Weegee - A Nightcrawler

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Graeme Williams - Photographic Conversations

6 ай бұрын

THIS VIDEO: These days Weegee wouldn’t be considered to be just a hack journalist - most critics would consider him to be an artist of significance. His work has gained value, mainly because, over time his commercial motivated practice has been reassigned as art.. When one scratches a bit deeper the thinking is that perhaps the true artist was Diane Arbus and that her predecessor Weegee was more of an accidental artist. He did take a lot of very average to bad newspaper images, but when he got it right, his work took on iconic status. Many of his images are beautifully framed and sensitively conceived - He captured the bizarre and micarbe with spantanaety, producing imagery of extraordinary power. He was ruthless in his pursuit of getting his picture as well as molding his public persona. He has been called a voyeur , but he sometimes complained about the public’s thirst for gore and high drama.
1-on-1 MENTORING: graemewilliams.co.za/mentor-p...
ABOUT ME: The conversations focus on topics related to different aspects of photography including: art, documentary and photojournalism. The discussions explore the personal experiences of photographers and artists and how their work reflects both their internal and external landscape. During the past 30 years I have photographed in over 50 countries for magazines including National Geographic, Time, New York Times and Newsweek. I have held solo exhibitions in New York, London and Paris and my work is showcased in private and institutional art collections around the world.
COPYRIGHT: The copyright for all images belongs to the photographer/s being discussed.
WEBSITE: www.graemewilliams.co.za
FACEBOOK: / graemewilliamsphotogra...
INSTAGRAM: williamsgraeme
MUSIC: KZbin Audio - Highway One - Steve Adams
VIDEO CLIPS: What Makes Nightcrawler's Lou Bloom So Terrifying
The real-life ‘Nightcrawler’

Пікірлер: 24

@LloydSpencer 6 ай бұрын

Excellent job, Graeme. And for me, very timely. Timely because I have been reading everything I can about the Photo League, with which Weegee was associated. I wish you could have spared a sentence or two to clarify the very distinctive nature of “PM”. In the 1970s, when no one was paying much attention to Weegee, the Amber Collective put on a decent retrospective at their Side Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. In gratitude he donated a substantial archive of his work to them.

@PhotoConversations 6 ай бұрын

Thanks Lloyd

@LloydSpencer 5 ай бұрын

Nicely done. I’ve just finished listening to the audiobook version of ‘FLASH! The Making of Weegee thee Famous’ by Christopher Bananos. Brilliant book. Quite a moving story. Interesting bits about Stieglitz, Arbus, Alexander Liberman, Louis Stettner, Helen Gee and so interesting to appreciate the role of Wilma Wilcox. We all need a Wilma Wilcox in our lives.

@PhotoConversations 5 ай бұрын

Hi Lloyd Interesting - I'll have to read up on Wilma.

@VideoBikerDude 6 ай бұрын

Great piece on Weegee!

@danielrao3120 6 ай бұрын

Hello Graeme. There are so many photographers I simply have not heard of. Weegee is one of them. This video is a wonderful introduction to the dedication demanded of photographers andnthe belief in themselves to nurture their skills and perseverence. I suspect you know all about this arduous path. Thank you for yet another gripping video.

@PhotoConversations 6 ай бұрын

There is a lot there to spend some time on.

@thomaseriksson6256 6 ай бұрын

Thank you for the video. I think the direct light was popular in the 50ties movies also. By using the same set up he could concentrate on the motive and not waste time on the equipment.

@patographer 6 ай бұрын

Fine job of distilling Weegee's history, Graeme. An interesting personal note: When I was a child my family lived at #4 Centre Market Place, just next door to the Frank Lava Gunsmith shop that is depicted at 2:13 in your video. The photo of Weegee on the ledge looking across to New York City's Police Headquarters was taken in the early 1950s, a few years before I was born. I'll always remember looking out the window and seeing that gigantic gun model hanging there. Our apartment was on the second floor of the building; the first floor's rooms were occupied by reporters from several of NYC's newspapers who were stationed there to write up daily happenings as police paddy wagons discharged suspects into the bowels of the headquarter building where the jails were housed. It's probable that Weegee spent time among the gumshoes at 4 CMP, although I was too young to remember ever seeing him there. Another note, one of thanks, goes to you for producing your channel. It is one of my very favorite KZbin stops!

@PhotoConversations 6 ай бұрын

Thanks, I appreciate your feedback. It's a pity you didn't know at the time that you had one of the greats in your hood.

@Bigtbone205 6 ай бұрын

Thanks Graeme. Hadn't heard of Weegee

@bowenisland100 6 ай бұрын

Great video - please keep it up!

@chipmiddleton1439 6 ай бұрын

You are my favorite. Thank you for such wonderful content.

@PhotoConversations 6 ай бұрын

Hey Chip I appreciate that, thanks.

@iainmc9859 6 ай бұрын

Funny how I think there's an honesty about Brassai and Weegee that I find totally lacking in Diane Arbus. I'd say that perhaps it reflects an underlying sexism in myself, but as I like Nan Goldin's work I guess its something else. Just something about being part of rather than looking from the outside in.

@grahamrichards8531 6 ай бұрын

I think it requires a sympathy for Asburger's syndrome and the like, it's my view that she was this type and connected with others that were similar ( ie. slightly strange by normal reckoning but, funnily enough, bordering on genius in some area of life). -just saying!

@iainmc9859 6 ай бұрын

I take your point. She may have felt like an outsider. However I also think she suffered from 'poor little rich girl' syndrome and couldn't really emphasize with the people she photographed either. There's some of her shots that stand alone as great images, 'Boy with hand grenade' comes to mind, haunting by any standards.@@grahamrichards8531