9. W. Eugene Smith

Born William Eugene Smith, Wichita, Kansas, 1918 and by 1933, at the young age of 15, photographing for two local newspapers, we have ourselves one of the most recognised photographers of LIFE magazine. Three years later, Eugene Smith began at Notre Dame University of his home town, where a special photographic scholarship was created  in his name. 

He soon moved to New York, where he began studying at the Institute of Photography under Helen Sanders. He worked for several publications, including 'Newsweek', 'Black Star' agency as a freelance photographer, then for 'Flying' Magazine, then in 1945 he began work for LIFE.

Eugene Smith was most recognised for the photo essays he created for LIFE, including "Country Doctor" and "Nurse Midwife", in which he would document a singular specififc subject and document aspects of their lives. He resigned from LIFE magazine to join Magnum as an associate and then in 1957 he became a full member, and yet today he is known for his photo essays from LIFE. Smith was still dedicated to his mission as a photographer but this often made him 'troublesome', as he was frantically dedicated.

"When Smith began "Country Doctor", he shot for a period of time with no film in his camera, to help Ceriani (Doctor) get used to his presence without wasting precious film."

I am very fond of Smiths work as a documentary photographer. The way in which he dedicates himself to documenting one single subject could perhaps be useful to me, depending on what specific approach I take to my project. Smith does not seem  to interfere with his subject in anyway, he has distance, which, surprisingly, makes the images work. Too often you hear people speaking about 'documentary'  photography and they instantly think of close up images where the photographer is over involved and gets very close to the subjects. I like this distance between the subject and Eugene Smith, it seems un-intruding, he keeps enough distance to keep the subject natural and relaxed.

Obviously, if you shove a camera in someone's face, they will react!

It is interesting to know that Smith would go out with his camera with no film in it. This would allow the subject to get used to Smiths presenece and act naturally around him, eventually. This might be worth considering, although with the limitations surrounding cockle picking, it might be worth getting as much as possible, when ever possible!