Time LIFE Photojournalists and Their Iconic Photographs (2023)

Time LIFE Photojournalists and Their Iconic Photographs

by Marshall Reyher in Photography, Resources

Originally published as a humor and general interest magazine in 1883, LIFE was transformed into a weekly news magazine with aheavy emphasis on photojournalism when it was purchased by Time founder Henry Luce in 1936. Itwas printedon a weekly basis from 1936 to1972,then as an intermittent special from 1972 to1978, and finally as a monthly from 1978to2002. The reinvented LIFE magazine was the first all-photographic American news periodical, and it ruled the market for more than 40 years. At one point, the magazine sold more than 13.5 million copies a week. The photographs appearing on the pages of the magazineprovided rare glimpsesinto the Soviet Union, concentration camps in Germany andthe conflict in Vietnam, among others. LIFE’s role in photojournalism is widely considered to be itsmost important contribution to publishing. In this post, you will learn about some of LIFE’s photographers, and see some of their most famous images.

Margaret Bourke-White

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Hired as LIFE’s first female staff photographer, Margaret Bourke-White captured the image of Montana’sFort Peck Dam for the inauguralissue of the reinvented periodical. In 1941 she gained access to theUSSR, where she took Josef Stalin‘s portrait for another cover. After World War II ended, she traveled to India where she captured iconic images of Mahatma Ghandi, including the one below with his spinning wheel.

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Alfred Eisenstaedt

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Considered one of the most prolific photographers of the 20th century, Alfred Eisenstaedt’s images have graced the cover of LIFE magazine 90 times. Perhaps his most famous cover photo was thatof a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square on VJ Day (see below). Unlike most newsphotographers of his era whoused 4×5″ press cameras with flash attachments, Eisenstaedt preferred shooting with a 35mm Leica and making use of natural light. Thisgave him greater speed and addedflexibility when shooting news events or capturing candidimages of people in action.

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John Dominis

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John Dominis was born in Los Angeles in 1921. He attended the University of Southern California, where he studied cinematography, and enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1954. Following World War II, he worked as a freelance photographer for a number of publications, including LIFE magazine. One of his most famous imagesfeaturesAfrican-American track stars Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in support of the civil rights movement and black powerduring the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.

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Andreas Feininger

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Andreas Feininger was born in Paris, France on December 27, 1906. He was raised in Germany where he received an education in architecture. In 1936 he moved to Sweden, where he shifted his focus to photography. During World War II, he immigrated to the United States, where he began a career as a freelance photographer. He joined the staff of LIFE magazine in 1943 where he worked until 1962. Feininger is best known for his dynamic black and white photographs of New York City.

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Nina Leen

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Photographer Nina Leen was born in Russia, but spent time in Italy, Switzerland and Germany. She studied painting in Berlin before immigrating to the United States in 1939.Her first series published in LIFE wasof tortoises at the Bronx Zoo, which she shot with her Rolleiflex camera.She never became a staff photographer with the magazine, but contributed regularly from 1940 until the magazine closed in 1972. Throughout her time shootingfor LIFE, she contributed over 50 cover photos and countless reports from all over the world.

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John Loengard

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American photographer John Loengard was born in New York City in 1934. He became interested in photography at the age of 11, when his father purchased a new camera. John took pictures for his high school newspaper, and photographed a freighter run aground on Cape Cod for LIFE in his senior yearat Harvard University. Loengard joined the staff of LIFE magazine in 1961, and served asits photo editor from 1973 until 1987. In addition, he has taught at the International Center for Photography and held numerous photographic workshops around the country.

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Gjon Mili

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Gjon Mili was born in present-day Albania, but spent the majority of his childhood in Romania. He attendedGheorghe Lazăr National College in Bucharest,and migrated to the United States in 1923. Miliwas educated as an engineer and completely self-taught as aphotographer. He started working for LIFE in 1939, andshot a wide variety ofassignments ranging from Pablo Picasso in the French Riviera to various celebrities in Hollywood and many subjects in between. Gjon Mili was one of the first photographers to useelectronic flash and stroboscopic light for non-scientific photographs. This enabled him toeffectively freezepeoplein rapid movement, for which he was very wellknown.

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Henry G. (Hank) Walker

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Hank Walker started shooting for LIFE magazine in 1948 as a contract photographer, and joined the staff three years later. In 1951, he was assigned to Washington D.C., where he was a White House photographer. His most famous image features the silhouetted figuresof John F. Kennedy andhis brother and campaign manager Robert F. Kennedy as they talk in a Los Angeles hotel suite on the eve of the 1960 Democratic convention.

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W. Eugene Smith

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American photojournalist W. Eugene Smith was known for his dedication tohis projects, and helping to develop the photo essay into a sophisticated visual form. He was born in Wichita, Kansas and got his start in photography shooting for a pair oflocal newspapers,The Wichita Eagleand the Beacon. Eventually, Smith relocatedto New York City and started workingfor Newsweek. He was fired from his position at Newsweek for refusing to shoot with amedium format camera. He joined as astaff photographer of LIFE magazine in 1939, where he continued to use his 35mm camera.Screenwriter and documentarian Ben Maddow wrote that “during his relatively brief and often painful life, Smithcreated at least fifty images so powerful that they have changed the perception of our history.”

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J.R.Eyerman

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The idea of a famous photographer being bornin his parents’ photo studiosounds likesomething out of afictional novel. It was, in fact, how J.R. Wharton Eyerman arrived in this world, being delivered in his parents’ Butte, Montana studio. Both of his parents were photographersfrom whom J.R. learned an immense amount. As a youngster, he helped his fathertake thousands of images of Yellowstone and Glacier Park. He lefthome at the age of 15 to attend the University of Washington, where he became a civil engineer. At the height of World War II in 1943, Eyerman was assigned to the Atlantic fleet, where he covered naval operations during the North African and Sicilian campaigns.

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Ralph Morse

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Photographer Ralph Morsewas born in Manhattan, but grew up in aBronx apartment with his mother and sister. He attended DeWittClinton High School, where hejoined the school newspaper and was a dedicated journalism student. He aspired to become a newsreelcameraman, but lacked the necessary $1,000 to join the union. Instead, he enrolled at City College of New York for free, andtook every single photography class they offered. He worked at a photo studio in New York City, and in the darkroom at Pix Publishing. Alfred Eisenstaedt was a silent partner at Pix, whodiscoveredMorse’s photographic skill. After much nagging, Eisenstaedtconvinced Wilson Hicks, the picture editor of LIFE, to meet with Ralph. At their first meeting, Hicks gave Morse his first assignment, coveringauthor Thornton Wilder’s acting on Broadway in his own playOur Town. This was the start to Ralph Morse’s 30-year career with LIFE, where he was considered the magazine’s specialist in technical photography.

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Carl Mydans

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Carl Mydans was born in 1907 and grew up playing onthe Mystic River near Medford, Massachusetts. He became interested in photography while studying at Boston University, where heworked at the school newspaper. As a child, he had dreams of becoming a surgeon or boat builder, but gave these up while attending college to pursue a career in journalism instead. His first reporting jobs were for The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald,and he worked as a writer for American Banker in New York City after graduating from college. In 1935, he moved to Washington D.C.where he joined a group ofphotographers in the Farm Security Administration. He and fellowphotographers Dorothea Lange and Ben Shahn documented the conditions of rural American workers. Carl Mydans joined LIFE magazine in 1936 as one of its earliest staff photographers. He shota wide array of photographs throughout Europe and Asia during World War II. In 1941, he and his wife Shelley became the first husband and wife team on LIFE magazine’s staff. While in the Philippines, they were bothcaptured by invading Japanese forces. They were held as prisoners for oneyear in Manilla and oneyear in Shanghai, China before being released as part of a POW exchange in December of 1943. Despite having been a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II, he bore no ill will towards the Asian nation, and even headed Time-LIFE’s Tokyo bureau with his wife after the war.

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FAQs

Who is the most famous photojournalist? ›

Who Is a Famous Photojournalist?
  • Henri Cartier-Bresson.
  • Steve McCurry; and.
  • Lynsey Addario.

What is the most iconic photo ever published in Life magazine? ›

V-J DAY 1945: This image of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square by Alfred Eisenstaedt has become LIFE magazine's most reproduced image Image from the book, "The Classic Collection."

Who were some of the most influential photojournalists in early photojournalism? ›

Some of the great photojournalists of the early picture story era included "Weegee" (Arthur Fellig), a cigar-chomping cameraman before World War II who chronicled the New York crime and society's underside. During World War II W. Eugene Smith and Robert Capa became well known for their gripping war pictures.

Who are some famous photojournalists? ›

Others
  • Arko Datta (1969)
  • Mayank Austen Soofi.
  • Danish Siddiqui (1983 – 2021)
  • Walter Bosshard (photojournalist) (1892 – 1975)
  • William Klein (photographer) (1928-)
  • Eddie Adams (1933–2004)
  • Lynsey Addario (1973–)
  • Timothy Allen (1971–)

Who was the first photojournalist in America? ›

Lewis W. Hine, Powerhouse Mechanic, silver print, circa 1926. Sold for $15,600. Though he is considered a social documentary photographer, Hine is also seen as America's first photojournalist.

What makes a photo iconic? ›

Iconic photographs are "(1) recognized by everyone within a public culture, (2) understood to be representations of historically significant events, (3) objects of strong emotional identification or response, and (4) regularly reproduced or copied across a range of media, genres, and topics" (Hariman and Lucaites 37).

What is the most popular photo of all time? ›

Nasa's “Man on the Moon” photo was named the most famous image of all time, followed by “Lunch atop a Skyscraper,” which showed eleven ironworkers sitting on a steel beam 260 meters above the ground in Manhattan, New York City in 1932.

What is the most viewed photo of all time? ›

You may not recognize the image by its name, “Bliss,” but you'll know it when you see it. Viewed by over a billion people since it was Windows XP's default desktop image, “Bliss” has long been the subject of speculation as many doubted that such a “perfect” hillside could exist beyond Photoshop.

What was the first photojournalist photo? ›

The first photograph to be used in illustration of a newspaper story was a depiction of barricades in Paris during the June Days uprising taken on 25 June 1848; the photo was published as an engraving in L'Illustration of 1–8 July 1848.

How does photojournalism impact society? ›

Importance Of Photo -journalism. Photojournalism which is one of the most important branches of journalism exposes the reality through raw and non-biased photographs. It's through a picture alone that the power to visually tell about what's going in a society, and portray the truth becomes possible.

What is the most important part of photojournalism? ›

The main objective of photojournalism is to tell a story better than the text or write-up that usually accompanies the photos. Therefore, it should capture images that have meaning or relevance to the story being told.

Who is the most famous photographer in the history of photography? ›

1. Ansel Adams is probably the most easily recognized name of any photographer. His landscapes are stunning; he achieved an unparalleled level of contrast using creative darkroom work.

What are the three important things in photography? ›

Although it can seem a bit daunting at first, the exposure triangle simply refers to the three most important elements of exposure; ISO, aperture and shutter speed. When you're shooting in manual mode, you'll need to be able to balance all three of these things in order to get sharp, well-lit photos.

What are the most famous news photos of all time? ›

The image of U.S. Marines planting the American flag on Iwo Jima during World War II has been called the famous news photo of all time.

Who is the first woman photojournalist? ›

Homai Vyarawalla (9 December 1913 – 15 January 2012), commonly known by her pseudonym Dalda 13, was India's first woman photojournalist. She began her career in 1938 working for the Bombay Chronicle, capturing images of daily life in the city.

Who was the first female photojournalist for Life? ›

Margaret Bourke-White was a woman of firsts: the first photographer for Fortune, the first Western professional photographer permitted into the Soviet Union, Life magazine's first female photographer, and the first female war correspondent credentialed to work in combat zones during World War II.

Who is the father of photojournalism? ›

Mathew Brady: The Father of Photojournalism.

Who was the first black photojournalist? ›

Gordon Parks was the first Black photographer hired by Life magazine. He was a pioneering photojournalist, a film director (“Shaft,” “The Learning Tree”), a best-selling novelist and a composer. Parks was also a fighter.

Who is the American father of photojournalism? ›

Credited by many as the father of photojournalism, Mathew Brady is synonymous with the Civil War even though he did not make many of the photographs that bear his name.

What is an example of iconic images? ›

Eleven construction workers sitting on a crane and the V-J kiss picture at the end of World War II in Times Square are both examples of iconic pictures. But so is the hooded Abu Ghraib detainee standing on a box and connected to electrical wires.

What makes a photo unique? ›

It can be as simple as a pretty picture, a visually stunning place, or something more emotional, a direct photo journalistic story. Adding this personalized depth to images really helps them stand out from the others. Adding more key details (or maybe less?) leads the viewer into the story you are portraying.

What makes a photo interesting and effective? ›

Make use of the various composition techniques like rule of thirds, negative space, rule of odds, leading lines, perspective, framing, etc. to make the image/story interesting. Also, make sure you incorporate emotions into the image as humans are drawn to genuine portrayal of emotions a lot.

Who is the most photographed woman of all time? ›

Queen Elizabeth II: capturing the world's most photographed woman in life and death.

What is the first picture of all time? ›

Centuries of advances in chemistry and optics, including the invention of the camera obscura, set the stage for the world's first photograph. In 1826, French scientist Joseph Nicéphore Niépce, took that photograph, titled View from the Window at Le Gras, at his family's country home.

Where is the most viewed photo in the world? ›

In fact, you probably never heard of Charles O'Rear, but his photo, “Bliss,” taken in January 1996 while driving through California's Napa and Sonoma counties in California, is the most recognized photo in the world.

Why did people never smile in old photographs? ›

1) Very early technology made it harder to capture smiles

One common explanation for the lack of smiles in old photos is that long exposure times — the time a camera needs to take a picture — made it important for the subject of a picture to stay as still as possible. That way, the picture wouldn't look blurry.

What are the 3 types of photojournalism? ›

There are 5 basic principles of photojournalism that help in capturing effective images to convey a strong message.
...
  • Spot news photojournalism.
  • General news photojournalism.
  • Feature photojournalism.
  • Sports action photojournalism.
  • Portrait/personality photojournalism.
  • Pictorial photojournalism.
  • Illustration photojournalism.
Sep 5, 2022

What is photojournalism examples? ›

Photojournalism is the communication of news through photographs. These images tend to appear in print newspapers and magazines as well as online media sites and microblogging platforms. A picture is worth 1,000 words and can instantly enhance the story that a news article communicates to its readers.

What are 3 qualities of photojournalism? ›

3 Qualities of a Photojournalist
  • CURIOSITY. Afghanistan was not a topic in the mainstream media back in 1994 when Seamus first entered Afghanistan and began shooting the local people. ...
  • COURAGE. ...
  • COMPASSION.
Jan 19, 2012

What is the main purpose of photojournalism? ›

What Is the Purpose of Photojournalism? Simply speaking, a photojournalist's role is to relate a story through photography. The goal is not only to take pictures, but to hold the images up to the highest journalistic standards in an effort to convey the truth.

Why is photojournalism important today? ›

Why is Photojournalism Such an Important Part of the Media? Photojournalism is able to provide further context to stories being reported on. These photographs can make a story more tangible and provide further depth to an article.

What is photojournalism and why is it important? ›

To answer the question, "What is photojournalism?", photojournalism is capturing and using photographs to communicate a news story. The photo is the primary medium for expressing a narrative. Photojournalists are like journalists because they capture news and important stories to share with readers.

What are the 5 basic elements of photojournalism? ›

Basically, there are five common elements that great images typically have; Good use of light, color, a captivating moment, correct composition for the given situation, and the photographer's choice of distance to their subject.

What are the principles of photojournalism? ›

Photos will often be published on low quality newsprint focus on a single, frame-filling centre of interest not more than two or three people. Not more than a few objects with a clean, contrasting background. If you cannot get in close, crop ruthlessly which destroy the entire image.

Which best describes photojournalism? ›

Photojournalism is the process of story telling using the medium of photography as your main story telling device. While a journalist will use their pen and paper to tell stories, a photojournalist will use their camera to capture the visual representation of a story.

Who was world's first photojournalist? ›

Henri Cartier-Bresson is held by some to be the father of modern photojournalism, although this appellation has been applied to various other photographers, such as Erich Salomon, whose candid pictures of political figures were novel in the 1930s.

Who is the No 1 wildlife photographer? ›

Sudhir Shivaram

Sudhir Shivaram grew up in Karnataka, is one of India's most respected and renowned wildlife photographers.

What are the four types of photojournalism? ›

Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story.
...
  • Spot news photojournalism.
  • General news photojournalism.
  • Feature photojournalism.
  • Sports action photojournalism.
  • Portrait/personality photojournalism.
  • Pictorial photojournalism.
  • Illustration photojournalism.
Sep 5, 2022

What are the three qualities of photojournalism? ›

3 Qualities of a Photojournalist
  • CURIOSITY. Afghanistan was not a topic in the mainstream media back in 1994 when Seamus first entered Afghanistan and began shooting the local people. ...
  • COURAGE. ...
  • COMPASSION.
Jan 19, 2012

Who is the most famous American photographer? ›

1. Ansel Adams. Ansel Adams is potentially the most famous American photographer of the 20th century, and perhaps all time. Known for his large-format black-and-white photography of the American West, Adams developed unique techniques like the Zone System that modern photographers still use today.

Who was an American photojournalist best known for her images of people suffering from the effects of the Great Depression? ›

Dorothea Lange (born Dorothea Margaretta Nutzhorn; May 26, 1895 – October 11, 1965) was an American documentary photographer and photojournalist, best known for her Depression-era work for the Farm Security Administration (FSA).

Who created the first photographic image? ›

It is the earliest photograph produced with the aid of the camera obscura known to survive today. The photograph was made by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (1765–1833), born to a prominent family at Chalon-sur-Saône in the Burgundy region of France.

What is photojournalism history? ›

Photojournalism has its roots in war photography, with Roger Fenton pioneering the field during the Crimean War. Fenton was the first official war photographer, shooting images that demonstrated the effects of war.

What are the 5 basics of photojournalism? ›

Characteristics of Photojournalism
  • Photojournalism is relevant. The main objective of photojournalism is to tell a story better than the text or write-up that usually accompanies the photos. ...
  • Photojournalism is timely. ...
  • Photojournalism is objective. ...
  • Photojournalism is narrative. ...
  • Aesthetically Interesting.

Who is the best still life photographer? ›

Let's check out some of the best still-life photographers.
  • Olivia Parker (1941 – Present)
  • Paulette Tavormina (1949 – Present)
  • Jonathan Knowles (c. ...
  • Laura Letinsky (1962 – Present)
  • Mat Collishaw (1966 – Present)
  • Marcel Christ (1969 – Present)
  • Krista van der Niet (1978 – Present)
  • Jeroen Luijt (1978 – Present)
Jul 27, 2022

Who won Wildlife Photographer of the Year? ›

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year Karine Aigner gets close to the action as a group of bees compete to mate. Aigner captured the flurry of activity as a buzzing ball of cactus bees spun over the hot sand.

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