Bob Gomel: Eyewitness

source: Bob Gomel: Eyewitness

Amazing stories and experiences told by Gomel himself. He had a behind the scenes glimpse of some of the most influential figures from 1960's and beyond. A must see for anyone interested in hearing original stories about historical figures such as JFK, The Beatles, Nixon, Muhammad Ali, and more.

The contrast of Gomel's plain-spoken narrative with the visual might of his Life magazine photos makes for a compelling documentary. Scarbrough's direction facilitates this with a split frame technique: Gomel on one side recounting the capture of his images in a disarmingly dry, detailed, and self-deprecating manner with the iconic photos on the other side speaking for themselves. The marvelous Cassius Clay series pulls the viewer in and then the Richard Nixon portrait (near) debacle sets the hook irrevocably for any photographer who's ever had a big assignment go south. Photojournalists will be struck repeatedly by the level of trust in and cooperation with the media then compared with now. In one anecdote Gomel persuades an air traffic controller union boss to choreograph a shot of planes stacked up nose-to-tail on a runway to illustrate the effect of a union work slowdown. The resulting image, though technically contrived, conveyed the truth of the story. In point, such an arrangement would never happen now but Life had that kind of juice. Gomel's access to President Kennedy, including a spontaneous steak dinner (!), is particularly notable and something very much of a bygone era. Likewise the peerless Beatles shoot. Gomel, as a Life photographer, had access to the biggest music act on the planet for two whole afternoons. The Beatles' sequence is especially fine - many wonderful, spontaneous images - and all the more remarkable for never having been published by Life at the time it was shot. What were they thinking?

Watched David Scarbrough 's new documentary on Amazon about local Houston photographer legend, Bob Gomel... absolutely loved it! In a time of hyperbolic media, this documentary was so refreshing. Gomel narrates the entire documentary and gives his account of some of his most famous work. He reminisces in such a sincere way... it felt as though I was having coffee with my PamPaw listening to the stories of an incredible life. His talent as a photographer is evident in his work alone but learning about the moments from behind the lense and how he managed to capture some of the 20th Century's most iconic figures was fascinating. His detailed account of the moments in history made me feel closer to each figure and brought each photo to life... Kuddos to you David for an excellent production and well directed documentary... I thoroughly enjoyed every minute. It left me feeling a little bit closer to the icons of our past and, to put it plainly... warm and fuzzy all over! 😊😊

What a life Bob Gomel has led. His photography and stories were incredible. Anyone interested in photography and history would truly enjoy this documentary.

I've never heard of Bob Gomel but once I started watching I realized how many of his photographs and art I've seen and that has shaped my background. This is a nicely watchable film - clearly a work of the heart. Beautifully shot and edited and it really keep you interested, learning about this unique artist and his journey.

Amazing how many historical events Bob was a part of. He had a front seat to an amazing time and the story is well told in this documentary. Well worth a view.

It's hard to choose which photo I like the best. The Kennedy photos, the little girl, The Beatles, all are incredible. I have great memories of Life Magazine and all the wonderful photos over the years. This compilation is a walk down memory lane and a glimpse into the years before my memories began.

This was an excellent and well done documentary that takes you places you had no idea existed. Of course, we have all grown up with LIFE magazine and the amazing photography of Bob Gomel, we just did not know it. This documentary takes you behind the scenes of some of the most important events of the last century. The insight into how these photos were made and the stories that Mr. Gomel relates are delightful. I would have wished for some more detail on photography or more detail about the historical events covered, but that does not detract from the film at all. I highly recommend this for any student of history or someone interested in photography. Warning: Be ready for the Homecoming at the end. It's amazing.

I connot recommend this enough! An intimate narrative of a Life magazine photogtapher in the 50s and 60s with all the photos I remember and a lot that I dont. Iconic images from a time when Life Magazine was our main Social media. Great narration of each with personal behind the scene sots and background stories. Bob Gomel is a lovely man and just thank you for telling your story. An aside from me is that my grand parents lived out in central Texas and there was not good TV reception there, but in the attic was all the Life Magizines (they subscribed from the 1st issue in 1939 and kept them all). On my visits I would spend hours in th 60s bringing stacks of them down and pouring through them, it was a great learning experience for a pre teen (of course they came after comic books) and so this documentary was so nostalgic for me also. C. Fairchild