lensman

English

Etymology

lens +‎ -man, 1930s.

Noun

lensman (plural lensmen)

1. A male photographer.
   • 1935 April 7, “Posed by Ferenc, of Vienna!”, in Washington Post, page 13:

     A profile in black and white may be said to describe this new portrait study of Kay Francis, made by that eminent lensman from Hungary, Herr Ferenc, […]

   • 1937 March 23, “Screen Stars Blame Candid Cameras for Decrease of Glamor”, in East Liverpool Review, page 6:

     Claudette Colbert, sensitive about certain camera angles “killed” one photographer’s entire sitting. (“Not temperament, just smart,” said the lensman, who is one of the best.)

   • 2013 October 29, Stephanie Smith, “Equinox ditches Terry Richardson’s sexy ads”, in Page Six‎^[1], archived from the original on 2013-10-30:

     Famed lensman Richardson shot the campaign for the past three years, and drew criticism for depicting uber-skinny female models in body-baring clothing with male models in suggestive positions.

   • 2022 April 5, Tina Brown, “How Princess Diana’s Dance With the Media Impacted William and Harry”, in Vanity Fair‎^[2]:

     […] The most unforgettable “stolen” snap from Diana’s last fateful holiday was the famous “kiss” picture of her in a clinch with bare-chested Dodi Fayed, her playboy lover, off the coast of Corsica. It was she who tipped off Italian lensman Mario Brenna—to send a taunting message to the real love of her life, Hasnat Khan.

     adapted from the book The Palace Papers, published 2022 by Penguin Books

Related terms

• lenswoman