Ernst Haas

Background:

Born on March 2, 1921
Had an artistic childhood
Drafted into the military
- returned home after training
Attended medical school in hopes of becoming a doctor
- Kicked out after a few months
Haas began printing his father’s negatives
- Enjoyed working in the dark room
- Eventually started shooting his own images
Self-taught technical aspect of photography
- Loved the creative aspect
Love of photography came from a love of painting and exploring
Haas was as an independent photographer until joining Magnum in 1949 under the direction of Robert Capa
- Haas was offered many photographer positions, ultimately choosing Magnum to maintain his own artistic freedom
- Worked closely with Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Werner Bischof

Historical Connections:

Haas broke the world of black and white photography with his color photos
- Redefined the way photographers thought about color and how they used color
- He has been associated with the movement of color photography
Haas paved the way for color photo and greatly popularized it for mass enjoyment and for the use of color photography for many artists

Photography:

Haas was first influenced by Werner Bischof
- Haas learned that a photograph can tell a story and still be a work of art
Documentary, fine-art, and portrait photography.