Vivian Dorothy Maier was born on February 1, 1926, she was an American street photographer whose work was discovered and recognized after her death (April 21, 2009). She took more than 150,000 photographs during her lifetime, primarily of the people and architecture of Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles, although she also traveled and photographed worldwide (Wikipedia).

Elements in her photos:

– Black and white

– Close-up shots

– Focus on people

– Low point of view (sometimes)

– Composition- people in the center

– Waited for people to pass by

I picked Vivian Maier as my inspiration photographer because she took photos that contained elements I wanted to capture. I like how he presents close-up shots of different people in her photos, and her unique composition makes her photos unique. The black and white in her photos helps the audience to focus on the people’s faces. For the ones that captured older people, the black and white color scheme can emphasize the wrinkles and emotions on their faces. I also like how her compositions are unique and have a different vision than normal; some photos are taken from a lower point of view.

A famous quote from Vivian Maier: “We have to make room for other people. It’s a wheel – you get on, you go to the end, and someone else has the same opportunity to go to the end, and so on, and somebody else takes their place.” This quote doesn’t have a straight connection to her photography style, but it shows her personality and her views of humanity. It could be seen as a call for empathy, compassion, and fairness, urging individuals to recognize that everyone deserves a chance to pursue their dreams and contribute to society.

Vivian Maier was inspired by many factors. She was passionate about documenting the world around her through homemade films, recordings, and collections, assembling one of the most fascinating windows into American life in the second half of the twentieth century. She began taking photos with an old box camera,  in 1952, she was possibly inspired by a show of contemporary French photography at the Museum of Modern Art. Maier was particularly interested in the work of early 20th-century photographers, such as Jacob Riis, Lewis Hine, and Dorothea Lange, who used their cameras to document social and political issues.  She was known for her street photography, which was heavily influenced by the work of photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa.

This is my favorite photo from Vivian Maier because I like the effect of the low angle. Maier focuses on the person walking by, and the background is filled mostly with buildings. She captured the emotion of the stranger and the random movement of him. The capture of the old man smoking and smiling elicits a calm, relaxed, and happy mood. The use of black and white created a timeless atmosphere and reduced the distraction of colors.