Time Exposure: November 1950
Pop Photo takes a look at its past.
November 11, Armistice Day, officially marked the annual tribute to America’s veterans. Professional photographer L. Willinger, of Los Angeles, set up this shot in his studio to provide a timely cover photo. He used a 5×7 Ansco View camera with a 10-inch Zeiss Tessar f/4.5 lens. The exposure on Kodachrome Type B film was 30 sec at f/20. Lighting was supplied by four 1000-watt photofloods. The holes in the helmet were made by Willinger firing at it with a .45-caliber pistol. Pop Photo Staff
A single photo may provide several good pictures when cropped with intelligence and imagination. The top photo was shot by Todd Webb. Six well-known photographers were invited to crop the picture to produce six new images. One of the six, Victor Keppler (father of our late Publishing Director, Herbert Keppler), found this dramatic vertical composition within the original photo. Edna R. Bennett, a photographic writer and editor, did the interviews and wrote the article. Pop Photo Staff
The introduction of the Leica spurred an increase in “how-to” photo books. Probably the most famous in the U.S. was the Leica Manual, first written and published by William Morgan and Henry Lester in 1935 and a bestseller for 15 years. The latest update, redesigned and revised, appeared in 1950 to take its place among earlier editions of the 35mm users’ “bible.” The price was a reasonable $5.00. Pop Photo Staff
In addition to news and techniques, Popular Photography published superbly printed portfolios by outstanding photographers. Typical was this iconic image of British philosopher Bertrand Russell made by Yousuf Karsh. The picture was taken in Wales, likely with Karsh’s usual 8×10 view camera. Pop Photo Staff