Joe DiMaggio, the photographer, not the baseball player, has had a diverse and prolific thirty-year photographic career. His photos have appeared in many major magazines, including Time, Life, and Sports Illustrated. In 1981 Time Magazine chose his Sports Illustrated cover of the Cooney-Holmes boxing match as "Best Picture of The Year." He’s shot everything from the 1984 Olympics to conceptual studio still lifes.

The Cooney-Holmes fight: 1981 Time Magazine "Best Picture of The Year".

My first impression of Joe was from his answering machine. When I phoned I got his machine with a recording of the line "Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?" from the Simon and Garfunkle song, "Mrs. Robinson." So he has a sense of humor about himself, as well as a refined sense of motion, color, and composition.

The nicest thing he said to me was that before any job he prays that every photographer involved gets to share equally in the success and profit from the shoot. He’s not only a polished and respected photographer, he’s a warm human being with a positive and caring view of his fellow photographers and the world.

Three influential elements in Joe’s professional and personal life are his relationships with his wife and partner, Joanne Kalish, and the photographer W. Eugene Smith, and a workshop by Cliff and Vi Edom he attended in the 70’s. He was a student of W. Eugene Smith, one of the most respected photojournalists. W. Eugene Smith is best known for his war photography and powerful social commentary work, one example being being the book Minimata. Smith taught Joe the importance of integrity in photography and the responsibility of a photographer to show the world the truth. Another pivotal influence was an emotionally challenging photo workshop Joe attended in the 70’s at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He said the critiques were brutal and people were actually physically ill from the stress. I found it interesting that there is so much more to Joe DiMaggio than I would have known from just looking at his Web site or his regular commercial photography. But I’ve said enough. Let’s let the man speak for himself ....

Interview:

This interview was conducted via e-mail by John Shafer, Channel Manager for PhotographyREVIEW.com and PCPhotoREVIEW.com. It was followed-up with three or four telephone conversations.

J.S. - When do you remember taking your first photograph? What was the subject and what camera were you using?

"I took my first snapshot when I was nine years old. It was a picture of an attic window, and I was using my grandfather's Kodak Autograph folding 620 camera. I sold my first photograph at age 15. It was of a high school football player. The camera I used was a Canon VT Deluxe Rangefinder. To finally get around to answering your question, the first photograph that has withstood time is a photo taken in Cape Cod, when I was nineteen, and is of a very intense fisherman that could have been from the 1800's and that was done with my Canon VT Deluxe."

J.S. - At what point did you start taking your photography seriously? When did you begin to consider photography as a profession?

"I have always taken photography seriously, and the magic of photography, regardless of the camera, lens, developer or computer chip, I will always consider serious magic."

J.S. - At what point did you decide that you’d "made it"?

"I am a very lucky person. I get up every morning with a smile on my face, liking what I do, and enjoying my life, my family and my photography. The fact of the matter is, it is not for me to say when I arrived in photography. I will leave those decisions to the photo historians. If you would like to know some of my milestones, I will tell you. I had the first photographic cover of American Way magazine (up to that point all covers were done by illustration--not photography). Another photo that may have defined a period in my photography would be a time/motion shot of a Hobie Cat sailboat, which, over the years, has sold very, very well. My Sports Illustrated cover of Cooney vs. Holmes, was selected by Time magazine, as "Picture of the Year." A photo illustration of a .357 magnum with an American flag wrapped around it, prior to Photoshop, received many accolades, a photograph of Mike Tyson screaming has survived 15 years and was just used as a double-page layout in a new magazine called Controversy… and the list goes on. Ask me in another 20 years."

J.S. - What do you like to shoot the most?

"I like to keep an open mind. There are many photographers who specialize in one narrow aspect of photography, and that's great for them but not for me. The world is filled with billions of opportunities: light, design, shapes, colors, and patterns. Why limit myself to one particular area? Photography to me is a never-ending search for something new and exciting. W. Gene Smith once said to me, "Joe, look at all the new cameras but no new photographs." Smith was my hero. I try to glean from that truism a good photo every once in a while. No one sets out to make a mediocre photo, but unfortunately it can come up and hit you in the forehead like a 2x4."

J.S. - Do you prefer the studio or natural light and location?

"When I was in my early 20s I only used available light. I didn't know anything about hot lights, electronic flash, or studio lighting at all. I went to a lecture by Mark Kaufman from Life magazine, and when he was asked what type of light he uses, he said whatever light is available. The key for me now is to combine light sources. I use a combination of electronic flash, daylight, and maybe some mercury vapor thrown in to make you crazy. Whatever gets you through the night works for me. With the advent of digital photography we can now add fluorescent to the mix."

J.S. - What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?

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