Mermelstein Delivers his Perfect Shots

About the picture: http://www.thirteen.org/mediamatters/303/images/photo_right_02.jpg

Jeff Mermelstein, the author of Sidewalk (which received the European Publishers Award for Photography in 1999), took time out of his schedule on November 4th to expose his passion to students at Baruch College.

Mermelstein started his career in 1981 after an internship at the International Center of Photography, where he continues to work today. He claims to have fallen in love with color photography since this time as it possesses an “M&M candy-like seduction.” The camera he used to shoot photos during the early side of his career was a Nikon One-touch camera that was described as “amateur.” The cameras he currently uses include the Lica M6 (which he praises as a treasure) and a Canon T-90.

Most of Mermelstein’s photographs featured in the presentation at Baruch were taken during the 1980s. Among those photographed were his own family and people on the New York City streets. In one photo featuring his family, Mermelstein pointed the camera at his female relatives (mother, aunts, etc.) while they enjoyed a game of mah-jong. In another family photo, Mermelstein’s relatives are seen conversing emphatically at a table. Perhaps the one photo that stood out to me the most out of his street collection was of a man standing between what appears to be two police officers. He captures the arms of the policemen and takes the shot from a vantage point that exploits their towering figures while the subject between them intimidatingly looks on.

Although New York City seems to be the location for most of his works, Mermelstein has explored other parts of the country in search of places to show American social conditions. One of the challenges he finds with taking these photos is that in some instances, foreigners and/or foreign places will not consent to having photos taken. An example that he cited was from his experience in London, where parts of the city prohibited photographs due to fear of terrorism.

During his entire presentation, Mermelstein remained cool and casual. He openly addressed any questions concerning his work and humored students. This in no way undermined the artistic gravity of his work, as students were moved to appreciate the subjects he decided to capture and the ways he decided to do so. When asked how he chose what photos to display in his collections, Mermelstein answered: “Pictures like these are hard work—perpetual. It’s always hard to pick the perfect shot.”