Ernst Haas was born in 1921 in Vienna, and is known as “one of the most celebrated and influential photographers of the 20th century.” He first took up photography after the war, and was recognised by LIFE magazine thanks to his early work on Austrian returning prisoners of war. In order to keep his independence, he declined a job offer as a staff photographer; he then went on to develop close associations with high profile photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, when he joined Magnum in 1949.

Shortly after moving to the United States in 1951, he began photographing in black and white in the New Mexico desert, where he developed a great desire for colour. He then began experimenting with Kodachrome colour film, and would later become the premier colour photographer of the 1950s! His ground-breaking 24-page colour photo essay on New York City was published by LIFE magazine in 1953, which was the first time such a large colour photo feature was published in the magazine. It is said that “before Haas there was no colour photography, only coloured photographs.” He photographed for many influential publications such as Vogue, LIFE and Look, travelling extensively throughout his career. He also authored four books: The Creation (1971), In America (1975), In Germany (1976), and Himalayan Pilgrimage (1978).

Haas received the Hasselblad award in 1986, the year of his death, and has continued to be the subject of many museum exhibitions and books, such as the quite recent publication Color Correction in 2011. His legacy continues thanks to The Ernst Haas Studio, located in New York, which helps to aid researchers and oversees all projects related to his work.

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Below is a quote by Haas which I find inspirational:

“There is no formula – only man with his conscience speaking, writing and singing in the new hieroglyphic language of light and time.”

Ernst Haas

I interpret this quote as him saying that there is no “magical formula” in photography; we, as photographers and people, can only express our feelings and emotions in this medium, which he describes as a language of pictures (hieroglyphics), made up of light and a particular moment in time.

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Some examples of Haas’ work that inspire me for the “Everyday Geometry” project include: