There was a small piece in The New Yorker this week (9 July 2001) on Joel Sternfeld, who has a new exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, as well as an interview with him on NPR this morning ("Weekend Edition," 7 July 200 1), which might be available at www.npr.org. From the New Yorker piece, which included one image, I hadn't realized he worked in large format (my guess without seeing an actual print would have been Mamiya 7/7II), though I thought t he image included was composed with remarkable care for a candid street portrait .
In the interview he talked a bit about working in 8x10" and said he felt that hi s subjects took the process more seriously because of the elaborate equipment. He mentioned that he usually tells the subjects that the film costs $7 a sheet, and that adds to their sense that they are participating in something important. It seems as if he is capitalizing on the response that I am sure many of us ge t when walking around with a big camera, of people saying "Take my picture! Tak e my picture!," without really knowing anything about you or your project or wha t will become of the pictures you take.
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Joel Sternfeld was my photography instructor at Sarah Lawrence College and was an artistic mentor to me. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have studied with him - his careful and philosophical approach to photography set me on an artistic path many young people miss. To wit: doing it by hand is a good thing, limited resources make one work harder, and dedication to craft and an intimate understanding between the photographer and his equipment are ESSENTIAL if you want to lead an examined artistic life. I remember him describing to us how, when he went across the country to make his first book "American Prospects" (a definitive masterpiece of New Color work), he limited himself to one or two exposures per day, because of the expense of the film. Unlike those who cry that their cameras don't focus fast enough, that they need the immediate feedback of digital to learn anything, or who bemoan "wasted" shots, Joel maintained these limitations made the photographs and formed him as an artist. I think the truth of this sentiment is made clear the moment you see his work. I went to him when I was a sophomore and asked him what he thought would be the best large format camera I could get for my paltry $400. Without missing a beat, he said, "Get the Crown Graphic. It's a hell of a lot of camera for a little money." I bought the Graphic, and have shot 4x5 and 6x9 with it ever since, learning the ins and outs of flatbed camera focusing and non-reflex viewfinding. Not to say that I'm a photographic genius, but I wouldn't be half the photographer or thinker that I am if I hadn't taken Joel's advice and followed the example he set every day. Joel Sternfeld is a hell of a guy, and I think about what he did for me and my classmates every time I shoot. I hope he's doing well
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