A retrospective on Photographer Art Shay.

A photographer whose vision and sensitivity were his tools.

Do photographers depend more on expensive tools to express their visions than their senses? Is the quality of a photographer’s images lessened because they know most of the flaws can be fixed in Photoshop? What about the new $3000 digital camera and $1500 zoom lens that allow almost unlimited shots to choose from? Is something lost with the elimination of time spent looking at the subject, determining the best angle and lighting, and the best exposure to convey the original vision of the scene? There will always be times when photos are pretty much standard and don’t require a lot of thought. However, when the artistic value is the primary motivating factor, there will always be a need for the
serious photographer who has a clear idea of the critical compositional elements of an image. Photographer Art Shay (b.1922) is such a person.

Soldiers off to war 1943, © Art Shay 1943

A legendary photographer

Art is a Chicago legend, but also much more! During WWII, he was a navigator on a bomber that flew over 50 dangerous missions. After the war, he became a writer and photographer for Life Magazine. Shay effectively taught himself photography. After leaving Life, he became a freelance photographer in Chicago, working assignments for Time Life, Sports Illustrated, and many other publications. He has photographed presidents, politicians, gangsters and other famous people.

Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) 1961
Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) 1961, © Art Shay

More than a photographer

Art is a prolific writer, having published many books, including a book we treasure: Animals, which he signed for my daughter in law, a veterinarian. While Art photographed just about everything, I have always favored his street photography and old school journalistic style. From his Speed Graphic days, the early photographer’s standard, to his later 35mm cameras, these black and white images have a raw, gritty feel that makes a viewer concentrate on the subject. No pretty colors to distract you.

Two Chiefs – John F. Kennedy Fields Indian Request
© Art Shay, 1960

Only the necessities

Art used a minimal amount of equipment. You wouldn’t see Art lugging three-foot-long lenses around! Nor would you catch him sporting big expensive camera bags or designer camera straps and fancy pocket vests. Shay knew a photographer had to get in close, maybe even push people around a bit to get the shot. The last thing a photographer needed was for people to be looking at them and saying “Wow what expensive camera equipment he has! He must be a great photographer.” All Art needed was his dependable equipment, his superior knowledge of light and exposure, and a great eye for a photo.

Backyard olympics 1967
Backyard Olympics – 1967 Chicago, © Art Shay

What wonderful stories Art had about where he had been, what he had done, and who he had met.

So much more

I had the honor of printing many of Art’s negatives in the late sixties and early seventies. Art is now ninety-five years old. He lost his loving wife Florence several years ago. I haven’t had contact with Art in many years, but think of him often. And it’s usually a visual memory of Art walking in our front door with a bag in his hand, dumping the contents. Many rolls of black and white negatives spill out, all curled and rolled up. Some are carried in horrible long plastic sleeves that not only scratch the negatives but create tons of static when removed. Many of the rolls have not been washed correctly and are stained.

Once again, Art has uncovered a new corner in his home office and discovered some long-lost negatives. Art truly deserved his award from ‘Home Office Computing Magazine’ for the “country’s messiest home office”! The when, where and why of these images made all the work I would have to go through on these negatives well worth it. What wonderful stories Art had about where he had been, what he had done, and who he had met.

Art Shay is a wonderful photographer and so much more. The thirties, forties, fifties, and sixties produced many great photographers, but few had as many different accomplishments as Art.

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