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SARAH WILMER
Wilmer may have arrived at Parsons a seasoned photo- grapher, but it was there that she truly honed her craft, able to pursue her personal work with equipment and studios that otherwise were beyond her means. And Photoshop provided “a whole new dimension,” teaching her new ways to use collage and manipulate density and color.
More and more work followed, all of it equally surprising to the young photographer. Her name began to pop up on blogs, her images in magazines. A musician herself, Wilmer had always done a lot of work with bands, but it was still a stand-out moment when she shot the B-52s while still at Parsons.
In 2009, she embarked on a two-month-long artist residency in an Icelandic fishing village. Working alone in an unfamiliar place proved to be a revelatory experience. “I had to slow down, think simpler and quieter, and figure out how to respectfully work with the locals,” she explains. “I also had to adjust to the ever-changing light, incredible wind and wild nature. The people, lifestyle, soundscape and landscape of Iceland taught me patience, gratitude and the importance of relationships.”
Left: “A project photographed for jewelry designer Kelsey Quan features real people instead of professional models—friend and producer Ruby Vizcarra posed for one of these portraits. I love how Ruby’s classical beauty mixes with the contemporary design of the dress; she poses against the quiet, natural backdrop a little awkwardly, yet timelessly, with an alluring expression.” Kelsey Quan, designer/client.
“I enjoyed the good fortune of working for a number of years with Jonathan Melamed, a photo editor with a unique creative vision and an openness to the new. This photograph is from a series about a large Victorian hall in Brooklyn, New York, that I shot for his magazine. The subjects of this multiday shoot ranged from interiors and child dancers to taxidermy and actress Kirstie Alley. After the initial scout, I wandered and photographed the space by myself, documentary-style. I really enjoyed this way of working, as it used a different muscle than the one I usually flex on my more staged and directed shoots.” Jonathan Melamed, photo editor; Overflow, client.
“Featured in Surface magazine’s Avant Guardian, this image, titled ‘Perfect 10,’ was taken at an amazing farm belonging to friends of mine, photographer Larry Fink and artist Martha Posner. This photo set feels a bit like walking backward into a lush forest as new fables are born around you.” Surface, publisher.
This page: “I spent some time in Oregon with musician, performance artist and singer Jenstar and her Aura, shooting images in our favorite natural locations. I had positioned her in the roots of an ancient tree when I asked her if she would put the nest in her mouth, a metaphor I think represents singers well. Her openness and presence, combined with the location’s light and colors, created one of my favorite portraits.” Personal work.
“I was honored when the Observer commissioned me for a simple portrait of author, journalist and film critic Renata Adler, who has been the subject of many luminous masters, including Richard Avedon. During our time together, Renata was warm, thoughtful and generous. Taken by window light in the study at the Morgan Library & Museum in Manhattan in just 30 minutes, the image quietly speaks to her strength and wisdom.” Tony Bell, photo editor; The Observer, client.
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