digitaljp
"Weegee" & his Speed Graphic, c. 1938
My alter-ego when I was a young photographer, Weegee, the pseudonym of Arthur Fellig (June 12, 1899 – December 26, 1968), an American photographer and photojournalist known for his stark black and white street photography. Most of his notable photographs were taken with very basic press photographer equipment and methods of the era, a 4x5 Speed Graphic camera preset at f/16, @ 1/1500* of a second with flashbulbs, and a set focus distance of ten feet.
In 1938, Fellig was the only New York newspaper reporter with a permit to have a portable police-band shortwave radio. He maintained a complete darkroom in the trunk of his car to expedite getting his free-lance product to the newspapers. Weegee worked mostly at nightclubs; he listened closely to broadcasts, and often beat authorities to the scene.
* I'm further researching this shutter speed claim, because I don't think the SpeedGraphic camera had a shutter speed this fast, nor do I believe this could be synced to the bulb-flash duration.
[From Wikipedia entry, Weegee. Check there for more info and links to his work.]
"Weegee" & his Speed Graphic, c. 1938
My alter-ego when I was a young photographer, Weegee, the pseudonym of Arthur Fellig (June 12, 1899 – December 26, 1968), an American photographer and photojournalist known for his stark black and white street photography. Most of his notable photographs were taken with very basic press photographer equipment and methods of the era, a 4x5 Speed Graphic camera preset at f/16, @ 1/1500* of a second with flashbulbs, and a set focus distance of ten feet.
In 1938, Fellig was the only New York newspaper reporter with a permit to have a portable police-band shortwave radio. He maintained a complete darkroom in the trunk of his car to expedite getting his free-lance product to the newspapers. Weegee worked mostly at nightclubs; he listened closely to broadcasts, and often beat authorities to the scene.
* I'm further researching this shutter speed claim, because I don't think the SpeedGraphic camera had a shutter speed this fast, nor do I believe this could be synced to the bulb-flash duration.
[From Wikipedia entry, Weegee. Check there for more info and links to his work.]