W.Eugene Smith

Biography

Born and reared in Wichita, Kansas, W. Eugene Smith became interested in photography at the age of fourteen, and three years later had begun to photograph for local newspapers. He received a photography scholarship to the University of Notre Dame, but he left after a year for New York, where he joined the staff of Newsweek and freelanced for LIFE, Collier’s, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Times, and other publications. Beginning in 1939, Smith began working sporadically as a staff photographer for LIFE, with which he had a tempestuous relationship throughout the rest of his career.

During World War II he was a war correspondent in the Pacific theater for the Ziff-Davis publishing company and LIFE, for whom he was working when he was severely wounded in Okinawa in 1945. After a two-year recuperation, he returned to the magazine and produced many of his best photo essays, including “Country Doctor,” “Spanish Village,” and “A Man of Mercy.” In 1955, he joined Magnum, the international cooperative photography agency founded by Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, George Rodger and Chim (David Seymour), and began work on a large photographic study of Pittsburgh, for which he received Guggenheim Fellowships in 1956 and 1957. Smith continued to freelance for LIFE, Pageant, and Sports Illustrated, among other periodicals, for the rest of his career. From 1959 to 1977, he worked for Hitachi in Japan and taught at the New School for Social Research and the School of Visual Arts in New York and the University of Arizona in Tucson. His last photo essay, “Minamata,” completed in the 1970s, depicted victims of mercury poisoning in a Japanese fishing village.

Country Doctor

A project by W. Eugene Smith. One of his most iconic works. In this project, Smith documented the life and work of Dr. Ernest Ceriani, a dedicated general practitioner in Colorado. Smith spent 23 days with Dr. Ceriani, capturing the challenges, triumphs, and the emotional toll of being a rural doctor.

Through his photographs, Smith beautifully portrayed the intimate moments between Dr. Ceriani and his patients, showcasing the deep connection and trust that existed between them. The project highlighted the importance of accessible healthcare in rural communities and shed light on the sacrifices made by doctors like Dr. Ceriani.

Smith’s photographs from the “Country Doctor” project were published in Life magazine in 1948 and gained widespread recognition. The project remains a powerful example of the impact that photojournalism can have in telling meaningful stories and raising awareness about important issues.

The “Country Doctor” project by W. Eugene Smith can be used as a source of inspiration for producing my own photographic response with a focus on photojournalism. Smith’s work showed the power of capturing real-life moments and telling compelling stories through images. To create my own photographic response, I can start by finding a subject or a theme that resonates with me, this being my fathers connection the the ocean. I can spend time observing and immersing myself in the subject, just like Smith did with Dr. Ceriani. When producing my response I am going to focus on capturing authentic moments and emotions. Looking for the details that tell a story and convey the essence of my subject through my images.