#Alfred eisenstaedt life magazine photo how to

He made his first sale in 1927, a shot of a woman playing tennis that he had taken while on vacation in Czechoslovakia. He had spent several years in the museums of Berlin, studying the light and shadow in the works of Rembrandt and others, and the experience began to show in his photographs. But there was something special about Eisenstaedt. He set up a crude darkroom in the family bathroom, and like thousands of other hobbyists, snapped away at whatever interested him. I could take the arms, or the legs, or the tree branches. “I was thrilled when I discovered what you could do with an enlarger,” Eisenstaedt said in 1978.

#Alfred eisenstaedt life magazine photo how to

He was the lone survivor and was sent home to recover from shrapnel wounds.Įisenstaedt attended college in Berlin, but his family lost its fortune in Germany’s devastating postwar inflation and he was forced to find work-selling belts and buttons wholesale.Ībout 1920, Eisenstaedt took up photography and, he said, became a “real fanatic” when a friend showed him how to make enlargements. His war service ended a year later when a British shell struck his battery. On his 14th birthday, he was given a camera by an uncle, and, as he said in a 1987 interview with The Times, showed early promise but not an abundant amount of interest in his new toy.Įisenstaedt graduated from high school and in 1916 was drafted and sent to Flanders to serve in a German artillery unit. 6, 1898, in Dirschau, Germany, now a part of Poland, and raised in Berlin, the son of a prosperous department store owner. The man who was to take these pictures was born Dec. Then there were the portraits-Ernest Hemingway, Albert Einstein, George Bernard Shaw, Sophia Loren and Marilyn Monroe. the many photos of the Kennedy clan enjoying life in Hyannis Port.

the picture of the sultry Marlene Dietrich posing in a tuxedo. the shot of Winston Churchill flashing his V for victory sign during the German bombing of London. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.The photo of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini shaking hands, meeting for the first time before the outbreak of World War II. Such addresses are not used for any other purpose and are not shared with outside parties. We use return email addresses to answer the email we receive. We do not share this information with outside parties unless required to do so by law. We use the information you provide about someone else to inform them of our services. We use the information you provide about yourself when placing a request/order only to complete that request/order. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available on our homepage and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested.

To better protect your privacy we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. Considered one of the foremost photojournalists of this century, Eisenstaedt has been given a multitude of exhibitions, awards, and medals. Within a few months Eisie had become one of the four staff photographers for the new magazine. After presenting some of his recent work to executive editor Daniel Longwell of LIFE, Eisie was hired. In 1935 Eisie left Europe, arriving in New York at the end of November. In 1932, Eisie bought his first Leica, the 35mm camera that was revolutionizing photojournalism. He continued to build a name for himself by taking pictures of topical interest. Within days of deciding to take photos full-time, Pacific and Atlantic Photos (later the Associated Press) sent him on assignment to Stockholm. There he studied the paintings of the masters, particularly with an eye to their handling of composition and lighting.īy 1929 Eisie was earning more as a freelance photographer than he was as a salesman. After being drafted into the German army and recovering from a crippling war injury, Eisie became a familiar figure at the local art museums. But on his thirteenth birthday an uncle presented him with a gift this folding Eastman Kodak Number Three led Eisie to his lifelong dedication to photography. To-do parents in Dirchau, West Prussia (now part of Poland), in 1898.Īs a boy, Alfred enjoyed listening to symphonies and even thought of studying to become a musician. Alfred Eisenstaedt, or “Eisie,” as his friends called him, was born of well.