Amy Berkley: From A Photo Editor's Perspective

Mitchell Feinberg's still-life is a dream and with this series of images he makes familiar designer goods interesting and surprising. I am a big fan of white on white and a muted palate.

Another still-life photographer who is on my radar is Travis Rathbone. He is super talented and has a body of work so refined you would think he was older...well he can't rent a car yet! I am loving how he shoots food.





He is capable of doing something more quirky (his promo card of a corn dog captured my heart) and then going right for the classic, Irving Penn inspired beauty.

Also I can't help but mention Ilan Rubin who can shoot just about anything, has done some brilliant things with lipstick breaking away from the traditional beauty images I always see. I love the Pollack-inspired cover-up shot.



Then there is Dan Saelinger, master of conceptual, poppy still life. However, recently he is shooting people in his China Town studio and I am really liking the outcome. Could it be that his original fashion background is coming out again?



So moving onto the portrait photographers I have to say that I always come back to Peter Yang. His photo essay in Texas Monthly on cowboys was amazing.



Brent Humphrey's is a long time favorite photographer of mine. He seems to have the ability to make anything and anyone look amazing. No matter the weather outside his lighting can turn any grey sky blue.



Chris Mueller has perfected the art of simple environmental portraiture and the occasional quirky image. Right now I have his promo card of a stack of mail and the back of a guys head, mundane maybe, but when Chris shoots it it is fantastic.  I am also looking at Bryce Duffy's work, Jeff Minton, Nathaniel Welch to name a few. One dream is to hire Zachary Scott or Dan Winters...one day!

My last thought is this, in the back of my mind, classic artist's like Edward Weston

  


remind me not to over think things. Simplicity and perfect light can solve the problem of always trying to reinvent the wheel. I have to throw in Seurat's drawings.



This was one of the last shows I saw that inspired me and reminded me of the skill and talent of the great artists from long ago. Modern art, classic photographers, and talent today inspires me regularly

Amy Berkley, Photography Edtior
Field & Stream