Herb Ritts
Herb Ritts
Herbert "Herb" Ritts Jr.was an American fashion photographer who concentrated on black-and-white photography and portraits, often in the style of classical Greek sculpture...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionPhotographer
Date of Birth13 August 1952
CityLos Angeles, CA
CountryUnited States of America
american-photographer
When you start out, you're not really aware. I didn't have a sense of photographic history.
american-photographer elements felt foreign halfway home matter
That's why I felt so at home when I went to Africa. It didn't matter that I was halfway around the world in a foreign country, because all those elements are universal. And I think that's one thing about my work: It's universal.
affects american-photographer develop environment feeling home matter
Once you develop your own style, you know when you're able to give your best. Feeling at home is part of it, and I don't think that's an L.A. thing. It's a matter of the environment and of what affects you.
photography important subjects
It's important to let your subjects be themselves.
eye thinking important
For me, the most important thing I learned was just honing my eye. I think I had a good eye.
rehabilitation culture language
Regardless of whether you speak the language or are familiar with a culture, the picture should hold up.
shapes photographer form
I like form and shape and strength in pictures.
thinking keys people
I think a lot of the time these days people are so concerned about having the right camera and the right film and the right lenses and all the special effects that go along with it, even the computer, that they're missing the key element.
self people taught
Many people who excel are self-taught.
people understanding facts
And what excites me most is the type of public, the fact that the Parisian people have a broader cultural understanding than many Americans do.
ocean light space
I abstract it in my photographs: I like large planes and spaces, areas of texture and light, like deserts or oceans or monumental places.
stars growing-up fun
I did grow up next door to Steve McQueen, who was a very famous movie star at the time, but as a kid it didn't impress me. We always had great fun with him. He would take us out on Sundays on his motorcycles, riding around in the desert; he was like a second father.
art growing-up new-experiences
I always enjoyed art history because, growing up in California, my exposure was limited, and it was a new experience. To learn the history of art opened up certain things to me, made me see. It intrigued me.
photography parent firsts
Actually, when I first started dabbling in photography, I was still working for my parents as a salesman.