ABOUT NORMAN SEEFF
A former professional soccer player and emergency medical doctor in his native South Africa, Norman Seeff moved to New York in 1968 where he built a portfolio by photographing the people he met in the streets and bars of Manhattan. These included Robert Mapplethorpe, Patti Smith, Andy Warhol and Johnny Winter. After being introduced to the world of record covers by famed graphic designer Bob Cato, Seeff’s first assignment in 1970 brought him immediate recognition. Cato used Seeff’s shot of The Band at the Big Pink in Woodstock to create a poster inserted under the shrink-wrap of their “Stage Fright” album. This quickly became a collectors’ item and overnight, Seeff became an in demand ‘rock photographer. In 1971, Seeff was hired as Creative Director of United Artists Records and moved to Los Angeles. In the next two years, he received five Grammy nominations for cover design before opening an independent studio on Sunset Boulevard.

Seeff’s photographic sessions during the 70s and 80s became legendary and attracted audiences at each session. A celebration of creativity, spontaneity and raw energy, they were emotionally engaging experiences that resulted in images that reveal an authenticity that’s unique and timeless. Seeff’s creative interaction with artists inspired him to film his sessions beginning in 1975 with an Ike & Tina Turner session. Using the photo session as a vehicle for exploring the inner dynamics of the creative process with artists at work, Seeff retumed to photography and filmmaking in 1999 after a 10-year hiatus as TV commercials director. Today, he continues to capture intimate exchanges with artists and his 1000+ hours of unique filmed content is currently being prepared for release on a digital platform aimed at inspiring the creativity that’s in everyone.

“My fundamental approach is to not try and take photographs, but to create an authentic, honest relationship and document what unfolds. It’s all about creating the experience, because the experience evolves to the moment where whoever I’m photographing connects with their emotions and becomes truly present. The vitality of my images is a result of this process, and not trying to achieve a preconceived outcome. The challenge is to achieve the moment where the person I’m photographing is absolutely present and authentic. There is no self consciousness – they are no longer conscious of posing for a photograph.”