Arthur Meyerson Photography

Interview at Portfolio Center Atlanta

Posted by Arthur Meyerson on Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Interviewed by: Evan Hampton; photography, Paul Riley

PC: You got your start back in the 70’s. What was it that kick-started this whirlwind career?

AM: First of all, I was in the right place, Houston, at the right time, the oil boom. The economy was soaring and all businesses related to the oil industry were growing quickly. A very good graphic designer took a chance on using me for an assignment involving a major real estate project. She had faith in me, and I did not want to disappoint her. I put an enormous amount of time and energy into making some of the best photographs I’d ever made at that time. It was the beginning of a collaboration that has lasted for many years. I credit her for giving me that chance to show what I could do.

PC: What have you gotten to do as a photographer that you’ll never forget?

AM: Everything! You never know who will call, what the assignment is, or where you’ll go to produce the work. I’ve had the good fortune to have traveled to over 90 countries, seen things and met people that I never thought I would.

Go Out empty, come back full... of images

Posted by Arthur Meyerson on Tuesday, April 27, 2010

At almost every workshop I’ve taught, someone will come up and ask me what they should shoot and/or where they should go to shoot. I try to explain that photography is a process… a process of discovery. Not only do you discover things to shoot, you discover things about yourself as a photographer. And, you discover what your interests really are and how best to capture those subjects.

One suggestion I always make is to avoid preconceptions. Planning can be highly overrated.

Don’t go out there with a definitive idea of what you want to shoot. Leave yourself open to chance… whether it’s the light, a moment, etc. This way you will avoid being disappointed by what you don’t find and instead be amazed by what you do!

My day with henri

Posted by Arthur Meyerson on Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The great photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, had been very close with my friend and mentor, Ernst Haas. After Ernst died in 1986, I began compiling a list of friends and acquaintances of his to interview for a potential documentary project. At the top of the list was Cartier-Bresson. Knowing his desire for privacy and his well-known refusal to be photographed, filmed or taped, I sheepishly wrote to him anyway asking if I might interview him for the proposed project.

"you have to get up pretty early in the morning..."

Posted by Arthur Meyerson on Friday, February 12, 2010

Logo, brand, trademark… early on in my career, I was advised about the importance of a distinctive “mark”… something that, along with my work, would stand out and connect with clients. While I didn’t have a clue as to what that should be I did have the good sense to go to my friend, the multi-talented designer Woody Pirtle, formerly of Pentagram Design. Having worked together for many years on numerous projects, Woody was more than familiar with my photography.

Just ask reggie

Posted by Arthur Meyerson on Friday, December 4, 2009

Several years ago, I had dinner in Houston with my friend and fellow photographer, Greg Gorman. As is any dinner with Greg, the food was fantastic, the wine supreme and the guests fascinating. In particular that night, I met a young man named Reggie Bibbs. Reggie suffers from a debilitating disease called neurofibromatosis.

NF, as it is known, is a disease in which the nerve tissues grow tumors beneath skin and

Looking Back At Life

Posted by Arthur Meyerson on Tuesday, October 27, 2009

For my generation, Life magazine was THE magazine when magazines were as important as television. I remember getting home from school each week, grabbing a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and thumbing through the latest issue. Those pictures took me places that I never thought I would go, introduced me to people I never thought I’d meet and showed me things I never thought I’d see. It really was my first introduction to photography. And, in an age when magazine photography was at its zenith, it WAS the publication all photographers wanted to shoot for.

Welcome

Posted by Arthur Meyerson on Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Welcome to my new website and blog. This project has been awhile in the making and I hope that you enjoy it and find it easy to navigate. We attempted to make the site more user friendly while giving it a cleaner look visually. Also, we have added some items in the Fine Art Gallery that not only include my limited edition prints, but also incorporate posters and cards as well as updating my current workshops, photo tours and mentoring program.