Larry Silver

11/20/14

Renowned photographer, Larry Silver gave a short synopsis of his photographic history and then showed many examples of his art.

Larry started taking photos around age 15 at a time when scenic landscapes were in vogue for photographers.  Later he became part of and was influenced by the Photo League.  Its artists concentrated more on realistic pictures that showed life slices in a more graphic form.  In keeping with this approach, Larry started taking pictures in New York City particularly its Bronx borough.  This started around 1949 and continued through 1953. 

After 1953, Larry expanded his efforts to other venues. These included taking some now famous Muscle Beach photos before it gained its later notoriety.  

Some hallmarks of Larry’s photos are the use of a lot of space and an emphasis on graphics.

In 1973, Larry moved to Westport and started taking pictures in Connecticut especially in Westport and its neighboring towns and environs.  He showed many slides of his well-known photos that features scenes from these locales.

Larry was also invited to China to shoot photos of Yangzhou the Chinese sister city to Westport.  Later in 1996, he was invited to submit photos for a Chinese photo competition. He submitted some photos he had taken in Yangzhou and ended up winning all the prizes.  Consequently, he was invited back to China as part of his winnings and took more photos of other Chinese areas.  Many of these were shown to the Y’s Men. 

Questions and Answers

Q.  Today, would you use digital or film for your photography?

A.  I lost my darkroom in Shelton and it is too expensive and laborious to replace so I would use digital photography.

Q.  Do you have to take additional lessons to take digital photography?

A.  No.  I know how to use a camera.  Digital photography just makes me more productive.  The new technology takes away many of the older time consuming aspects of photography and increases productivity.  Life is getting easier.

Q.  Will you stick to black and white photography?

A.  It depends on the image.  Some things call for color while others are best presented in black and white.

Q.  With digital photography do you manipulate images on a computer?

A.  No.  I can’t even turn on a computer.  I take my photos to a lab and sit with the technician until that person gets the effect I am looking for.

Q.  What is your fascination with fog?

A.  Fog provides innuendos to your subjects that wouldn’t otherwise appear.  It provides different images.

Q.  Do you prefer to use a viewfinder in your work?  Many cameras today don’t have them. 

A.  If you need to see what you will be getting with a shot you need a viewfinder.