techniques. I’m a great believer in the
saying attributed to Isaac Newton: “If I
have achieved anything, it is by standing
on the shoulders of giants.”
There are a few master photog-
raphers you've actually had the
opportunity to work with, in par-
ticular with Ruth Bernhard.
Perhaps she was the strongest influence.
I worked as her printer and assis-
tant for almost a decade in the ’70s
and ’80s. At that time, I thought that
I knew a lot about printing, as I had
printed my own work and that of
other photographers. However, Ruth
gave me new insights into her own sin-
gular style, where the negative “was”
the starting point.
She would radically transform an ini-
tial straight print into a Ruth Bernhard
print. This might involve tilting the easel
to achieve a different perspective, soften-
ing the focus to create an evenness of
tone, making masks to burn and dodge,
using different chemicals to change the
contrast or color of the image.
She essentially refused to believe that
the impossible wasn’t possible, and there
were no rules that couldn’t be broken.
I cannot overestimate her influence
on both my life and work. Ruth oftensaid that she regarded her role of
teacher to be far more important than
her role of photographer. As a young
photographer trying to navigate in
the extremely puzzling world of art
galleries, publishers and commercial
agents, Ruth was a guiding light.
“Today is the day” was her mantra,
and her determination to live in the
present, to appreciate every moment,
to always say yes to life, has left an
indelible impression on me.How did you develop the idea
of recording landscapes with
extremely long exposures?Philosopher's Tree, Study 3, Biei, Hokkaido, Japan 2009. digitalphotopro.com January/February 2020 | 23