Anybody know about this LFer-- Weegee?

Changeling1 · Jul 12, 2006

Here's an interesting Speed or Pacemaker Graphic user. Is he well known?
I just came across his name and work by accident. Here's a brief look at the history and work of Weegee. He captures the street well- with a 4x5".

http://www.amber-online.com/gallery/exhibition46/index.html

David A. Goldfarb · Jul 12, 2006

Yes, he's one of the greats. He defined the style of sensationalist urban news photography in New York. I recommend his book, _Naked City_, where he offers tips like--

--Learn two distances, like 6 and 12 feet, so you can scale focus quickly.

--Always use a flashbulb and know the apertures for those two distances.

--Don't drop your cigar at the scene of a car crash, because there might be gasoline all over the street.

--Use a big camera like a Speed Graphic, so it will look like you're supposed to be there.

--Don't put your press pass in your hatband--that's just in the movies.

I'm moving this thread to the "Photographers" forum.

This series, which I did with handheld 4x5" and barebulb flash, was inspired by the Weegee look--

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/halloween/

(click the image to cycle through about a half dozen shots)

dmr · Jul 12, 2006

Changeling1 said:
Is he well known?

Oh yes! Very muchly so!

Thanks for posting the link.

Sjixxxy · Jul 12, 2006

Very well known. One of my heros.

<----- See avatar.

naturephoto1 · Jul 12, 2006

Weegee (Usher (later Arthur) Fellig) is considered one of the great news/reporting photographers of his time.

Rich

noblebeast · Jul 12, 2006

Too bad you've only found out about Weegee now since you're in Southern California - last Fall the Getty had a nice exhibit of his work, along with a side exhibit of photojournalism.

Joe

Vincent DiPietro · Jul 12, 2006

Weegee is one of the best known photographers of the street/reportorial type there is. A few years ago the movie "The Public Eye." staring Joe Pesce and Annette Benning was loosely based on Weegee's life. It's a movie worth renting.
One of Weegee's best known photos was of persons surrounding a drowned swimmer who's girlfriend is seen smiling at the camera in the midst of the tragedy. I was unaware that Weegee had a wife and was glad to read that he was married.

mgb74 · Jul 12, 2006

Another resource: http://museum.icp.org/museum/collections/special/weegee/

PhotoPete · Jul 12, 2006

David A. Goldfarb said:
This series, which I did with handheld 4x5" and barebulb flash, was inspired by the Weegee look--
http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/halloween/
(click the image to cycle through about a half dozen shots)

Great stuff. Love the flatness of the super-bright flash. Those people must have been seeing spots for hours after.

Changeling1 · Jul 14, 2006

Thanks all- I'm going to look for the book and movie.

And thanks David for the weegee inspired photographs. Those prints show the sharpness and contrast that I've always loved!

Markauf · Jul 14, 2006

From what I've heard, he had an uncanny ability to show up at the scene of the crime before anyone else. In some cases even befor authorities. It was suspected that he not only reported news events but may have even had a hand in creating them as well.
Mark

David A. Goldfarb · Jul 14, 2006

He also slept in his car in his clothes with a police scanner on and his camera at the ready.

Gerald Koch · Jul 14, 2006

naturephoto1 said:
Weegee (Usher (later Arthur) Fellig) is considered one of the great news/reporting photographers of his time.

Rich

Actually he was much more than just a reporting photographer. Among other things many of his photos are social commentary. He also pioneered making photo charicatures using a piece of plastic distorted in hot water.

DBP · Jul 14, 2006

Markauf said:
From what I've heard, he had an uncanny ability to show up at the scene of the crime before anyone else. In some cases even befor authorities.

The joke was that he must have psychic powers, hence the nickname Weegee, a corruption of Ouija, as in Ouija board - a popular item of the day.

Sjixxxy · Jul 14, 2006

I know I've posted these in the past, but that was years ago. So here they are again, the rare Weegee Burke & James testimonial.

copake_ham · Jul 14, 2006

David A. Goldfarb said:
......This series, which I did with handheld 4x5" and barebulb flash, was inspired by the Weegee look--

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/halloween/

(click the image to cycle through about a half dozen shots)

Great shots, Dave.

One usually thinks of the Halloween parade as a "colorful" event, but you really capture some great elements with the Weegee pressphoto look. It was like looking at next day pics in the New York Daily Mirror circa 1950!

David A. Goldfarb · Jul 14, 2006

Thanks, folks.

That B&J sheet is great. He also endorsed the Speed Graphic at some point, in a similar kind of thing, stressing that it was an American camera (unlike the one I was using, which was made by the folks on the other side).

dmr · Jul 14, 2006

David A. Goldfarb said:
This series, which I did with handheld 4x5" and barebulb flash, was inspired by the Weegee look--

http://www.echonyc.com/~goldfarb/halloween/

David, those are excellent!

Maybe a stupid question here ... when you say "barebulb flash", do you mean a modern strobe barebulb type or an old single-use flashbulb without a reflector?

David A. Goldfarb · Jul 14, 2006

dmr said:
David, those are excellent!

Maybe a stupid question here ... when you say "barebulb flash", do you mean a modern strobe barebulb type or an old single-use flashbulb without a reflector?

Modern barebulb strobe. The full details are--

Linhof Tech V, cammed 210/5.6 Symmar convertible, Efke PL 100 rated at EI 200 in Acufine, Norman 200C with GVI Vari-Strobe head and a plain 5" reflector, all shots at 1/15 sec to catch a little motion, f:8 except "Le Pescadou" which was at f:5.6. I shot 24 sheets in 4 Grafmatics that night.

RAP · Jul 15, 2006

The movie "The Public Eye," 1992 staring Joe Pesci is essentially about the life of Weegee. Well worth the watch.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105187/

Ed Sukach · Jul 15, 2006

Weegee's trump card was that, in some manner, he wrangled permission to have a police radio - then illegal for most private vehicles - in his car. He monitored police and fire calls constantly, allowing him to respond quickly - in some cases, depending on his location, faster than the fire and police. The word among his contemporaries was, "He must have a Ouija board ..." and his phonetic working name, Weegee.

Coupled with a magnificent eye, and an intense sense of irony, his work was less "news reportage" than it was a commentary about the life of his time.

David A. Goldfarb · Jun 20, 2008

New Weegee feature with slideshow and video in the _New York Times_ today--

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/arts/design/20expl.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Rolleiflexible · Jun 20, 2008

Also, Weegee shot erotic work. Some of the
prints are now on display at Anna Kustera here
in New York (520 West 21st), in a show titled,
"Batters/Kroll/Weegee," featuring also the
photographs of Elmer Batters and Eric Kroll.
The show closes July 3. Worth the visit.

pentaxuser · Jun 20, 2008

Changeling and David, I hadn't seen this thread when it started but had heard of Weegee but only just. The sites mentioned were absolutely fascinating. Thanks

Just one question about the famous IR shot made in a cinema. I understand this was taken surreptiously by his using an opaque IR filter over his flash so the audience were completely unaware. Even with the powerful flash bulbs of the times I would have thought that its exposure compared with IR's need for fairly lengthy daylight exposure would have meant that the light output would have been too low. Well, obviously not, otherwise the pic wouldn't have been possible. I understand that in those day there were flash bulbs which would burn for up to 2.5 secs so was this how it was done? If not, how was it done?

Thanks

pentaxuser

Matthijs · Jun 20, 2008

Talking about Weegee, this was a lucky find!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/03/arts/design/03muse.html

(Excuse me if this has been posted before on apug in a different thread).

Anybody know about this LFer-- Weegee?

Changeling1

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