Ruth Orkin: Modern Woman
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charjohncarter
Veteran
A woman's touch, some brilliant work. Even if some of it was staged.
EDIT: FPjohn thanks for posting something about well know photographers. It broadens my horizons to see others work.
EDIT: FPjohn thanks for posting something about well know photographers. It broadens my horizons to see others work.
peterm1
Veteran
My favorite Orkin photo - “An American Girl in Italy”. As a street photographer its timing and excellence makes me giddy. And no, it was not staged. And in case you are wondering, neither have I suddenly turned "woke" though there are plenty who want to generalize from the image and make judgments about all men. It's just a bloody good image that's all.
Plenty of other worthy work depicted in the article too.
https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/ruth-orkin
Plenty of other worthy work depicted in the article too.
https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/ruth-orkin
helen.HH
To Light & Love ...
Lovely work, Thank You !
Dan
Let's Sway
Actually, the article states that Orkin had the young woman backtrack and walk more confidently.
peterm1
Veteran
Really? I missed that. thank you. I had just read another article asserting it was not posed or in any way set up and went with that without fully reading the version I posted (which I selected for posting as it had a good selection of other excellent Orkin photos).
Edit.
This is an excerpt from the other article I mentioned as being my source for the statement that it was not staged:
"People tend to wonder if the iconic photo of Ninalee Craig was staged. It's the question she hears most often. To some, the scene in the black and white photo from another era is almost too perfect. Craig, 23 at the time, breezes past clusters of men on a sidewalk in Florence, Italy, head held high as if impervious to their ogling as she grasps her shawl and handbag.
Now 89, Craig insists the answer is no, still no. "It's the real McCoy." "
However she does slightly qualify this with the following:
"Ruth said, 'Hey, you know what, I could probably make a bit of money if we horse around and show what it's like to be a woman alone,'" Craig recalls.
The two hit the streets of Florence the next morning around 10 a.m. The shot of Craig passing by the men was one of the first Orkin snapped. She followed it up with another shot from a different angle before the two continued on to capture familiar scenes from Italy: cafes, statues, piazzas, cobblestone streets."
So the subject (since deceased) was pretty unequivocal that it was not a staged photo as such but that the two were looking for photo opps. I suppose there could have been a motive in her saying this but.........................????? Or perhaps the interpretation given in the other article is based on the fact that Orkin did make a second exposure (though the first one seems to be the one depicted in the article I posted if the above words are to be literally interpreted.)
https://edition.cnn.com/2017/03/30/europe/tbt-ruth-orkin-american-girl-in-italy/index.html
charjohncarter
Veteran
I'm (or they are) probably wrong, but I read someplace she staged it. But big deal it is still a great photo.
Dan
Let's Sway
It certainly is.
raydm6
Yay! Cameras! 🙈🙉🙊┌( ಠ_ಠ)┘ [◉"]
That color photo is gorgeous! What a lovely palette. Kodachrome?
"The magazine with Orkin’s cover sold out its 4m print run as soon as it hit the news stands, the first time a 35mm colour slide had been used on the front of one of the “slicks”.
"The magazine with Orkin’s cover sold out its 4m print run as soon as it hit the news stands, the first time a 35mm colour slide had been used on the front of one of the “slicks”.
olakiril
Well-known
Exactly, it is a great photo. And even if we can't characterize it strictly as documentary or street, it clearly represented (and unfortunately still does) a part of reality that affects people.
https://www.theguardian.com/artandd...lee-craig-photograph-ruth-orkin-florence-1951
FPjohn
Well-known
That color photo is gorgeous! What a lovely palette. Kodachrome?
"The magazine with Orkin’s cover sold out its 4m print run as soon as it hit the news stands, the first time a 35mm colour slide had been used on the front of one of the “slicks”.
A question for those with knowing eyes. Is this not only a Kodachrome but one taken with Sonnar on a Contax? f1.5 or f2?
yours
FPJ
FPjohn
Well-known
A question for those with knowing eyes. Is this not only a Kodachrome but one taken with Sonnar on a Contax? f1.5 or f2?
yours
FPJ
peterm1
Veteran
After some reflection I think how I would interpret it based on the quotes from the subject that I included in a post below is that it was not staged as such. Staging would in my definition have involved getting the male subjects to stand there and behave in a certain way. Having said that it was provoked, if I can call it that. They went looking for a reaction and got it. So the worst that can be said of it is that it was not entirely candid.
But then again I do something of this sort all the time in street photography. I see a scene's potential for a good shot then hang around till it develops and then take the shot when it does. Some street photographers go much further - interact with their subject and when the interaction produces a promising moment, take the shot. I don't think the two really did that much more than this except insert Ninalee Craig her model / collaborator into it and then wait to see what happened. And BTW the look of distress (disgust?) on her face does look totally genuine. I do not think she was acting so that bit was candid I think as were the men's reaction to her.
But just as you say it is still a great photo.
