Dorothea Lange (Documentary Photographer & Photo Journalist)

                                                                  Dorothea Lange
          Image Availabe at (http://www.famousnewjerseyyans.com/images/dorothea_lange.jpg

                                                                     (accessed 9th April 2012)

Dorothea Lange was born in New Jersey in 1895 and lived to be 70 years old.  When she was 7 she contracted Polio which left her with a limp.  On top of that her father left their family home when she was 12 never to return.

(Abbey (2009) provided information about D Lange).

She married twice and had two children from her first husband.

She went to Columbia University and when she graduated she moved to San Francisco and opened up a Portrait studio.

(Masters of Photography (2012) provided information about D Lang).

It was something which she felt endeared her to the people she later photographed particularly when she was asked to document the exploitation of Sharecroppers and farmworkers during depression period in the 1930’s.

During my research and going through her black and white photography portraits I found that they really got under my skin.  I could  feel that the subjects photographed really blended in with their surroundings. You can almost see into their souls, reflecting their faith to battle for a better tomorrow whatever it took.

Dorothea has been such of inspiration for me to use more of my SLR Camera and like in her days develop my photographs in the darkroom.  She was an amazing portrait photographer and captured so much more than just an image of a person, rather their whole identity.

This collection of photographs were to be at the forefront of her Portfolio.  She believed in the hands off approach where she did not meddle and did not arrange what she photographed.   

"I had to get my camera to register things that were more important than how poor they were--their pride, their strength, their spirit." Lange
According to Sandler (2002,p.86) Lange stated

                                           Ditched, Stalled, and Stranded San Joaquin Valley, California 193
            Available at: http://masters-of-photography.com/L/lange/lange_ditched_stalled_stranded.html

(Accessed 8^th April 2012)

                                                             
                                                     Migrant Mother;Nipomo, California 1936
                      Image Available at:http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/lange/dor001.jpg
                                                                         (Accessed 8^th April 2012)

                   Plantation Overseer and His Field Hands, near Clarksdale. Mississippi 1936
        Available at http://masters-of-photography.com/L/lange/lange_plantation_overseer.html
                                                                      (Accessed 8^th April 2012)

Jobless on Edge of Pea Field, Imperial Valley, California, 1937

Available at http://www.museumsyndicate.com/item.php?item=5517
(Accessed 8^th April 2012)

                   

Migratory Cotton Picker 1940

Available at: http://lumieregallery.net/wp/190/dorothea-lange-and-her-impact/

(Accessed at April 8^th 2012)

References

Books

Sandler, M W (2002) Photography: An illustrated History.  Ney York, New York:  Oxford University Press

Websites

Masters of Photography (2012) Available at:

http://masters-of-photography.com/L/lange/lange_articles2.html (Accessed 8th April 2012)

Abbey,S (2008) Dorothea Lange. Available at :

 http://www.myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=d_lange (Accessed 8^th April 2012)

http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/lange/index.html