january 2007 - Professional Photographer Magazine

SUPERLATIVE SNAPS WITH GREGORY HEISLER
FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHER OF ALL
TIME: “Several. Arnold Newman had an
unparalleled compositional sense. Irving
Penn’s elegance and simplicity is
unmatched. Jay Maisel’s sense of color
and light is inspiring. Mary Ellen Mark’s
engagement with her subjects is amazing.”
FAVORITE EQUIPMENT: “This morning, it’s
unquestionably the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II.”
MOST IMPORTANT ARTISTIC INFLU-
ENCE: “Arnold Newman, because of his
commitment to the image and his work ethic.
For him, it was all about the pictures… He
didn’t flatter his subjects; he respected
them. Now, portraits are all about flattery.
If you can make someone look good,
you’re a phenomenal portraitist. That’s a
valuable skill to have, but to me that’s
not the highest goal. The highest goal is
making images that have an integrity all
their own, apart from the subject.”
FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE JOB:
“Photography is instantly gratifying. You
create something that didn’t exist the day
before. You marshal all your technical
skills, creative energies and intelligence
for that one instant, and then it’s done.”
BEST PORTRAIT IMAGES EVER: “Arnold
Newman’s portrait of Igor Stravinsky, Yousuf
Karsh’s portrait of George Bernard Shaw.
I love the light and the gesture in that image.
Irving Penn’s portraits from “Worlds in a Small
Room” are endlessly imitated, yet still unsurpassed.
Of my pictures, the portrait of Louis
Serria, Muhammad Ali’s masseur. The portrait
of Muhammad Ali out in the snow. Also
Rudy Giuliani for a Time cover.”
FAVORITE QUOTE: “Digital photography is
like having an affair with a barnyard animal. It
may be a wild time, but you don’t necessarily
want your friends to know you’re doing it.”