A talented reporter who was incredibly lucky
Photographer of the legendary Magnum agency Bert Glynn is a real lucky man in the truest sense of the word. In principle, any reportage photographer should be able to capture the moment, and often the best shots from a large series turn out to be accidental, but still, hardly anyone has had as many professional successes as Glynn.
(Total 13 photos)
1. Russia, 1963. Photo: Bert Glynn
He became a legend of the Magnum Agency - a difficult task, to put it mildly, given the level of this best photo agency in the world. And he got into the Magnum ... that's right, quite by accident. Glynn was friends with Robert Capa, the founder of Magnum, and somehow in a bar casually agreed to participate in the work of a young photo agency. This was in 1951. Then no one could even imagine how long the collaboration would be and how many legendary shots it would lead to.
2. Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA. 1957 The first attempt to launch a space satellite turned into an explosion. Photo: Bert Glynn
At the same time, Glynn all his life had the most important skill for a photojournalist - to be in the right place at the right time at the right time. Once, while at a New Year's ball in New York, he heard about the coup in Cuba and the fall of the regime of the dictator Batista. And right from the ball, in a tuxedo, Glynn flew to Cuba, where, together with the partisans, he solemnly entered Havana. He recalled: “Fidel spoke for two hours, and we all stood as if bewitched. If only I had known then that 40 years later Castro would still talk and talk the same way…” Of course, Glynn brought back a lot of great pictures from this sudden trip.
3. Chicago, Illinois, USA. 1968 Two young protesters rest outside a conference room as part of the Democratic National Convention. Photo: Bert Glynn
Another incident occurred while filming the launch of the first American satellite. For two days, Glinn waited for the start to finally begin. As a result, when the rocket nevertheless took off, the lens of his camera turned out to be directed not at the site, but at the sky, so that a shot with birds flying against the background of the flame raging below from the rocket nozzles turned out. And yes, it was this frame that ended up on the cover of the magazine that commissioned the report.
4. Havana, Cuba. 1959 Fidel Castro during the revolution, accompanied by Cuban naval officers. Photo: Bert Glynn
But perhaps the most famous photograph of Bert Glynn is Khrushchev's characteristic bald head against the background of the monument to Abraham Lincoln.
5. Nikita Khrushchev in front of the monument to Abraham Lincoln. Photo: Bert Glynn
The frame turned out to be so philosophical and ironic at the same time, it was hard for many to believe that it was taken by accident, due to a banal delay: “I was late and could not get to the place where all the reporters were located. I began to make my way forward and ended up behind Khrushchev. Looking up, I saw this frame. I managed to take two shots before the frame disappeared. If I had arrived on time, I would have taken the most ordinary picture of Nikita Khrushchev and Henry Lodge looking at the statue, but Lincoln would not have been in the photo. It was a stroke of luck, although sometimes people think it's staged. They think I said, "Nick, can you move a little to the left?"
6. Moscow, 1961. Photo: Bert Glynn
And this is the whole Bert Glynn, a professional of the highest class, who created many outstanding photographs during his long career, but most of all became famous for being able to extract not just successful but brilliant shots even from accidents.
7. Washington, Columbia, 1995 Members of the Nation of Islam during a men's march. Photo: Bert Glynn
8. Havana, Cuba. year 2001. Fidel Castro with Bert Glynn and his wife. Photo: Sam Glyn
9. Jerusalem. 1957 Tower of David and the old city wall on the Israeli side. Photo: Bert Glynn
10. Seattle, Washington 1953 Photo: Bert Glynn
11. New York, New York 1997 National Institute of Dance. Photo: Bert Glynn
12. London, England. 1960 Opening of the Picasso exhibition at the Tate Gallery. Photo: Bert Glynn
13. Barcelona, 1960 Photo: Bert Glyn