Wisdom

04 November 2008 10:28

Award-winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman’s latest project focuses on the world’s most influential over 65s, and poses the question: is wisdom the greatest gift one generation can give to another?

How did you go about choosing 50 people for the project?
Initially we created a wish list that was much longer than 50. Projects have deadlines and we had to be realistic about the time we had – 50 sessions seemed achievable. One thing I learned is that wisdom, although we’re born with a certain innate wisdom, comes from experience, and so 65 years old was the first of many criteria imposed. The main aim beyond age was the influence that the individuals had on culture - extraordinary people who through their experiences and accomplishments had gained a valuable perspective on the world we live in.

Some subjects must be used to being photographed, some not. What’s the key to working with subjects in such intimate circumstances?
It was important to be 100% honest about what my intentions were, to show them what I’d done up to that point, where I was coming from. One of the fortunate things about this project was that they weren’t selling anything; they were here to basically sit back and talk about their lives. I found that in this sort of comfort zone they enjoyed the experience as much as we did. Often they would get up and say, “Wow, that was great. I really enjoyed that.” 

How did you manage logistically?
By running an incredibly tight ship - we had 17 cases and no equipment was extraneous! We could show up and build the set in a matter of minutes. I knew there were going to be technical and physical challenges, and to be as thorough as possible I needed a fair amount of lighting and camera equipment. We didn't know if we were going to be in the middle of a desert or in an ex-prime minister’s office. So many things that were worked out later were unknowns at that time: how much electrical power do we need? How much time do we need with the subject? Do you do the portraits first and the interview second? It hurts a little bit to get your portrait taken by me – there’s an enormous amount of light that hits your eye because I need that much light to reveal the topography of the face. I’m not concerned with shaping their faces with deep shadows - I prefer realism and objectivity.

How many images did you shoot?
I found that taking multiple portraits wasn’t a comfortable situation for the sitter, so I set goals for myself. How few frames can I shoot to get what I need? Can I shoot just 15 frames and get a really great portrait? I learned that taking a portrait isn’t a numbers game, and that the subject becomes beleaguered after multiple shots and lose their patience and generosity. During the portraits I’d be doing a sort of pre-interview, asking them questions, things I really wanted to know. It’s really important to respect people’s time; although they’re at a later stage in their lives, they’re incredibly active and their schedules are tight.

How long did the editing process take?
I would generally edit the night after a shoot – I’d upload images in my studio and pass them on to my retoucher, who’d do a first edit. Three or four images would be chosen and then the designer and I would see what worked well in context. The book was designed as we went so that I could have a holistic perspective on the project and adjust as I shot.

How much post-production work was involved?
A fair amount of work was required in the preparation of the images for print. I was very careful to not present the subjects in an unrealistic way - I was hoping to achieve a true depiction of the subjects at this time in their lives.

Is Wisdom an ongoing project, and will we see similar projects from you in the future?
Wisdom is absolutely an ongoing project - there were so many people that I would love to photograph and interview and I can’t see us stopping with the momentum that we have.  Now that the first edition of the project is out in the world we will have more opportunities to access more subjects. Stay tuned... 

Visit www.andrewzuckerman.com to see more of Andrew’s work.

Roll your cursor over the image to find out exactly what kit Andrew used.