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Posted by: JL Photography (4.62.221.221) on December 26, 2002 at 21:01:18

Location: Tampa

In Reply to: Sad of Herb Ritts Passing posted by J T Smith on December 26, 2002 at 18:59:38:

We all can hope as photographers, when our time is up, we leave behind of legacy of images that is immortal. That's what Herb Ritts has done.

I have a quote on my site, on the splash page. It simply states:

"To me it's important to have an image that is a photograph first, not about necessarily who that person is. The character of that person is will emerge and hopefully stand the test of time."

- Herb Ritts, 1996"

That quote has always been the crux of what I shoot and how I shoot. Anytime a model said to me, "what about the background?", my response has always been, "the photograph is about you". Herb Ritts knew a good photograph could withstand the ages, as great paintings have withstood centuries and still continue to influence. Photography has only been around 100 years or so, keep in mind.

Herb Ritts, to me, was a big influence. When I was an aspiring photog (still am), I would sit in whatever bookstore, and flip through every Herb Ritts page by page. He made women gorgeous without the frills; unapologetically black and white and masterful everytime. I mean, his BW was so rich, it was like color-for-greyscale. (I'm sure no one ever said, geez Herb...how bout some color this time, fer chrissakes?) His male subjects almost bordered on Jock Sturges and almost as provoking.

Most of all, his work was never called glamour. It was Beauty personified. If you fell in love with Janet Jackson in her video "No Love Will Ever Do Without You", it was Ritts' direction and influence all the way that broke your heart. No Pirelli calendar would be complete without a Ritts photo.

We owe Herb Ritts a world of gratitude, and I, as someone he influenced. His work with models transcended them into near perfect humans we all would like to capture in image form, but he had the vision to make them that way in the first place. Herb Ritts made glamour mainstream, and quietly accepted without it ever being called "glamour".

There aren't enough words to express for this fine photographer. Taken away far too young, and we'll never see the images he would have brought us. Luckily, he left us a treasury of work that still amazes, causes us to revel, and hope to be like him photographically if/when we ever grow up in our work.

Let's hear it for Herb Ritts, and a life well led with imagery that will have their own places in photographic history as some of the Greats.

• JL Photography

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:  We all can hope as photographers, when our time is up, we leave behind of legacy of images that is immortal. That's what Herb Ritts has done.

: I have a quote on my site, on the splash page. It simply states:

: "To me it's important to have an image that is a photograph first, not about necessarily who that person is. The character of that person is will emerge and hopefully stand the test of time."

: - Herb Ritts, 1996"

: That quote has always been the crux of what I shoot and how I shoot. Anytime a model said to me, "what about the background?", my response has always been, "the photograph is about you". Herb Ritts knew a good photograph could withstand the ages, as great paintings have withstood centuries and still continue to influence. Photography has only been around 100 years or so, keep in mind.

: Herb Ritts, to me, was a big influence. When I was an aspiring photog (still am), I would sit in whatever bookstore, and flip through every Herb Ritts page by page. He made women gorgeous without the frills; unapologetically black and white and masterful everytime. I mean, his BW was so rich, it was like color-for-greyscale. (I'm sure no one ever said, geez Herb...how bout some color this time, fer chrissakes?) His male subjects almost bordered on Jock Sturges and almost as provoking.

: Most of all, his work was never called glamour. It was Beauty personified. If you fell in love with Janet Jackson in her video "No Love Will Ever Do Without You", it was Ritts' direction and influence all the way that broke your heart. No Pirelli calendar would be complete without a Ritts photo.

: We owe Herb Ritts a world of gratitude, and I, as someone he influenced. His work with models transcended them into near perfect humans we all would like to capture in image form, but he had the vision to make them that way in the first place. Herb Ritts made glamour mainstream, and quietly accepted without it ever being called "glamour".

: There aren't enough words to express for this fine photographer. Taken away far too young, and we'll never see the images he would have brought us. Luckily, he left us a treasury of work that still amazes, causes us to revel, and hope to be like him photographically if/when we ever grow up in our work.

: Let's hear it for Herb Ritts, and a life well led with imagery that will have their own places in photographic history as some of the Greats.


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