20 Comments

HI Dina, I'm fascinated by this description of the Jack Teich picture 'keeping in mind that I wasn’t just photographing an individual but making a psychological portrait about coping with life-long trauma.'. I'd love to know how you directed him in this situation? How did you get him into the mood which then portrayed his trauma? Did you chat to him about the event and capture his natural expression? Or did you tell him what you were hoping to achieve visually? Would love to know how you approach something like this (love your work :)

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It wasn't as much about directing him as setting the right light/color palette and picking the right visual effects to convey the notion of trauma. And thank you!

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Thank you so much :)

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Fascinating, love many of them, so much so that I had to renew my lapsed subscription. The Meredith Whittaker portraits are probably my favourites, but great food for thought in the others, in particular about what to keep and what to discard. If I’d taken that Ina photograph, for example, I’d probably have discarded it as too messy…. but it’s great! Thanks for sharing these, and the commentary, happy new year.

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I hadn't seen the Time magazine cover. Phenomenal work.

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Stunning. Every. Damned. Shot.

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Happy New Year, can’t wait to see new and inspiring creations!

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Those shadow in the party pictures and Meredith portraits take the crown for me. Beautiful work. Happy new year.

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Happy New Year!

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"..those are not the adjectives i dabble in."" Oscar Wilde would be proud.

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I love him!

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What a year! An inspiring summary. Sending best wishes for the year ahead.

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Thanks as always for your insights. Knowing what's going on in your head before, during and after you take these photos is enlightening and makes me think more deliberately about what images I make. You presented these photos as the ones "that I liked" in 2024. As you make your living taking photos yet an editor judging what is a "good" "compelling" image can be so subjective, how do you deal with instances (like in the Ina Garten shoot) where I believe you said your favorite photo was not selected by the NYT Magazine. Does it become, a job, and you move on? Thanks!

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Often, I discover that the editor was right to pick a photo over another, and instances like Ina with New Yorker are actually more rare. But everything is always both a job and a personal project, regardless of the editing decisions.

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Thanks!

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Dina - wonderful photos - nothing that I'd take or show for myself (since my main concentration has been on black and white film and darkroom prints) but your photos are really terrific and interesting (often a better response that "beautiful") to look at. Thanks for producing In the Flash. Best wishes for the new year.

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I should add that I love the edginess in your photos.

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Love, not like. When you are using off camera flash (I LOVE the Garbageman shot) do you use an assistant to hold the flash or hang the light of a stand or other fixed item?

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Almost always, an assistant.

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You have a distinctive photographic style. I'm happy that it didn't infect your own portrait.

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