Eliot Porter

Eliot Porter

Eliot Porter

Eliot Furness Porter (December 6, 1901 – November 2, 1990) was an American photographer best known for his color photographs of nature. He was a pioneer in the use of color photography and is often credited with helping to establish color photography as a legitimate art form.

Early Life and Education

Eliot Porter was born in Winnetka, Illinois, to a well-to-do family. His father, James Foster Porter, was an architect, and his mother, Ruth Furness Porter, was a homemaker. Porter developed an interest in photography at an early age, influenced by his family's frequent trips to the countryside and his brother, Fairfield Porter, who was a painter.

Porter attended Harvard University, where he earned a degree in chemical engineering in 1924. He later returned to Harvard to study medicine, earning an M.D. in 1929. Despite his medical training, Porter's passion for photography persisted, and he eventually decided to pursue it full-time.

Career

Porter's career as a photographer began in earnest in the 1930s. He initially worked in black-and-white photography, but he soon became interested in color photography. In 1938, he met Alfred Stieglitz, a prominent photographer and art promoter, who encouraged him to continue his work in color.

In 1943, Porter had his first solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This exhibition, which featured his black-and-white photographs, helped to establish his reputation as a serious photographer.

Color Photography

Porter is best known for his pioneering work in color photography. He began experimenting with the Kodachrome film in the 1940s, and his work in this medium brought him widespread acclaim. His photographs of nature, particularly birds and landscapes, are celebrated for their vibrant colors and meticulous composition.

In 1962, Porter published his first book, In Wildness Is the Preservation of the World, which featured his color photographs of the New England wilderness accompanied by excerpts from the writings of Henry David Thoreau. The book was a critical and commercial success and helped to cement Porter's reputation as a master of color photography.

Legacy

Eliot Porter's work has had a lasting impact on the field of photography. He is credited with helping to elevate color photography to the status of fine art and has inspired countless photographers to explore the possibilities of color in their work.

Porter's photographs are held in the collections of many major museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. His work continues to be celebrated for its beauty, technical excellence, and contribution to the art of photography.

Personal Life

Porter was married twice and had three children. He spent much of his later life in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he continued to photograph the natural world until his death in 1990.

Selected Works

• In Wildness Is the Preservation of the World (1962)
• The Place No One Knew: Glen Canyon on the Colorado (1963)
• Appalachian Wilderness: The Great Smoky Mountains (1970)
• Eliot Porter (1987)

See Also

• Photography
• Color photography
• Nature photography
• Alfred Stieglitz
• Henry David Thoreau