Rochester Institute of Technology
Ernst Haas
PhotographerKnown for:
pioneering color photography for Life magazine
Education:
Graphische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt, Vienna (briefly); largely self-taught
Ernst Haas left Vienna in 1948 with a series of photographs of returning Austrian prisoners of war that brought him to the attention of Life magazine and Magnum Photos. His 1953 Life essay on New York in color was among the first major uses of color photography in the magazine, helping establish color as a tool for serious editorial work. He was the first photographer to receive a solo exhibition at MoMA, in 1962.
Ernst Haas's Gear List(2)
Leica
Connection Source
ShooterfilesBook
Connection note
Haas used a Leica M rangefinder for his street and motion work; his 1953 Life magazine essay on New York in color, which helped legitimize color photography in editorial work, was made with a Leica.
Product description
Introduced in 1954, the M3 was Leitz's first camera to use the M bayonet mount. Its combined viewfinder and rangefinder, with 0.91x magnification, set a standard for 35mm rangefinder design that every subsequent Leica M followed.
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Last updated March 20, 2026
