Elliott Erwitt

Photographer Elliott Erwitt has been taking pictures for more than half a century. Elliott Erwitt was born 26 July 1928 in Paris, France. He is an advertising and documentary photographer known for his black and white candid shots of ironic and absurd situations within everyday settings – the master of the “indecisive moment”.

Born in Paris of Jewish-Russian immigrant parents, Erwitt served as a photographer’s assistant in the 1950′s in the United States Army while stationed in France and Germany. Erwitt was influenced by his meeting the famous photographers Edward Steichen, Robert Capa and Roy Stryker. Stryker, the former Director of the Farm Security Administration’s photography department, hired Erwitt to work on a photography project for the Standard Oil Company. Erwitt then began a freelance photographer career and produced work for Collier’s, Look, Life and Holiday magazines. Joining the Magnum Photos agency in 1953 allowed Erwitt to shoot photography projects around the world. Become a full Member of Magnum Photos at 1954.In the late 1960s Erwitt served as Magnum’s president for three years. He then turned to film: in the 1970s he produced several noted documentaries and in the 1980s eighteen comedy films for Home Box Office. Erwitt became known for benevolent irony, and for a humanistic sensibility traditional to the spirit of Magnum.

“It’s about reacting to what you see, hopefully without preconception. You can find pictures anywhere. It’s simply a matter of noticing things and organizing them. You just have to care about what’s around you and have a concern with humanity and the human comedy.” – Elliott Erwitt

Photos by Elliott Erwitt:

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Official site: www.elliotterwitt.com