I had the pleasure of meeting with Heidi Schmann in the park yesterday. I was surprised that she agreed to roam around the GG with me as I scouted for an upcoming shoot. But as I found out, that is how she is. Calm, collected, and able to fit into any situation. I figure it has something to do with her years of experience shooting for clients such as the New York Times, Boston Globe, and Village Voice just to name a few. As we set foot through the park we chatted about where she is now and her thoughts on the evolution of documentary photography.
Heidi moved out to San Francisco nearly three years ago and now has a hard time imagining going back. Although she keeps tight ties with the East, it is here where she will dive into multimedia. Now that newspapers are becoming obsolete in print and more interactive on the web, documentary photographers are being looked to change with the times. That means no more sending digi still frames, but edited motion clips with sound, and all at the same price.
That reality shines a light on the responsibility and dedication of a documentary photographer that has been over looked by the recent saturation of the the photo industry. The willingness to morph and educate in a whole new medium to successfully connect with the viewer. Respect.
While we wait to see what Heidi will come up with next, here are a few still frames for you to feast your eyes upon.
© Heidi Schmann 2009
Documentary Photography to go see right meow: Then and Now: Photographs by Sebastião Salgado @ The David Brower Center