John Dominis

For the American statesman, see John Owen Dominis.
John Dominis
Born (1921-06-27)June 27, 1921
Los Angeles, California, United States
Died December 30, 2013(2013-12-30) (aged 92)
New York City, New York, United States
Occupation

John Dominis (June 27, 1921 December 30, 2013) was an American documentary photographer, war photographer and photojournalist.

Life

Dominis was born 1921 in Los Angeles.[1][2] He studied cinematography at the University of Southern California. In 1943 he enlisted in the United States Air Force. After the war he worked as an freelance photographer for several publications, such as Life magazine. In 1950 he went to Korea as a war photographer in the Korean War.

Mural, based on Dominis picture of Tommie Smith and John Carlos showing the raised fist in the 1968 Summer Olympics

Later he worked in Southeast Asia, in America, Africa and Europe, including President John F. Kennedy's 1963 West Berlin speech. Dominis went to six Olympic Games. One of his best known pictures was shot during the 1968 Summer Olympics, when Dominis pictured Tommie Smith and John Carlos during their Black Power salute.[3]

Dominis worked for Life magazine during the Vietnam war and later also went to Woodstock. In the 1970s he worked for People magazine. From 1978 to 1982 he was an editor for the Sports Illustrated. He often pictured stars like Steve McQueen or Frank Sinatra, and these photo series were later published as illustrated books. Together with Giuliano Bugialli he published several books about the Italian cuisine, with Dominis being responsible for the food photography.

In John Loengard's book LIFE Photographers: What They Saw, Dominis reported about the staging of his picture A leopard about to kill a baboon. The picture was shot in 1966 in Botswana, when a hunter had brought a captured leopard to a bunch of baboons. Most fled immediately but one faced the leopard and was killed subsequently.[4] Dominis was heavily criticized after the staging became public and apologized for it.[4] He mentioned that during the 1960s the staging of pictures was very popular and he wouldn't use this method today.[4]

Dominis died December 30, 2013, in New York City of complications from a heart attack. He was 92.[5]

Selected works

References

External links


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