The Photographer I Choose: Weegee

Weegee was born June 12,1899 in Zolochiv Ukraine. When he emigrated to America in 1909, his family settled in New York. He then changed his name to Arthur and worked various odd jobs.  Weegee was a street photographer know of his dark and somewhat rather disturbing images of the violent, dangerous, and deadly urban streets, but he was also an amazing street photographer. Weegee went out onto  the streets photographing through out bars, party's, street fights and group gatherings. He named got his nick name from the Ouija board, because he was always showing up at crime scenes, fires and emergency's before the authority's arrived. He was the only person other than the police and first responders to be allowed to have a portable police-band short wave radio, allowing him to beat the police to the crime scenes in time to take the photographs. Weegee was a self-taught photographer who had basic equipment and a homemade dark room in the back of his car so he could easily develop his photographs anywhere and quickly. In 1945 he published his first photography book called Naked City. In 1946 he started working for Hollywood and was an uncredited special effects consult. He worked in Hollywood till around the 1960'. Between the 1950's and 1960's, around the time he worked for Hollywood, Weegee started taking many pictures with a plastic lens that purposely distorted the pictures. One of his more famous distorted pictures was of Marylin Munroe. When he left Hollywood he traveled throughout Europe, and started taking nude photos of models (probably because of the culture of Europe that gave him the idea) In 1966 Weegee starred himself in a pseudo-documentary called The 'Imp'probable Mr. Wee Gee. Weegee died two years later on December 26th, 1968 at the age of 69. Weegee captured the dark and hidden truth of the city while also capturing the light and energy of bars, clubs and social gatherings. He was the eyes of the city and photographed the things not many people want to see or don't think is going on. He shows the violent, dangerous and dark side of the city while also showing the fun, bright and energetic part of the city that is brought to life by thousands of people. To capture both sides of New York is what made him an excellent photographer.

 

These three pictures are three very different types of photography taken by Weegee. The first picture is women at the Metropolitan Opera. This picture has been said to have been staged. I like this picture the best out of the three pictures because it isn't one of his dark pictures. It is one of the photos that he would take in group gatherings and big events that show the city brought to life.  I also love how the shadows bring his photos to life and bring out the hidden details. The contrast with the white coats and the drakness of the back ground is really pretty. 

The second photo isn't exactly dark but I shows a transgender man getting out of a police car. I think I shows the real city. The uniqueness of the people in it and how some of them live. I think though the picture has a dark concept, by smiling the subject makes the picture warmer and I like that about this picture. The contrast between getting out of the police car yet hes smiling makes an amazing photograph and I really like this photo. 

The third picture is the darkest and most disturbing. Weegee was known for getting to crime scenes and taking pictures of the dead body's before the police got there. Weegee took many of these types of photographs. Though they are violent and dark, he showed that New York isn't just a beautiful and bright place but that the city has its secrets and darkness to it. He took the photos of the crimes because its something that people want to know about and find a interest in. Now the gruesome and bloody part but if someone died would you want to know who? Would you want to know how? Weegee just took the pictures he thought were important and he expressed the city better than most people could.