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Stephen Shore

Stephen Shore is known for his pioneering work in color photography and for elevating everyday American scenes into art, particularly in the 1970s. His gear evolved significantly over time, depending on the phase of his work. 

Here’s a breakdown of what cameras he has used:

Early Work (1960s)

  • 35mm Leica M3

    • Used during his teenage years while documenting Andy Warhol’s Factory

    • Equipped with standard Leica lenses

Leica M3

1970s: Iconic Color Work (e.g., Uncommon Places, American Surfaces)

🔹 American Surfaces (1972–1973)

  • Rollei 35 (compact 35mm camera)

    • Very small and portable

    • Allowed him to shoot casually and frequently in color

    • Shot on Kodak color negative film

Rollei 35

🔹 Uncommon Places (mid-1970s onward)

  • Linhof Technika IV 4x5

    • Large format camera

    • Used with color 4x5" sheet film (Kodak)

    • Shifted to more deliberate compositions, with extreme detail and clarity

    • Often mounted on a tripod

Linhof Technika IV 4x5

  • Deardorff 8x10 View Camera (later)

    • Used to create even more detailed, richly colored large-format prints

    • Reflects his move to ultra-high resolution and painterly compositions

Deardorff 8x10

Later Work & Digital Era

  • Shore has also embraced digital photography, particularly for his social media projects and more recent books.

    • He has used digital point-and-shoot cameras and even iPhones for some projects (e.g., Instagram-based work).

    • This mirrors the casual, diaristic approach of his American Surfaces series but in a modern context.

Film Stock

  • Kodak Kodacolor (early color negative)

  • Kodachrome (for some slide work)

  • Kodak Ektacolor (especially with large format)

Books by Stephen Shore

American Surfaces : see it on Amazon

Uncommon Places : see it on Amazon

Modern Instances : see it on Amazon

The Nature of Photographs, a Primer : see it on Amazon


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