Greg Heisler: The Appropriate Response

In this stimulating presentation, Gregory Heisler will inspire you to change gears: to think more about "why" than "how" as you create your images. Employing an incredibly broad array of photographic skills, he has always sought fresh and innovative approaches to his portrait assignments and commissions. As a "Canon Explorer of Light," he's worked with the latest 35mm digital cameras, yet he still loves his vintage Graflexes and Deardorffs. He has enjoyed working with formats from half-frame 35mm all the way to the 20x24-inch Polaroid, optics ranging from 19th-century portrait lenses all the way to the latest multicoated glass optimized for digital photography, and every type of light available: sophisticated strobe setups, myriad combinations of tungsten, fluorescent, and HMI sources, stuff from Home Depot… even the headlights of his car!

But his choices are always carefully thought-out in response to specific subjects and circumstances. Otherwise, he believes, the images become empty exercises in technique. With his well-known candor, insight, and humor, Gregory will take you on a guided tour of his imagery as he illuminates not just the "who, what, when, and where" but far more importantly, the "why" of his own unique approach to image making.