Gordon Parks dies at 93

This is probably one of his most famous pieces entitled "American Gothic". He followed this lady around for days, a widowed cleaning woman working in our nation's capitol. He posed her for this shot and his boss replied after seeing it:"You've got the right idea but your going to get us all fired."

Gordon Parks was an orphan. He was poor and black. Parks was many things during his life including a piano player in a brothel. But he rose above the poverty to become a photographer,film director and a writer of poety and symphony's. Parks was the creator of "Shaft" and started the black-exploitation era in films. He was also the first black man to direct a film for the major studios with his film "The Learning Tree". He was the first black staff photographer at Life magazine in the 1940's.

Gordon Parks was many things, including a high-school dropout. He overcame many obstacles to reach the pinnacle of life. His role as a social documentarian is the one I will remember him for. His stark images showing us reality's we as american's wanted to ignore, or deny existed.

Thanks Gordon Parks for everything you accomplished and showed us through your lens,your music and your poetry. The LA Times has a tribute to this great man. The link is here.