Chronicling his times in words and images

 

“With a photograph, you are left with the same modes of interpretation as you are with a book. You ask: 'What do we know about the author and their background? What do I know about the subject?'” – Joel Sternfeld

 

Born in Brooklyn, NY on this date in 1944, Sternfeld is noted for his large-format documentary pictures and for helping establish color photography as a respected artistic medium.  With many works in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the Getty Center in Los Angeles, he has influenced generations of photographers.

 

His essays and writings alongside his photos also have made him an important chronicler of his life and times.  American Prospects, perhaps Sternfeld's most known book, explores the complexity and irony of human-altered landscapes in the United States, often leading to devastating results.  His book On This Site: Landscape in Memoriam depicts sites where tragedies occurred, supplemented by his thoughtful text about the events that happened there.

A longtime professor of photography at New York’s Sarah Lawrence University, his books of photos and essays on photography are part of the photographic teaching lexicon at colleges and universities worldwide.  His most recent book is 2024’s Our Loss reflecting on the climate crisis and nature’s resilience in the face of environmental harm.

 

“A photographer,” he said, “must choose a palette just as painters choose theirs.”