In 1947, two years after the end of W.W. II, four photographers set out to create what would become the world’s most prestigious photography agency: Magnum Photos. Their names were Robert Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, George Rodger, and David “Chim” Seymour. In response to the proliferation of miniature cameras, which allowed anyone to be a “photographer,” Magnum attempted to define the photographer’s role in the postwar era.
The definition of “good photography” proved challenging from the start. In the early days, when technology fell short, bravery stepped in. Capa, who had made a name for himself in the 1930s during the Spanish Civil War, once stated, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you aren’t close enough.”
