Saul Leiter is acknowledged as one of the pioneers of colour photography. For most of Leiter’s professional life, he worked as a fashion photographer for magazines including Elle, British Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Esquire. But it’s his personal work, which didn’t become widely known until he was in his 80s, that has belatedly brought Saul Leiter global recognition.
What did he do in his early life?
He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1923. His father was a Jewish scholar and rabbi who expected his son to follow in his footsteps. Saul, however, had other ideas. At the age of 26, he abandoned theology school and went to live in New York, with the aim of becoming an artist.
How did he get started in photography?
While in New York,…
