Rangefinder Magazine
May 2005

Click Here for printable version of this article.

Steven Katzman’s The Face of Forgiveness: Salvation and Redemption by Peter Skinner

Photos from The Face of Forgiveness: Salvation and Redemption (powerHouse Books, www.powerHouseBooks.com, $49.95). Photographs and testimony by Steven Katzman, inspirational text by Bill Johnson, and foreword by A.D. Coleman. Katzman photographed primarily with a Mamiya 7II rangefinder camera 43, 50 and 80mm lenses. Film: Kodak T-Max 100 and 400. At times he used a 35mm Canon EOS 1nRS. He also used a Quantum flash for that stark light. Scanning and file preparation: Imacon Flextight 848. Images output on Epson 9600 and 4000 printers with Ultrachrome inks, Hanamühle Photo Rag and White Velvet papers.

“Miracle” is an overplayed word, but it is an apt description of the journey taken by Sarasota, Florida, photographer Steven Katzman. His journey led from a newspaper advertisement six years ago to the recent publication of his powerful, emotional and spiritually revealing book The Face of Forgiveness: Salvation and Redemption, a book that tells as much about its author as it does about its subjects.

The timing was just right when in 1999 Katzman spotted the ad in the Sarasota Herald Tribune. “Come to the Miracle Tent. Come witness the blind see, the crippled walk, the deaf hear, the prostitute and drug addict cured. Come to the Miracle Tent.” The invitation was irresistible to an editorial photographer looking for new work. “I wasn’t looking for salvation; I believed I already knew all of the answers to life’s questions… I was looking for subject matter to shoot for my next project, and that newspaper advertisement had all the criteria necessary for an interesting photo essay: man in conflict with himself, his world and his god.” says Katzman of the catalyst that was to change his life.

The words above are included in the testimonial in his book, and they, along with the gritty images that peel back any pretenses people might have had about themselves as they seek forgiveness and spiritual rebirth, present a powerful portrait of the revival movement. Katzman, initially just an observer of the people and activities within those tents and churches, became so immersed that not only did he create soul-baring images of the participants, but he also found his own truth.

“As I began to document other people’s faith, I slowly developed mine. This is a documentary of man at the moment of true confession with his creator, a personal crossroads, forgiving himself and others of sin. You are not only seeing images of others that I have captured, but a mirror of myself, reflecting the pain that comes from personal growth and rebirth,” he says.

That he became so spiritually and creatively involved with the revivalist ceremonies was surprising to him and others who know him. But that he embarked on this project with a curious mind, a discerning eye and a compassionate heart is definitely in keeping with his persona. A self-taught photographer, greatly influenced by the craftsmanship of Ansel Adams, Katzman has concentrated predominantly on black-and-white imagery, honing his skills in concert with the Adams’ philosophy, “The negative is the score; the print is the symphony.”

Katzman mastered view camera techniques, the zone system and black-and-white printing. He has read articles, attended workshops, shot a lot of Polaroid film, and constantly learned from his mistakes. More recently he has become a digital convert—“opening the darkroom door, letting all the black out and entering the digital world,” as he puts it.

What other photographers could not teach him, however, were those special ingredients that open doors, hearts and minds to a stranger with a camera: such things as sincerity, honesty, compassion, empathy and respect for those he photographs, regardless of race, background or social status. These he learned elsewhere and likely have their roots in his upbringing in an upper middle-class, conservative Jewish family in Omaha, Nebraska.

“At an early stage my parents taught me the importance of tzedaka, the Hebrew word for charity. When I became 10 years old, my Grandma Leah further instilled the concept by telling me to tithe—10 percent. For my birthday present I would receive $10 each month. On my 11th birthday I received $11 a month. This went on until I became 21. I can still recall the black-and-white images on the old Zenith of a starving African child crying in the dirt. Give $20 and feed a village. Even at that early age, I was deeply moved and sponsored a child, tithing with the gift that my grandmother gave me,” he says.

In his final two years at college—the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay (political science, cum laude, 1972)—Katzman was sufficiently inspired by the words and pictures in Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee and Walker Evans to explore documentary photography. He took his new camera, a Nikkormat with a 50mm lens, and embarked on his first project, documenting the poverty-stricken people living in appalling conditions on the Oneida Indian reservation about 15 miles outside Green Bay. Facing this challenge head on—imagine a well-to-do young white man stepping out of a motorhome, camera in hand, seeking permission to photograph a proud people amid their poverty—taught Katzman a valuable lesson. His openness, sincerity and honesty gained him acceptance. “From that time on, I have never had any problem getting access to photograph people and events,” he says.

Also indicative of the how quickly people could respond to his sincerity was an incident when Katzman befriended a cab driver in New York. “For my 21st birthday, my parents took me up to New York City to celebrate. I got into the front seat of the cab, and the cab driver wanted to know something about me. ‘I’m a photographer and my photographs are going to change the world,’ I said. ‘I believe you,’ he replied. At that moment, he turned off the meter, drove us to Harlem, introduced my family and me to his girlfriend, drove through the rest of Manhattan over the weekend and took us back to the airport. No toll. No charge. Thirty-three years later, I believe I have returned to that idealism: My photographs are going to change the world, or at least a part of it,” Katzman says.

And he just might be right, given that his spiritual revival images have captivated a much larger audience than anticipated. It’s understandable that the people who spearhead the revival movement would appreciate Katzman’s intimate, honest and uncompromising images. Similarly, the true believers captured in moments of ecstasy, exhilaration or agony would understand—and many welcome—his insightful portraits of their vulnerability. Unexpected, however, was the effect the images had on others.

“As I started to show proofs to friends and strangers, I could see they were deeply moved. When I had an exhibit sponsored by Ilford, grown men were crying, while some women ran out of the gallery with comments such as, ‘They didn’t teach this at Bible school.’ I knew I had captured something powerful that also made me uneasy about my own beliefs or lack of belief,” he says.

At that point, Katzman began to appreciate the true potential of his images. “I started pushing the book after I made a mock-up of about 30 photographs. I had heard of powerHouse Books, based in New York, so I sent the book to them. They were very interested from the beginning, and that is where it stayed. I also sent the book to others, but they found it too confrontational, too edgy. powerHouse publishes controversial books that deal with socio-economic and political issues, and publishing The Face gives them a new market they didn’t have before. We are all excited about the crossover and what this piece will do,” says Katzman.

Just how supportive were church leaders about this camera-toting stranger’s venturing into their domain? And what was the reaction from the congregations? Initially, it wasn’t easy. “At the beginning, I really had to sell myself. Some ministers thought I would interfere with prayer. My feeling was if God is in the house, my presence is the least of His concern. Gradually word got around that there was this Jewish photographer documenting revival. It is true, a picture is worth a thousand words, and when you show up with a portfolio of 30x40-inch pigment prints, no words are necessary. Digital has certainly given me the ability to deliver my product in a timely manner especially in this size. I then left the images as a gift,” he says.

With the support and blessing of the ministers, Katzman was able to get full releases from the people he photographed. The pastor would introduce Katzman at the beginning of the service, telling the congregation who he was and what he was doing. That smoothed the process. Also, at the Brownsville Assembly of God a notice was posted stating: “If you don’t want to be photographed, don’t come in.”

Katzman explains, “Obviously, if people didn’t want to be photographed, I wouldn’t violate their trust. I would never want them to feel that uncomfortable around me and deny them their right to pray in their chosen house of worship. After all, I was a guest,” says Katzman. “I also found it interesting that many people wanted to see for themselves what they looked like when they were going through this metamorphosis. They were experiencing something special and profound and wanted documentation of it.”

Over a period of four-and-a-half years Katzman documented and participated in revival meetings at numerous ministries in Florida, Toronto, London, Brazil and Mozambique. Along the way he became close to those involved in the revival movement and still keeps in touch with them. “Unknowingly, I have documented a movement that has been influenced by four people in the evangelical community. They have all been touched by each other, and I just happened to come along and document their synergy.

What is so strong is to see how the seed from one ministry has been the harvest for the other; how I can shoot in Tampa then follow the spiritual river to Toronto, Mozambique and Brazil. I remain very close to these people and feel that their network will propel The Face. I will also continue to travel around the world with Global Awakening, where I shot the Brazil work,” he says.

And while Katzman’s subjects are from many walks of life, social status and ethnic backgrounds, there was a constant unifying element. “One thing that surprised me was the level of emotion—it was the same around the world, be it at a tent revival in Ft. Meyers, Florida, or a soccer stadium in Belem, Brazil.

The power of one’s God is overwhelming, bringing humanity to its knees. But there are those who still question and feel alienated unless they act the part. I have stayed away from these people, called ‘River Junkies,’ who are always looking for the next revival. Their intentions are obvious, and if I had any doubt, I would fire my flash to see if their behavior changed,” says Katzman.

Katzman’s testimony in The Face is a powerful revelation in itself, highlighting how the first service he attended in the miracle tent opened his eyes to a new world and how he came to admire the people he photographed, observing their passion through his lens, and witnessing their commitment through prayer. “As I continued to document the miracle tent, I began to develop a relationship with my subjects; where disdain once walked, I now felt a sense of compassion for my fellow man,” he writes.

He also found out much about himself and the power of photography. “During The Face I realized my photography was a gift, and with that gift there is a responsibility. I look at photography as a passport to gain access behind closed doors of opportunity. No press credentials can be a substitute for compassion, honesty and integrity. I don’t just take photographs, but I also give of myself. The photograph is a commemoration of that experience, and the relationship developed over a period of time, be it 1/125 second or a lifetime.

“During this period, you have either developed the trust of your subject or you haven’t. I feel blessed because I am able to share my story, my compassion, and still capture the moment. There were many times during this project that I had to stop shooting—the cries, the shouting, wailing. I had to stop and question my own faith, while trying to prevent my own tears from falling into the camera back while I was reloading film,” he says.

From many aspects, Steven Katzman’s The Face odyssey has been an emotional roller coaster. He entered a world he knew nothing about and became immersed in it. His images are portraits of fragile people at their most vulnerable, and he discovered he was much the same as them and became a stronger, more compassionate person for it.

More than four years after the start of the journey, as he neared its end, another emotional blow was struck. In December 2004, as the book was being finalized, Katzman was faced with the sudden death of his father, Daniel, 80 years old. Daniel had been a profound influence on Steven’s career and fittingly the book is dedicated to his father’s memory. It is an appropriate tribute from a talented photographer whose images have influenced thousands of people worldwide, helping to overcome social and cultural differences through dramatic and sensitive portraits. As Steven says of his work: “I think when people see your involvement, all barriers are gone, just the innocence of humanity remains.”
For more about Steven Katzman, visit: www.stevenkatzmanphotography.com/.

Freelance writer, photographer and author Peter Skinner has more than 22 years experience in the photo industry. His magazine articles and photography have been published internationally, and he has co-authored or edited numerous publications and books. He recently collaborated with the late Don Blair on The Art of Seeing Light (Amherst Media). He can be reached at: prsskinner@bigpond.com.