Last night I attended a photographic workshop hosted by the amazing photographer, Michael Grecco. Grecco's early career started as a freelance photojournalist for the Associated Press. While shooting for the AP he was also getting his images into such magazines as Newsweek and Time, but his early career will be most remembered for his work at the Boston Herald.
As a staff photographer at the Boston Herald, Grecco won numerous awards for his images, with the highlight coming in 1985 when he documented the devastation of Hurricane Gloria. As Grecco explained last night, he felt this type of news photojournalism was not his calling and became dissatisfied, so he changed paths.
From that time, Grecco has been working on his own terms, a decision he felt he needed to make as artistic photographer and documentarian. He is now known for his dramatic lighting style that is created using light sources that are very close to the subject, often within two or three feet.
Grecco gave a quick rundown on what goes into his photo shoots. First it involves researching his subject and scouting the shooting location. After that he then comes up with a creative plan often using his style of sly humor and irony to tell a story or emphasize an idea. Then once on the set, Grecco adds one light at a time, examining each shot and light on his calibrated computer screen. This is where his creative process begins to take life as he adds additional sources of light in areas he sees fit. When doing this he creates little pools of light on the subject and this is what gives his images its dramatic feel and style. (amazing stuff)
Books By Michael Grecco:
Some Of His Clients:
- Esquire
- Wired
- HBO
- Joaquin Phoenix
- Penelope Cruz
- Steve Martin
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