Ernst Haas - Assignments For Life Magazine

Assignments For Life Magazine

In 1952 Haas hitchhiked across the United States to White Sands National Park in New Mexico, planning to photograph Native Americans. He was enchanted by the landscape and its unusual colors, different than anything he had experienced before. Working with the vast area’s changing light and clouds, Haas also photographed symbols, local details, and tourist oddities. His finished photo essay, published by Life as “Land of Enchantment” in a six-page spread, was well-received by readers and prompted the magazine to invite another project. According to writer (and early Magnum employee) Inge Bondi, Haas’ Western chronicle was the first major story he created based on his own instinct and at his own financial risk.

Once back in New York, Haas purchased color film to begin a new project in the city. He had experimented with color as early as 1949, but this would be his first opportunity to work seriously with what was still a scarce and expensive medium. Haas spent two months photographing New York, and in 1953 Life published his vivid images. Titled “Images of a Magic City,” the sprawling 24-page story spanned two issues. According to critic Andy Grundberg, these images “brought photography into the precincts of abstract expressionism.”