NikonNet and 'Legends Behind the Lens' Honor Al Satterwhite

November 18, 2005 | Mark Goldstein | Photographers | Comment |

Nikon Press Release

MELVILLE, N.Y., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/—In the field of advertising photography, it is widely known that photographers must adapt to the changing times. Al Satterwhite chooses to make adjustments while staying true to his own vision through his sense of composition and bold use of color. It is for this reason that NikonNet’s inspiring monthly showcase, “Legends Behind the Lens” will honor his work this November. Satterwhite is an esteemed advertising photographer who works with both still photography and film.

Satterwhite has had a busy career. While still in high school he shot for the St Petersburg Times, then moved on to ten years of freelance magazine work, shooting assignments for Fortune, Car & Driver, Life, Time, Newsweek, People, #Sports Illustrated and Travel & Leisure, among other top magazines. In 1980, he began a 15-year run of national and international advertising photography. His clients included American Express, Kodak, Porsche, Saab, Coca Cola and Nikon. He also found time to lecture, conduct workshops, work on book projects, including A Day in the Life of Spain, Lights! Camera! Advertising! and Satterwhite on Color & Design.

“Al Satterwhite is a unique talent in the world of both still photography and film,” notes Anna Marie Bakker, director of Communications for Nikon Inc. “His work is creative, inspiring and irreplaceable. NikonNet is pleased to honor Al Satterwhite for his distinguished work and accomplishments.”

Currently, Satterwhite is doing both still and film work. Film, he says, provides him with a new appreciation for still photography. “Film is about images serving a story, telling the story; it’s not necessarily about the image itself,” states Satterwhite. “But with stills it’s usually the other way around. You usually have one picture, and you have to get the story crammed into that one picture, and it has to stand out. So it’s all about the technique you use for that one picture.”

It is this thought that brings him back to the thoughts of styles, trends and the nature of commercial photography. Regarding his work, Satterwhite comments, “Basically I like what I do, and I’ve pretty much kept on doing it. With advertising photography you can go out of style, and later you get rediscovered and people go, oh, it’s new and exciting. Well, it’s the same vision I’ve had for a long time with maybe a little twist.”

Today, Satterwhite’s tools for composites are likely to include a D2X digital SLR camera, an F5 film SLR camera, and a COOLSCAN 9000 to digitize new and older slides. Among his favorite Nikkor lenses are the 28mm f/1.4D AF, 55mm f/2.8 Micro, 85mm f/1.4D IF AF, 135mm f/2D AF, 180mm f/2.8D ED-IF AF and the 300mm f/4 ED-IF AF-S. He also uses SB-800 and SB-26 Speedlights.  To learn more about Al Satterwhite, visit NikonNet’s “Legends Behind the Lens” series at http://www.nikonnet.com/legends.

About “Legends Behind the Lens”
NikonNet’s “Legends Behind the Lens” series aims to educate users and, in turn, breathe excitement into photography. Nikon has assembled a comprehensive and intriguing collection of artists to share their most incredible, challenging, emotional and exciting experiences on NikonNet.

This inspiring monthly program offers a behind-the-scenes look into the personalities and philosophies behind the world’s greatest and most famous photographers. “Legends Behind the Lens” also offers portfolio galleries with a new photo added each day of the month, as well as tips and tricks of the trade from featured professionals.

Past “Legends” in the series include Kevin Gilbert, Nancy Brown, Joe Buissink, Steven Weinberg, B. Moose Peterson, Eddie Adams, Jay Maisel and Howard Bingham.

About NikonNet:
NikonNet (http://www.nikonnet.com) is the web’s leading site for photography education, photo sharing and inspiration. NikonNet leverages the resources of parent company Nikon Inc. to offer the most innovative and inspiring educational segments on the Internet. Nikon’s suite of websites- http://www.nikonusa.com, http://www.nikonnet.com, http://www.nikondigital.com, http://www.nikonmall.com and http://www.nikonschool.com-connect consumers to the company’s products and services and link users to the most complete photography education and information community available on the web today.