The photographer, not the camera is not the instrument — Appreciating Eve Arnold

I have the equipment I need to practice the craft I love. Those who know me best might be surprised to learn that I have lost my desire to upgrade my photographic equipment collection. For years, you could not keep me out of camera stores, often in search of the latest models of Nikon and Fuji bodies, lenses, and accessories. While I could never afford top-of-the-line equipment I have always had good quality consumer machinery. A switch to Fuji from Nikon a few years ago was a game changer for sure. Lack of camera outlets in the BC interior has certainly reduced temptation. That said, I enjoy what I have at hand and know how to use it well. It dovetails nicely with computer software that makes post-production enjoyable, efficient, and at times very creative.

Delightfully, I recently stumbled across the title quote above from American photographer Eve Arnold (1912-2012):

“If a photographer cares about the people before the lens and is compassionate, much is given. It is the photographer, not the camera, that is the instrument.”

Such an approach makes total sense viewing her work. A biography on Magnum Photos sketches her life and photographic career.

Eve Arnold was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1912 to Russian immigrant parents. She began photographing in 1946 while working at a photo-finishing plant in New York City. She then studied photography in 1948 with Alexei Brodovitch at the New School for Social Research in New York.

Arnold first became associated with Magnum Photos in 1951 and became a full member in 1957. She was based in the US during the 1950s, but moved to England in 1962 to put her son through school. She lived in the UK from that time forward, except for a six-year interval when she worked in the US and China.

In 1980, she held her first major solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, showcasing the images she captured during her time in China. In the same year, she received the National Book Award for In China and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Magazine Photographers. On 1^st November 2024 Eve Arnold was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame. She joins a prestigious list of some of the greatest photographers of all time. Eve Arnold died in London on January 4, 2012.

Eve Arnold’s official website describes her work in these words:

“Eve Arnold’s iconic images document the second half of the twentieth century with compassion for her subjects and a strong sense of social justice.”

[Her] iconic images document the second half of the twentieth century with compassion for her subjects and a strong sense of social justice.

Motivated by her insatiable curiosity, Eve sought to capture the story behind the story, photograph the person behind the persona. Actors, civil rights activists and politicians all got the same treatment behind her lens.

Robert Capa (co-founder of Magnum photos) described Eve’s work as “Falling between Marlene Dietrich’s legs and the bitter lives of migratory potato pickers.”

So if the images linked above represent her work, what does my (humble) work look like. Please enjoy the sixteen images below as proof of my intent rather than any particular success. Regardless, I still love what I love and hope you enjoy seeing them.