The photographer that I chose to research is Howard Bingham, and this one very good reason for that and his name is Muhammad Ali. Howard Bingham was born in Mississippi in 1939. The best thing about Howard to me is that he had no formal training in photography, except for a photography course that he failed. But despite that he has gone on to be one the most influential and lauded photographers of our generation.
Howard Bingham learned photography on the job working for a small black newspaper called The Sentinel, in Los Angeles. While on assignment for the paper he met a young Cassius Clay. This assignment would turn into a lifetime friendship with the greatest boxer of all time Muhammad Ali. Mr. Bingham would become the personal photo-biographer of Muhammad Ali. During this time Mr. Bingham would capture some of the greatest moments of Ali’s life, but also in sports and pop culture. Since Muhammad Ali was so well known across the world there were plenty of opportunities for great photos, as you can see in the collection of photos that I am presenting today.
Besides being Ali’s personal photographer, he was also a contract photographer for Life and Sports Illustrated. And Mr. Bingham was the first black photographer to work on a Hollywood International Cinematographers Guild camera crew. In 1997 Mr. Bingham was the recipient of the prestigious APS Award for Excellence for his work over the years. Again Howard Bingham did all of this without any formal photography training. It goes to show what you can do with a camera, determination, and a great eye for the classic photo.
Hi Jonathan! This is an awesome photographer! I like that you chose someone that captured sports, specifically Muhammad Ali. I like how he shoots action shots of Ali, and is able to capture his spirit and the spirit of a fighter. It's amazing he was this skillful at photography without any formal training! Clearly he had an innate artistic eye. My favorite photo is the one of Ali underwater. The composition is great and the fact that it is underwater is impressive. I didn't even know they could take pictures underwater back then! I also like Bingham's perspective of get close to Ali when he is practicing, it makes the viewer get a sense of the intensive moments. Black and white photos are my favorite as well, I think they give the photo so much more meaning or effect. Nice job, and thanks for introducing me to Howard Bingham!
Congratulations on completing your first photo class and great job! You chose a very iconic photo grapher and I thank you for showcasing his work! These photos struck a personal cord with me as well. My father is a huge Muhammad Ali fan, and has a signed copy of the iconic sport's illustrated cover of him striking down his opponent. Howard had a way of capturing the ecstasy of victory. All of his photographs appear to show the subject in a moment of joy or victory. From Malcolm X smiling with Ali to the iconic Ali victorious, all of his themes are very positive and truly inspiring. It is no coincidence his work was all over Sports Illustrated because of the honest masculine, and exceptional moments he captured. Very interesting and I am glad I can put a face to the photographer that took one of the most iconic sports photos of all time.
Hey Jonathan! These photos are all so iconic. I love that the monochromatic scheme emphasizes the classic era they were taken in. I feel like I have seen several of these before but never knew who Howard Bingham was so it has been interesting to learn about him! The angles of the Ali photos make you feel like you are right in the action and part of his training. I as well as Courtney was very impressed by the underwater shot. Great job this semester and best of luck to you!
Bingham was a great photographer to choose. He took some really famous photos that have lasted through history. He did a great job in capturing the most intimate and professional shots of Muhammad Ali. He even took one of the few iconic pictures of Ali and Malcolm X together. My favorite out of this set is the fourth picture, where Ali is training underwater. It is really impressive that he was able to take that shot while submerged with the world known athlete. I also like that you included a few pictures of his other subjects, Tyson and Cosby. It shows that he had an interest outside of Ali, not that there could be enough pictures of the champion boxer. You did a great job in this research project, and introducing us to who Bingham was.
Hi Jonathan! This is an awesome photographer! I like that you chose someone that captured sports, specifically Muhammad Ali. I like how he shoots action shots of Ali, and is able to capture his spirit and the spirit of a fighter. It's amazing he was this skillful at photography without any formal training! Clearly he had an innate artistic eye. My favorite photo is the one of Ali underwater. The composition is great and the fact that it is underwater is impressive. I didn't even know they could take pictures underwater back then! I also like Bingham's perspective of get close to Ali when he is practicing, it makes the viewer get a sense of the intensive moments. Black and white photos are my favorite as well, I think they give the photo so much more meaning or effect. Nice job, and thanks for introducing me to Howard Bingham!
ReplyDeleteHi Jonathan
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on completing your first photo class and great job! You chose a very iconic photo grapher and I thank you for showcasing his work! These photos struck a personal cord with me as well. My father is a huge Muhammad Ali fan, and has a signed copy of the iconic sport's illustrated cover of him striking down his opponent. Howard had a way of capturing the ecstasy of victory. All of his photographs appear to show the subject in a moment of joy or victory. From Malcolm X smiling with Ali to the iconic Ali victorious, all of his themes are very positive and truly inspiring. It is no coincidence his work was all over Sports Illustrated because of the honest masculine, and exceptional moments he captured. Very interesting and I am glad I can put a face to the photographer that took one of the most iconic sports photos of all time.
Hey Jonathan! These photos are all so iconic. I love that the monochromatic scheme emphasizes the classic era they were taken in. I feel like I have seen several of these before but never knew who Howard Bingham was so it has been interesting to learn about him! The angles of the Ali photos make you feel like you are right in the action and part of his training. I as well as Courtney was very impressed by the underwater shot. Great job this semester and best of luck to you!
ReplyDeleteHi Jonathan,
ReplyDeleteBingham was a great photographer to choose. He took some really famous photos that have lasted through history. He did a great job in capturing the most intimate and professional shots of Muhammad Ali. He even took one of the few iconic pictures of Ali and Malcolm X together. My favorite out of this set is the fourth picture, where Ali is training underwater. It is really impressive that he was able to take that shot while submerged with the world known athlete. I also like that you included a few pictures of his other subjects, Tyson and Cosby. It shows that he had an interest outside of Ali, not that there could be enough pictures of the champion boxer. You did a great job in this research project, and introducing us to who Bingham was.