For my photographer of the week I chose Jim Marshall.
“I've been very lucky what can I say? The access was great and uh—this has been my life doin' pictures and it's never just been a job; it's been my life. ”
- Jim Marshall
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| Jim Marshall photo credit: http://www.pinheadium.com/web/jm/himself.html |
Jim Marshall was born in Chicago, Illinois on Feb. 3, 1936. He purchased his first camera, an M2 Leica, in 1959 while living in San Francisco. In 1962 Marshall moved to New York City and began working on assignments for the Atlantic, Columbia, ABC Paramount, and the Sunday Evening Post.
I was introduced to his work from an HBO documentary last year and was automatically intrigued, not only because he has taken photos of some of the biggest names in rock culture like Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, etc., but because of the way they all praised him as a photographer. A common compliment was that Marshall always made his subjects feel comfortable, they didn't just see him as a photographer, they saw him as a friend, even family. Because of this Marshall was able to capture moments that will forever be treasured.
He's captured mind blowing photos from events like the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, to Rolling Stone' American tour for LIFE Magazine in 1972. Some of his most iconic photos are from Woodstock, a music and art fair in New York. Marshall died March 24, 2010 of natural causes. In 2014, he was the first and only photographer presented an honorary Grammy Trustee Award.
"Marshall's eye was able to find the energy in musicians without being sentimental," wrote Todd Leopold, writer for CNN. "Marshall got such access because he was a part of the scene. He didn't just take the Beatles' picture; he hung out with them." His strength was definitely in taking portrait photos, but what made Marshall's photography have more of a powerful impact was his use of black and white filters, perfect timing, and up-close angles.
All of this helped focus on the emotion of the subject in each photo. Not only bringing you into the moment, but helping you see a little deeper into the soul of these rockstars. His legacy is not just an iconic rockstar photographer, but a person who truly loved what he did and didn't just see his career as a job, for him it was a way of life. This is something that stood out to me because going into this field it's important to have that passion so you can find your niche, and most importantly to treat people like human beings and remember they're not just a subject for your project or story.
I was introduced to his work from an HBO documentary last year and was automatically intrigued, not only because he has taken photos of some of the biggest names in rock culture like Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, etc., but because of the way they all praised him as a photographer. A common compliment was that Marshall always made his subjects feel comfortable, they didn't just see him as a photographer, they saw him as a friend, even family. Because of this Marshall was able to capture moments that will forever be treasured.
He's captured mind blowing photos from events like the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, to Rolling Stone' American tour for LIFE Magazine in 1972. Some of his most iconic photos are from Woodstock, a music and art fair in New York. Marshall died March 24, 2010 of natural causes. In 2014, he was the first and only photographer presented an honorary Grammy Trustee Award.
"Marshall's eye was able to find the energy in musicians without being sentimental," wrote Todd Leopold, writer for CNN. "Marshall got such access because he was a part of the scene. He didn't just take the Beatles' picture; he hung out with them." His strength was definitely in taking portrait photos, but what made Marshall's photography have more of a powerful impact was his use of black and white filters, perfect timing, and up-close angles.
All of this helped focus on the emotion of the subject in each photo. Not only bringing you into the moment, but helping you see a little deeper into the soul of these rockstars. His legacy is not just an iconic rockstar photographer, but a person who truly loved what he did and didn't just see his career as a job, for him it was a way of life. This is something that stood out to me because going into this field it's important to have that passion so you can find your niche, and most importantly to treat people like human beings and remember they're not just a subject for your project or story.
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| Photo of Jim Morrison taken by Jim Marshall photo credit: http://www.pinheadium.com/web/jm/p6.html |
Some good quotes from Jim Marshall:
“I worked hard but I never really considered it work. I always enjoyed myself and only took an assignment if I had complete control and access. My reputation was such that managers didn’t f*ck with me. I had the trust of the artist. I would work with them and they knew I wouldn’t f*ck around or do anything they didn’t like.”
"Too much bullshit is written about photographs and music. Let the
music move you, whether to a frenzy or a peaceful place. Let it be what
you want to hear -- not what others say is popular. Let the photograph be
one you remember -- not for its technique but for its soul. Let it become
a part of your life -- a part of your past to help shape your future. But
most of all, let the music and the photograph be something you love and
will always enjoy."
“If someone doesn’t want me to shoot them, fine, fuck ‘em,” he says. “But if they do, there can’t be any restrictions.”
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-npezwmgtA
http://www.jimmarshallphotographyllc.com
http://www.sfae.com/index.php?pg=500000&g=2
http://www.chasejarvis.com/blog/legendary-rock-n-roll-photos/
http://www.samys.com/blog?action=viewBlog&blogID=807251991659452676&dest=/pg/jsp/community/printblog.jsp
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