|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| . | |||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rangefinder
Magazine Insight/ On the Cover by Bill Hurter The lines have blurred. Photographers’ job descriptions and business models for studios all across America are becoming less clearly defined as photographers take on new kinds of work for different kinds of clients to survive a sagging economy. Also, the influence of digital imaging has allowed photographers to become, “lighter on their feet,” accepting new and different types of assignments. Such is the case with commercial photography, which seems to be invading the province of portrait, wedding and editorial photographers everywhere. Commercial accounts are helping studios make ends meet, creating new and exciting opportunities. One of the beautiful blends of disciplines is the merger of commercial and fine art photography, which noted educator and photographer Glenn Rand (page 56) sees as almost the same thing. “There really isn’t a difference between fine art and commercial photography,” says Glenn. “The commercial photographer solves other people’s visual problems, and a fine artist makes them. But realistically speaking, the tools and vocabulary are exactly the same in terms of film, technique and composition. It’s really an issue of application,” he says. “If the work is in a museum, it’s called fine art, and if it’s in a magazine, it’s called commercial.” Much of the visually exciting photography we see is the domain of the commercial photographer. This issue of Rangefinder features some top commercial photographers and their work. Richard Berenholtz (page 10) is a native New Yorker and a panoramic master. His images of the Big Apple are breathtaking. Seth Resnick (page 16) is a gifted photographer who is renowned not only for an amazingly diverse portfolio but also for his “dream team” client list. Vincent Dente (page 20) is an automotive specialist who captures cars and lifestyles for advertisers. Glenn Honiball (page 32) is a commercial retoucher who solves visual problems for agencies and clients all over the world. John Bellenis (page 46) is a destination specialist, for hotels and resorts, and Robert J. Kelly (page 26) is a commercial photographer whose work hangs in some of the most prestigious galleries in America.
Bill Hurter, Editor
I went back about a week after I shot this photo, and the silos had been repainted white. It’s interesting because people really like this photograph, but even when the tanks were red, many people would drive by the original, in the middle of a field with about 10 other tanks, without even noticing. I like that I was probably one of the last people to notice the red tanks before they were painted and was able to capture the image. For more about Robert J. Kelly’s images and his “Search for Sweet Light” see Larry Singer’s article on page 24. |
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
PHOTOGRAPHER: Robert J. Kelly