Beginning with his dramatic death jumping out of his apartment window, the latest in our On Photography series skillfully weaves the tale of Vitas Luckus, a larger than life photographer whose grip on the friends who adored him remains strong a quarter century after his death. A self declared “mongrel” who never needed anything but a working camera, Vitas’ evocative documentary black and white photography of East European lives - as well as his passionate, turbulent relationship with partner and muse Tatyana - is only now being given its due. Stubborn and non-conforming, Vitas strained against the closely watched confines of the KGB, pushing the medium of photography in startling, visionary work.