NEO•GRIOT

via repeatingislands.com

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>via: http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue1002/winter-bp.html

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Interview: Damon Winter

Sometime last summer while in Colorado, I picked up the latest copy of the New York Times Sunday Magazine, which featured a story about the fall of Detroit’s black middle class, largely due to G.M.’s collapse.

The cover image of that week’s magazine was striking and iconic, and the images that accompanied the article were just as powerful and a perfect supplement to the article. To my slight surprise, I noticed that Damon Winter shot the story, not because I didn’t think he could, but simply because I had always thought of him as a ‘A’ and ‘B’ section-of-the-paper photojournalist. I’d followed Damon’s work for years, ever since I noticed the Times was hiring a guy to shoot amazing X-pan and hasselblad film portraits of subjects ranging from firefighters to celebrities to businesspeople. From here (with lots of notable photojournalism in between), Damon went on to shoot an acclaimed, Pulitzer prize winning body of work during the Obama campaign. So the Sunday Times cover was really icing on the cake, and the catalyst that made me want to learn more about this amazingly talented, present photographer: a chameleon of sorts, who can walk into any shooting situation and emerge with incredibly precise and true images.

I was not able to interview Damon myself do to a time commitment, but I sent out a message on twitter, which Pete Brookpicked up and offered to follow through on. Pete arranged an audio interview with Damon, which he then transcribed, edited, and paired to some of Damon’s work. These things take alot of time, so a big thank-you to Pete for his work on the interview; please check out his blog, Prison Photography.- Jake

Pete spoke to Damon on October 7th.

Pete Brook: How have your subjects changed between The Dallas Morning News, The LA Times and The New York Times?

Damon Winter: The work has remained relatively similar in that it has all been newspaper work, but the cities are very different. New York and LA are polar opposites of one another and Dallas is a culture unto its own.

PB: You’ve photographed a lot of portraits of personalities and celebrities?

DW: Yes I did a lot of that in Los Angeles but less of it in New York. One thing that I’ve always loved about newspaper photography is that I get to do something different every day. Doing portraits every day would make me crazy; its one of the most difficult things to do as a newspaper photographer. It is stressful and I have to rack my brain more [working on portraits].

PB: You seem to go to great lengths prepping for your portraits.

DW: Well, I don’t know whether that is necessary true. I think there are plenty more portrait photographers who do plenty more prep than I! Working at a newspaper on so many assignments means it is sometimes not possible to devote huge amounts of time to portraits. Portraits can be difficult. Often surroundings can be drab and uninspiring so if you’re not bringing ideas to the table then you’re setting yourself up for failure.

PB: Do you use assistants to help you with difficult shoots?

DW: Very rarely. Partly because of logistics and partly because of budgets. Often I am working on portraits sandwiched between assignments and I simply don’t have the time to line up assistants. I am quite comfortable working alone and doing the lighting etc. but that said there are times I’d like to be working with an assistant.

PB: How much of your career has been learning on the job?

DW: It all has. I didn’t study photography or photojournalism. I was an Environmental Studies major. I’ve been learning ever since I picked up a camera; I’m learning every day. I moved to New York two and half years ago and even in that time I’ve learnt so much. Just being exposed to a different community of photographers [has taught me more].

PB: Do you see yourself in New York for the foreseeable future?

Yes. I can’t imagine any other place to go. As long as I’ve had a camera it has been my dream to work at the New York Times. It seems in the current climate of photojournalism the New York Times is the best place to be right now.

PB: Before you arrived in New York, it seems a lot of your series toyed with the ‘American icon’. I am thinking of college sports stars, Olympic heroes. Is that a fair assessment?

DW: I wouldn’t say I’ve had a focus on the American icon. It has come about as a function of my news photography. I do the assignments I am given. 99% of the images on my website are from assignments for newspapers. Obviously, in Dallas they have a huge focus on sports. They do a big football preview section before the start of each season. They pour huge resources into that and it was something I was asked to shoot.

The Olympic athletes portraits were done in Los Angeles. I think the L.A. Times gave me that because of my work in Dallas, but this was all stuff I was learning to do on the fly … trying to put my own spin on it.

PB: Your spin seems to be quite an artistic approach. Does treading this boundary between art and journalism require self-regulation?

DW: I don’t look at things in such grand terms and I am not sure any photographer does. When you are out on assignment, you’re working to answer logistical challenges. On a day-to-day basis, I am barely keeping my head above water. To deliver engaging photographs which will bring readers into the stories and allow them to know about the people I am photographing [is a difficult task]. So, I don’t see it as a big artistic vision. I’ve never seen myself as any more than a kid with a camera just trying to do my best.

PB: You seem to be the guy at The Times with the Hasselblad. Do you need to persuade your editor to use film in this digital laden industry?

DW: They’ve been very flexible. I shot my first project for The Times on film and they didn’t bat an eyelid. As long as I get the work in they are happy. Shooting on film just creates a lot more work for me – running to the lab, dealing with film, scanning. I’ve weaned myself off and not been shooting as much film lately just because I’ve got so much on and I haven’t worked on anything that I felt called for it.

I especially like using film for shooting portraits because it has a nicer feel. It allows me to slow down and work with the subject in a different way. Things feel right working with the Hasselblad – it’s a camera and a format I am comfortable with.

We’re working really hard at the Times in print and on LENS the new blog, to get work out there. I find myself filing as often as wire photographers sometimes. Those guys need to file all the time, even during the assignment before it is over. It’s now a rare occasion that I get to slow down with film.

My equipment hasn’t changed too much. The Times is great; it gives me whatever equipment I need. I just got some of the new Canon lenses, which allow you to shoot in little to no light.

PB: I really enjoyed you description of a photograph from Flushing, NY as a “46 dumpling picture” because you consumed 46 dumplings over the course of your repeated visits to get the image. Have you any other photographs you can measure in donuts or tacos or tapas?

DW: One of the great joys about experiencing new places is the food. Sampling different foods is my favorite thing to do when travelling and even in the different neighborhoods of New York. This one was special. I love dumplings. The Times had written about this dumpling house prior. I cut out the clipping. I just kept going back and back. It was a good motivator when I needed to go back out but my energy was low.

When I finished college, I did one internship but then took seven months to travel around the world. I booked a round-the-world-ticket with seven stops and picked each stop based on the cuisine.

PB: What about the cuisine on the election coverage? And how long were you on the campaign for?

DW: I began in February and then I was on intermittently through November and then of course back again at inauguration. The cuisine was pretty good but it was just excessive. Every time you’re not moving somewhere they’re feeding you. Five times a day. Every time you get on the plane they’re feeding you. Every time you get on the bus they’re feeding you. It’s crazy. Maybe they’re worried if the press goes hungry for an instant, they’ll write something bad.

PB: It was good fuel. You took over 90,000 images. How did you and your editor negotiate all that material?

DW: Well, I am the first filter. David and the other editors are probably looking at 20 to 30 photos per day. It is an interesting progression … I ultimately arrive at the picture I want to use through the days coverage. So many of the photos look so similar and every time you press the shutter you’re thinking that this photo ever so slightly improves on the last image. And the next improves the last. And you never really know when they’ll stop improving. At some point you get the photo of the day – the photo you’re happy with.

When you are on tough assignments where you feel you’re not quite getting it you tend to shoot a lot compared to those assignments that are really picturesque. On the campaign you’re constantly trying to build upon what you’ve done already. It’s a hard thing to describe but it accurately accounts for the reason why so many images are made on a campaign. There are such minute differences between the way events look sometimes and between the days news looking back to the day before. You need to work really hard to make photographs stand out from those before.

PB: You described Obama as having a “limited emotional range” so how was it photographing him?

DW: That quote has been misappropriated. Probably, what I said was that on stage Obama displays a small range of emotions, but he doesn’t have a limited range of emotions. He is just more controlled than others, say, Hillary Clinton, on stage.

PB: Was Obama a good subject?

DW: He is a great subject. He and his campaign were dynamic. That quote about the emotional range actually comes back a lot, but perhaps it was less about Obama and more about Clinton who is really expressive and can make all sorts of crazy faces. Obama form my observations was more controlled and level.

I always found the situations Obama was in were interesting; very visual, large crowds. It was the first time I’ve covered a political campaign and it was the first time I’ve spent a lot of time with one political figure - so I don’t have a lot to compare it to - but I just imagine that it was one of the more dynamic campaigns.

PB: Do you give any credence to the idea that turning the camera on the crowds is a more interesting photojournalism?

DW: I think this was something I learned early in the campaign. Often you’re surrounded by photographers and it easy to focus in on the candidate. It took me a while to realize that – on the campaign - you need to step back and look at who’s there and how they’re reacting and what’s happening with the campaign staff.

PB: Did you photograph Joe Biden?

DW: I only had the chance to at events where they both he and Obama appeared, such as the Democratic Convention and on tour after the election but before the inauguration. [Because of Obama’s draw] I think the Biden campaign was sometimes an empty bus!

PB: Tell us about people, individuals in your photography?

DW: The importance of people to my work is everything. As a journalist we are covering how people interact with each other and with the world. To take a photograph of someone that actually tells the viewer something about that person is one of the most challenging things you can do. We come up against that every single day. It is something I continually struggle with.

My assignment is to – in 5 or 10 minutes – capture something that offers insight into who they are. I often wonder if I’ve managed that. Often it feels like a struggle to get past their public personas into a real moment. When it happens you feel like you’ve accomplished something … it’s a nice feeling.

PB: What do you think of a street photographer like Bruce Gilden who is also occupied by people?

DW: I don’t really want to see myself in the pictures of people I am photographing. If the picture is more about me than the person I’m photographing I would feel like I’ve failed. Bruce Gilden’s pictures tell a lot more about him than they do of the people in his pictures … and [they tell] more about his world and his relationship with New York or Tokyo or whichever city he’s in. He’s a very different photographer.

I am very controlled. Sometimes too controlled and I wish I could loosen up a little bit. I want thins to be perfect and the compositions and lighting to all mesh beautifully. He is more instinctive and brash and confrontational.

PB: Which portraitists are inspiration to you?

DW: It’s a tough question. I find inspiration in so many photographers’ work. And I don’t follow others’ work as closely as I used to, especially [compared] to earlier in my career.

I’ve always loved Irving Penn. His fashion work is inspirational and the inspiration derived from that can be applied to all types of photography. And Richard Avedon – I’ve always been fascinated by the simplicity and beauty of his portraits. I love the humor of Martin Parr and Elliot Erwitt. Parr’s use of color is terrific, along with how snide and cutting his work is. Other photographers, such as Alex Webb who makes complex multilayered compositions really fascinate me; they give me something to work toward.

PB: Did you know Irving Penn died today?

DW: No.

PB: Yes, 92 years of age.

DW: Oh gosh, so sad. After looking at any of the surveys of his work I’d come away inspired. The work has stood the test of time and stands up against any photographers work today. He was completed ahead of his era.

I remember a portrait he did. I can’t remember who the subject was, but the subject was about 1/100th of the frame and at the bottom of this long strip of light as it came down in an alleyway or a series of buildings. I remember being struck by that and learning to think differently about how portraiture can be done.

PB: You’ve built your own equipment in the past?

DW: I just messed around. I feel as though I had more time on my hands when I lived in L.A. I live in a small apartment now don’t have my own workshop or anything so I’ve had to curtail any of that creative tinkering. It was always fun. It was a way to make assignments interesting and bring something different to the work. I’ve always loved working with my hands.

PB: Do you take photographs outside of work?

DW: Occasionally. But if I get a camera in my hands I am immediately looking for pictures. I do that often, but sometimes I have to consciously remove a camera from my person. Lately, I haven’t been taking pictures because I feel like enough of my time is consumed on the job!

PB: Your portrait of Lillian Bassman sat on kitchen tiles is really striking. Whose idea was it to sit her on the floor?

DW: Mine. It wasn’t actually her kitchen floor. It was a strip of tiles smack-dab in the middle of her studio. I think it was where renovation had been done. It was the one real element in her studio. I didn’t like the idea of photographing her in front of her own photographs.

PB: The story was about Bassman retrieving work she had previously disposed of. And, there have been examples of other artists destroying their work. What do you think about that?

DW: Well, she didn’t destroy all her work. She pulled these old negatives out and started printing them differently. This was a lot of stuff she’d shot in a straightforward manner. Couture photos of models typically lit as fashion photography was of the time and she’d gone back to the dark room and printed them to look a lot more ethereal looking.

It’s a really interesting concept - especially as Photoshop is so accessible these days - that you could go back to film images you’ve taken and make something completely new.

PB: What would you like to be your legacy at a similar age? What do you want people saying of your photography?

DW: I don’t know. If you could see me laughing at the question. I’ve never thought of myself as anything more than a kid taking pictures. Often I feel like the luckiest guy around – I think about my job and nothing else compares to it. I don’t know how to answer a question like that.

PB: Memorable subjects or questions?

DW: Covering the campaign was a turning point for me as a photographer. I learnt so much over the course of the campaign about being patient and exploring the details and minutiae of the story. It had a profound impact on me as a photographer; learning how to take something visually repetitive and make it something new each day.

PB: It seems like you succeeded because you secured the Pulitzer. Did you expect it?

DW: No. I was really only out on the campaign for about a third of the time. I was part of an excellent team at the Times. We submitted two entries. I never really imagined the Pulitzer board would choose an entry like mine, because it didn’t contain all the big moments. It wasn’t linear. It didn’t go from point to point, beginning to end. My work was more about capturing the feel of the moments than actually documenting it moment by moment. I thought they’d be a bit more literal. I was pleasantly surprised.

PB: Tell us about the team at The New York Times.

DW: I worked with my editors. There was a point I actually wanted to be away from it. It was nerve-wracking and I didn’t want to be responsible for it!

The question doesn’t always come up, but I always want to bring it up; I couldn’t have done what I was able to do if I had worked for any other organization. On the campaign they gave me so much freedom and were always encouraging me to pursue my own vision, to push it as much as I could. And although I always had the daily deadline pressure, I never felt like I had to make a standard picture. They gave me a lot of leeway to look for something different.

PB: Have you had any memorable mentors?

DW: I’ve pretty much been a giant sponge and soaked up everything I could from all the people I’ve worked with over the years. I have learnt everything I know on the job.

Starting out in Dallas, I learnt so much people around me there – a guy named Evans Caglage. I knew nothing about lighting at all, but I’d go into his studio, hang out, watch him work and try not to get in his way. He was always very generous.

It has been that way everywhere I have gone. Without necessarily having to ask people what they’re doing, and why they’ve done that but just being exposed to things and really wonderful work along the way.

PB: Are you ever confused with Dan Winters?

DW: On occasion. One year, one of my photos was chosen as the cover of the Communication Arts Photo Annual and when they called to inform me of this, I was in such disbelief, and I had such high regard for that publication and that contest, that I told the woman, that it couldn’t possibly be me that they were trying to contact and that it must be Dan Winters they meant to call instead.  I though it must have just been some cruel trick but she told me no, not Dan Winters, they had called the right guy.

PB: Both you and Dan have done stunning images of Obama and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

DW: There are more parallels, too. I think Dan started out working at a paper in Southern California, which is where I started out, and he lived in Texas for a while, as I did. I remember reading an article about him in PDN and being so inspired. He began in newspapers and at one point a friend said to him that he needed to quit. Dan heeded the advice, moved to New York and began his freelance career. I find his story and his work tremendously inspiring.

PB: Do you know what you are working on tomorrow?

DW: Tomorrow is anyone’s guess. I’ve been working on a story with the magazine about the Obama’s, the first lady and the president. I’ve been going to the White House and trying to get some behind the scene action. It’s ongoing until we run the piece.

PB: Are you able to return to the White House because of a relationship you built during the campaign?

DW: I haven’t done any coverage of the White House since President Obama took office, so I don’t feel as though I am part of that world. We have staff in Washington who cover the White House and Capitol Hill. It is really difficult, even working for the magazine, to get access. The fact that they remember me from the campaign has helped a little but it has been really hard. I guess that’s how it is when a candidate becomes the president. [Access is] a few minutes here and there. It is interesting to see him there as the President and not as Senator Obama.

PB: Thank you Damon.

DW: Thanks. Say, where does the name Too Much Chocolate come from?

I made chocolate chip pancakes one morning during the week I was brainstorming the site, back in December. I was overzealous and heavy-handed with the chocolate chips, and ended up making pancake-sized chocolate disks. It was a mistake. Too much chocolate was born. Now I get spam from Betty Crocker and coffee companies.- Jake

>VIA: http://toomuchchocolate.org/?p=1678