The portraits and genius of photographer Eugene Pierce

We are trilled to be able to spend some time with photographer and New Jersey native, Eugene Pierce. Where in Jersey are you from and where are you based now?.

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EP: I was born in Princeton, NJ. My parents divorced when I was very young so I spent most of my teenage years back and forth between NJ and NYC. The day after I graduated from high school I moved to NYC where I worked for the next 25 years. I recently relocated to Lawrenceville, NJ (the same town I went to high school in) where me and my wife built a small studio.

ephotos: Is there a type or style of photography that you would say you shoot?

EP: I've never been a fan of titles. Quite often, people who see a small portion of a photographer's work, feel the need to put it in a category. Early in my career, many people would tell me that I showed promise in many areas and the smart thing to do would be to choose one specific direction. I never understood this. If I was working for the NYT Sunday Magazine, people called me a portrait photographer. If I was shooting junkies, or housing riots in Alphabet City I was a photojournalist. My primary interest with photography is to produce images that are compelling to look at. When I've been asked what kind of photographer I am, I always thought it was easier just to say: I don't shoot sports or porn.
But hey, in this economy, you never know: I might just have to take up shooting sports. In the end, I am just a photographer, looking for the next thing.

ephotos: Do you shoot digitally? What equipment do you use (cameras, format, etc.)?

EP: In 35mm: I use Leica M7s, EOS 1, and Cannon 40Ds. I'm a big believer in fixed lenses. In medium format I use: Twin lens Roleis, Hasselblads, and Mamiya RZs. In 4x5, I use a Twin lens Gowland Flex and a Crown Graphic (I've always preferred the Crown over the Speed Graphic for it's simplicity).

ephotos: We have seen some of your prints and they are crisp and clean. Do you do a lot of your own printing, and what do you think about photographers that skip this step?

EP: I've always done my own printing. I think any photographer that does not print their own work, is cheating him or herself. Not only, is printing a critical part of the learning process, it's a critical aesthetic aspect for the interpretation of the image. I believe all photographers are their own best printers.

ephotos: When did you decide that you were going to pursue a career in photography and how did your father, Bill Pierce, and Eugene Richards, two famous photographers, influence your career?

EP: I don't ever remember making a conscious decision to become a Pro. It's something I've done for most of my life. Something me and my father both agreed on is that professional photography has a habit of getting in the way of taking good pictures. Many in our field, put their cameras down when there's not a paycheck associated with it. Please remember, by definition, the employee at Sears who spends his days shooting screaming rug rats is a professional photographer.

As far as my father's influence is concerned: when I was a kid, he gave me and my brother each 50 cents a week for allowance. And would charge us, a nickel per frame, whenever we wanted to take pictures with one of his cameras. Since he was a very smart businessman, he would always engage the high speed motor drive and it would cost me my entire allowance in a matter of seconds. Eventually, he grew bored with this game, and when I was 9, he bought me a small 35mm range finder. When I got older, he began to pass on his secrets of street photography, such as, memorize every public bathroom in NYC. You can't exercise the reflexes you need on the street when you need to pee really badly.

Although I would cross paths with and, am a great admirer of Eugene Richards, I think you may be referring to W. Eugene Smith. My father and Smith became friends and fans of each other's work, in the late 50's. Smith spent a great deal of time in our home visiting and would quite often go on long printing jags in our darkroom. He spent a lot of time showing me prints and telling me the stories behind the images. Any one familiar with Smith's work, knows his prints were beautiful. This left a strong impression on me as a child, that I still carry today. In the end, I learned that as photographers we can only be what we are as people. This is clearly reflected in my father's and Smith's pictures. The work is about what you think is funny, sad, horrifying, ironic, joyful, strange, etc. Hopefully your work will never be about what you are indifferent to.

ephotos: Are there any other photographers that have influenced you?

EP: I'm influenced by all photography I see. Especially, bad photography. It's a constant reminder to get up off your ass so you don't fall into the category of people who "talk" pictures instead of taking them.

ephotos: Is there a particular subject or photograph that stands out? Tell us a little bit about that.

EP: With the passage of time photographs evolve. They can have different meaning in different times of your life. For example: What I enjoyed just from the aesthetic perspective of my portraits of Gordon Parks, would be texture and contrast. Now that Gordon is dead. It's a good memory of a friend.

ephotos: When looking at your work on the computer, your images were jumping off the screen. Is there any special enhancement that you do to your photos on your site,
http://eugenepiercephoto.com ?

EP: I'm a relative new comer to working with images digitally. I try to translate what I do in a darkroom with a silver print to I what I do in Photoshop and Lightroom.

As in my early days in the darkroom, a great deal of trial and error. Good scans of medium format film, seem to work out quite well and the computer makes spotting and bleaching a hell of a lot easier. I tend to stay clear of excessive enhancement effects and let the negative or file guide me: contrast, dodging and burning, the same basic tools of the darkroom.

ephotos: At a lot of photographers’ sites I don't see the photos that they shoot when they aren't on a job. You have a gallery of street photography at your site that makes a strong impression on the viewer. Do you spend a lot of time walking around with your camera?

EP: I'm always on a job. If somebody affords me the access to produce an interesting image by hiring me, or if I am walking to the store to get a pack of cigarettes there isn't much difference. It seems much harder to shoot freely on the streets these days, I think many people feel threatened by cameras. However, that trip to the store for cigarettes quite often yields some good pics.

ephotos: Do you work with any stock photo agencies? If so, do you feel like the way your work is being handled?

EP: Over the years, I've been represented by a number of photo agencies. Some good, some bad. I think a lot changed since Corbis hit the scene. I prefer small independent agencies and find it very sad, that is so hard for them to survive.

ephotos: What do you think will be the next big tend in photography?

EP: On the technical end, I think cameras will be a hybrid of broadcast video and high definition stills.

What I am hoping to see is stronger and more defined legal protection for electronic use. As in the past, what will come, will be a combination of good and bad.

I've grown very tired of the debates about analog or digital photography. Cameras are tools. Certain tools are better for certain jobs. Both film and digital have their clear advantages. I wouldn't want a carpenter who said: NO! NO! The only tool I will ever use is a hammer. Great for nails and although, in theory, I guess you could cut a board in two with a hammer, somehow I don't think it would be terribly attractive.

ephotos: Do you travel a lot for work? Where have you been lately?

EP: I used to travel quite a bit. Once the NYT had me shooting in Florida, Boston, and NY on the same day. This afforded me a 65 year-old back in a 45 year-old body. I still enjoy traveling for long term projects. But, these days I am mostly concentrating on my studio in NJ.

ephotos: What are you working on now?

EP: A retrospective show. My studio. My espresso making skills. While still looking for that cool independent photo agency.

ephotos: Is there a person or a place that you would like to shoot?

EP: Obama.

ephotos: What do you think about ephotos.com ?

EP: I enjoy it. It's a solid forum for photography.

ephotos: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself and your work?

EP: I love what I do and once in a while I get paid for it... not bad.

ephotos: Thanks, Eugene! It’s always cool to hang out with another Jersey cat. We appreciate you taking the time to give us this interview, and as always, keep the focus!

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