Art & culture
Audrey Hepburn, Mel Ferrer and Truman Capote in a booth
Richard Avedon made a small portrait with an automated camera in 1957.
Three famous people share a compact space in an Avedon photograph preserved by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A challenge with limited controls
The Met describes an Esquire challenge to Avedon’s belief that a camera’s technical limits need not prevent artistic photography. The resulting photobooth portraits appeared in November 1957. This gelatin silver print places Hepburn between Ferrer and Capote; the museum dates it to 1957 and records a sheet measuring 8.2 × 6.3 cm.
Evidence: Collection record
Direction still mattered
The automated booth controlled lighting, framing and printing, while Avedon could invite and direct the sitters. Our reading is that the photograph makes a useful distinction between operating equipment and shaping a portrait. Consult the museum’s full account rather than assuming an automatic camera means nobody influenced the picture.
Evidence: Collection record
Sources & further reading
Sources for the specific facts and product descriptions above. Our worked examples, interpretations and practical suggestions are original editorial guidance.