A review by nerfherder86
Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee! by Andrea J. Loney

5.0

Beautiful realistic acrylic paintings depict the life of African American photographer James Van Der Zee, who got his first camera as a fifth grader; it was only the town's second camera! He shot family members and townspeople, before moving to Harlem. He worked as an assistant photographer but was not allowed to take photographs of clients because of the racial prejudice of his boss. But while his (white) boss was on vacation, James did take photographs, and was good at setting his subjects at ease. Eventually he opened his own studio, where he took photos of both famous and every day folks, as well as street shots. He was also known for his retouching of photos (old school "Photoshopping" before computers), to smooth away blemishes and make his portraits perfect.