Member
Profile
Russell Abraham
1. Please give us a thumbnail sketch
of your background and career:
Our family lived in inner city Philadelphia, in a blue-collar,
mostly black neighborhood. My parents had a small tailor
shop and eked out a marginal living. I have an older and
younger brother and we were mugged probably more than half
a dozen times before we got to high school. Getting an education
was our exit from the ghetto. As a kid I was involved in
creative arts and Boy Scouts. The outdoor Scouting activities
and the fine arts were my great escape from the miserable
surroundings at home. I eventually became an Eagle Scout
and won numerous prizes in high school and college for both
painting and photography. I did all sorts of jobs to get
through college including selling shoes, being a recreational
leader, parking cars, and working as an architectural draftsman.
I wanted to study fine arts in college, but my dad persuaded
me to do something more practical. I eventually got a degree
in architecture, but fell in love with photography along
the way. It was the golden age of photojournalism-- Life and Look were
on everyone's coffee tables. I liked the magic of
the darkroom and learned that photography is a very compelling
communications tool.
After college, I worked for a few educational media groups,
but wanted to try photojournalism Almost as an afterthought,
I decided to photograph architecture. After about a year,
my architectural assignments out numbered my photojournalism
assignments!
Over the last twenty-five years, I have photographed the
work of some of the country's finest architects and interior
designers. My clients are an interesting group of creative
people that I thoroughly enjoy. I relish the variety of architectural
subjects that I have photographed all over the world; but,
I also find excitement and beauty in photographing even the
most mundane environments. And I have managed to make a pretty
good living! My wife, Candice, is a textile artist and school
aide. Together we have four kids, two of whom are in college.
2. Why is photography important to
you?
Photography is a wonderful, fun synthesis of technology
and art. Photographs as art have two significant characteristics.
First, they are an immediate graphic representation of the
present. Second, they are a preservation of time. As photographers,
we are the "scribes" of the twenty-first century because
things keep changing.
3. What have been your most interesting or favorite situations
or assignments?
In 1989, we were on the 38 th floor of the San Francisco
Marriott during its opening day when the Loma Prieta earthquake
hit. It was quite exciting! I think the building moved four
feet in each direction for half a minute and reduced the
room to shambles. The TV was turned over on the floor, but
it worked. The only station we could get was CNN reporting
that San Francisco had just been destroyed in a major quake.
So much for TV news! Fortunately, we all made it home
safely.
On one shoot in Hawaii, the art director wanted me to get
an exterior shot of the house perched on a cliff facing a
golf course. We ruled out hiring a helicopter and decided
to quickly build a 35-foot scaffold in a tropical rainstorm
before sunset. The scaffold swayed in the storm, and I was
highly dubious. Between the wind and long exposures, half
the shots were soft, but the other ones were superb with
golden sunlight peaking through the storm clouds. The art
director was on the ground shouting, "Career shot! Career
shot!" I guess he was right. The photo helped our client
win the "Custom Home of the Year" award.
I also enjoy photographing for a client who designs housing
for the homeless. He makes his minimal-budget projects interesting
and creative.
4. What do you hope to do in the future?
I'd like to work on a couple of architectural book projects.
5. What do you do for fun?
I am a dad and enjoy it. Raising four kids is quite demanding.
I hike and backpack with my kids and the Boy Scouts. I am
a "homebody" and love to cook, garden, and design and make
furniture in my wood shop at home.
6. What is important to you?
My family. Serving my clients. Having fun. Being real. Creating
images of lasting value.
Our profession is going through its biggest change in the
last 50 years, but our roles as image creators hopefully
will continue to be recognized and not become a commodity.
Each photographer is unique. Each photo is unique. When you
market yourself, you are not renting your camera, you are
renting your "genius."
7. What magazines/television/movies/newspapers/media do
you currently subscribe to or watch regularly?
Time, Architectural Record, Interior Design, California
Home and Design, Architectural Digest, San Francisco Focus,
Dwell, Popular Photography, Digital Photo Pro.
8. How have you taught yourself to adapt to change?
I always like to be a step or two behind the "bleeding edge" of
technology. However, understanding and adapting to changing
technology is an important survival tool. It is not clear
to me that the shift to digital imaging is better, but it
does offer different solutions.
9. What are you doing to adapt to the current business climate?
I have developed a one-page e-newsletter with my commentary
and thoughts on changes in the business that I send to 300
businesses. Digital is a whole new paint box with its own
set of colors. It is faster--but not easier.
10. Any major regrets?
No, although I would still like to do an occasional photojournalism
story.
I do regret that our clients may not realize that digital
imaging contains the implicit deceit that it will make photography
easier. How long it will take our clients to figure out that
digital imaging is actually much more complex than traditional
photography?
11. What are the most important things you have learned?
There many things I have learned; most are platitudes and
still true. I think I have learned how to listen. There are
many ways people speak to you, not all of them verbal. I
have learned how to deal with disappointment. I have learned
there is always another tomorrow. I have learned a good deed
today will pay off many times tomorrow
12. What is your favorite food? Red Thai Curry. Beef
Chow Fun.
13. Please explain why you joined ASMP and what you have
done with the organization over the years. Please include
any noteworthy events or moments.
I have been a member since 1986. ASMP is the closest thing
we photographers have to a union. It sets the standards to
help keep our profession viable. It is a nationally recognized
benchmark organization for photo buyers worldwide. I get
assignments from art directors and picture buyers all over
the country from my ASMP link. They often tell me that the
ASMP photographers are the most reliable and skilled of any
group. If you review the membership list of ASMP, you will
find most of the world's great photographers. ASMP is good
company to keep. And I have learned a lot from volunteering.
14. What is something you would like people to know that
was not asked?
I am proud of my oldest son. He is a senior editor and staff
photographer for the California Aggie at U.C. Davis
where he has won several national photojournalism awards
for his work. I guess the apple doesn't fall too far from
the tree. |
