Michael Levin Zebrato Historically the landscape photographer records or maps a scene that is easily identified by the viewer. Michael takes his images to the next level where he is introducing the viewer to an experience. An experience of light which slowly shifts through a series of greys until it becomes black. Michael transforms light which softly teases and dances to create forms that then become more discernable as land or water scapes. The scapes are more abstracts of a scene which are only just recognisable as a landmark the more you look at the image, but only after you have been drawn into the vortex of the image. Michael is a relative newcomer to photography having taken it up as a hobby only 7 years ago; with absolutely no idea which path he would eventually walk along. He was born in Winnipeg, Canada and for most of his life had been playing guitar [specifically classical/flamenco]. At the age of 30 he owned a popular restaurant in Winnipeg which he then sold so he could move to the West coast of Canada. Around this time he bought a digital camera and started exploring his back yard the Canadian prairies. His first defining experience was the artist Mark Rothko when he saw his work in the Chicago Museum of Art and being completely enraptured by the two wall sized paintings. The second defining moment was when he viewed a Kenna print in San Francisco; he clearly remembers thinking how can someone make such a common object so beautiful? He wasn't sure what it was that gripped him so tight, but it was at that moment he thinks the seed was planted. In the prairies he attempted to capture what he had felt standing in front of a Rothko canvas. He remembers photographing just the sky and flax or a canola field, just 2 elements. He always seemed to gravitate towards minimalism and the prairies provided the perfect back drop. The journey had begun. When he moved out to Vancouver his intention was to start another business, but he needed to rest first and wanted to relax for 6 months. It was at this point that his prairie landscape backdrop changed to the sea and sky and he had a completely new canvas to keep him visually occupied. He once asked a very well known American photographer whether or not he had ever slept in his car in order to be at a location for the first light, the reply was "never!" and he seemed perplexed by the question. Michael has endless amounts of energy for photography and will spend hours, or days at one location just to capture that one perfect photograph. He, of course will sleep in the car and be ready for the right moment". During this time he experimented a lot with the blurring of the landscape to realize imagery that was suggestive, rather than descriptive. During this period he taught himself that a camera could really become a dynamic tool. His style requires him to use a Linhof MT2000 4x5 camera, a couple of Schneider XL lenses and Kodak TMAX 100 film. He does not use the zone system for his exposure; instead he has worked out an "educated guessing" system that works for his shooting style. He prefers to photograph at night or early morning. If he uses a wide angle lens such as a Schneider 58mm XL, he then uses a center filter to even out the exposure, which allows a couple of extra stops for achieving long exposures. Typically the exposures for film are 2-10 minutes depending on the effect he requires. He takes a number of shots of the same subject matter so that he has a selection of different effects on film, especially when it's cloudy. On one occasion he exposed twenty five sheets of 4x5 film over two time slots of the image Zebrato, all from the exact same position, and only one of them gave him that dynamic sky. When he developed the film he realized that it was the very first film that he exposed that provided what he wanted, yet he had spent the next 2 days shooting in the same location. Michael is exacting in his quest for that perfect image. He might be on a special trip for two weeks and expose hundreds of 4x5 sheets of film and end up with 2 images for his portfolio. Sometimes he returns to the same location over and over again to shoot some rock or bridge. Floating was the result of visiting the same location 8 times over 3 months just to get that one shot. He knew that it was a very interesting structure but it took time to produce what was in his head. After about 3 months of shooting and countless frustrating episodes he shot Ferry Docks and that changed everything. Finally, he realized that he had captured what he was feeling at the time of capturing the photograph, an extended feeling of elation. He remembers feeling that he had the one in a million shot that he could never replicate. With that one image it gave his photography direction and his ego the confidence that I can do it. Michael has traveled around the world and his seascape folio contains images from Canada, Japan, France, Italy and even Iceland. Within six months of shooting Ferry Docks he was able to make a living at photography through sales of limited edition prints. He then won International Photographer of the Year Nature category in New York in 2006/7, closely followed by Fine art photographer of the year at Prix de la Photographie in Paris. He is represented by 14 galleries and dealers in USA, Canada and Europe. His latest coup is the release of his monochrome book ZEBRATO, printed in Verona, Italy and available world wide. More of his work can be seen at www.michaellevin.ca Page 50 Silvershotz Volume 5 Edition 5
Tilted Michael Levin
Atsumi nets Page 52 Silvershotz Volume 5 Edition 5
Le pont Michael Levin
Zebrato
Left Top: Avant Port Left Bottom: Grid Right Top: Balanced Right Bottom: Jetty Silvershotz Volume 5 Edition 5 Page 55
Pier remains
Black Sun Michael Levin
Left Top: Pipeline Left Bottom: Sea pool Right Top: Reveal Right Bottom: Sea stack Page 58 Silvershotz Volume 5 Edition 5
Pool edge Michael Levin
Watch Tower
Tetrapods Michael Levin