Great Black and White Photographers Part II

My favorite black and white photographer is Robert Doisneau. Doisneau was born April 14, 1912 in Gentilly, France. He was a French photographer who was known for his passion of street photography.

Raised by his aunt, he attended the Ecole Estienne in Paris to learn the crafts involved in the book trade, but claims he the got the most schooling from the streets of the working class neighborhood of Gentilly. At age sixteen, we was interested in amateur photography. However, at that time, he was reported so shy that he captured only photos of cobblestones before he focused on people. In 1929, he took his photography dreams seriously and began working for Andre Bigneau, an advertising photographer. At first, he took photographs of objects and three years later, sold his first photo-story to the Excelsior newspaper.

During the Depression, he worked for Renault as an industrial and advertising photographer. Although he had a job, Doisneau enjoyed taking photographs the streets and neighborhoods of Paris. Soon after, he was fired from his job and earned a pay check through advertising photography. Then, the Papho photo agency hired him, where he worked until his career was interrupted by World War II and the Germans began invading the land. Doisneau then became a member of the Resistance both as a solider and as a photographer. Once again, he proceeded his skill with advertising which includes fashion photography and reportage for Vogue magazine, for four years. His first book of photographs, La Banlieue de Paris was published. After Doisneau became a part of an organization of photographers called Group XV, he continued his passion of street photography.

Doisneau died on April 1, 1994 in Broussais, France. He was awarded the Prix Niepce in 1956 and acted as a consultant to Expo '67, Canada. He is also acknowledged at the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, the Art Institute of Chicago, George Eastman House in Rochester, New York, and the Witkin Gallery in New York.

SOURCES:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Doisneau

http://www.famousphotographers.net/robert-doisneau

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