On my main Facebook page I'd like to highlight the tryptic of me as a young 19 year old showing the famed photojournalist, Eugene Smith several of my then (recent) prints made during the workshop we took with him during the summer of 1966. The photos were snapped by Don Getsug, as a fellow classmate back in August of 1966. Eugene Smith is a reknown photojournalist who pioneered the use of the "photo essay" while he worked for LIFE magazine in the late 1940s and 1950s. Here is my original print image, entitled "Mow Em Down" which I showed to Smith during the workshop. I captured it the day before on a short trip to the Oregon State fairgrounds as well as Don Getsug's fabulous series (three shot) of me showing Eugene Smith this print.
The original print was the subject of critique by renowned photojournalist Smith who smiled and made the comment, that my photo captured the adage, "there is a sucker born every minute." The camera used was a Nikon F with an ultrawide 21mm wide angle lens, perfect for working close and working wide.
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Here is my portrait I made of W. Eugene Smith in the classroom setting. This portrait may be purchased at my website at www.clydekeller.com.
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W. EUGENE SMITH--
An artist, music lover as well as a photojournalist, Eugene Smith spoke poetically to us about using a "keyboard of lenses" to articulate the most important visual aspects about his subjects. He was quite frank about his struggles to get at the truth about his subjects and then to get his final prints (that he made himself) published intact. Before Smith, no one would have been able to run a photograph large across two pages of a national magazine. Smith was insistent... and argued for creative layouts of his works. He was after truth... and made great sacrifices to get at it. When LIFE Magazine "butchered" his photo essay on Albert Schweitzer he left the magazine. His career was filled with opportunities but mired by the battles that always ensued with his editors over the use of his images.
As an idealist he would not compromise... and so, in this portrait... I wanted to bring that idealism into sharp focus... his resolute vision and fragility intact.
Please note a series of three wonderful photos made by photographer Don Getsug can be viwed on the companion pint entitled "Mow Em Down." In the triptych I am shown in an exchange with Eugene Smith (we're looking at the Carnival images) captured during the 1966 Photo Seminar Workshop held at the University of Oregon. To view more of Don's super photographic portfolios, please visit his website at http://www.dongetsug.com/
To buy my fine art prints please visit www.clydekeller.com
