Through the lens
Had the privilege of talking to octogenarian Ernest Withers last night after his presentation downtown. He’s perhaps the most celebrated Black photographer who documented the Civil Rights movement, the birth of Memphis music giants, and Black Baseball in America. There was a small exhibit of some of his work and it was breathtaking.
I asked him, reflecting on the 6 million prints he accumulated over the past 60 years, about his approach to the craft he still plies. He says his choice of shots were always based on three questions: 1) Is it true?, 2) Does it hurt?, and 3) What good can it do?
