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ALLAN KLIGER People, Portrait, Places. contributor That’s about <strong>the</strong> order <strong>of</strong> things for me. I’m drawn to people, to emotions and to experience, to connection and to <strong>the</strong> capturing <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world and <strong>of</strong> its people. I think it’s <strong>the</strong> people thing that draws me <strong>the</strong> most. Every photographer, every artist, finds <strong>the</strong>ir soul feeling most alive, most alert, when it connects, intersects, with that which somehow speaks to it. For some it’s <strong>the</strong>ir way <strong>of</strong> looking back at <strong>the</strong>ir life, for o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>the</strong>ir way <strong>of</strong> looking forward. I think my inspiration comes from both. The looking back part clearly comes from my Fa<strong>the</strong>r. For as long as I can remember my fa<strong>the</strong>r took pictures. For him, it was a way to connect with friends and family. Cameras with bellows, fancy sounding Zeiss lenses, bulb flashes that had <strong>the</strong> coolest sound when <strong>the</strong>y popped, light meters and film, my first Brownie Hawkeye camera. My fa<strong>the</strong>r was <strong>the</strong> one at family events who was always taking <strong>the</strong> pictures. He was always handing out copies <strong>of</strong> prints that he’d made for his friends and colleagues. I saw first-hand <strong>the</strong> love he had for capturing moments, <strong>of</strong> how his camera enabled him to connect with friends and strangers, and to share those moments with those he cared about. So I guess that love <strong>of</strong> connecting with people, <strong>of</strong> sharing moments with o<strong>the</strong>rs has come naturally to me and… And inspired me to do more. To continue <strong>the</strong> tradition and to chart my own path forward. What do I shoot? How Do I shoot? What makes my images different? Well, I shoot what I love. I don’t shoot because I have to; I shoot because I want to. I try to capture <strong>the</strong> drama <strong>of</strong> life around us, <strong>the</strong> emotions <strong>of</strong> everyday living and to do that, I look for <strong>the</strong> light. I look for <strong>the</strong> drama in <strong>the</strong> light, <strong>the</strong> hard contrast and <strong>the</strong> s<strong>of</strong>t edges, <strong>the</strong> sculpting and dimension <strong>of</strong> light that wraps, that molds, that shouts and that is subtle and mysterious. And to do this it seems that I mostly shoot in black & white. Don’t get me wrong, I do love color and, I <strong>of</strong>ten shoot in color. Our world’s in color. I love <strong>the</strong> explosion <strong>of</strong> color, <strong>the</strong> depth and intensity <strong>of</strong> color. But, <strong>the</strong>re’s something special about black & white that that speaks to me. That helps me “see”, to feel. My friends joke about this, how I would go to India, a land that almost screams color, and end up shooting so much in black & white. It’s become a standing joke but in <strong>the</strong> end, <strong>the</strong> moments, <strong>the</strong> images, somehow seem more timeless, more magical and dramatic, leading <strong>the</strong> eye where you, as <strong>the</strong> photographer want, free <strong>of</strong> distraction. The image that I feel without even knowing what it actually may be at <strong>the</strong> time. http://lensmagazine.net Most who know me would say that I’m a people person. That probably explains why I love to shoot people. Portraits. More <strong>of</strong>ten than not in some far away place where I don’t speak <strong>the</strong> language. I don’t need to speak <strong>the</strong> language. We all connect at some level, we know what fight or flight means. It’s primeval. And so is knowing when it’s ok. When it’s safe. We see it someone’s eyes, in <strong>the</strong>ir gesture. I hope people see it in my eyes as I approach <strong>the</strong>m. I prefer shooting outside, in a natural environmental. I explore, wander - that’s part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> adventure. Looking for <strong>the</strong> light, for something elusive, something perhaps around <strong>the</strong> corner, an open doorway, and some motion that catches my eye, beauty, frailty, something real. A moment, something that makes me want to make time stop. Perhaps it’s something I can identify with, even if I don’t know it. A feeling. I don’t shoot with a long telephoto – I shoot up close and personal. I want that connection. I’m <strong>the</strong> guy in someone’s face. It’s personal and <strong>the</strong> subject knows it. I dance around, like a boxer or a Judoka in <strong>the</strong> judo ring. I’m observing <strong>the</strong> light, <strong>the</strong> face, <strong>the</strong> comfort and nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> subject’s demeanor and pose, waiting for <strong>the</strong> moment when it all comes toge<strong>the</strong>r. Specular light, rembrandt light, light & shadow, depth and dimension. I need <strong>the</strong> shadow, <strong>the</strong> blackness, <strong>the</strong> mystery and hint <strong>of</strong> light and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> hard, dramatic contrast <strong>of</strong> light. And <strong>the</strong>n, in between <strong>the</strong> shots, I find it. The connection. When <strong>the</strong> subject finally feels relaxed enough to let me see <strong>the</strong>m, to immortalize <strong>the</strong>ir soul in <strong>the</strong> light that I’ve found. When I’m in <strong>the</strong> studio, I try and do <strong>the</strong> same thing. While most photographers today like <strong>the</strong> techno wizardry <strong>of</strong> strobes, beauty dishes and s<strong>of</strong>tboxes, I lean towards something much more traditional, more old school – Tungsten Fresnel Lights. Fea<strong>the</strong>red light, dramatic light, specular light, Hollywood light, cinematic light, and contoured light. “What you see is what you get” light. It works for me. And it seems to work for my subjects – making <strong>the</strong>m stand out from <strong>the</strong> crowd. After all, isn’t that why <strong>the</strong>y wanted to have <strong>the</strong>ir picture taken in <strong>the</strong> first place? And when I shoot a story, a documentary, I shoot <strong>the</strong> same. I look for <strong>the</strong> people, <strong>the</strong> places, <strong>the</strong> edges, <strong>the</strong> light that makes <strong>the</strong> story something more, something to remember, to go back to time and time again. Thanks for reading. Hope to connect soon/Allan CONTACT ALLAN KLIGER: Web: allan kliger photography Instagram: allankligerphotography FB: Allan Kliger Fine Art Photography Contact: photography@allankliger.com Tel: (416) - 669-0647 Toronto, Canada 79