Goodbye, Bob Willoughby

From talkingpictures' blog (22 December) - sorry to hear of his passing, but what a great photographer…lots more to read & see in the original blog posting.

Bob Willoughby, the man considered by many to be the greatest set photographer of all time, died Friday in his home in Vence, France. He was 82.

It’s difficult not to love Willoughby’s work. He shot the most beautiful people, his pictures are graphically bold and often full of action, and they give us regular people privileged access into the private, behind the scenes moments of our favorite movies. But what am I saying? That’s what set photographers do.

What makes Willoughby’s work stand up taller than the rest, is that it contains a true, open-eyed love for the process of making movies. One look any any of his pictures, and you’ll see he saw the stars, directors, and technicians, the way we wanted to see them, with curiosity, the enthusiasm of true fans, and, unlike the classical Hollywood portraits of Hurrell, only the slightest touch of idealism…