Office Romance is another book that has been a huge inspiration for us at the Harper Finch Studio. This book is a series of slices of life from around the NYTimes office shot by Kathy Ryan.
Kathy is known more for her work as a photo editor than as a photographer. She worked at the New York Times Magazine for 35 years, and commissioned work by some of the greats. Photographers like Annie Leibovitz, Nadav Kander, Gregory Crewdson, Paolo Pellegrin, Sebastião Salgado and David LaChapelle.
We know plenty of photo editors who also take pictures. But it's rare for a great photo editor to ALSO be a great photographer 🤯
Another interesting influence in the book is the building itself. The New York Times building was designed with unique ceramic rods all around it. These rods create shadows and shapes that figure prominently into Ryan's images ☀️
Renzo Piano, the architect of the building says "light is to an architect what sound is to a composer". When reading this book, you practically have to consider him as a second creative force behind these images.
The last thing we find fascinating about this book: Kathy Ryan shot these images on an iPhone. 📱
Based on when the images were made, she was shooting on an iPhone 5 or 6.
Based on when the images were made, she was shooting on an iPhone 5 or 6.
This in itself is an interesting slice of history. Back then, very few "serious" photographers would have felt comfortable shooting a body of work with a phone camera. These days, there are still many photographers who probably still feel the same way, but we all have to agree that the more modern phones are far more capable.
What do you think about this book? Do you consider images you shoot on your phone to be "professional" 📸📱
Here at Harper Finch, we're all about supporting and inspiring photographers. One way we do that is by sharing a look at photographers that inspire us. No matter what genre of photography you are in, we feel it can be so interesting to be inspired by the imagery of others.
2 comments
LOVE Kathy Ryan’s photo editing. Where did she go after new york times magazine?
As for shooting on a phone, I think it’s super cool! It’s all about the vision and creativity, not the gear. I’ve started to appreciate more and more how versatile phone cameras have become. It’s definitely something to consider in the professional realm, especially with how accessible and spontaneous it makes photography.