Background
Morrie Camhi was born on June 11, 1928 in New York, United States.
Morrie Camhi was born on June 11, 1928 in New York, United States.
Morrie Camhi received his Bachelor of Arts in Literature from University of California in 1955.
An associate editor of Photoshow magazine since 1979, Morrie Camhi has been on the photography faculty of San Francisco City College from 1969. He owned Camhi Photography, an advertising firm, from 1964 to 1969 and was a partner in Camhi/Bardovi Photography from 1961 to 1964. Morrie Camhi was manager and photographer for Donn-Maur Photography from 1955 to 1961 and a photographer for the U.S. Army Signal Corps, 1953-1955.
Quotations:
"The personal want-ad is a kind of complete portrait, often telling of inner concerns as well as appearance. To live alongside their portraits I have created portraits of my own. There are surprises. Stereotypes sometimes shatter. There are confirmations as well as contradictions of the ad’s promise. But most of all, the personal want ad people seem a lot like the rest of us—but doing something about their unique needs or preoccupations."
"By responding symbolically, I saw we had tended to respond to a visual cliché that robbed a valiant people of their individuality and complexity. We had sensed the sledgehammer logic of their condition, muttered something unassailable about how bad it was, somehow felt relieved to have paid our sociological dues."
"In photography, as In life, my desire has been to know and understand people.
Among the most memorable experiences I had while working on this project were the intense dialogues that took place. Far into the night dialogues - poetic, political, sociological, philosophical, religious and economic.
I was welcomed into many homes, and the everyday quality of these visits had a special honesty, which I felt was important to share. Each person is the author of his or her environment; what we arrange on our walls is what we decide would be there. The environment functions as a biography and reflects our personal intensities and concerns.
It has been my purpose to become part of the photograph, to enter into the equation of response. The images created are the result of our experiences of each other."
Camhi has been a member of SPE since 1975.
Morrie Camhi was foremost a humanist; that is he had a deep feeling for his fellow men and cared little about photographing scenic views or flowers. He had a sharp eye as a photographer for what would best suit a person as a subject. These characteristics made him a special kind of photographer of people whether from the private or public spheres.
Quotes from others about the person
Van Deren Coke: "In his photographs of the Jews in Thessaloniki - Greeks who had escaped the Holocaust - he was in his element for he was Jewish. He sought out well-to-do individuals, poor people and odd people. They were willing to be photographed because he went about posing them in a firm but congenial manner. The backgrounds or surroundings he chose were very important to Morrie for he always sought a balance in his pictures between form and feeling. Since he did not use flash to illuminate his subjects he had to take long exposures. He gently moved a person a little this way or that way to get the best light then had him or her hold a pose. This was done in a professional and respectful manner. This is why his photographs do not have the stiffness we often see in pictures of older people, and he did not permit any clowning of the youngsters he photographed. His Thessaloniki photographs exemplify Morrie’s technical skills with the camera as well as his respect for the special people he loved to photograph."