Interview with Jeff Rich

How, why and when did photography begin for you?

I started photographing when I was in about 6th grade and I was living in Florida. I had an obsession with birds of all sorts when I was young (I still do.) I grew up on the Central Florida coast, which is a migration route, so I would see many interesting birds. I received a 110 camera as a gift one year and started shooting the birds I saw on the canals near my house. Ever since then I’ve photographed on and off as a way to reconnect with my surroundings.  It was always very informal until I took a class in college.  It became a serious passion after I took a few classes.

And a little about your background beyond photography…?

I grew up in the Bahamas and Florida, and then went to the Savannah College of Art and Design for Film and Video in 1996. After 2000 I lived in Los Angeles, Boston, and Asheville working in the Documentary film industry as an editor. I then returned in 2006 to the Savannah College of Art and Design for an MFA in Photography.

Did working as an editor impact your work?

Yeah, working as an editor definitely has had a huge impact on my work.  I find that in the field I can focus on finding more concise images that will contribute to the project, instead of just burning through a lot of film and then editing down later.  It saves me a ton of time (and indecision) in post-production.

Can you talk about the specific things that have influenced your work over time?  Such as specific artists, friends, music, movies, books…

I’ve always been influenced by nature as a starting point, but I am also very influenced by literature and the cinema.  Albert Camus was an early influence.  The work of Edward Abbey has recently influenced my work, as well as Craig Childs, John Berger, and Lucy Lippard.

As for photographers, I feel a strong connection with artists like Joel Sternfeld, Alec Soth, Mitch Epstein, and Frank Gohlke.  Edward Burtysky influenced the direction of the Watershed work in a really big way.

How do your projects evolve?  How much of what you do per series is by intuition and discovery vs. having an idea in mind ahead of time?

My projects always evolve with a frame in mind, like a project about a particular river and the issues that surround that body of water.  Creating the images themselves is much more about intuition and discovery.  That discovery usually leads to a modification of the projects goals and direction.

What drove you to create your series Watershed and Remnants?  What inspired this?

Well, Remnants was originally just going to be a recreation of the Lewis and Clark expedition (by car) but I felt that this direction was pretty limited and decided to widen the project to an examination of the remnants of the frontier west.

As for Watershed, I originally wanted to document the damage that occurred after the flooding in 2004 that was caused by Tropical storms Ivan and Frances.  As I documented the damage, I realized that there were many larger, longer-term issues with the French Broad Watershed that needed more attention.

Are there specific things you look for when searching for the photo?  Something that stays consistent regardless of the subject or series?

I look for a few things consistently, the biggest being beautiful light.  I usually shoot early in the morning or late afternoon and evening.  As for the rest, I let the frame of the project dictate the subject matter, or at least in which direction I point my car.

What has helped to drive the most visibility to your work?

Well I am part of the Appalachian Photography Project, and I think that has given my work a wider exposure.  Also being featured on other photographers blogs, such as Scott Lessing and JM Colberg’s Conscientious.  Getting an Honorable Mention in this year’s Photography Book Now contest has helped as well.

How important or valuable do you think it is to engage with the online photographic community?  You seem to keep reasonably active with your own blog.

I think it is extremely important to engage with the online community.  I try to read and post as much as I can.  Unfortunately, my blog is essentially become a notebook for the things I love, I wish I had more time to comment and engage in discussions about the work.

Is there anything new beyond your continued work on Remnants that you are working on now?

I am working on the second chapter of the Watershed work, which will focus on the Tennessee Watershed.  This chapter differs significantly from the French Broad work in that it is going to focus more on man’s control over the river. I started this project in January when I documented the Coal Ash Spill in Kingston, Tennessee.

If you were to recommend other photographers or artist work for others to look at what would that be?

Joshua Lutz, Jem Southam, Mike Smith, Gideon Barnett, and all of the photographers on The Appalachian Photography Project website.

Thanks so much to Jeff for participating in this interview.  Please visit Jeff’s site to see more of his work.   Jeff also has prints available over at Photo-Eye.