Harry Callahan

Photo 204
Chris Robertson

Who is this guy?

Harry Callahan was a Michigan born photographer.
Date of Birth: October 22, 1912.
Detroit,Michigan
Attended public schools until attending Michigan
State College (Engineering).
Started working in the auto industry for Chrysler
on 1933 (Age 21).
Married Eleanor Knapp in 1933.

Brief Example

Cape Cod, 1974

Early Life
Born in the suburb of Royal Oak, just
outside of Detroit.
Parents were farmers who moved to the
city in search for work.
Completed three semesters of college
before leaving to work for Chrysler.
First saw a camera when his Dentist
showed him a movie camera.

Introduction to
Photography
Bought a Rolleicord still camera because
he could not afford a movie camera.
Began taking pictures as just a hobby.
Joined the Chrysler Camera Club and the
Detroit Photo Guild.
Only attended a few workshops, no formal
training.
Inspired by Ansel Adams to use a Huge
View camera that used 8x10 inch
negatives.
Left photo clubs because they were to

Rolleicord Camera

Career in Photography
1944, Processing Assistant for General Motors
Photographic Laboratories.
Got to travel and meet photographers such as
Alfred Stieglitz.
Professor at the Institute of Design in Chicago,
became head of his department.
Moved to the Rhode Island School of Design to get
a change in canvas.
While in Rhode Island he started a photography
program at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Day in the Life

Would wake up almost every morning and
walk through his city and take numerous
pictures.
Spend his afternoons making proof prints
of the best images he captured.
Teach 2-3 classes in the early evening.
Eleanor, Chicago. 1960

His Style
Attempted all types of Photography Outdoors,
Indoors, Portraits, Nude etc.
Favorite thing to photograph was his wife Eleanor,
its been said that it would be impossible to
imagine Callahans work without her.
Did commercial photography to make ends meet.
All this lead him to focus on a lot of landscapes
with small figures often in them. The small figure
the majority of the time being his wife Eleanor.

Images with Eleanor

Top left image: Eleanor, Chicago. 1949

Top right image: Eleanor, Port Huron.
1953
Bottom left image: Eleanor and
Barbara, Chicago

Landscapes
Chicago, Trees in Snow.
1950

Cape Cod. 1972

Sandwiching

Sandwiching is putting 2 negatives in the holder and

exposing them together.

Sandwiching
Also known as negative sandwiching.
Photo technique created by combining two
negatives into the film carrier of the
enlarger and printing them both together
as one.
Creates and an image where one
photograph will appear in almost a shadow
of the other.

Providence,
1966.
Eleanor, 1947.
Eleanor, Chicago.
1952

Grasses,
1965

And More Pics

Chicago, 1949

Atlanta, 1984

Cape Cod,
1972

What I plan to Mimic

Eleanor, Lake
Michigan. 1952

Eleanor, Indiana.
1948

Work Cited
http://www.jacksonfineart.com/harry-callahan2406.
html
https://magdorian.wordpress.com/tag/harry-ca
llahan
/
https://www.lensculture.com/articles/harry-ca
llahan-harry-callahan-the-photographer-at-wor
k#slide8
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/art/photographer
-harry-callahan-at-100