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REALITIES

a photo book by Jan Saudek

 

 buy the book at Amazon.com

 

 

                                                                     Sarah goes strong ...! 1995

 

Jan Saudek is the author of the beautiful photos collected in Realities, a great photography book published by Arena. But he's also a talented drawer and a gentle man. He looks at our world with the mind of a poet, having seen the range of light and shade of life.

What I didn’t know before interviewing Saudek for Photo Italia magazine is that he’s a reserved and private person, and not a tech guy at all. So, since he lives in Prague and I live in New York, the interview had to be carried out via emails, mine, letters and drawings, his. It has been a unique experience, and a very enjoyable one.

Here you can see some of Jan Saudek’s letters and some of his photos. Enjoy, and slow down, since, as I learned from Jan, moments in life have a truly different flavor at a mellow pace.

                                                             the letter 1975

Here're some of the questions I posed:  

 

What steps or phases have led to your artwork as it is today.

Influences, evolution.

 

Step out of your shoes for a second. How would you recognize a Saudek.

 

Your most recent pictures are primarily interiors, although some of your exterior shots have brought you acclaim.

Is it a choice, to shoot in a studio, or is it a natural result of your photographic path.

What do you feel is the difference between shooting in a studio verses in the streets/open spaces.

Could you tell me about the place where you shot Realities.

 

Some of your models have a peculiar beauty.

What do you see in them.

Where do you find them.

What's their role in the making of the image.

I understand that sometimes you pose a model yourself, why.

 

One of the characteristics of your images, beside the models and the composition, is the color.

Do you develop and print your film yourself or use a lab.

How do you obtain such a difference in color tones.

What kind of retouch do you do and which instruments do you use. Is it a difficult process.

What lead you to interact this way with the images.

 

Gear, film and paper.

What kind of equipment, film and paper do you use.

What kind of equipment, film and paper did you use for the making of Realities.

 

 

 

 

Here's the letter Jan wrote me:  

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