Archive 6 April
- June 2001
Gallery
Archive 6 April - June 2001
Gallery
Photos: LA Noir series
Although I have always loved photography and film, until my late 30's, I earned my income from other disciplines including set design, graphic design and computer animation. In 1990, I was allowed backstage to photograph Le Cirque du Soleil. Documenting the troupe profoundly impacted my life. I realized then that to lead a fulfilled life, you must follow your passion.
After turning my professional energy solely to still photography, my images were reproduced in periodicals such as The NY Times, LA Times, New York Magazine and two covers of Playbill Magazine. I have worked for corporate clients including The Getty Center, Minolta, Hilton Hotels and AGFA Film, exhibited in important galleries such as G. Ray Hawkins in Santa Monica and seen my work purchased by several major collectors. I have also won a grand prize in the Twentieth Century National Photo Contest.
My passion for photography soon led me to national television and the largest magazine publishing house in the world. In 1997, I appeared on The Travel Channel as co-host of the 30-minute travel/photo documentary called Freeze Frame San Diego. The six-page magazine spread on San Diego that I photographed in conjunction with Freeze Frame appeared in Popular Photography and Travel Holiday in June and American Photo in July of that year. I also won my second photo contest in 1997, the Publicity Club of Los Angeles' Photo of the Year.
Immediately after I finished The Travel Channel project, I was hired to illustrate Parents at Last for Clarkson N. Potter (Random House). The book contains 50 portraits and 35 stories of non-traditional families. Parents at Last, published in October 1998, received a number of wonderful reviews and became a regional best seller in the Denver area. Paul Kopeikin Gallery, in Los Angeles, gave me a one-woman show highlighting work from the book project.
Shooting portraits is a great joy and as I am L.A. based, I have been assigned to photograph celebrities such as Dustin Hoffman, Gregory Hines, David Hockney, Jules Feiffer, Levar Burton, Senator John McCain and Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.
Cities at Night is the focus of my present fine art work. The project has been inspired by the great photographer Brassai's, Paris at Night, German Expressionist film, American Film Noir, my theatrical background and the teachings of my mentor, Lawrence Shapiro. At night, a city turns into vast theatrical stage set, dramatically lit by strategically placed lights.
These are 12 images from the series, LA Noir. Although Los Angeles is not known for her architectural beauty, she can look magical after dark. Then, her 20th Century urban monuments can be documented in the same manner as great portraits and nudes – spotlighted against a black background.
Pilar Graves, L.A., represents me for fine art, BJ Robbins Agency,L.A., for literary projects, Agefotostock, Barcelona & NY, for stock and Global Photo Agency, Paris, for picture stories.Also see Archives for Articles by Helen:
WIPI News - Archive 7 - Joanna Pinneo
WIPI News- -Archive 8 - Laura Jo Ragen
WIPI News - Archive 8 - Jan Kesner
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