David Vestal

[Oren Grad]

"David Vestal passed away this week at home in Bethlehem, Connecticut. Born in Menlo Park, California in 1924, Vestal studied painting at the Art Institute of Chicago before becoming involved in photography in the late 1940s through the Photo League in New York. Rather than working in photographic essays like many of his New York School contemporaries, Vestal captured singular moments of life in the city through his emotive and atmospheric images—a lone figure passing along a snowy sidewalk, a twilight drive over the George Washington Bridge, or the bustling traffic in Flatiron Square at night.

"Vestal received two John Simon Guggenheim Fellowships in photography in 1966 and 1973. He wrote extensively for various photography publications, and published two classic books on photographic craft and printing: The Craft of Photography, 1975, and The Art of Black-and-White Enlarging, 1984. A lifelong educator, his illustrious teaching career included positions at Parsons School of Design, the School of Visual Arts, and Pratt Institute, as well as numerous lectures and workshops around the country. His work is included in such notable public collections as the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago."

http://www.robertmann.com/news/main.html

[BradS]

RIP.
His book "The Craft of Photography" was the first one that really clicked with me (and there were many before it that didn't quite get the message across).

[Kirk Gittings]

This is a loss. I didn't know him (a friend of friends) but learned a lot from him over the years-particularly in the 60's and 70's.

[Richard Wasserman]

+1

I took a history of photography class from him in about 1975 and he was a wonderful teacher and a very kind and generous man. He will be missed

[Andrew O'Neill]

I've followed his writings for years and own a few of his prints. Thanks for letting us know, Kirk. What a loss.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Never had the opportunity to meet him, but certainly relied on his books when I was younger.

[Merg Ross]

His articles were always interesting and informative. His mentor was Sid Grossman, an influence evident in his work and philosophy. We were in a couple of invitational exhibits together during the 1960's, although never met. David lived a long life and contributed a great deal to the making and understanding of photographs; he will be missed.

[Kirk Gittings]

"David lived a long life and contributed a great deal to the making and understanding of photographs".

Exactly.

[Oren Grad]

David's writings and his way of seeing are what helped me figure out what I was doing with a camera and why. I owe him more than words can say.

[Bill Koechling]

My son really valued his time with Vestal at Pratt about 12 years ago. I still have a note from Vestal about my son's work. Vestal was an inspiration to me as a young photographer in the 70s.