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Arthur Meyerson

Arthur Meyerson is recognized as one of America’s finest photographers. Since 1974, this native Texan has traveled throughout the world, creating award winning advertising, corporate and editorial photographs, as well as an extensive body of fine art imagery. A three-time winner of Adweek’s “Southwest Photographer of the Year” award, he is on Communication World’s list of top 10 corporate photographers and was named one of the 30 best advertising photographers by American Photo.

What’s the best thing about photography?
Taught me how to “see”.

What’s the worst thing about photography?
We are inundated with photographs… not enough vision.

What’s the thing that interests you most about your own photographs?
What and how I choose to shoot something.

What’s the thing that interests you most about other people’s photographs?
What and how they choose to shoot something.

Who were your early photographic influences?
The Magnificent Seven: Edward Weston, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Frank, Irving Penn, Arnold Newman, Jay Maisel, and Ernst Haas

Who were your early non-photographic influences?
Leonardo DaVinci, Frank Lloyd Wright, Ernest Hemingway, Bob Dylan

What’s the most inspiring work of art you saw recently?
The Reykjavik Opera House in Iceland

What’s the best thing about gear?
Allows me to capture what I see

What’s the worst thing about gear?
Weight, cost and continually thinking I need to upgrade plus the never-ending conversation about gear

How do you know when an image doesn’t work?
Doesn’t resonate with me

How do you know when an image is good?
It resonates with me

How do you know when an image is great?
It continually resonates with me

What’s the most useful photographic mantra?
Avoid preconceptions

What was the most significant visual moment in your life?
I once had a dream in slide show form and each still image “came alive” becoming a dream within a dream.

Which was the most important image to you that got away?
Spending a day with Cartier-Bresson and NOT photographing him.

What failure did you learn the most from?
Hopefully, all of them… and there have been many!

What’s the thing you most hope to accomplish?
Create a body of work that sustains a vision

If you had to do it all over again, what would you change?
What’s that saying about hindsight???

If you had another life to live a completely different life, what would you choose to do?
I feel very fortunate to have lived the life I have lived.

What are the most important questions to you?
Those that make me think

What’s photography really all about?
Light

How did photography change the world?
Ability to capture a moment

How did photography change your world?
Gave me the opportunity to make a living doing what I love…personally and professionally.

What’s the best thing about influence?
Gives us a “compass heading”

What’s the worst thing about influence?
Following that “compass heading” too closely.

What’s the best thing about our times?

Technology

What’s the worst thing about our times is?
Technology

What’s your favorite movie?
Casablanca

What’s your favorite book?
A Moveable Feast

What’s your favorite piece of music?
Like a Rolling Stone

What is your greatest fear?
Blindness

Who is your favorite hero in fiction?
Odysseus

Who are your heroes in real life?
Anyone willing to risk their lives for others

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Procrastination

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Dishonesty

What is your favorite journey?
The next one

What do you dislike most about yourself?
Moodiness

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Awesome

What do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty

What other talent would you most like to have?
Rock singer, Professional Baseball Player, Tango dancer… or all three

How would you like to die?
In my sleep… peacefully and empty