Joel Meyerowitz
Joel Meyerowitz (b. 1938) is a versatile and individualist photographer, Master in working with light, one of the pioneers of color street photography. Multi-award winner, two-time Guggenheim holder, Joel Meyerowitz has received tons of titles for his unique style in photography.
Joel Meyerowitz was born in the Bronx, USA. He studied art history and medical illustration at Ohio State University. Returning to New York in 1959, he started career as an art director and designer.
One day his boss sent Joel to supervise the photoshoot of a promotional booklet. Joel arrived at the studio, stood behind the photographer and began to observe. He still calls the process of that shooting one of the biggest shocks in life. The photographer was mumbling something softly to himself and was smoothly moving, as if in a slow dance, clicking the camera shutter.
Joel Meyerowitz was born in the Bronx, USA. He studied art history and medical illustration at Ohio State University. Returning to New York in 1959, he started career as an art director and designer.
One day his boss sent Joel to supervise the photoshoot of a promotional booklet. Joel arrived at the studio, stood behind the photographer and began to observe. He still calls the process of that shooting one of the biggest shocks in life. The photographer was mumbling something softly to himself and was smoothly moving, as if in a slow dance, clicking the camera shutter.
Joel Meyerowitz
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«The world suddenly opened to me — every detail became meaningful the moment I picked up a camera».
On the same day Meyerowitz decided to give up everything and become a photographer. He walked back to the office, amazed by the beauty of the city that suddenly opened to him, watching how every detail around took on a new meaning. The world has become completely different!
Joel went into the boss's office.
— "How was the shooting?”- he asked.
— “Well, great. I'm quitting. I will be a photographer”- said Meyerowitz.
— “Oh, really? And do you have a camera?"
— "Not yet.”
The boss silently took Pentax camera out of the safe and presented to Meyerowitz. And from that time Joel has not parted with the camera for more than 50 years.
In the 60s, street photography had not yet acquired the status of a serious art form, it was the lot of a close circle of enthusiasts. Among Joe's friends who roamed the streets of New York every day were Lee Friedlander, Harry Winogrand and Diana Arbus.
Joel went into the boss's office.
— "How was the shooting?”- he asked.
— “Well, great. I'm quitting. I will be a photographer”- said Meyerowitz.
— “Oh, really? And do you have a camera?"
— "Not yet.”
The boss silently took Pentax camera out of the safe and presented to Meyerowitz. And from that time Joel has not parted with the camera for more than 50 years.
In the 60s, street photography had not yet acquired the status of a serious art form, it was the lot of a close circle of enthusiasts. Among Joe's friends who roamed the streets of New York every day were Lee Friedlander, Harry Winogrand and Diana Arbus.
Joel tried to spend as much time on the streets as he could. While he watched the stream of people flowing down Fifth Avenue, he felt like a fisherman catching big fish. Gradually, he came to the conclusion that by observing people, a photographer can develop a prophetic sixth sense and predict people behaviour.
In 1966 Meyerowitz embarked on an 18-month tour to Europe that inspired him deeply and can be considered a turning point in his career as a photographer.
Until the 70s, color photography was considered good only for advertisement, not claiming to be a "serious" art. Because of his curiosity, Meyerowitz often was photographing both in color and black-and-white film at the same time to see the difference in how color and monochrome describe the same subject. The curator of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) invited him to make an exhibition of his color images. So that’s how Joe entered the circle of the pioneers of American color art photography, along with famous artists as William Eggleston and Stephen Shore.
In 1966 Meyerowitz embarked on an 18-month tour to Europe that inspired him deeply and can be considered a turning point in his career as a photographer.
Until the 70s, color photography was considered good only for advertisement, not claiming to be a "serious" art. Because of his curiosity, Meyerowitz often was photographing both in color and black-and-white film at the same time to see the difference in how color and monochrome describe the same subject. The curator of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) invited him to make an exhibition of his color images. So that’s how Joe entered the circle of the pioneers of American color art photography, along with famous artists as William Eggleston and Stephen Shore.
«Photography is a response that has to do with the momentary recognition of things. Suddenly you’re alive. A minute later there was nothing there. I just watched it evaporate. You look one moment and there’s everything, next moment it’s gone. Photography is very philosophical».
Since the late 1960s, Meyerowitz finally stops working with black-and-white images and abandons the concept of "fishing". He tries to forget everything that he knew before and tries to take photographs that describe the atmosphere and state of the author, but not a specific plot.
Meyerowitz continued to experiment. In the 70s, he took a large format camera and worked on Cape Cod, capturing places and people in a new, leisurely and meditative manner. In 1978, the book "Cape Light" was published, which became a bestseller and recognized as one of the most significant American photobooks of the second half of the twentieth century.
Since that time Joel is no longer just a famous photographer, but a living classic, a legend. Over the next decades he continuously and enthusiastically pushed the limits of his creative range, photographing in almost all genres and even tried himself as a documentary movie director.
Meyerowitz continued to experiment. In the 70s, he took a large format camera and worked on Cape Cod, capturing places and people in a new, leisurely and meditative manner. In 1978, the book "Cape Light" was published, which became a bestseller and recognized as one of the most significant American photobooks of the second half of the twentieth century.
Since that time Joel is no longer just a famous photographer, but a living classic, a legend. Over the next decades he continuously and enthusiastically pushed the limits of his creative range, photographing in almost all genres and even tried himself as a documentary movie director.
Main rules of photography by Joel Meyerowitz
Try different styles
Do not dwell on one style and develop yourself all the time. Joel shoots almost everything: portraits, journalism, landscapes, staged and candid photography. According to Meyerowitz himself, every 7-9 years he feels a certain creative crisis, he feels that he is "hitting the ceiling." In such a situation, the only way out is to forget all the previous achievements and start everything from zero, start learning something new.
Follow your instinct
Having no theoretical background in the field of photography, Joel Meyerowitz was able to turn this disadvantage into his benefit. He was not constrained by any dogmas and rules - he was photographing as he saw and felt with his heart.
“The world is colorful. It was obvious to me. I had no idea that people didn't take color photography seriously. It seemed to me that black-and-white is something too historical."
Photograph for yourself
Photograph for yourself and about yourself. Joel advises - to learn to capture exclusively in your own style, obeying your own instincts, avoiding outwardly seductive cliches. Such a photograph will always be unique, valuable, author’s identification. With an author’s change of personality, the photographs will also change. And this will always be interesting.
Try different styles
Do not dwell on one style and develop yourself all the time. Joel shoots almost everything: portraits, journalism, landscapes, staged and candid photography. According to Meyerowitz himself, every 7-9 years he feels a certain creative crisis, he feels that he is "hitting the ceiling." In such a situation, the only way out is to forget all the previous achievements and start everything from zero, start learning something new.
Follow your instinct
Having no theoretical background in the field of photography, Joel Meyerowitz was able to turn this disadvantage into his benefit. He was not constrained by any dogmas and rules - he was photographing as he saw and felt with his heart.
“The world is colorful. It was obvious to me. I had no idea that people didn't take color photography seriously. It seemed to me that black-and-white is something too historical."
Photograph for yourself
Photograph for yourself and about yourself. Joel advises - to learn to capture exclusively in your own style, obeying your own instincts, avoiding outwardly seductive cliches. Such a photograph will always be unique, valuable, author’s identification. With an author’s change of personality, the photographs will also change. And this will always be interesting.