Joel Meyerowitz

Before becoming a photographer Joel Meyerowitz worked as an Art Director and Graphic designer. It was this steady and secure job that led him to discover his lifelong fascination with photography. During a photo shoot that Meyerowitz Art directed he met the charismatic Swiss-American commercial photographer, Robert Frank. The way that Frank worked with his subjects made such an impact on Meyerowitz, he resolved to quit his job and begin taking pictures, without even owning his own camera. Ironically, it was his ex-boss who loaned him his first camera to shoot with.

Meyerowitz began shooting immediately, primarily street photography, which later would become his passion. The interpersonal relationships between ordinary people in their own unique spaces; freezing those moments in time, is what intrigued him the most.

Meyerowitz started with color photography, but for practical and personal reasons he consequently began taking mostly black and white photos. Color photography then was mostly limited to slide positives, and the tangibility of black and white prints enabled him more convenience in viewing.

However, color photography would not remain obsolete for Meyerowitz. In his photo book, “Aftermath”, an affective photo essay taken over the span of nine months of the September 11th tragedy at Ground Zero, Meyerowitz captures the many heroes during the clean up, in a maximum chroma; in the highest intensity of hue. Over 8,500 photos have resulted from this colossal project; an exhibition that has traveled to over 90 countries, viewed by more than 4 million people. These images will also be an exhibit on display at the World Trade Center Memorial Museum.

Meyerowitz believes that photographers should take risks and explore many different approaches to photography; they should evolve. In the first part of our interview, Meyerowitz shares with us in detail his personal experiences as a young photographer in New York and how his photography style has evolved over the years.