Weegee specialized in crime scene photography, and wasn't shy about it. He often beat police to the scenes of crimes thanks to his use of a police scanner. He was known to have everything he needed in his car, so his photos were always the first in the hands of the newspapers. Something that made his photos so compelling was his distinct use of flash. Not only were his photos the first, but they were also usually the best. He was essentially the first tabloid photographer.
Weegee made a name for himself in photojournalism, but he spent a good portion of his career taking artistic photos and working in film. The major turning point of his career was when he dropped journalism in 1947 and moved to Hollywood. After the move, he started experimenting with distorted lenses. Some of his most famous photos are of celebrities with distorted faces. When you see his distorted images it's amazing to think that it was all in the lens and camera. He also did some work in the
http://www.famousphotographers.net/weegeefilm industry, appearing in a few pieces as well as working with Stanley Kubrick as a special effects consultant.
My favorite photo by Weegee came from his NYC photojournalism career. It features a group of children sleeping outside on a fire escape during a heat wave. I like this photo because it shows the raw lifestyle of children in New York at the time. It also shows how confident Weegee was with his photography, not afraid to wake these children up with his flash.
(http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/36566/weegee-arthur-fellig-heat-spell-children-sleeping-on-the-fire-escape-the-lower-east-side-tenement-penthouse-heat-spell-american-may-23-1941/)
More photos:
http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/1851/weegee-arthur-fellig-american-born-austria-1899-1968/
Sources:
http://www.famousphotographers.net/weegee
http://www.moma.org/collection/artists/1842 (more photos here too)
http://emuseum.icp.org/view/people/asitem/id/171
