Helen Levitt (1913-2009)

Helen Levitt was one of the most celebrated street photographers during the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. Her motives were the innocent and playful sides of the poor and improvised lives of children in places such Spanish Harlem or Lower East Side. In New York’s poor neighborhoods, Levitt fabulously represented daily dramas staged in those streets that were still treated like living rooms. Helen Levitt was born in 1913 In Brooklyn, NY and grew up with an intense desire to become an artist. Finding high school rather unsatisfying, Levitt dropped out during senior year and started to work for a commercial portrait photographer from whom she learned the printing and developing of photographs. With her first camera, a second hand Voigtländer, she began experimenting the art of point & shoot and trained her eyes in museums while focusing on the composition of paintings.

After Helen met Cartier-Bresson in 1935 and accompanied him during his shootings at Brooklyn’s waterfront, Levitt decided to buy Bresson’s favorite tool: a second hand Leica and began her own series of street photography in which she combined the styles of Bresson, Walker Evans, James Agee and Ben Shahn. She subsequently began to find press work as a documentary photographer and also produced several documentary films. Helen Levitt lived in New York City and remained active as a photographer for nearly 70 years.
via: http://blog.eyeem.com/?p=755

 Helen Levitt fue una de las mas celebradas fotografas urbanas en las decadas de los 40, 50, 60 y 70. Sus objetivos fueron la inocencia y el lado jovial de la pobreza  y  la improvisada vida de los chicos de lugares como el Spanish Harlem o el Lower East Side. En los pobres barrios de New York, Levitt plasmo fantasticamente los dramas diarios que se escenificaban en aquellas calles que se usaban como el cuarto de estas. Helen Levitt nacio en Brooklyn, New York y crecio con un intenso deseo de convertirse en artista. Encontro el instituto poco satisfactorio y Levitt lo abandono en su ultimo año y comenzo a trabajar para un fotografo de retratos comerciales del que aprendio la impresion y el revelado de fotografias. Con su primera camara, una Voigtlander de segunda mano, empezo a experimentar el arte del "Point&Shoot" (apunta y dispara) y entreno sus ojos en museon mientras enfocaba las composiciones de los cuadros.

Después de que Helen conociera a Cartier-Bresson en 1935 y le acompaño durante sus tomas frente al mar de Brooklyn, Levitt decidio comprar la herramienta favorita de Bresson; una Leica de segundamano y comenzo sus propia serie de fotografias callejeras/urbanas en las que combinaba el estilo de Bresson, Walker Evans, James Agee y Ben Shahn. con posterioridad encontro trabajo en prensa como fotografa documentalista y tambien produjo varios documentales. Helen Levitt vivio en New York y permanecio activa como fotografa durante casi 70 años.