Christopher Morris (photographer)

Last updated

Christopher Morris
Born1958
Nationality American
Education1980: AiFL photography B.Sc.
Occupation(s) Photographer, film director
Years active1981–present
OrganizationVII Photo Agency [1]
Known for Photojournalism, war, political, portrait, fashion, art, film
Notable work1989: Casualties of Just Cause [2]
1991: Yugoslav Wars [3]
1992: Slaughter in Vukovar
2006: My America
Awards1991: Olivier Rebbot award
1991: Robert Capa Gold Medal
2005: World Press Photo [4]
Website christophermorrisphotography.com

Christopher Morris (born 1958) is an American photojournalist best known for his documentary conflict photographs, being a White House photographer, a fashion photographer, and a film director.

Contents

Life and work

Morris was born in 1958 in California. In 1980, he earned a photography bachelor of science degree from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. [5] He was appointed runner by Black Star director Howard Chapnick. [6] In 1981, during six months, he documented the underground world of the New York City Subway in a photo essay published 33 years later in Time . [7]

War photographer

In 1983, during the civil conflict in the Philippines in Manila, [8] Morris started covering world news as documentary conflict [n 1] photographer for Newsweek . [6]

In 1989 - 1990, he documented the United States invasion of Panama. [2] CBS News and RAI broadcast his short movie. [6] He won one of his first prizes World Press Photo awards for "Casualties of Just Cause , Panama." [9]

On March 4, 1991, near the front of the Persian Gulf War, his photograph of a U.S. Marine holding the American flag above his shoulders made the front cover of Life . [10]

During nine years, he covered the war in the former Yugoslavia . [6] In Perpignan, his photo essay won the Visa d'Or award. [11] However Grazia Neri wrote: "It was in Yugoslavia that the daily exposure to the war on civilians started to weigh heavily on him, on his person, on his soul, and on his photography." [6]

"To me, that shot [3] symbolizes the whole Yugoslav conflict of how emotional and how ridiculous the war was. You can really feel the boy's pain and the family's pain that's holding him."

Christopher Morris, Photo District News [12]

In May 1992, he has been named the recipient of the 1991 Robert Capa Gold Medal for his coverage of "Slaughter in Vukovar". [13]

About the famine in Mogadishu during the war in Somalia, he said that he did not wish to live again such an experience. [8]

In 1995, he captured movement in a photograph of a Chechen fighter running outside of the demolished presidential palace during the battle of Grozny of the first Chechen War: "At that moment that's the most dangerous place on earth. I'm not sitting there saying, 'Oh, I'm going to shoot slow shutter speeds and I'm going to zoom it!'" Morris said. "You're just shooting." [14]

1998 was the year of the Kosovo assignment. [6]

In 2000, the second Chechen War was the turning point of his career of "war shooter": [8]

"With the vision in my mind of my 2 year old daughter at home whom I rarely had seen nor even photographed. This was the crystal clear moment that made me disengage from this type of photography as a profession."

Christopher Morris, Emaho magazine [8]
In September 2001, Morris was one of seven founding members of VII Photo Agency. VII Photo Agency logo.jpg
In September 2001, Morris was one of seven founding members of VII Photo Agency.

In 2001, he provided coverage of the terrorism in Yemen [6] and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. [15]

In 2011, he documented the Libyan Civil War [16] and, in 2012, the Plan Colombia. [17]

Morris, who was commissioned by Black Star in 1988 to document the Soviet–Afghan War, [6] photographed 24 years later for Time/VII the parents of the POW Bowe Bergdahl, captured in 2009 during the War in Afghanistan. [18]

Political photographer

In 2000, in United States, as member of the White House pool, he covered the presidencies of George W. Bush [19] and Barack Obama for Time. [20]

In 2013, in France, he documented the presidency of François Hollande for Le Monde . [21] For Elle , he provided coverage of the political campaign race to conquer the Paris city hall for the first time between two women: Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet and Anne Hidalgo who both campaigned to become Mayor of Paris. [22]

On February 29, 2016, Morris was involved in an altercation with a United States Secret Service agent while photographing a Black Lives Matter protest at a campaign rally at Radford University in Virginia. [23] Morris cursed at the Secret Service agent moments prior to the physical confrontation. The agent grabbing the photographer's neck with both hands and threw him into a table and onto the ground. [24] While lying on the ground, Morris kicked at the agent. [24] Morris grabbed at the agent's neck which Morris stated was to demonstrate the choke hold he had just experienced. The Secret Service launched an investigation into the incident, a spokesman said, and would "provide further details as warranted once additional facts surrounding the situation are known." [25]

Books

In 2006, Morris published his photographic monograph, My America, a personal journey through portraits and landscapes into a Republican America. This book of photographies was produced while on assignment for Time covering U.S. president George W. Bush and those close to him. [n 2] [27]

In 2012, Morris continued his series about the American society with his second book Americans. [26] [28]

Movie director

In 2007, for The New York Times , Morris directed the short film The Gentle Shepherd about the pastor Terry Fox [29] at the Wild West World theme park in Wichita. [30]

For Time LightBox, in 2013, Morris directed, edited and produced the short film Conclave about people waiting, in St. Peter's Square, for the announcement of the new Pope. [31]

In 2016, he introduced a new way to film the United States presidential candidates’ rallies using a high-speed camera, his short movies being played back in slow-motion. [32]

Fashion photographer

In 2008, his book My America is noticed by the editor in chief of the Italian fashion magazine Amica who hired him for a Ralph Lauren shooting in New York. [8] [26]

"Fashion for me is about beauty and fantasy, all the complete opposites of my career, which dealt with the ugliness of war and the blind nationalism of politics.
The real difficulty in Fashion is that it’s the complete opposite of journalistic work, which is based on interpretation of reality, with fashion it becomes an interpretation of fantasy."

Christopher Morris, Berlin Foto-Festival'13 [33]

In 2010, he photographed Carmen Jalving [8] and Isabella Rossellini [5] for Amica.

At the Tampa Bay Times Forum, he attended the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa for a shooting featuring Heidi Harrington Johnson in the editorial Beyond the conventions ("Au-delà des conventions") of the French magazine L'Officiel Paris, issue #970, published in November. [34]

In 2013, Dior-clad Marta Dyks was his model during the Haute Couture shows in Paris for L'Officiel, issue #973 of March. [33]

Portrait photographer

In 2008, Morris photographed the American rock band The Killers: [35] Mark Stoermer, Brandon Flowers, Ronnie Vannucci, Jr., and Dave Keuning near Las Vegas. [8]

In 2011, Monastery Girl featuring Ilaria Pozzi in Italy was a personal project. [8]

In 2015, Laetitia Casta opened her doors for him in Lumio about the Paris Match editorial The independent ("L'indépendante"). [36] This French language weekly news magazine quoted the name of the photographer directly in the title of an associated article, attracting the attention of readers who wished to know more about him. [37]

Still photographer

In August 2015, on the shooting of the movie En Moi , Morris photographed the instant where the Dutch model Lara Stone is become actress for her first leading role of the woman. He captured on film the moment where the French actress Laetitia Casta is become film director for the first time. [38] He was the witness of the metamorphosis of the Japanese actor Akaji Maro in his role of the man of service into the butoh-dancer in the Palais Garnier where the French Danseur Étoile Jérémie Bélingard interpreted the lover of the woman in front of the camera of the French film cinematographer Benoît Delhomme. [39]

Street photographer

In his early career, Morris often photographed candidly in urban settings, particularly in New York City. In 2014, his 1981 series from the New York Subway was published for the first time in Time. Over a six-month period that year, Morris had embedded himself in the subway system, often riding the trains alone, but other times riding with the Guardian Angels volunteer anti-crime group. [40]

Publications

Exhibitions

Filmography

Short films directed by Morris: [41]

People of Power

Religion

In Wichita:

In Rome:

Fashion

For Amica:

For Time:

For Le Monde:

For InStyle UK:

For Fragrance Inspirations:

Mood

Awards

Morris, commissioned by Black Star, won:

For Time, the two following prizes:

His other awards included:

See also

Notes

  1. "This is war. It's not a film, it looks like it, but it's real. I documented it for you. Can we do something?"
    Christopher Morris, The Digital Journalist [6]
  2. "The images are from the time period 2003 to 2006, when the country was really heavy into blind nationalism. In this period I felt that much of the country had wrapped its eyes so tightly with red, white and blue that it went blind."
    Christopher Morris, Los Angeles Times [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laetitia Casta</span> French actress and model

Laetitia Marie Laure Casta is a French model and actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Capa</span> Hungarian-American photographer

Robert Capa was a Hungarian–American war photographer and photojournalist. He is considered by some to be the greatest combat and adventure photographer in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photojournalism</span> Using images to tell a news story

Photojournalism is journalism that uses images to tell a news story. It usually only refers to still images, but can also refer to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography by having a rigid ethical framework which demands an honest and impartial approach that tells a story in strictly journalistic terms. Photojournalists contribute to the news media, and help communities connect with one other. They must be well-informed and knowledgeable, and are able to deliver news in a creative manner that is both informative and entertaining.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Eisenstaedt</span> German-born American photojournalist (1898–1995)

Alfred Eisenstaedt was a German-born American photographer and photojournalist. He began his career in Germany prior to World War II but achieved prominence as a staff photographer for Life magazine after moving to the U.S. Life featured more than 90 of his pictures on its covers, and more than 2,500 of his photo stories were published.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Adams (photographer)</span> American photographer (1933–2004)

Edward Thomas Adams was an American photographer and photojournalist noted for portraits of celebrities and politicians and for coverage of 13 wars. He is best known for his photograph of the summary execution of Nguyễn Văn Lém, a Viet Cong prisoner of war, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography in 1969. Adams was a resident of Bogota, New Jersey.

Chris Hondros was an American war photographer. Hondros was a finalist twice for a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography.

Stéphane Sednaoui is a French music video director, photographer, film producer and actor. He has worked in various forms of media, including music videos, photojournalism, portrait photography, fashion and pop culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Center of Photography</span> Photography museum in Manhattan, New York

The International Center of Photography (ICP) is a photography museum and school at 79 Essex Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. ICP's photographic collection, reading room, and archives are at Mana Contemporary in Jersey City, New Jersey. The organization was founded by Cornell Capa in 1974. It is located at 79 Essex Street, within the Lower East Side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Ellen Mark</span> American photographer (1940–2015)

Mary Ellen Mark was an American photographer known for her photojournalism, documentary photography, portraiture, and advertising photography. She photographed people who were "away from mainstream society and toward its more interesting, often troubled fringes".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fashion photography</span> Genre of photography

Fashion photography is a genre of photography that portrays clothing and other fashion items. This sometimes includes haute couture garments. It typically consists of a fashion photographer taking pictures of a dressed model in a photographic studio or an outside setting. It originated from the clothing and fashion industries, and while some fashion photography has been elevated as art, it is still primarily used commercially for clothing, perfumes and beauty products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve McCurry</span> American photographer

Steve McCurry is an American photographer, freelancer, and photojournalist. His photo Afghan Girl, of a girl with piercing green eyes, has appeared on the cover of National Geographic several times. McCurry has photographed many assignments for National Geographic and has been a member of Magnum Photos since 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Benson</span> Scottish photographer

Harry James Benson CBE is a Scottish photographer. His photographs of celebrities have been published in magazines. He has published several books and won a number of prominent awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Klein (photographer)</span> Photographer and filmmaker (1928–2022)

William Klein was an American-born French photographer and filmmaker noted for his ironic approach to both media and his extensive use of unusual photographic techniques in the context of photojournalism and fashion photography. He was ranked 25th on Professional Photographer's list of 100 most influential photographers.

VII Photo Agency is an international photo agency wholly owned and governed by its membership.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Hetherington</span> British photojournalist

Timothy Alistair Telemachus Hetherington was a British photojournalist. He produced books, films and other work that "ranged from multi-screen installations, to fly-poster exhibitions, to handheld device downloads" and was a regular contributor to Vanity Fair.

John Godfrey Morris was an American picture editor, author and journalist, and an important figure in the history of photojournalism.

<i>The Magnificent Eleven</i> Series of photographs by Robert Capa

The Magnificent Eleven are a group of photos of D-Day taken by war photographer Robert Capa. Capa was with one of the earliest waves of troops landing on the American invasion beach, Omaha Beach. Capa stated that while under fire, he took 106 pictures, all but eleven of which were destroyed in a processing accident in the Life magazine photo lab in London, although the accidental loss of the remaining negatives has been disputed. The surviving photos have since been called the Magnificent Eleven. The pictures have been widely celebrated, and Steven Spielberg is said to have been inspired by them when filming Saving Private Ryan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benjamin Lowy</span> American photojournalist

Benjamin Lowy is an American photojournalist. He is best known for his work as a conflict photographer in war zones, and is one of the early adopters of and a vocal proponent for mobile photography.

Michael Christopher Brown is an American photographer known for his documentation of the 2011 Libyan Civil War and the resulting monograph, Libyan Sugar (2016).

Carl Perutz (1921-1981) was a New York photographer who was active from the 1930s through the 1970s covering a wide range of subject matter and in the genres of street photography, photojournalism, portraiture, fashion and advertising.

References

  1. 1 2 Laurent, Olivier (May 21, 2014). "VII Photo rises to challenges of changing photographic landscape with dynamic new agency model". British Journal of Photography . Retrieved June 9, 2016. if Christopher Morris wants to make a film he has the freedom, contacts and support to make that film.
  2. 1 2 Morris, Christopher (June 9, 2014). "The Photo That Made Me: Christopher Morris, Panama 1989". Time. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  3. 1 2 Morris, Christopher (April 2001). "Battlefields". The Digital Journalist. Retrieved June 12, 2016. The image above is almost a self portrait...A portrait of a whole nation weeping.
  4. 1 2 "Christopher Morris". World Press Photo. 2005. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  5. 1 2 Gibson, Mike (2011). "Christopher Morris". L’Artiste magazine. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Neri, Grazia (April 2001). "The Battlefields of Christopher Morris". The Digital Journalist. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  7. Conway, Richard (January 22, 2014). "Grit, Grime and Graffiti: Christopher Morris on the New York Subway, 1981". Time. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Katyal, Manik; Budhraja, Marukh (November 27, 2012). "Genre Straddler – Christopher Morris". Emaho magazine. Archived from the original on September 17, 2014. Retrieved June 12, 2016.
  9. 1 2 "List of Winners in 1990 World Press Photo Contest With PM-Press Photo Awards". The Associated Press . 1990. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  10. "75 years of Life magazine". The Telegraph. March 4, 1991. Retrieved June 15, 2016.
  11. 1 2 "International Festival of Photojournalism". Visa pour l'image. 1992. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  12. Wignall, Jeff (1998). "Legends Online". Photo District News. Black Star. p. 10. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  13. 1 2 "Overseas Press Club Gives Award to Terry Anderson". The New York Times. May 6, 1992. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  14. Wignall, Jeff (1998). "Legends Online". Photo District News. Black Star. p. 7. Retrieved June 17, 2016.
  15. Morris, Christopher (March 19, 2003). "Iraq: Photographer Christopher Morris Covers the War". Time. VII. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  16. Morris, Christopher (April 8, 2011). "Theater of War: Photographs by Christopher Morris". Time. Retrieved June 12, 2016.{{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  17. Padgett, Tim; photographer Morris, Christopher (April 12, 2012). "Colombia's President Talks with TIME About Castro, Capitalism and His Country's Comeback". Time. Retrieved June 12, 2016.{{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  18. Padgett, Nate; photographer Morris, Christopher (May 17, 2012). "America's Last Living POW: Christopher Morris Photographs a Family in Waiting". Time. Retrieved June 12, 2016.{{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  19. Gabriner, Alice; photographer Morris, Christopher (October 17, 2014). "Meet TIME's New International Photo Editor". Time. Retrieved June 12, 2016.{{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  20. Osipova, Olga (November 13, 2015). "Christopher Morris: I Have a True Love of Documenting People of Power". BirdInFlight.com. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  21. Leparmentier, Arnaud; Nougayrède, Natalie; Wieder, Thomas; Giret, Vincent; photographer Morris, Christopher (August 30, 2013). "François Hollande sur la réforme pénale : "Mon seul objectif, c'est la sécurité"". Le Monde (in French). VII. Retrieved June 11, 2016.
  22. Laurent-Simon, Caroline; photographer Morris, Christopher (November 7, 2013). "Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet / Anne Hidalgo : Paris à tout prix". Elle (in French). Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  23. "Secret Service, photographer, scuffle at Trump rally". Miami Herald . February 29, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  24. 1 2 "TIME Responds to Confrontation With Secret Service at Trump Event". Time. February 29, 2016. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved February 29, 2016. We are relieved that Chris is feeling OK
  25. Acosta, Jim; Holmes, Kristen; Manchester, Julia; Diamond, Jeremy (February 29, 2016). "Photographer: Secret Service agent choked me at a Trump rally". CNN.com. Retrieved February 29, 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 Davidson, Barbara (March 18, 2013). "reFramed: In conversation with Christopher Morris". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  27. B., S. (2006). "My America". foto8.com. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  28. Morris, Christopher (December 3, 2012). "'Americans': Christopher Morris Captures a Nation Divided". Time. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  29. Kirkpatrick, David D.; photographer Morris, Christopher (October 28, 2007). "The Evangelical Crackup". The New York Times. VII. Retrieved June 9, 2016. That story was the centerpiece of the liberal writer Thomas Frank's 2004 book, "What's the Matter With Kansas?" He might have called it "What's the Matter With Wichita?"
  30. Morris, Christopher (October 26, 2007). "The Gentle Shepherd". The New York Times (video). Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  31. Morris, Christopher (March 14, 2013). "Conclave: A Short Film by Christopher Morris". Time (video). Retrieved June 9, 2016. Habemus Papam {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  32. 1 2 Laurent, Olivier; Tsai, Diane (February 8, 2016). "Behind the Scenes of The Candidates by Christopher Morris". Time (video). Retrieved June 10, 2016.{{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |agency= ignored (help)
  33. 1 2 3 "From War & Politics to Fashion". Berlin Foto-Festival. June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  34. "L'Officiel Paris Goes To Republican National Convention". DesignScene.net. October 26, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  35. "Antiwar songs by The Killers". AntiWarSongs.org. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  36. Morris, Christopher (February 25, 2015). "Laetitia Casta, l'indépendante". Paris Match (in French). H&K. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  37. Morris, Christopher (February 25, 2015). "L'œil du photographe : Christopher Morris commente ses photos de Laetitia Casta" [The eye of the photographer: Christopher Morris comments his Laetitia Casta’s photographs]. Paris Match (video) (in French). Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  38. Diderich, Joelle; photographer Morris, Christopher (May 22, 2016). "2016 Cannes Film Festival: Model Laetitia Casta Unveils Directorial Debut". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved June 14, 2016. Laetitia Casta behind the camera
  39. Morris, Christopher (August 23, 2015). "Laetita Casta "En Moi" avec Lara Stone" [Laetitia Casta "In Me" with Lara Stone]. ChristopherMorrisPhotography.com. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  40. Conway, Richard (January 22, 2014). "Grit, Grime and Graffiti: Christopher Morris on the New York Subway, 1981". Time. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
  41. Morris, Christopher (April 2016). "Christopher Morris". Vimeo (video). Retrieved June 10, 2016.
  42. "Peter Arnett Wins Special Press Club Award". The New York Times. April 24, 1991. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  43. "University of Missouri News Pictures of the Year Competition and Exhibition". POYi . 1992. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  44. "1992 Infinity Award: Photojournalism". ICP . March 12, 1992. Retrieved June 9, 2016.
  45. "Best of photojournalism 2004 still photo winners announced". NPPA . March 28, 2004. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
  46. "2005 OPC Award Winners". OPC . 2005. Retrieved June 9, 2016.