Are photographers cool again?

With PBS's recent American Masters profile of Annie Lebowitz, and the Documentary channel's showing of two docs this month about photographers, Sally Mann and Robert Capra,(pictured below)are photographers cool again? Could it be now that everyone who wants a camera, has one, people have started to discover it's not the gear but the people behind it that make the images that last? Oh I hope so.

Ten years after directing the Academy Award nominated Blood Ties, director Steven Cantor revisits renowned photographer Sally Mann and her family, the subjects of her controversial photographic series.

Never one to compromise, Sally Mann reflects on her own personal feelings towards death as she continues to examine the boundaries of contemporary photography. Her willingness to reveal her artistic process as it unfolds allows the viewer to gain exclusive entrance into her world.

Robert Capa, the world’s preeminent documentarian of 20th century war, photographed five epic conflicts on three different continents. A handsome, dashing figure, Capa was a life-long pacifist who wore military uniforms, rode in tanks, jumped out of planes, dodged bullets and marched in the front lines. His images have affected the lives of those who may not even know his name. The only photographer who touched land with soldiers at Omaha Beach on D-Day, his shocking pictures inspired Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan more than 50 years later.

Documentary Channel - Documentaries

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