Personal Best

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Personal Best

Elliott Erwitt

Elliott loves dogs, beaches, nudists and religion as "interesting photographic topics." Explaining why he has to do books, he says, "I've been around so long, most editors think I'm dead."

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Elliott, dead or alive, your work will live forever (although, I'm glad you are still healthy, wealthy and able to create such genius photos for all of us). The photos are very insightful and show us a different reality that I suspect many of us do not experience. Keep up the good work. I look forward to seeing more brilliance from you.

Comment posted by Joe Bollinger (not verified) on October 3rd, 2009

Hello Mr. Erwitt, I've had to do a presentation about you for University. Originally, I should work on Newton, but I am awfully glad that I switched with one of my fellow students. Your work is entertaining, brilliant and simply so pleasurable to experience.

Comment posted by Antje Krüger (not verified) on December 14th, 2008

Hello Elliot, This weekend was a real pleasure, I read a few of your books and looked at your website and it was a great insight to learn so much about you and your work. Love and humour is what makes the world go round. All the best Lanceworth Stewart

Comment posted by Lanceworth Stewart (not verified) on November 9th, 2008

ochen silnij fotograf s russkimi kornjami.

Comment posted by maksim shdan (not verified) on September 8th, 2006

Brilliant photograpny of a living legend. I love his sense of humour. BTW, I've never been particularly fond of dogs, but Mr Erwitt's vision of those creatures may yet change my attitude.

Comment posted by Marcin Bieszczanin (not verified) on September 17th, 2006

Beautiful simplicity, inspiring

Comment posted by Henry (not verified) on September 21st, 2006

Funny, interesting, inspiring... well done!

Comment posted by Xavier Rivadulla (not verified) on October 4th, 2006

Thank you for sharing theese wonderfull photos with us! You put the sun in this early, autumn morning. I`ll buy the book, thats for sure. Again, thank you. Gry-Elisabeth

Comment posted by Gry (not verified) on October 23rd, 2006

Grand photographe !

Comment posted by Dupont. (not verified) on November 13th, 2006

He takes us through all the emotions there are. I thought of him as somehow "funny," the guy who took dog pictures; but that image of Jackie at JFK's funeral is hard to take. Yet the man's personal sense of himself is so right. He is not the subject of his work, it's not about him. And I love the self-deprecating humor.

Comment posted by Ken Wolman (not verified) on November 26th, 2006

Charming, very charming! Humorous, deep, and great story.

Comment posted by Brian (not verified) on December 20th, 2006

The photographs depict the vitality, humor and humanity of everyday life. What a great contrast to the packaged and slick photos that fill today's magazines. Marla New York City

Comment posted by marla (not verified) on January 5th, 2007

"USA, 1962" is captures such intense sexual and interpersonal conflict restrained, somehow, within one family and one photograph. "East Hampton, NY, 1983" is just such a funny picture. 'Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1950" brought me to tears. Erwitt is so warm and wise, a treasure. Thank you Magnum and Slate.

Comment posted by Lawrence (not verified) on March 5th, 2007

I've always enjoyed seeing Elliot Erwitt's photos - to hear what he has to say about them adds a new dimension. This site is a real treasure. Well done to Magnum for all the work that's gone in.

Comment posted by Steve (not verified) on April 6th, 2007

What a delight!

Comment posted by Daniel O'Donnell (not verified) on April 24th, 2007

And from now on: "I always put LUCK into my budget" -Elliott Erwitt This is ALL a motto!!

Comment posted by Francisco Cauterucci (not verified) on June 7th, 2007

How inspiring. Not brain surgery. Nothing special. Just luck? Made me smile. Also made me appreciate the art, more. Confidence builder. The Duck Salisbury, VT

Comment posted by Duckshots (not verified) on July 8th, 2007

It's three hours straight that I'm enjoying browsing the Master's website & landing here @ MAGNUM was educational. Elliott Erwitt's photo USA California 1955; the woman laughing before &/or maybe after kissing the man captured in the car's mirror is my top favorite because I saw this photo on the cover of an LP which I can't remember the album & it was mysterious & sexy for a kid that I was back then. I always wanted to know who was the photographer. Now that I know I'll save money to buy the print with the Master's signature on it. Great photographs worth staring at for a lifetime. Cheers. Hamid. Tehran-Iran!

Comment posted by hamid-reza habibi (not verified) on September 10th, 2007

Elliott fa ridere, Elliott fa piangere. Uno sguardo, un riflesso dell'intuito, un'osservazione più approfondita e la foto entra nell'anima, solleticandola, facendola riflettere o stringendo un nodo in gola. Elliott è un insegnanteche che insegna a leggere, lasciando scoprire le proprie immagini a poco a poco... un'insegnante che rende vivace e variegati gli insegnamenti che altri rendono forse più ostici e noiosi. Un grande fotogrago, sicuramente dietro una grande persona...

Comment posted by Nico (not verified) on July 15th, 2008