A. Aubrey Bodine: The Photographer Who Made Pictures, Not Took Them

This news release highlights the remarkable photographic legacy of A. Aubrey Bodine (1906-1970), who was regarded as one of the finest pictorialists of the twentieth century in international photographic circles. Bodine's career began in 1923 when he started covering stories for the Baltimore Sunday Sun, traveling throughout Maryland to create exceptional documentary pictures that captured diverse occupations and activities. What set his work apart was the artistic quality and sophisticated lighting effects that far exceeded typical newspaper photography standards. His images were exhibited in hundreds of prestigious shows and museums worldwide, consistently winning top honors against formidable competition in national and international salon competitions.

Bodine approached photography as a creative discipline, studying art principles at the Maryland Institute College of Art and treating his camera and darkroom equipment as tools similar to a painter's brush or sculptor's chisel. His artistic craftsmanship was extraordinary - he constantly experimented with techniques, sometimes composing images directly in the camera viewfinder, while other times working extensively on negatives using dyes, intensifiers, pencil markings, and even scraping to achieve his desired effects. He famously added clouds photographically and employed other elaborate manipulations, believing that like painters working from models, photographers should select features that suited their sense of mood, proportion, and design. His philosophy was clear: "He did not take a picture, he made a picture."

The release specifically features his work "Gears" from approximately 1950 (ID# 50-418), which is available for ordering through the comprehensive website at www.aaubreybodine.com, where more than 6,000 photographs spanning Bodine's 47-year career can be viewed and purchased as reprints and note cards. For those seeking deeper insight into this remarkable artist, the full biography "A Legend In His Time" by Harold A. Williams, Bodine's editor and closest friend, is available on the same website. Additional information can be obtained by contacting info@AAubreyBodine.com or calling 1-800-556-7226. This content originally appeared on citybiz, showcasing how Bodine's innovative approach transformed documentary photography into fine art.