Charlie
Established
Article in the local paper about former Arkansas Democrat photographer Will Counts and the reissue of his book: “A Life is More Than a Moment,” a pictorial history of the desegregation crises of Little Rock’s Central High School in 1957. Counts was a skinny, 26-year-old photographer who wore plaid shirts and looked like a high school sophomore. His perceived age, and the fact that he was using a 35mm camera when Speed Graphics were still in vogue, gave him the appearance of a hobbyist rather than a professional news photographer. This worked to his advantage as the mobs were routinely attacking anyone perceived to be associated with the media. Counts produced some of the more iconic photos of this ugly period of American history, including a shot that was reportedly selected by the Pulitzer Prize committee but rejected by the Board because Central High coverage was being honored in three other categories. Another photo of black journalist Alex Wilson being kicked in the chest by a white man was named one of the 20th Century’s 50 outstanding photos by the Associated Press.
I find it interesting that Counts was ahead of the curve in that he used a small, 35mm (probably a rangefinder but I don’t have the book yet so I can’t say) and was able to cover the story because he looked unprofessional and unassuming. Here we are today, 50 years later and the small 35mm is on the backside of the curve, eclipsed by much larger and more conspicuous digital cameras that scream “I’m a professional,” much in the same manner that the Speed Graphics did back in the 1950s.
BTY, the book is available through Amazon if anyone is interested.
I find it interesting that Counts was ahead of the curve in that he used a small, 35mm (probably a rangefinder but I don’t have the book yet so I can’t say) and was able to cover the story because he looked unprofessional and unassuming. Here we are today, 50 years later and the small 35mm is on the backside of the curve, eclipsed by much larger and more conspicuous digital cameras that scream “I’m a professional,” much in the same manner that the Speed Graphics did back in the 1950s.
BTY, the book is available through Amazon if anyone is interested.
