An interview with HS Joseph Holmes
Brooklyn-based photographer Joseph Holmes is a two time winner with a superb eye and a worthy photoblog. Meet him and many of the other winners in person this Wednesday @ the jb. Until then, enjoy.
Birthplace? Where were you raised?
I was born and raised in a tiny factory town in Pennsylvania.
Your age?
52
What artists inspire you––whether they be photographers, musicians, politicians, painters, or the like?
These days, every good photographer in the world inspires me, too many
to name. Every great photo book and gallery show makes me want to
immediately get out and start shooting. And I discover new great
photographers all the time. Finnish photographer Esko Mannikko just crossed my radar — he’s amazing.
What I find fascinating is that, even though I can’t warm up to Lee
Friedlander’s work, though I just can’t get on his wavelength, the
longer I see his stuff, the more I’m finding that he influences me.
What’s that about?
What do you like most about being a “photographer”?
Photography can be social in surprising ways. I don’t often go out
shooting with friends, because shooting becomes a very meditative
experience. There’s a kind of zen-like space I’ve learned to reach for,
which doesn’t lend itself to chatting. Very few friends are good
companions for that. But lately I’ve been working on some things that
involve approaching strangers. That turns out to be a lot of fun.
What formal training, if any, do you have?
My father taught me to use his Miranda Sensorex when I was in junior high school. A childhood in the darkroom is a wonderful teacher.
What camera do you use?
I like my Nikon D200, but I miss film.
What do you find to be the biggest cliche in photography these days?
Oh, where to start? Gas stations in the desert twilight. Lonely
shopping carts. Heroin addicts. Too many photographers seem to be all
about reacting to other photos.
What are your loftiest goals?
I’m enjoying today so much that I haven’t spent much time thinking
about tomorrow. I suppose my goal is to continue to find photo projects
that excite me.
Do you have any other creative talents?
My short story “Keys” is appearing in the next issue of North Atlantic
Review. I’ve won two screenwriting prizes. Long ago I acted in dinner
theater and summer stock.
What are the top three movies on your queue?
I don’t have a queue, but since we’re talking about movies, I was
surprised lately to discover that Dr. Strangelove hasn’t aged as well
as I thought, while both Vertigo and McCabe and Mrs. Miller are timeless.
What book connects with your life the most?
Continuing in the vein of the last answer, I was recently disappointed
to find that Catch 22 doesn’t hold up well at all; I loved it as a teen, but I now find it unreadable. Walker Percy’s Love in the Ruins also didn’t hold up well, but I’m thinking of rereading Percy’s The Moviegoer Russell Hoban’s Riddley Walker however, remains a
masterpiece.
What are your favorite websites/blogs?
They’re almost all boring, technical things, but I’m happy to have discovered Alec Soth’s blog. There aren’t many really fine photographers willing to take that level of conversation online.
Who are your favorite musicians? Do you have an anthem?
My son is my favorite musician. Seriously. And my daughter’s an amazing
songwriter and singer.
If you were on a deserted island and could only take one luxury, what would it be?
A speedboat.
