photo by Amber Sexton
Henry Horenstein was in the office today, and was his usual pleasant, gracious, wonderful self. I've only met Henry a few times, but he taught me the foundations of photography through his books, and if sales of his classic manuals Black and White Photography and Beyond Basic Photography are any indication, I'm not alone.
How fortuitous, then, that Horenstein, the ultimate professor (he teaches at RISD and learned his craft from Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind and Minor White), would stop by today-- right in time for our School of Stock launch. Brilliant! Even better was that he brought a preview copy of his new book Animalia with him.
Animalia follows Horenstein's books Creatures, Aquatics and Canine, and includes work made between 1995 and 2001. Though it seems shocking, all this work is expressly low-fi; Horenstein works mostly by himself, at zoos and aquariums. He does this intentionally; he notes that if he went to an aquarium with three assistants, "they'd pull me aside in a second". Horenstein uses 35mm film cameras with macro lenses and Scala (he has a bunch stock-piled in his refrigerator). I questioned Horenstein about his technique and he says he's developed a "variety of really obscure little methods just for this. I like the no big-deal aspect of it; there's no decisive moment-- they're always going to be swimming around that tank. It's just a matter of patience."
Well, I'm glad we waited. Here are some samples. The book will be available on Amazon in about a month.
Henry Horenstein was in the office today, and was his usual pleasant, gracious, wonderful self. I've only met Henry a few times, but he taught me the foundations of photography through his books, and if sales of his classic manuals Black and White Photography and Beyond Basic Photography are any indication, I'm not alone.
How fortuitous, then, that Horenstein, the ultimate professor (he teaches at RISD and learned his craft from Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind and Minor White), would stop by today-- right in time for our School of Stock launch. Brilliant! Even better was that he brought a preview copy of his new book Animalia with him.
Animalia follows Horenstein's books Creatures, Aquatics and Canine, and includes work made between 1995 and 2001. Though it seems shocking, all this work is expressly low-fi; Horenstein works mostly by himself, at zoos and aquariums. He does this intentionally; he notes that if he went to an aquarium with three assistants, "they'd pull me aside in a second". Horenstein uses 35mm film cameras with macro lenses and Scala (he has a bunch stock-piled in his refrigerator). I questioned Horenstein about his technique and he says he's developed a "variety of really obscure little methods just for this. I like the no big-deal aspect of it; there's no decisive moment-- they're always going to be swimming around that tank. It's just a matter of patience."
Well, I'm glad we waited. Here are some samples. The book will be available on Amazon in about a month.
Cownose Ray--Rhinoptera bonasus
Brown Sea Nettles-Chrysaora fuscescens
African Grey Parrot-- Psittacua erithacus
Lookdown Fish--Selene vomer
White-cheeked Spider Monkey--Ateles marginatus
Beluga Whale-Delphinapterus leucas
Gold Dust Newt--Cynops ensicauda
Brown Sea Nettles-Chrysaora fuscescens
Lookdown Fish--Selene vomer
White-cheeked Spider Monkey--Ateles marginatus
Beluga Whale-Delphinapterus leucas
Gold Dust Newt--Cynops ensicauda
Greater Kudu-Tragelaphus strepsiceros
Seahorse--Hippocampus erectus
Indian Peafowl--Pavo cristatus
Domestic Pig--Sus scrofa domestica
Domestic Poodle--Canis lupus familiaris
American Eel--Anguilla rostrata
Domestic Great Dane--Canis lupus familiaris
Seahorse--Hippocampus erectus
Indian Peafowl--Pavo cristatus
Domestic Pig--Sus scrofa domestica
Domestic Poodle--Canis lupus familiaris
American Eel--Anguilla rostrata
Domestic Great Dane--Canis lupus familiaris
See more of Animalia here, and check out Horenstein's work in our collection! And, if you're near Philadelphia, see his show of Animalia at Gallery 339. It's up until July 5th.
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