BILL BIGGART

Photojournalistic Profile

By: Melissa Gorneault

Bill Biggart

• Born in Berlin in 1947

• He was the second oldest from 12 children

• Irish-Catholic family

• He moved to New York in the 1970’s as an adult

• He married twice and had 3 kids• 1 kid with his first wife• 2 kids with his second wife

Photo by: UnknownPhoto source: http://www.habluetzel.com/cover_story.htm/

Bill’s Career Path

• He began his career in 1967 as a commercial photographer in New York

• In 1973, he went to Wounded Knee to cover the American Indian protest movement• After getting past the FBI boundary he was captured by the

overwhelmed protestor who assumed he was a federal agent.• Although some of his film was confiscated, his “gift for gab” got him

released.

Bill’s Career Path• In 1985, he immediately closed his studio after receiving his

first press card.

• He then began shooting black and white images. He “hated color and only came back to it when he grudgingly accepted digital photography methods.”

• Over the years Bill photographed• Racism in New York• The KKK in the South• The Palestinian uprising and refugee camps in Israel• The life of people in Northern Ireland• The fall of the Berlin Wall• And MUCH more

Bill’s Career Path

• He was one of the first member of Impact Visuals

(1989-until he was killed)• Cooperative photo agency• Devoted to social change & alternative news

• He was also a freelance photographer for: • Reuters• Agence France Press• Sipa Press

Bill’s Work

• His work appears in…

• The City Sun• The Village Voice• Christian Science Monitor• US News and World Report

• Time• Newsweek• New York Post• New York Times• New York daily News

And many other worldwide publications.

Bill’s era of photojournalism

• Bill Biggart began his career in the late 1960’s and continued until he died while photographing the 9/11 attack on September 11, 2001.

Photography is a competitive field. “It's one of the few fields where age and college degrees aren't as important as a good eye, a quality product, and self discipline.”

Photo by: UnknownPhoto source: http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-16838299/stock-photo-female-blue-eye-looking-through-a-digital-camera-lens.html

What motivated Bill?

• As a spot photographer, Bill was known to cover the stories that most interested him not the stories that the editor selected

• “He loved the streets”• “He has a strong interest in minorities”• “Bill loved films he gave his life to it”• “Passion”

Motivation

• “Bill’s photos display his independent spirit and his exuberant passion for life and photography. He was a person who loved his work and was working at what he loved right up to the end.”

-His wife, Wendy Doremus-Photo by: UnknownPhoto source: http://www.heandsheeatclean.com/2012/07/motivational-monday-are-you-your-best.html

Camera & Technology

• Bill used digital cameras and film

• “He loved the technique from the noise of the shutter to the processing of the film.”

• “He loved the magic of the still camera and always kept one at the foot of the bed.”

• “When digital camera arrived he was furious he hated the technology.” • “He said it would kill the profession.”

Ethical Dilemma?

• While covering the plight of the Palestinian people, he was arrested by Israeli police and beaten for “being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Photo by: UnknownPhoto source: http://www.ada.org/8180.aspx

Bias?

• Bill was against biases

• “Bill felt compelled to expose the injustices of racism in America”

• This was shown through much of his work that covered racism (1977-2000)

Photo by: Unknown

Photo source: http://www.lisascottlaw.com/

Berlin: 1989

• Everyone in Germany wanted the wall to fall.

• You can see a smile on some of their faces.

• I feel that this picture represents their first step to freedom. They are half way over the wall.

• Bill loved black and white photography and this was obvious through many of his images.

Photo by: Bill BiggartPhoto source: http://www.billbiggart.com/berlin_1.html

The Fall of the Wall

New York: 1990

• Bill kept it simple in this picture of a bike that was almost buried in a snow storm in NY.

• It is easy to see that this was taken during or soon after the storm finished. The texture of the snow looks fresh.

• If the bike was not in the picture it would not be as easy to see how deep the snow is.

• The pole in the picture is a great use of line to separate the sidewalk from the cars in the road.

“Still life in snow”

Photo by: Bill BiggartPhoto source: http://www.billbiggart.com/nyc_11.html

New York: 1997• The main subject of this

photo takes up only about ¼ of the image.

• By the look on his face it seems like he knew that he was being photographed.

• The “objects” on the main subject represent his side of the gay pride protest.

• Again Bill’s work is shown in a b/w image.

Photo by: Bill BiggartPhoto source: http://www.billbiggart.com/nyc_1.html

Gay Pride Parade

Bill’s final photo: September 11, 2001

• This picture was taken just before the second World Trade Tower collapsed on top of him.

• You can easily see that Bill was trying to get as close to the World Trade Towers as he could.

• This photo represents the determination that he had to get the best pictures.

• The texture in the image makes me feel like I am there.

• It creates a feeling of truth and disbelief at the same time.

Photo by: Bill BiggartPhoto source: http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0111/biggart_intro.htm

“We know in his last picture he was working to the very end, and that's telling of the commitment he had to his work.“

Impact: How did the photojournalist's images affect society?

• Bill always got up close an personal in all of his work.• This was evident in his last photo which was taken on

9/11 when he got too close and The World Trade Tower collapsed on top of him.

• Many people were amazed with how close he was.• If you do a Google search of his images now almost all of

the images are the ones that were captured on his flash card from 9/11.

• This has especially affected his family and close friends/photojournalists.

How does my Major at AIC relate to Bill?

• Bill had a passion for photography.

• Nursing is also a major that one must be passionate about.

• Bill had a desire to capture images to tell a story.

• In Nursing you must have a desire to help others.

Photo by: UnknownPhoto source: http://www.livewithpassionnow.com/what-is-your-passion/

How was Bill viewed by others?

• Many of the people who knew Bill viewed him as a “News Junkie”

Photo by: Unknown Photo source: http://www.movingpictureblog.com/2011/07/confession-of-news-junkie.html

“He never stopped moving until the end.”

• “With a press pass around his neck and a camera bag over his shoulder, in the middle of a cross fire – Bill was in heaven.”

-Wendy Doremus, Bill's Wife-

Photo by: UnknownPhoto source: http://www.billbiggart.com/911.html

References • http://www.billbiggart.com/about.html

• http://lejournaldelaphotographie.com/entries/3911/

• http://photodude.com/2007/04/12/bill-biggart-photographer-1947-2001

• http://www.billbiggart.com/essays.html

• http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0111/biggart_intro.htm

• http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Professional-Photographer