Master photographer Louie Psihoyos spent 17 years traveling the world shooting for National Geographic. He has won numerous photography awards, had a bit role in the Stallone movie, "F.I.S.T", and if all that wasn't cool enough, has a small, embryonic carnivorous dinosaur named after him.

Louie has written books, been the subject of books, and was a main contributor to the "Material World Project" a U.N. sponsored traveling show of family portraits depicting 40 families from different countries with their material possessions. He's also a great guy, and when I asked if I could interview him about his career and his new film, "The Cove," he readily agreed.

I've split the interview into two parts. In this, the first part, Louie talks about his photographic career. In Part 2, which will be posted on Thursday, he talks about "The Cove" and the guerilla filmmaking used to bring the story to light.

Tell me how you came to photography and your background
I wanted to work for National Geographic since I was about 6 years old when I first saw the magazine at my mother’s hairdresser’s shop. I remember seeing these photographs by Jim Blair of Easter Island and they blew my little mind away. The hairdresser let me take those issues home and I think I still have them. Everyone wants to work for National Geographic but they think it’s just a dream. I dream too but I guess I don’t know the difference between a dream and reality. I figure you can live any dream you dare to make real.

I applied to National Geographic for an internship in 1979 and the director of photography, Bob Gilka, wrote me nice hand written note saying that internships were for photographers not good enough to get a job and I was good enough to get a job--good luck kid. It was a bittersweet compliment that left me heartbroken. The magazine took three photography interns every year, two by portfolio, and the winner of the college photographer of the year. I realized I would have to win the contest in order to work there, so I applied myself and the next year I won first place in every category of the contest-- Gilka had to hire me.

I did a black and white story for them, “The New Energy Frontier” that they liked and Bill Douthitt, who at the time was a layout editor, told me that if I wanted to get a real job working for them the only way to do it was to propose a story.
Bill Douthitt has a wicked sense of humor, which I really appreciate, one of the cleverest human beings I know. National Geographic is renown for their relentless optimism. At the time they could make war-torn Rhodesia look like a place you would want to move to and raise your kids. They were doing stories like, “Walk Across America,” a search for the real America and Bill and I would think of these imaginary take-offs, like “Bulldozer across America” and then think of how you would really photograph them--like the bulldozer operator studying road map by lantern light at dusk with Arches National Park in the background. One of my favorites was “Our friend the Maggot – Life Goes On Inside a Corpse.” You get the idea of our sense of humor.

We were in the lunchroom at National Geographic which at the time had just opened up to women--I guess they thought that was pretty progressive. The magazine was doing stories on commodities like Gold, Platinum and Diamonds and Bill, watching a cleaning person said, “How about a story on trash?” And I said something like, “You could have scientists studying the garbage like it was some ancient civilization.” And Bill said that he just read about an archeologist on Mayan culture, Bill Rathje, who studies modern trash. He said you could photograph artists using trash for art, and I said I just read about a whole colony of trash artists in Northern California who use nothing but found objects for their materials. At some point after about the sixth stupid idea we stopped laughing and I wrote up a proposal and I became the first new photographer National Geographic hired in more than a decade.

Of course that meant I had to spend the next 9 months traveling around the world in the most disgusting environments in the world trying to make garbage look beautiful if not interesting. And then I developed a loathsome reputation for being known as the guy who could make any miserable story interesting. The trash artist made the cover. I actually own the work and the artist was my best man when I got married.

The Smell story was a story that nobody thought could be photographed. How can you shoot a smell? That fact that nobody knew how to photograph it was appealing to me. At that first story meeting Bill Garrett, the managing editor said to me, “Louie we like your work but it might be a bit too sophisticated for our readers. National Geographic has the highest demographic for any popular magazine but it is still only has a readership average of the 12th grade.” I said, “Then let’s take them to college.”

There are two schools of popular thought with the media, shovel readers what you think they want or raise the conversation to a higher level. After the story was published, by readership surveys, it became the most popular story in the magazine’s history ever shot by a single photographer.

What about your influences?

My influences for lighting came from the great cinematographers. They were the people I looked up to at first because they had very complex discussions about how they achieved mood with lighting design. I began traveling like a small movie company – one story I did on the Mesozoic – the mid-life of the planet for National Geographic, I had 44 cases and six carry-ons and just one assistant. We were going to places like Mongolia and Patagonia lugging all this gear around. The theory there was that I could never have an excuse for bad lighting because of available light. I subscribed to the adage that available light was all the light you could carry.

After National Geographic I went on to work for Fortune magazine where, about 12 years ago I met the serial entrepreneur Jim Clark. We became best friends after I photographed him standing at the top of the world’s tallest mast on the boat he was building, called Hyperion. He created three billion-dollar industries from scratch. The first was Silicon Graphics, while teaching at Stanford – he designed the first 3-D graphics engine, which made it possible to design objects in 3-D in real time, making movies like Jurassic Park possible. The day he quit that business he started Netscape, the first commercial Internet browser. The third billion-dollar company he created--WebMD--he joked was created to prove that the first two weren’t flukes. I actually used that valuable resource last year to save my mother’s life when I proved to her doctors that they were over medicating her with conflicting prescriptions.

Any advice for new photographers?
The only advice I would have for a young still photographer would be to forget all advice and follow your passion with a passion. The Universe has a strange way of supporting lunatics like us that refuse to live inside the box.

There is no box.
0

Add a comment

ASMP New York has relaunched SHARPEN, the online magazine of ASMP New York.

Today begins a new feature, a weekly “spotlight” of our fellow ASMP NY members.  I'll introduce inspiring men and women that are world renowned, at the beginning of their careers, and somewhere in between.  Here we'll celebrate each others accomplishments and how their work moves the world forward.

Huge thank you to Elizabeth Avedon, Holly Stuart Hughes, Jody Quon, Marc Sobier and Hosanna Marshall for taking time to delve deep in all the wonderful imagery everyone submitted. Tough decisions but lots of fun! Enjoy the pics by Alex Geana.

ASMP New York has Relaunched SHARPEN, the online magazine of ASMP New York. We have daily news, features, advice and over 20 columnists.

I admit, it has taken me a long time to get used to the notion that a photo taken with a cell phone is totally acceptable. I was a student of old school photography and I wanted to remain that way for a long time.

(A wonderful perspective and advice for our community.)

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

It’s Just Business

Several recent threads on ASMP’s on-line forums have dealt with photographers’ frustration with client negotiations.

Photo by Ruben Natal-San Miguel, from the Nocturnal/Activo series, Bronx, 2012.

THIS SATURDAY!!!

Bronx Masquerade brings together ten emerging Bronx artists who uncover the true stories of the young people in the Bronx.

We would like to ask you help us support a former ASMPNY President in this election. As many of you know, Thomas Werner was central to the rebuilding the of New York Chapter, helping to create the strong and vital chapter that you know today.

As a reviewer for the 3rd year in a row I remembered how fast-paced the reviews can be. How stressful it is for the person getting reviewed. It reminds me of what speed-dating must be like.

1

Tuesday, Feb 7th is the annual Fine Art Portfolio Reviews, are you ready to show your stuff?

6:45-9pm

***Only prints will be reviewed (no iPads or laptops) unless the work is meant to be exhibited in a museum or gallery hooked up to a computer.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

7-9pm

How do you stand out in a crowded market? Not by spending the most and yelling the loudest — that’s a sucker’s game (and boy, do those suckers get annoying, fast.) The secret to gaining attention in a noisy world lies in making yourself irresistible at all turns:

Here is a wonderful interview with Anna Skladmann who has been photographing the children of Russia's nouveau riche. Her shots of these kids haunt me.

Last week was the 10th anniversary of the biggest art fair in the country. I had been to Miami before but not for ABMB. I was an Art Basel virgin...

You could tell who was from New York because every other person was wearing black even in the 77 degrees weather. Yeah, I saw art.

1

Wednesday, November 30th at 11th Street Bar

510 East 11th Street (Between A&B) beginning at 6:30

Congratulations to all the winners of Image 11!

Professional: 1st Place: Peter Dazeley

Student: 1st Place: Brad Curran

November 22nd, 2011

It was packed! And rightfully so, with an incredible line-up of reviewers from The New York Times, DDB, PDN, Magnum and tons more. The energy in the room was filled with excitement and maybe even a little nervousness.

October 4th, 2011

One should really use the camera as though tomorrow you'd be stricken blind.

Please join me for this online only exhibition of Kim Keever and Bruce Checefsky's work. From October 4-November 1

While peering into an alternate universe, such as Kim Keever has created using a 200 gallon glass tank filled with water, it's easy to get lost in the hidden chasms of his landscapes.

ASMP NY: CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS

NEW YORK, NY - September 2011 - Now in its 6th consecutive year, ASMP NY will host its annual Commercial Portfolio Review for all ASMP NY members on October 11, 2011.

Why should you take this course?

· Do you want to learn how to uncover a prospect's budget?

· Do you ever hear, "I'm interested, call me after the holidays?" or "This is great, I just need to run it by my boss/editor/wife/business partner?" but you never hear back from the prospect?

· Do you feel

2

Tomorrow night September 12th is the very special curated photography show by Ruben Natal-San Miguel about the 10 years since 9/11. This exhibition is supported by Finch & Ada.

1

Ahhh, the very important issue of stealing imagery from photographers to make a buck. In this case, Michael Dweck is $100,000 richer via Malibu Denim Co. thanks to the courts and rightfully so. Justice prevails! Click here for more on this story.

Longtime photojournalist Michael Kamber is the force behind the Bronx Documentary Center, a venue for photography, film, and new media that opens in September with an exhibition on the work of the late photojournalist Tim Hetherington, who was killed in Libya in April.

Focus on Sales: Sandler Sales Training Level One

Tuesdays, this fall! Sandler Sales Training is back ! Why should you take this course?

Do you want to learn how to uncover a prospect's budget? Did you ever hear, "I'm interested, but call me back after the holidays"? Then you never heard back from

Must give a major shout out to Stella Kramer who edited and published this blog for the past few years- keeping it chocked full of information and writings based on the contemporary photography world, commercially and in fine art. It must be noted that she posted everything before August 2011.

2

This hurricane will surely be a phot-op so if you are brave and want to take the risk, please take necessary precautions. And if you want to send them to the blog to post, please do at asmpsharpen@gmail.com.

For the rest of us, we'll opt to stay dry.

Most of us miss the smell of a darkroom and the potent chemicals that seep through our hands and clothes back in the day when the darkroom was king.

Attention All Photographers!- 2001-2011- A Decade of Insanity : Still Searching for Healing- Exhibition

Attention all Photographers!- I am back to curating, As a survivor of Sept 11 attacks, will like to celebrate life, commemorate the 10 year anniversary and how photography has changed the face of

Resource is putting together a Summer inspired film series (with the curation help of our friends at Vimeo) and we want you to be there. The event is at Factory Studios. factorybrooklyn​.com

We're taking over 2 floors of Factory!

Today at 7:00pm

@Factory Studios

79 Lorimer St.

Saturday, August 13, 2011, 12pm

ASMPNY's Summer Party on the Hudson

ASMPNY's Summer Party is THIS SATURDAY! Photogs will appreciate the beautiful view (and breeze) along the Hudson River at the PIER i CAFÉ. You might want to bring your camera, or ride your bike to get there.

Picture
Picture
Blog Archive
links
Total Pageviews
Total Pageviews
153065
About Me
About Me
My Photo
I've been in the art and photography industry for 15 years as a photographer, curator and art consultant. I've been fortunate to work with ASMPNY as a portfolio reviewer as well as a panelist for photography events here in the city. Earlier this year my exhibition, "Hotter Than July" was reviewed by senior art critic of New York Magazine, Jerry Saltz. In the past I founded veaux.org, a site for emerging creatives with a gallery space in Chelsea as well as curator/consultant of exhibitions for the Hipstamatic iphone app. Currently I'm working on a project documenting the New York art world while curating exhibitions around the city.
Loading
Dynamic Views theme. Powered by Blogger. Report Abuse.