Art: UCAV, F-18, F-15 on tarmac, St. Louis, Missouri

Jeff Corwin

Aircraft under construction in Seattle, Washington

Photography was made exciting to me by my hobbyist father who gave me his Argus C3 rangefinder when it was time for him to upgrade. He built me my first darkroom in our house’s only bathroom (much to the chagrin of my mother) when I was 15. That lasted about a month until my mom couldn’t take any more and relegated the darkroom and me to the garage. Again, my father built me my second darkroom. Both of my parents were always supportive and instrumental in my growth as a photographer!

Aircraft under construction in Renton, Washington

When I was 18, I met a professional photographer and began to assist him for the next several years, exposing me to the world of corporate photography, location lighting, working with clients and, maybe most importantly, the business of photography. I started my own career in 1979 pounding on doors and showing what had to be the world’s worst portfolio. Despite that, I began getting small assignments shooting for corporate internal publications.

Helicopter under construction, St. Louis, Missouri

Fuselage manufacturing, Everett, Washington

In late 1980, I had a miracle meeting with the Vice President of Communications for the Northrop Corporation, Les Daly. (A whole story unto itself.) At the time, Northrop (now Northrop Grumman) produced the most respected and artistic annual report in the world. At that sweaty and nerve-wracking meeting, Mr. Daly offered me the chance to photograph what he deemed to be the backbone of the company, the Northrop engineers, during a three-day assignment. My life and career were never the same after that day.

C-17 manufacturing, Long Beach, California

Since then I have shot for Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Rockwell, Microsoft, Nintendo, Aflac, Alaska Airlines, Delta Airlines, Apple Computer, AT&T Wireless, Charles Schwab, Coca-Cola, Comcast, Dell Computer, IBM, Mastercard, Rolls-Royce, Netflix, FedEx, Lockheed Martin, Potlatch Paper, Weyerhaeuser Paper, Unocal, Seattle Symphony, Starbucks, University of Washington, USC, Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, United Technologies and many others.

Engine final inspection, Everett, Washington

Hummingbird Helicopter rotor inspection, Palmdale, California

I have traveled to and shot in 41 countries on 5 continents. The most dangerous places I’ve been are Moscow, (did I really need two retired KGB agents with AK-47s to stand next to me the entire time?? Apparently, yes, I did!) and Belfast, Northern Ireland in the mid-80s.

Rear assembly abstract, Everett, Washington

Hottest photo shoot was in Abu Dhabi at 114 degrees (and yes, I was shooting outside). Coldest photo shoot was in Flin Flon, Manitoba at -40 degrees (and yes, I was shooting outside). My favorite place is, without a doubt, anywhere in Japan.

Aircraft wing and engine detail, Everett, Washington

Aircraft tail section abstract, Everett, Washington

During the mid and late ‘80s, I was a “stringer” for Time, Fortune and Forbes Magazines, photographing profiles on Ray Bradbury, Gloria Allred, Daryl Gates, Cesar Chavez and others. I worked on stories about heroin addiction in the upper class, education advancement in East LA, and many profiles of corporate CEOs.

Portrait of student at Emory Riddle University, Prescott, Arizona

I’ve had many exciting assignments over the years. Hanging out of a helicopter over the Thames River in London, shooting in the jungles of Borneo for Unocal, doing overnights on oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and being able to direct US Air Force pilots as to where to fly their Apache helicopters. But the one that really stands out was spending three days on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the Italian aircraft carrier Garibaldi, photographing Harrier Jet missions for Rolls-Royce.

Esterline 1

Esterline 2

The 40 years I spent in the corporate advertising world is 100% responsible for the fine art work I’ve done in the last 10+ years. The way I think about light, both natural and artificial, and composition is informed by my prior life. These images within the aerospace industry laid the ground work for the lighting I do now in my landscapes and is very similar to the images on gun violence in America, except on a very different scale. Lighting on location is almost always my first challenge and has provided the real joy I find in making photographs.

C-141 outside hangar, Long Beach, California

Artistic influences extend beyond mediums other than photography. But portrait photographer Arnold Newman is perhaps my biggest influence. Other photographers include Robert Park Harrison, Max Yavno, Melvin Sokolsky and Dan Winters. Painters such as Piet Mondrian, Edward Hopper and Russell Chatham are also artists I look to for inspiration. But cinematographers are now and have always been a huge influence in still work and include Roger Deakins, Gordon Willis, Robert Richardson, Vilmos Zsigmond and Russel Metty.

Fuselage manufacturing, location unknown

Not much has changed for me making the transition from commercial to fine art. My vision and thinking remain the same. Only the subjects of my photography have shifted.

Portrait of pilot, El Segundo, California.

In each case where there is a person in the photograph, they are someone who I was given to work with or someone that I saw on location that I asked to be in the photograph. With the exception of my portrait work of specific people, the people in these photos are often silhouettes creating a contrast of scale and human proportion.

Rolls-Royce engine detail, Derby, England

Much of the time, the process of making photographs begins with me recognizing and working with the light that exists. Most of my landscapes are that way. Or, I see a need to circumvent what God or man has already put into place, and I add my own light. This is especially true with all of my commercial work. Rarely, if ever, does the light not need amending. In fact, artificially lighting the subject and environment of the photos is my favorite part of the process. Once I’ve had my fun with that, clicking the shutter is usually a let down.

In my series on gun violence, the lighting I do is 100% informed by the work I’ve done commercially. Except for the scale changes, my thinking on approach is the same. Most of the time, I start by pointing my camera towards a key light, either the sun or what I will designate as my main artificial light source. And then the dance of placing other units of light begins, sometimes very small ones and many times, very large modifiers.

After lighting decisions are made, next comes composition. The camera, usually on a tripod, can move many feet or tiny moves up and down or side to side. Studying the work of Arnold Newman and Piet Mondrian has taught me the importance of how best to divide space within my viewfinders. I was once told that my work is “on the grid” which I take as a great compliment.

Jeff Corwin’s photography and art can be viewed and purchased here: www.jeffcorwinphoto.com and here: www.jeffcorwinfineart.com

2023 EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT:

Jeff Corwin

Guns in America art exhibition

August 24 – October 5, 2023

StepUp Gallery at Mesa Public Library

2400 Central Ave., Los Alamos, NM