Iconic images remind us to tell the story twice

Photography news that's fit to blog (this week)
by Kerry Raminiak

I cannot believe it has been three weeks since my last post! Between IUSA, PPA and WPPI – the marketing manager’s national trifecta of industry tradeshows – the schedule has been a bit packed and my rants, raves, jeers, and cheers have been on hold.

With that said, there will not be a “photography goodie and news wrap up” this week, with one exception: News just in about Annie Leibovitz and Colony Capital has hit the wires. They reached an unspecified deal and the good news are reports indicating she is able to retain the rights to her archive, which was in jeopardy as collateral in substantial, defaulted loans. We blogged about her plight a couple of times (here is an example) and we’re glad that some faceless company doesn’t own some of the most notable celebrity images ever.

Next week, keep your eyes peeled. The industry news wrap up will be back. In addition, I will be highlighting aspects of the March newsletter which features quick tips on photography website SEO and online marketing. If you don’t get our newsletter, please sign up by clicking this link.

Not absent this week, said with a smile on my face, is this week’s photography spotlight…

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This week’s spotlight is on: Nostalgia!
Iconic photography tells two stories

The simplicity and magic of photography is that the photo, itself, tells a remarkable story. (The stories I can tell you about the beautiful shots my wedding photographer pulled off are, for example, craaaaaazy!) The thing about these iconic photo-journalist shots is that they tell two stories: (1) the originally stirring representation and (2) the interview taken twenty or so years later. Please enjoy these great stories made a second time around and, perhaps, learn a lesson about your photography; a great shot gives you the chance to promote yourself and your work more than once ...


National Geographic magazine’s ‘Afgan Girl’ was found 17 years later after an extensive search for her by the original photographer, Steve McCurry. The story goes: McCurry had been trying to find out what happened to the steely-eyed subject for years. After learning that the refugee camp that was the subject of the article was being razed for development, he went back before, he felt, it would be too late. After being “frustrated and disheartened” during their efforts, a man came forward that led the photographer’s team to the girl’s brother. They knew, despite several false leads, they found her because of the brother’s incredible resemblance in the eyes. All the facial recognition technology that was conducted to prove the 30-year old woman they met was "the girl" wasn’t necessary for McCurry; he knew immediately it was her. She is now the mother of three girls, lives in a remote area of Afhanistan and, because of McCurry and National Geographic has been offered education-assistance for her and her daughters.

*** NPR has a nice, short-but-sweet feature that can be read / heard here. ***

Edith Shain was the nurse swept up and kissed by the sailor celebrating the end of World War II in Times Square. Alfred Eisentaedt snapped four pictures before the couple scurried off in all the hubbub and he didn’t get their names. Thirty-five years later, in 1980, Ms. Shain wrote Eisentaedt a letter and asked him for a copy of the photograph. Days after receiving the letter, he personally delivered a signed 8x10 to her and learned the story of her V.J. Day. The story was sweet and surprising: She never knew the sailor that gave her the embrace. Upon hearing the great news, he walked up to her and planted one of the most famous smooches in history and walked off in all the jubilation. To this day, no one knows who the sailor is.

*** Visalia Times-Delta has more including a picture of Edith today. Read it here. ***

Joan Bryant and a musician whom goes by Fantuzzi were the pair that represented, visually, the happenings at Woodstock in the 1969 issue of Life magazine, the 1994 issue of Newsweek, and CNN and AP dispatches in 2009. For more recent interviews, she digs up a photo of her and her old friend from a birthday party in 1994 (that can be found here). The story is short and simple. She went to Woodstock that year with friends but without a ticket. She was obviously able to get in and it was on the hill, amongst the hoards of people, that she ran into Fantuzzi, a friend at a time that she instantly recognized (since at that time “he only wore a loincloth”). Their dance was captured by Life photographer, James Marshall, and history was made. According to Ms. Bryant, she and Fantuzzi have recently reconnected on Facebook. 

*** Allison Ford writing for DivineCaroline.com was the source for this research. ***

A couple of months ago we posted a link to the story about the Elvis and Nixon picture, but it’s worthy of another quick mention. Not only is the picture pretty awesome but some quick facts to be gleaned from the LA Times feature include: (1) Copies of this photo are requested more from the national archives than the U.S. Constitution; (2) The white jumpsuit worn by Elvis during his famous televised concert (not shown in the picture) had a name. It was called “Snowflake;” (3) We don’t know if the purple, caped jumpsuit worn in the photo had a name, but I like to think it was something magical; (4) On the plane to D.C., Elvis walked into coach class and gave a young soldier that had returned from the Vietnam War every dollar in his pocket; and (5) Upon meeting Nixon, Elvis persuaded the president to pony more souvenirs than he had originally wanted to give the King and his cronies.

*** There is a lot more to this story at the LA Times. Enjoy it here. ***

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Until next time my photog friends! Thanks for reading. XO.