Dorothea Lange, best known for her iconic work during the Great Depression—especially Migrant Mother —used a range of medium and large format cameras throughout her career. Her gear choices reflected her commitment to image quality and the storytelling demands of documentary photography. Cameras Dorothea Lange Used 1. Graflex Super D Type: Large format SLR (4x5 inches) Use: She used this for many of her best-known portraits, including Migrant Mother . Why: It allowed for large negatives, offering exceptional detail and tonal range—ideal for the kind of deeply human, textured work she did. Graflex Super D 2. Graflex Series D Earlier version of the Super D. These cameras had a mirror and focusing screen similar to an SLR, which helped with composition even in the field. Graflex Series D 3. Leica Rangefinder (later years) She used a Leica 35mm rangefinder during some of her work abroad, especially post-WWII when she documented international stories. Why: Smal...
"The camera is an instrument that teaches people to see without a camera" - Dorothea Lange