SHOOTING
MUSEUMS
Whenever tourists travel on one of those
prepaid, everything-included, big bus
packages, they are entertained with trips
to museums. For the longest time I never
understood why. Even though some cities
are defined by their museums, they celebrate
the past. They preserve what is dead.
Then it finally dawned on me museums
are familiar all over the world and can be
relied upon for an easy, safe experience.
Since I sought adventures exploring new,
contemporary environments, museums
often seemed counterproductive. Then I
was given an assignment to photograph
an internationally-acclaimed one and
everything changed.
DARK AND MUSTY
The typical museum is dark, old and
musty. This is the antithesis of current day
photography. Often museums do not allow
you to take pictures with or without flash.
For my first, to do a proper job, I brought
in tons of lighting to make the space and
antiquities look appealing. This required
shooting at off hours, before the museum
opened or after it closed. I was given
free range.
From the most prominent displays to the
bowels of the archives, everything was
fodder for photography. It took almost six
months to strategize, organize and produce
a complete overview of the institution. I lit
whole rooms and I explored deep storage.
I discovered a lot about art, history and
myself. An added bonus: the assignment led
to other big jobs.
PicsArt Monthly |9