Erich Lessing's 1954 "Moby Dick" Photos

Erich Lessing has had a long and dynamic career. He joined Magnum Photos in 1955, and has covered major political and social events as well as significant moments in art and film history. His catalogue is immense, and while it's hard to select a series of images most worth admiration, there's something special about his images from the set of John Huston's 1956 production of "Moby Dick."

Lessing accompanied the likes of Huston, Gregory Peck, and Orson Welles for the production of the epic film. While Melville's description of the giant whale might have been more realistic than it's presentation in Huston's film, the practical effects were significant at the time, and Lessing's images capture the intensity and precariousness of filming at sea...

Check out more of Lessing's photos here.