Most people recognize the late great Stanley Kubrick as the obstinately meticulous, reclusive film director responsible for cinematic classics such as "The Shining", "A Clockwork Orange", and "2001: A Space Odyssey". What most people don't know is Kubrick's roots in photography. In the 1940's, the young New Yorker developed a near genius affinity for chess (becoming quite the little hustler) and subsequently, still photography, after receiving a Graflex camera as a gift from his father. He soon grabbed the attention of Look Magazine, after selling some of his photos to the company. Stanley subsequently became an apprentice photographer for the magazine, and within no time, promoted to a full-time staff photographer.
Below: A still from "Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964)
Kubrick's work as a photographer ultimately led him to directing films, and anyone who knows his work, knows that the imagery in his films are unique and unparalleled. Kubrick's canvas, is what ultimately shows up within the frame. His roots in still photography are written all over his work. Once he made a name for himself, he was able to attain great, and eventually (by "2001" in '67) full artistic control over his films, and it shows in the overall look, editing (he was one of the few film directors in the history of the medium to have final cut), meticulous pacing, and shot composition. Below, is a B&W still from "The Shining" (1980), from the infamous hotel hallway shot of the Grady Twin ghosts. His talents as a photographer, in regards to his ability to light and compose his subjects and environment within a camera frame to create such simple, yet brilliantly startling images, is undeniable, and one of the reasons he is among the greats of filmmaking.
Below: Stanley doing what he does best
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