Gordon Parks, accomplished photographer, filmmaker, musician and writer died at age 93. He was the first black photographer at
Life Magazine and the first black person to direct a major Hollywood motion picture (
Shaft). Another major accomplishment of his includes his autobiographical novel titled
The Learning Tree of which he made a movie later on
.I first saw an interview of his on CNN and have been a fan ever since. What strikes me most about Gordon Parks and his photography is his ability to establish a relationship with his subjects talking to them about their struggles and hopes, and later his willingness to be involved in the life of those he had reported on well after his assignment was over.
His assignments covered among other subjects poverty in the US, the civil rights movement and a reportage on the slums of Brazil.
The
Gordon Parks Photography Competition is a yearly contest honoring his work.
More about his life and his accomplishments.
