Award-nominated documentary film.
"Twins" (2003): A series of portraits of identical twins taken at the Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio.
Photography Gear
In her quest for unique imagery, Mark employs a diverse range of equipment, from 35mm to large-format 4x5 cameras. She often uses the Leica M6 TTL rangefinder and Canon EOS-IN with various lenses for her 35mm work, while occasionally opting for the Hasselblad X-Pan. For medium format photography, Mark works with Hasselblad and Mamiya 7 cameras. When it comes to 4x5 equipment, she prefers Linhof with 120- or 135mm lenses. Mark enjoys switching between systems to capitalize on their distinct capabilities.
Published Photo Books
"Ward 81: Voices" by Mary Ellen Mark and Karen Folger Jacobs: This powerful book documents the lives of women in Ward 81, a maximum-security ward in the Oregon State Hospital. Through her empathetic and honest photographs, Mary Ellen Mark captures the daily reality of these women, while Karen Folger Jacobs provides insightful interviews and observations.
"Mary Ellen Mark on the Portrait and the Moment: The Photography Workshop Series": In this book, Mary Ellen Mark shares her insights on portrait photography, including the importance of the moment and the emotional connection between the photographer and subject. The book offers valuable tips and techniques, as well as a selection of her iconic portraits.
"Seen Behind the Scene" by Mary Ellen Mark: This collection features Mark's behind-the-scenes photographs from various film sets, showcasing her unique ability to capture the essence of movie-making. The book offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of cinema through the eyes of one of the most celebrated documentary photographers.
"Mary Ellen Mark: Tiny, Streetwise Revisited": This book revisits the subjects of Mark's earlier "Streetwise" series, focusing on Tiny, a young girl living on the streets of Seattle. The book documents her life over three decades, offering a poignant exploration of the impact of poverty and addiction.
"Mary Ellen Mark: An American Odyssey 1963-1999": This comprehensive retrospective showcases the breadth and depth of Mark's work, featuring her iconic images from around the world. The book highlights her ability to connect with her subjects and capture the human experience in a compassionate and honest manner.
"Falkland Road" by Mary Ellen Mark: This groundbreaking book documents the lives of the women working in the red-light district of Bombay, India. Through her intimate and compassionate photographs, Mark offers a rare glimpse into their daily lives, providing a moving portrayal of resilience and humanity.
Quotes
"The obsessions we have are pretty much the same our whole lives. Mine are people, the human condition, life."
"I'm just interested in people on the edges. I feel an affinity for people who haven't had the best breaks in society."
"I've always been interested in photographing people who are not part of the mainstream."
"The most difficult thing for me is a portrait. You have to try and put your camera between the skin of a person and their shirt."
"To take a photograph is to align the head, the eye, and the heart. It's a way of life."
Legacy and Influence
Mary Ellen Mark's photography has had a profound impact on the field of documentary photography, inspiring generations of photographers to explore the lives of marginalized individuals and communities. Her ability to connect with her subjects on a deeply emotional level has set a high standard for empathetic and compassionate storytelling in the world of photography.
Other notable photographers with similar style are: Diane Arbus, Dorothea Lange, Susan Meiselas, and Sebastião Salgado. These photographers, like Mark, have focused on capturing the human condition and the lives of people who are often overlooked or marginalized by society.
Throughout her career, Mary Ellen Mark not only documented the lives of people living on the fringes of society, but she also used her photography as a tool for raising awareness about social issues and advocating for change. Her work has left a lasting legacy, inspiring photographers around the world to approach their subjects with empathy, respect, and an unyielding commitment to telling the truth.
Susan Kandel
“I was attracted to the infinite possibilities of what I could make happen in a small rectangle”
Susan Kandel, b. 1949
American born photographer Susan Kandel wasn't particularly interested in photography at a young age. She started with photography when she received her first camera as a graduation gift after college. "It hadn't occurred to me to want [camera]” but she took it with her on a road trip and discovered that with a camera you see all these things you haven’t noticed before.
She attended classes at Creative photography lab at MIT where she also partly worked in exchange for the classes and and she continued to receive an MFA at Massachusetts College of Art.
Her At Home book published by Stanley Barker is a project Susan spent more than 10 years on and she photographed many families at their homes. “I just kept showing up and became part of their lives” "I hear other photographers say they've got to get to know people first before they can photograph them. I'm sure that's true for a lot of people, but I skipped it and got to know them by photographing them,"
Books:
At Home: In October 1979, Pope John Paul II came to the Boston Common. Susan Kandel was there taking pictures of families who’d come to see him, carrying on with work she had started months earlier photographing families at Revere Beach.
QUOTES:
" I love it when there's a million things going on at once and it's a challenge to make them all work within a frame"
"I hear other photographers say they've got to get to know people first before they can photograph them. I'm sure that's true for a lot of people, but I skipped it and got to know them by photographing them,"
“I just kept showing up and became part of their lives”
“I was attracted to the infinite possibilities of what I could make happen in a small rectangle”
“With photography, you start with what’s out there in the world and then select a piece of time and space to capture in your rectangle.”
“I wasn’t there to see the Pope, but rather the crowd”
“I liked rooms that had some evidence of the lives of folks who lived there”
“I came to realise that some families would be in the same spots day after day, year after year. The families knew each other and knew where to find each other. I focused in on some families who let me get closer.”
DID YOU KNOW?
Her At Home book published by Stanley Barker is a project Susan spent more than 10 years on and she photographed many families at their homes
Susan Kandel wasn't particularly interested in photography at a young age.
During the workshop with Garry Winogrand he took special interest in her work
Robert Capa
"If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough"
Robert Capa, born André Friedmann in 1913 in Budapest, Hungary, is widely regarded as one of the most influential war photographers in history. Known for his up-close and personal images of conflict, Capa's work not only documented the events of his time but also humanized the people affected by war. His iconic photographs from the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and other conflicts have left an indelible mark on the field of photojournalism.
Early Life and Career
Capa's interest in photography began during his adolescence, and after relocating to Berlin in 1931, he started working as a darkroom assistant for the German photographic agency, Dephot. In 1933, he moved to Paris to escape the rise of the Nazis in Germany. It was in Paris where he adopted the name Robert Capa, which he believed would help him be more marketable as a photographer.
His first major break came in 1936 when he covered the Spanish Civil War alongside his partner, Gerda Taro. Capa's images from the conflict, particularly the photograph known as "The Falling Soldier," brought him international recognition.
Photographic Style and Techniques
Capa's approach to photography was characterized by his commitment to getting as close to the action as possible. He famously said, "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough." This philosophy led him to take risks in order to capture the intensity and emotion of the events he covered.
While his style was primarily documentary, Capa's images also possessed an artistic quality, with a focus on composition and storytelling. His ability to capture the humanity of his subjects, even in the midst of conflict, set his work apart and made it both emotionally compelling and historically significant.
Career Highlights
In addition to his work during the Spanish Civil War, Capa covered many of the major conflicts of his time, including the Second Sino-Japanese War, World War II, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and the First Indochina War. Some of his most iconic images come from the D-Day landings in Normandy, where he risked his life to capture the chaos and heroism of the soldiers on the beach.
Capa was also one of the co-founders of the prestigious Magnum Photos agency, alongside fellow photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David "Chim" Seymour. This agency has since become a platform for some of the world's most renowned photographers.
Photography Gear
Throughout his career, Capa primarily used:
Contax II rangefinder camera
Rolleiflex TLR camera
Published Photo Books
"Robert Capa: 1933–1954" by Gabriel Bauret and Robert Capa: This book presents a comprehensive overview of Robert Capa's photographic career, spanning from 1933 to 1954. It includes his iconic images from various wars, as well as lesser-known photographs from his travels and assignments. The book offers readers a visual journey through Capa's work, showcasing his unique talent for capturing the human experience amidst conflict.
"Slightly Out of Focus" by Robert Capa: This memoir by Robert Capa provides a personal account of his experiences as a war photographer during World War II. Through his engaging storytelling, Capa offers readers a glimpse into the challenges and rewards of being a photojournalist in a war zone. The book also features several of his photographs, providing a visual narrative that complements the text.
"Robert Capa: Photographs" by Richard Whelan and Robert Capa: This collection of Capa's photographs, curated by Richard Whelan, highlights the range and depth of his work, including his renowned war images and portraits of famous personalities. The book offers a visual exploration of Capa's unique style and his ability to capture the intensity and emotion of his subjects.
"Robert Capa: The Definitive Collection" by Richard Whelan and Cornell Capa: This book features a selection of Capa's most iconic photographs, curated by his brother Cornell Capa and biographer Richard Whelan. The collection showcases Capa's powerful images from various conflicts, as well as intimate portraits of the people he encountered during his career. It serves as a testament to Capa's enduring impact on the world of photography.
"Robert Capa at Work: This is War: Photographs 1936-1945" by Richard Whelan and Robert Capa: This book focuses on Capa's war photography during the Spanish Civil War, the Chinese resistance to Japanese invasion, and World War II. The collection features Capa's striking images alongside his own written accounts, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the events and emotions behind the photographs.
"Blood And Champagne: The Life And Times Of Robert Capa" by Alex Kershaw: This biography delves into the life and career of Robert Capa, exploring his personal relationships, professional experiences, and the events that shaped his approach to photography. The book offers a comprehensive look at Capa's life, providing insights into his motivations and the experiences that influenced his work.
Quotes
"The truth is the best picture, the best propaganda."
"In a war, you must hate somebody or love somebody; you must have a position or you cannot stand what goes on."
"The war is like an actress who is getting old. It's less and less photogenic and more and more dangerous."
"For a war correspondent to miss an invasion is like refusing a date with Lana Turner."
"I would say that the war correspondent gets more drinks, more girls, better pay, and greater freedom than the soldier, but at this stage of the game of the game, having the freedom to choose his spot and being allowed to be a coward and not be executed for it is his torture."
Legacy and Influence
Robert Capa's fearless approach to photojournalism and his dedication to capturing the human experience during times of conflict have left a lasting impact on the world of photography. His images serve as both historical documents and powerful works of art, reminding us of the consequences of war and the strength of the human spirit.
Robert Capa's contributions to the field of photography are undeniable, and his legacy lives on through the work of those who continue to push the boundaries of photojournalism and capture the world in all its complexity.
In this interview, we explore the "DOGTOWN" project, where American photographer Dotan Saguy takes us on a journey through Venice Beach, focusing on its dog residents. Saguy talks about how "DOGTOWN" started from his earlier work in Venice Beach, highlighting how dogs always played a major role in the area's unique culture.