Question:
What inspired you to do photography??
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Jen and Marco 02/15/2006
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
I wanted to capture those things on film that made my heart smile. On one hand, I wanted to show the moments in everyday reality that speaks to the awesomeness of creation. In addition, I wanted to make a visual record of everyday personalities in my life that reinforces my faith and love for humanity. I find pleasure in the photographic witness of simple and magnificient moments of nature as well as in the interior and dignified moments of human beings. This vision, this perspective, I want to savor for myself in a photograph and share with my neighbors like you.
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Question:
Hello Mr. Higgins as you can see my name is Pearlie Ronisha Magee my friends call me Ronisha. Anyway I want to say that I find your pictures or photographs to be interesting. I do have a question for you. I would like to know what inspired you to put a two story picture together of the African Diaspora? It's beautiful and interesting how the little girl is the main image but in little places over her face their are pictures of our African people its beautiful. Thank for taking time to read my question this means a lot to me. -Jesse Bethel HS, Vallejo, CA.
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Pearlie Ronisha Magee 02/14/2006
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
Brilliant question. The captivating photograph of the Girl from Tamale, Ghana, used in the foyer of the Museum for the African Diaspora in San Francisco (Moadsf.org) is meant to convey how all of us in the African Diaspora are connected, one to another, in the divine spirit of the African Continent, personified by the quiet dignity of this young African child.
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Question:
I was in my doctor's office today (Feb. 13) and saw your photograph of the sledders in Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn on the front page of The New York Times. I fell in love immediately!!
I asked the staff for this page of the NY Times because I want to frame it. This photo is a museum piece....but I can't think of a place to showcase it better than the five columns cover of the New York Times Newspaper.
Sincerely, Pat Howard
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Patricia Howard 02/13/2006
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
Art is wonderful when it moves you and causes you to fall in love. It's good to know that this expression of art which celebrates nature found a home in your heart.
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Question:
As a white home-town boy who knew you when we used to trade funny books with each other, I have followed your career with great interest. I was excited when I saw your book of photographs of individuals with great dignity and spirit that I respected and loved.
As a sociologist, I have a few observations. With your photographs, you visually captured the tremendous strength of people who had lived in a segregated society all their lives. But you missed the oral history of these people that would have shown how this strength was gained and how it survived. I know this because I spent many hours at Fourth's and Jewell's house talking to them. I can tell you why Fourth limped (a railroad tie fell on his foot while he was in the Army in World War I). I can tell you the insights I gained about Blacks and whites living together with the restrictions of a segregated society; and how sometimes bonds of mutual respect and financial interdependency transcended these restrictions.
My quest is, why don't you go back to New Brockton and document how the Spirit you photographed several decades ago has both survived and thrived? Particularly since you are a product of that Spirit. Madeline Smith and her children would make good subjects. A photograph Martin Luther King, Jr. Street would speak volumes both about how much has changed in New Brockton and how much remains the same as it always was there. Also, the media never accurately documented that some of us whites learned a lot from the Spirit of individuals like Fourth, Jewell, Shug, Madeline Smith, your grandfather, and others. I took what I learned and made a life-long commitment to civil and human rights.
Congratulations on a very special career, and may God continue to bless you on your life's journey.
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Theron Fuller 01/04/2006
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
How right you are. I never knew that about the leg injury of my great-uncle Fourth. You have given me a lot to 'chew' on and quickened my desire to return home and document my aunt Madeline and my cousins. Perhaps, there's is a collaboration possible of my images and your oral memories.
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Question:
Mr. Higgins,
Thank you for preserving the esssence of my grandparents in your photographs. I am the granddaughter of George and Lettice Winsor. My grandmother has passed since the publishing of your works, however I often go back to your books in order capture their joyous union of which I am a legacy. I have given these books as presents over the years, probably as a subliminal suggestion that I am the reflection of their joy, love and celebration of family. Again this holiday I will make these books (Elder Grace and Echo of the Spirit) part of my gift giving. I intend to foster a culture of appreciation and connection to the hearts of recipients as you have so gracefully done for my family and me.
God bless you,
Lisa Jackson
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Lisa Jackson 12/01/2005
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
The Asante people in Ghana believe that the family exist in three components: the living, the yet to be born the children, as well as the ancestors those from which we descend. Humankind is a membership society. We all have to be sponsored by a union of two. The Spirit of Grandpa George and Grandma Lettice stirs within your blood. What a gift to inherit and a blessing for you to pass on.
It's an honor that my photograph captured some of the joy that triggers the dearest of memories that only you have experienced.
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Question:
Mr. Higgins, your photographs capture the human soul in a way that I have not seen from any other photographer. I've been looking for your much celebrated, Muslim Woman in NYC photograph in poster form (someday I hope to be able to afford the print). After hours of searching online and numerous poster shops and museums, I still cannot locate it. This photograph touches my soul the same way that James Baldwin's A Fire Next Time did and I feel the same everytime I see it. Can you please tell me where I can locate this in poster form? Warmest Regards, Shawna
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Shawna Enright 11/19/2005
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
Shawna, there is no poster of the Moslem Woman. Pomegranate.com has published large notecards of this image. A much larger size exists in my book, 'Feeling the Spirit: Searching the World for the People of Africa."
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Question:
Having seen your name many times in The New York Times, I had the good fortune of coming across your book, 'Feeling the Spirit: Searching the World for the People of Africa' (Bantam 1994), needless to say, I was very much taken by the images you've presented so beautifully. It is truly poetry for the eye. I am a photographer who has admired the work of Gordon Parks, Sebastio Salgado, James Nachtwey and Steve McCurry, and ofcourse yourself. Unfortunately, I do not photograph for a living. If you ever are appearing in the New York City area, it would be a privilege to meet you. I would value your comments on some of the images that I have made. Thanks again for your beautiful images and a great website. Yours truly, Alan Carp
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alan carp 03/21/2005
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
Check out the LOOKOUT section, there you will find listings of all my upcoming events and public appearances.
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Question:
I have often heard it said that it isn't the camera which makes the photo but the trained eye of the photographer.
Recently, I viewed a DVD introduction course on digital photography. In the opening clip, the instructor made the above comment. However, when it came to him instructing on how to go about choosing to purchase a camera, he instructed, for professional work, to purchase a quality digital SLR camera. So is it the eye of the photographer or the type of camera?
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Mark Everett Sanders 03/13/2005
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
The camera is merely a tool, a mechanical extension of the eye. The camera cannot choose where to point itself. Only your eye can make the decision where to point. It is your eye which determines the choice of subject matter, design, composition, timing. Your heart determines how you feel and seeks the help of the eye, to include it's feelings in the mix of visual decisions. Your best pictures often are pleasing to the eye and able to make the heart smile. Exactly what type of camera or lens you decide to buy should be based on how comfortable the body feels in your hands and how pleasant the lens feels to your eye.
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Question:
Mr. Higgins,
I would like to pursue photography as a career, but feel stuck in my artistic and professional development. My main passion is documentary photography. What suggestions can you offer to help move me forward? What attributes should I look for in a mentor? How do I develop a professional portfolio with limited funds?
Thank you for your beautiful and thoughtful website.
E.C. Pierce
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E.C. Pierce 02/27/2005
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
Documentary photography can be very satisfying on an deeply emotional level. However, to make a living, can be quite challenging. The market for using documentary photography has become more competitive and the opportunities to publish have dwindled. Newspapers are consolidating, magazines are dwindling and books of documentary photography are fewer. The new local markets seems to be private albums made of families and children or the new surge to have weddings covered from a documentary perspective. The digital world has also become an outlet for all kinds of photography and documentary photography can be found there as well.
If making a career in documentary photography is your decision, then there are a few things about the market that you should know. The needs of the photo market and how you market your work to your potential customers will determine if you can make enough money for yourself. It would serve you well to make use of a few magazine like Photo District News (http://www.pdnonline.com/photodistrictnews/index.jsp) and American Photographer (http://www.americanphotomag.com/), to get an idea of what pictures are being used and what experiences other photographers are having in the market.
In order to learn the the business of photography, you should join or subscribe to the American Society of Media Photographers (http://www.asmp.org/) and Selling Stock at (http://www.pickphoto.com/). You also want to get a copy of the book, The 2005 Photographers Market, which sells for $16.49 on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/158297277X/ref%3Dnosim/photographers-20/102-6854731-2296956).
To keep your costs down, you might want to look at discount suppliers like the B&H Photo Supplies website (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/), and for your portfolios, framing, matting and presentation supplies to look at Light Impressions (http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/servlet/OnlineShopping?Dsp=2).
Digital cameras have become the rave among many photographers today, not so much for the quality but for the ease in getting the images to market. The upfront cost is higher than a film camera, but there is no need to continue buying film and processing. Everything now is being done with Photoshop in your computer. Even portfolios are made digitally and either sent on a CD to prospective customers or as an PowerPoint attachment to emails.
There are many schools in photography attached to universities. The mother school of photography is The International Center of Photography which is a school and a Museum (http://www.icp.org/).
Mentors can be a bit harder to come by. You are asking someone, who already has a life, to take time out of theirs, to give you guidance. Prospective mentors should be someone you have high regards for their work and their ability to teach thereby making learning exciting. Because such a person is special and has other obligations on their time, you must make it easy for them. You must be a self starter. That means you must have your own ideas about what you want to accomplish. You must have the enthusiasm to get whatever work done that you have set out for yourself. You must also accept complete responsibility to make it happen. What you need from the mentor could be technical advice or conceptual advice about your ability to align your intellectual and visual focus together. The need for your mentor should not be constant but only episodic, when you will come with a combination of questions. It could be for some clarification, after youve hit a wall, looking for another avenue of approach or showing work youve done on the project for criticism and review.
Good luck and All the best.
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Question:
This is less of a question and more venting. I don't know what makes for a top or great photographer but it upsets me when books are purchased listing great photographers and photographers of colour seem to be missing. I consider you, Gordon Parks to be among the top but very rarely mentioned. As a Black man of 41, I want to thank you for your commitment to your craft.
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Mark Everett Sanders 02/20/2005
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
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Question:
Hi Chester:
Is it true that you have just published a new book on photography?
tefera
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Tefera Ghedamu 08/26/2004
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
Yes it's true. My new book, a visual memoir, 'Echo of the Spirit: A Photographer's Journey' will be published on October 19, 2004 by Doubleday. It looks at my life's work. How I became a photographer, and many experiences while in the pursuit of the images. I use the camera as my tool to discover various aspects of my identity, seeking out the mirror images of myself in the United States, Africa, South America, the Caribbean and Europe.
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Question:
Looking at your work it reminds me of James VanDerZee. You do not mention him as a influence, was he?
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frederick bailey 03/04/2004
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
I found inspiration from his political works covering Marcus Garvey and Daddy Grace. His images provide us with a very special kind of witness into the era known as the Harlem Renaissance. With his eye, he showed us the elements of decency, dignity and virtuous character. He made visual statements well deserving of his clients, his audience and the future.
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Question:
Is it possible to purchase the print titled, 'a young moslem woman in Brooklyn' 1990?
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mas tsuruda 01/26/2004
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
Please send you requests to the Peter Fetterman Gallery of Santa Monica, Ca at 310.453.6463
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Question:
How did you develop your personal style?
How does your religious beliefs influence your photography?
Currently, I only use a Minolta Freedom Zoom point and shoot camera because I can't afford to upgrade. How do I get the highest quality photos from
sure a camera?
I do work as a Christian missionary. The purpose of photography is to inspire people to reach out disadvantaged and impoverished communities. Has the public become desenitized to images where this is an unrealistic goal?
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Mark Everett Sanders 12/29/2003
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
Personal style is so subjective. Creative style is the way in which you express yourself. It's a way of communicating to people how you feel about life, about yourself and about others. Stylistic expression can be influenced by your belief system, aspirations and morality. Enduring style can take time to emerge from your psyche, but when it does, it's uniquely you.
Spirituality, the basis of religious belief, informs my work. The spirit authors all existence. With the camera, I see myself as a rendering instrument for the spirit. I believe everything that is, exists at the pleasure of the spirit. I prefer to appreciate the nurturing presence of the spirit in people and in our surroundings.
There is no camera, no lens, film or digital card that can make a successful picture. Only your eye can make a great picture. A great photograph begins in the head because you have to think it out clearly. Your thought gives you a purpose for making that picture. Then you find a way to make it work. Your purpose causes you to work with your limitations but not be defined by them. There are limitations in even the most advanced gear. Keep it simple. Think of how you can make the most of your subject. Consider carefully the light, the design and the composition. Take your time. Work it from many angles, different times of day. Have patience with yourself but push yourself to the limit, and then some more.
Photography should be used as a tool to appreciate the things that are dear to us; confront the shortcomings that should be changed; and motivate us to embrace new possibilities of ourselves. When people fail to respond to one point of view, its time to rethink and refocus. Regardless of our personal judgements, we must consider why our approach failed to succeed. When the picture in front of me doesn't work, I sometimes turn around and find a perfect one behind me. We must accept the challenge by inventing an entirely new vision, a more competitive, outside the box approach. As the painter Braque once said, 'The greater the limitations, the more creative we have to become, in order to overcome them."
Good luck
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Question:
Do you have a format preference? Like most people I started off shooting 35mm, then as I got more involved I was seemingly using all medium format (6x6). Currently I'm working on a documentation of Native American mounds where a large part of the work is being done with a 4x5 view camera. But I'm always interested in seeing what others are using. Your thoughts please.
Thanks
Maurice Thompson
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Maurice Thompson 11/25/2003
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
First of all, there is no camera or lens that will make a great photographs. Only your eye can make a great photograph. The photograph begins in the mind. What format you decide to use should be based upon what you want the finished product to look like balanced against what makes sense for your working style, level of comfortability and what makes the heart of your eye smile.
For most of my work, I use the 35mm format. Sometimes, I use the Panorama and seldom used the 6cmx9cm.
Good luck in your shooting.
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Question:
I have a question/comment about photography but photjournalism more specifically. It is my feeling that the amount of effort one takes to get to truely know the subject comes out in the images. Eugene Smith's work reminds me of this because he would spend months and days with his subjects before taking pictures, and i do believe that it is necessary to get beyond the superficial aspects of your subject in order to bring out the emotion in a photograph, which brings me to my question of how photojournalism for a newspaper or magazine doesnt allow for the photographer to get to know his/her subject. I was just wondering your thoughts on this and the amount of time you allow to get to know your subject before taking a photograph. I know its a broad question, but id just like to know your thoughts. Thank you
Keith (BUNBUN)
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Keith Lee (BunBun) 11/21/2003
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
Understanding one's subject comes from the effective use of several intuitive skillsfamilarity, empathy and being in touch with your own feelings of humanness. I believe that one will alway make better images of people who we know best. Ideally, the longer we spend with a subject, we build up a visual and behavorial vocabulary of their actions. We then can look for intense or divergent reactions based upon our model. Sometimes, time is limited. At those times we have to force our mental sensors to make whole of particles. In the beginning, concentrate on developing these individuals skills at a leisurely pace. After much use, your mind will learn to make these intuituve decisions better and, if need be, faster.
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Question:
Your work is beautiful. I've always wondered how do you get such good exposures indoors, especially in churches?
Do you use 3200 speed film? Bounce flash? Or ask your subjects to freeze?
Also what film do you usually shoot with?
Best
g
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genie 11/07/2003
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
To answer your question about good exposures in churches. An appreciation of the old Dutch masters and the use of window light helps.
Its a very tricky shoot during worship. It would be great if I could use flash. Most times, for obvious reasons, flash is not allowed. It seems to require a combination of things. First, I try to take advantage of whatever light source there is. Secondly, I push the film to 800 and hold my breath when I shoot. Finally, I try to head off at the pass the moment Im after to travel with the motion of the moment. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt.
I make my peace with the efforts by believing that if the spirit intends for me to have that picture, then everything will come together and make it happen. If it didnt work, then, in spite of my best efforts, the spirit did not mean for me to have that picture.
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Question:
My Brother: Haven't seen you since your exhibition many years ago at the Walker Art Center in Mpls. Have tried to follow your work as much as possible. Love your web site. How can I get a catalogue of your work? Is the Black Woman still available? Drums of Life has had tremendous influence on my life. Thanks for all you contribute. Yusef
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Yusef Mgeni 10/28/2003
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Answer
from Chester Higgins:
Searching www.bookfinder.com or www.amazon.com for a copy of Black Woman, may be helpful.
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