Stephen Wilkes

Hearing Stephen Wilkes speak was a great experience for me. I really appreciate beautiful photography but never took the time to fully understand the thought, time and care that the photographer puts into one photograph. I have a very limited knowledge of photography, in my mind a professional photographer only works within the limits of a studio and models. Wilkes, as a photojournalist expanded my idea of how photographers see the world, literally the whole world. Wilkes has traveled all over the world and has returned with an array of stunning photographs of what people might consider boring or useless. However, Wilkes saw each of his experiences as an opportunity given to him to capture a great, unique moment in time. His love of history and the ability to bring history to life through photographs and the impact one photo can have impressed me. Though his pictures of subjects such as the abandoned medical ward on Ellis Island, or his work in China were breathtaking it was his passion, commitment and personal philosophies that kept me interested. He repetitively focused on the importance of committing time to your craft saying "You need 10,000 hours to become a master at something." He also spoke of the importance of patience. Even when he thinks he has the perfect shot he "always likes to stay a little bit longer to wait and see what's coming". Finally, Wilkes emphasized the importance of spontaneity. He talked about how you can plan and "do your homework" but "your dealt a card and you have to be ready with what's dealt to you, you have to live in the moment."