Rowland Scherman

Gordon Parks

PhotographerFilmmaker

American·b. 1912

Known for:

documentary and fashion photography at Life magazine

Education:

Self-taught; no formal photography education

Gordon Parks became the first Black photographer on the staff of Life magazine in 1948, where he remained for more than two decades. His documentary work ranged from photo-essays on Harlem gang members to a portrait series on the Black Muslim movement. He later became the first Black director of a major Hollywood studio film, The Learning Tree (1969), based on his own semi-autobiographical novel.

Gordon Parks's Gear List(3)

Rolleiflex (medium format)

Rollei

Connection Source

ShooterfilesWebsite

Connection note

Used Rolleiflex TLR; called it "probably my best camera for work"

Product description

Twin-lens reflex camera system produced by Franke & Heidecke in Germany, shooting 6x6cm frames on 120 roll film. Known for its waist-level viewfinder, quiet leaf shutter, and Zeiss or Schneider taking lenses. Various models were produced from 1929 through the 2000s.

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Last updated March 20, 2026

Connection note

Parks shot his color photo-essays for Life magazine on Kodachrome; his use of the film is documented in accounts of his editorial photography practice.

Product description

Kodachrome 64 is a color reversal (slide) film discontinued by Kodak in 2010 after more than seven decades of production. Its dye-based structure produced colors with exceptional stability and saturation, and it was the predominant film in professional color photography for much of the postwar period.

Nikon

Connection note

Parks used Nikon cameras for his work at Life magazine. His equipment choices are documented in "A Choice of Weapons" (1966) and in the Gordon Parks Foundation archive.

Product description

Introduced in 1959, the Nikon F was Japan's first professional 35mm SLR. Its rugged construction, interchangeable viewfinders, and the F-mount lens system made it the predominant camera in photojournalism and war photography through the 1970s.

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