Review of "Life Photographers: Their Careers and Favorite Pictures," by Stanley Rayfield

Review of

Life Photographers: Their Careers and Favorite Pictures, by Stanley Rayfield


Five out of five stars

 Like all glossy magazines, the photographs that appear in “Life” magazine are some of the best ever. This book contains short descriptions of the lives and careers of some of the best photographers that have ever worked for the magazine. A few of their most memorable photos are included.

 The numbers of pictures taken by these people is extraordinary, along with the extremely low percentage of what they take is actually used in the magazine. There are several interesting facts regarding their careers and equipment. The first is that many of them started out using primitive and even broken down cameras and the second is that some were still using cameras that would be considered old and obsolete.

 Photographers are by definition visual historians in the grand tradition of Matthew Brady. This book is a brief synopsis of their work, some of them have died for it.