Vivian Dorothy Maier was an American street artist whose work went unnoticed during her lifetime. Like many artists and photographers, Maier’s work was exceptional and it motivated upcoming photographers. Although her work spoke volumes about her passion for raw images, photography was not her main career. For approximately 40 years, she worked as a nanny while still exploring her artistic nature. She had captured roughly 150,000 pictures, most of which were of people and the architecture of the then-developing New York City and Los Angeles, before her death (Rosenblum). During different intervals of her life, she toured the world and took amazing images of places and people she encountered. Her photograph collection was brighter compared to the life she had lived.
Although Maier’s work deserved an audience to be appreciated, none of her pictures were ever produced in her lifetime. The technology at the time relied on negatives from the Mamiya C-series camera she owned, but none was developed. A collector, John Maloof would later acquire some of her negatives in 2007 and display them on a showcase. At the time, other collectors, after new and revolutionizing art, found her records in her belongings, they displayed them and in turn increased Vivian’s fame. However, the art would not receive much attention until John uploaded some of the work on an image-sharing website where admires across the world could view and appreciate them. Over the years, more admirers explored archives of her work, sharing critiques and others referred for educational agendas. Maier’s fame motivated producers to generate a film, Finding Vivian Maier that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Vivian’s camera of choice was the Mamiya C33 series, which was introduced in 1965. The new gadget was equipped with an automatic shutter cocking when the film was advanced. The camera was an advanced model of the original Mamiya TLX series produced in 1957 with three lenses; an 80mm f2.8, a 105mm f3.5, and a 135mm f4.5. The original version had a knob that advanced the film, and the shutter had to be cocked before exposure. The C33 series introduced an automatic parallax indicator and 220 films could be used by changing the cover film. The camera she owned was relatively advanced and could produce better-quality pictures compared to other devices of that time. The camera mainly produced 6 by 6cm pictures, with better focus than the earlier versions (Mudd, par 8). With the size and weight of a brick, the gadget was not the easiest to handle and most of them were found in picture stores.
The camera took black and white pictures which captured more visual aspects due to better focusing and the improved lenses. The lenses were easily invertible, a feature that most of the Koni-Omega flex cameras lacked. When taking a picture, the lenses and top lenses provide a clear vision of the image to be captured. The shutter mounted with the top lenses synced automatically with the flash at utter speed to produce quality pictures. The whole experience of developing images with the device provides a thrilling experience (Mudd, par 7). Composure and understanding of the environment provided excitement for any photographer who found themselves using the Mamiya C33 series. Furthermore, the filming process of the system is not complicated compared to most; anyone could easily learn how to handle it.
During the gadget’s time of production, its price was relatively cheap. The camera was an interesting invention with new and unique features that improved its performance and the quality of images it produced. The C33 TLR model was far superior to other devices of its time. The model provided an option of changing the lenses unlike most, which had fixed lenses (Krasnov, par 5). Objects that were close to the photographer could be easily focused because of the new lens alignment. Furthermore, there were focusing knobs on both of its sides, increasing the ease of adaptation to the equipment. Due to the sync system that was new to the model, film loading was by far easier and less industrious. Other versions required dismantling the equipment but with the TLR model, films could be mounted through the film spool.
Vivian Maier was an amazing figure who managed to maintain a low profile during her life. Although her work was exceptional, she was content with keeping her records rather than seeking fame. Many collectors tried to collect, produce and showcase her work, especially after her passing in 2009. John Maloof was a determined figure who had witnessed the quality of Vivian’s work and went to extremes to ensure the world witnessed her gift in photography. Her passion was a secret that most of her friends never knew. Most of her pictures covered everyday activities and beautiful scenery. The picture of kids and her clients were very detailed; she understood the essence of light and acquire a gift to capture the natural light in her pictures. Her focus was extended to the community; the pictures were of people from different cultures and backgrounds living as a community. Aside from kids and her clients, she featured the homeless and poor environment, providing evidence of the difficult condition.
All her pictures were a pure delight and of a happy essence, a show that she valued the present period of her life. For example, she captured herself by looking down into her camera in front of a mirror. To commemorate her unique design, Katt Merlo’s self-portrait done in 2012 of a similar image to Vivian but in a colored version was produced (Murray, par 10). The picture is a modernized replication of the picture she captured in front of the mirror with better details and more essence. Many films to feature her influence on street photography were produced, each capturing new details to describe her achievements. Merlo found motivation from the records and kept writing and producing more information to reveal the secret photographer to the world.
Another example aside from pictures of herself, she photographed couples in the streets as she went along. Courtesy of Maloof, a picture of a couple in Central Park, New York in 1953 perfectly captures the love and appreciation between the couple and Vivian’s passionate nature towards companionship (Stewart, par 1). Although her work received proper appreciation after her lifetime, her emotional connection is still reflected in every image. Each detail provides a clear vision of the period and the candid state of all her subjects. Further analysis might argue she wanted to halt time and the feelings as well. Looking at the collection, it is certain she was successful at her task, which might explain why she opted to keep them a secret. The black-and-white nature of the picture provided a reflection of the raw and mutual feeling shared by the couples. The natural light in the picture further portrays the intensity and commitment both in her work and between the couple in the picture.
Works Cited
Krasnov, Sasha. “Mamiya TLR: C33 with 105mm F3.5 – Review, Sample Images, Impression.” Sasha Krasnov, Sasha Krasnov – Photography, Web.
Mudd, Jeremy. “Life in Squares – the Mamiya C33 and C330.” Jeremy Mudd Photography, Jeremy Mudd Photography, Web.
Murray, Matt. “The Best Photo Vivian Maier Never Took.” Fstoppers, Web.
Rosenblum, Naomi. A World History of Photography. 3rd ed. Abbeville Press, 1997.
Stewart, Jessica. “Vivian Maier’s Candid Photos of Couples Capture the Timelessness of Love.” My Modern Met, Web.