Sammy Davis Jr. the Photographer

[f8&go]

Just discovered this:http://www.vanityfair.com/fame/featu...200703?slide=1

He was good!

[xayraa33]

yes he was very good.
love the shot of Dino and Frank.
thanks for finding that web site for us.

[reagan]

Interesting. Thanks for the link, f8!

From a book I read recently called "Shooting Stars".

“Jerry Lewis bugged me on photography when he gave a Contax.3A. At first I was very casual about taking pictures, but as my interest grew, photography came to mean more and more to me and now I am as serious about photography as any professional. … Photography is good because it gives me the chance to try and be creative. … Photography is also a great way to express one’s inner feelings, and unlike a painter, a photographer can communicate with certainty exactly how he feels about a subject. If he captures what he feels, all the people who look at the photograph will know just what he meant and understand the feeling. … I am never without a camera and am always getting new ones. … There is no end to the amount of gear I’ve accumulated, but I love every piece of it.” ~ Sammy Davis Jr.

Some of his cameras were “…the Contax Jerry gave me,” and 2 Rollieflexes, 2 Nikons, Leica, Hasselblad, Canon, Praktica, Polaroid … and all their lenses.

[Nick R.]

Thanks for the link!

[ICU]

My favorite is the one of Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, and Lauren Bacall. I really like that he used the mirror to capture Bacall. I guess he liked to use mirrors (Frank and Dean). Good Morning America did a feature of Sammy's photos this morning, anyone else see it?

[ICU]

Originally Posted by CVBLZ4

… I am never without a camera and am always getting new ones. … There is no end to the amount of gear I’ve accumulated, but I love every piece of it.” ~ Sammy Davis Jr.

Guess Sammy had GAS,too .

[telenous]

That was a treat, thanks for the link. I liked very much the Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable and Marylin Monroe one, as well as the close one on Peter O' Toole.

[40oz]

that was good, thanks.

[dcsang]

That Uncle Milty shot is classic!!
The O'Toole shot is nice too.

It's interesting to note the cropping - something that I seem to rarely do - maybe I should take tips from Sammy and say.. "Yes I Can!" (as long as Frank say's it's ok...)

Dave

[pesphoto]

very cool. He did nice work.

[Jonathan_100]

Thanks for the link. Love the Tony Curtis shot.

[f8&go]

BUMP

and: glad you enjoyed it.

[Olsen]

Originally Posted by f8&go

Just discovered this:http://www.vanityfair.com/fame/featu...200703?slide=1

He was good!

He was! Facinating! But then quite a few film stars and entertainers of that era were good photographers. Wasn't James Dean also a habile photographer?

Sammy Davis jr. was/is one of my favourite americans. I can remember an interview with him by BBC TV (David Frost) back in the late 60' when I was a student in London. We all lay flat on the floor of laughter when Sammy jr. mimicked everybody from Humphrey Bogarth to president Johnson. I will never forget it. A great artist.

[Ken Ford]

I didn't visit the link (I'm on dial-up), but is this about his photo book? I saw it a few weeks ago and was impressed.

[dcsang]

Ken,

ya.. it's excerpts from the book that were published in Vanity Fair.

It's pretty neat really.

Dave

[dmr]

I don't know if anybody else saw it, but the other night on the CBS overnight news here in the States they had an interview with a friend of SD's who told the story of the book and how they put it together from SD's photos.

[gb hill]

I sat down with the book a few weeks ago and was simply facinated. He was a Nikon RF enthusist. He owned every piece of Nikon RF camera, lens, viewfinder, ever made by Nikon. The book states and shows photos of times he would go out into the streets of NewYork after a show and take photos.I loved the self portraits of Sammy standing in front of the mirror holding one of his Nikon RFs. He would be right at home here.

[eric]

Originally Posted by ICU

Guess Sammy had GAS,too .

The difference is....he didn't pay with a credit card

[kshapero]

nice real nice. sammy was special.

[Keith]

I'd forgotten what a suave looking dude Deano was ... Sinatra always looked like a 'crim' to me.

Great thread ... I would love that book!

(walks away humming .... "Everybody needs somebody sometime" )

[dmr]

Originally Posted by gb hill

He was a Nikon RF enthusist. He owned every piece of Nikon RF camera, lens, viewfinder, ever made by Nikon.

I do get the feeling that some of the shots in the VF article, in particular some of the posed portraits, are MF, particularly since they show his self-portrait with the Rolleiflex.

[kully]

Those photos were lovely, I'll be adding his book to those I want to buy.

thanks,

[gb hill]

Originally Posted by dmr

I do get the feeling that some of the shots in the VF article, in particular some of the posed portraits, are MF, particularly since they show his self-portrait with the Rolleiflex.

Your right, there are alot of shots with the Rolliflex, including the self portrait you menchioned about, but He also had a self portrait with a Nikon RF. If you read at the first few pages I think thats where it's at, It tells about his Nikons. Did you see the shot of Kim Novak taking a picture with one of his Nikons RFs.

[dmr]

Originally Posted by gb hill

Your right, there are alot of shots with the Rolliflex, including the self portrait you menchioned about, but He also had a self portrait with a Nikon RF. If you read at the first few pages I think thats where it's at, It tells about his Nikons. Did you see the shot of Kim Novak taking a picture with one of his Nikons RFs.

Actually, I haven't seen the book yet, just the VF article. I think I might just drop by B&N on the way home in a few minutes and see if they have it.

[Jonnyfez]

Sammy had a good eye.

Sorry, bad joke. I've got the Vanity Fair mag right here. Love the photos. Looking forward to reading the article once the kids go to sleep.