Howard

Some good questions! Frankly, I’m not sure how it happens that I’ve been able to make photographs of folks I’ve just met. Even more, I’ve not done a whole lot of it yet, so I don’t really know that I *can* do more of it (though I’m going to guess that I can and will). I think there are at least a couple factors at work:

1) I’m working with a large format camera. The camera has opened a whole lot of doors for me, both literally and figuratively. There is something about the “presence” of the camera that impacts the subject of the photograph. I can even see it when I’m photographing inanimate objects; people who are around me and watching me work are fascinated by the camera and interested in what I’m doing.

2) The photographs are in Italy of Italian people. In my experience, they are very outgoing, very friendly and very inviting. The portraits I’ve made so far have had a lot to do with the subjects’ openness and willingness to tell me their stories. In a lot of ways, it’s like meeting just about anyone just about anywhere… an airplane seat companion, someone next to you at a ballgame or on the next barstool… asking them to tell you their story is an invitation that says that you care about what they have to say.

The coppersmith whose photograph is in this podcast is a guy who was interested in telling me his story. He spent easily an hour telling me how he’d learned the trade and about how his pans and other products were made and why they were special and how they were just like the copper pans his grandfather had made in that same shop. It was a great story, and my interest in his story helped him want to tell more of it. Eventually, I got around to explaining my work (I always carry a few sample images with contact info printed on the same page) and then asked if I could make his photograph. He was thrilled to be asked and the two of us came up with the setup you see in the image.

I suppose it helps that I speak enough Italian to “get by”, but I don’t know that language makes that much difference… what matters is our interest in the subject. Ultimately, I think that’s what makes successful photographs successful; our interest in the subject takes precedence over any motive we might have at making “interesting” photographs. Be genuinely interested in the subject and the subject will give you back that energy in the form of a good photograph.

I particularly like the type of image that you have presented…that is to say a portrait of someone going about their profession and expressing themselves through that as opposed to a grab shot of something happenening on the street. Perhaps you or others that read this might elaborate on how you ‘broke the ice’ and got to know someone well enough in a very short period of time to not only take their picture, but have them reflect their personality and what they ‘do’ as well as you have. This must have been especially difficult in this situation where the person is working…are other customers coming in that he has to pay attention to etc?, how do you get him not to pose stiffly? Using a large format camera I would imagine that the portrait must have taken some time and not have been a quick event.

Howard

I think it also comes down to the idea of timelessness that has long been important to me in my work. I like the idea that the coppersmith image could have been made last year or 20 or more years ago.

Over time, I may include some color images that I or other photographers have made, but for now, I’m sticking to B&W

-Jeff

I’ve noticed that all your photographs are in B&W and for most of your images the tonal qualities appear to my amateur eyes as an excellent choice. But I love the color of copper and wondered if this image might be better in color. Do you ever shoot in color and if so what is your process for deciding color vs. B&W?

Thanks

Don