Diane Arbus (1923-1971) was a great American photographer who created stark, uniquely compelling, unforgettable portraits of marginalized groups in society including transgender people, giants, dwarves, nudists and circus performers. Although sometimes accused of exploiting her subjects, her images reveal a profound kinship with them, and highlight the importance of telling the stories of all people, particularly those who are shunned and neglected. Arbus had a history of deep depression and committed suicide at the age of 48. She sometimes used a twin-lens Rolleiflex Automat MX and a 35mm Nikon F, but her favorite camera was a Mamiya C220, an interchangeable lens TLR introduced in 1968.
Diane Arbus and her camera, from 10 World Famous Photographers and Their Cameras
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I thought I remembered some of her early 35mm work being done with a Leica as well...some Coney Island photos... no? or was that really the Nikon?
Ko.Fe.
Lenses 35/21 Gears 46/20
I have seen her huge prints at outsiders exhibition in AGO. This year I skipped to go to same place to watch video with her, went with kids for the concert. Was hoping to see her exhibition later on at same place, AGO, but C happened.
Her huge prints shows benefits of clinically sharp lenses and format. Leica won't cut for this size.
Content was revolutionary.
Her huge prints shows benefits of clinically sharp lenses and format. Leica won't cut for this size.
Content was revolutionary.
Right, not her medium format work...her 35mm work I was talking about. It is her earlier work. It was exhibited at the Whitney in NYC a few years ago.
Jason Schneider
the Camera Collector
Diane Arbus definitely used a Nikon F at times and is shown holding one in several portraits of her, but she shot most of her iconic images with 2-1/4 TLRs including Mamiyaflexes and Rolleiflexes. BTW you can certainly make excellent large prints from 35mm negatives including those shot with Leicas, but it's a little easier with 2-1/4 negs.
Erik van Straten
Veteran
I saw in 1974 a huge exhibition of her work in London and bought her book too.
Her work was the beginning of a great wave of posed photography that actually continues to this day, more or less at the expense of unposed photography like that of Cartier-Bresson. It is striking that her work is in black and white, nowadays it would all be in color, which is at the expense of its purity, I think.
Erik.
Her work was the beginning of a great wave of posed photography that actually continues to this day, more or less at the expense of unposed photography like that of Cartier-Bresson. It is striking that her work is in black and white, nowadays it would all be in color, which is at the expense of its purity, I think.
Erik.
Ste_S
Well-known
Is it really though?
When I see how the subjects are lined up repeatedly like Tetris tiles in HCBs photos I do sometime wonder how unposed they were.
Erik van Straten
Veteran
I have never seen such pictures - like Tetris tiles - of Cartier-Bresson. Which photos do you mean exactly?
On the website of Magnum you can see about 6.000 pictures of Cartier-Bresson. They are not posed.
Cartier-Bresson had a great eye for composition. Maybe that is why you think that they are posed.
Erik.
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
One can't go wrong with a Mamiya TLR camera for taking posed photos and for direct head on flash illumination. They are not light cameras but tough as nails and the lenses are very good.
p.giannakis
Pan Giannakis
If we believe this link here, she used the following:
- Nikon F camera with 50mm f/1.4 Nikkor-S Auto lens
- Rolleiflex camera with 55mm f/4 lens
- Mamiya C33 camera with 80mm f/2.8 lens
- Pentax 6x7 camera with 105mm f/2.4 Super-Multi-Coated Takumar lens
xayraa33
rangefinder user and fancier
She normally used a lens hood on each lens of her twin lens TLR Mamiya camera, the viewing lens had a lens hood and so did the taking lens...smart idea to deal with light flare on the viewing lens.
Dan
Let's Sway
I saw that show at FOAM and that hardware was on display. Gave me the chills.
Freakscene
Obscure member
Some of her early 35mm work was done with a Leica - Diane was photographing well before 1959 when the F was introduced. I am pretty sure Doon still has her mother’s cameras.
Marty
Good point... the exhibit I saw focused on the years 1956-62. Interestingly the book "Diane Arbus A Chronology" says she used Nikon in 1956 which was also the first year she started trying the Rolleiflex. Maybe she used a Nikon Rangefinder before the F.
This is an article about the exhibit I saw at the Met Breuer (formerly the Whitney was in this building before it moved, so I was confused):
https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/evnyg7/early-unseen-diane-arbus-photographs-arrive-at-the-met
and another...https://www.theguardian.com/artandd...are-unpublished-photos-met-breuer-in-pictures