A photographer has been quoted as saying that when he looks at a photo, it should hold him for five minutes. Do you agree?

Five minutes? That is only the beginning of the life of a great work, which can hold one for a lifetime. Think of any of the masterworks.

You work part-time as a medical photographer. What subjects does a medical photographer shoot? Did this work influence your development in photography?

Human Retina
© Joseph Squillante, 1978

About three years after I started shooting professionally, I trained and began freelance work making images in a diagnostic test (fluorescein angiogram) of the human retina, which is like the “film in the camera” of the eye. What better connection for an image-maker? I still do this today along with teaching, selling my prints, and other freelance work, which enables me to pursue my fine art.

How about portraiture? What are some of the differences and challenges in capturing what you see in a face or person as opposed to conveying the beauty of a tree or particular bend in the river?

I had the privilege of studying with Philippe Halsman… and we definitely connected with each other. My rendering of one of his portraits moved him and he also chose to photograph me to illustrate “cross-lighting” during a class. In studying with Halsman I learned that people go through their days wearing a mask. It is the portraitist’s challenge to have subjects drop their mask and reveal who they truly are. It is that moment captured that makes a true and revealing portrait.

Pete Seeger at the Strawberry Festival
(Beacon, New York, his hometown)
© Joseph Squillante, 2000

The similarity in photographing nature and the human face is in waiting for the right moment. A mood can be enhanced with the correct light; in nature you need to wait for that light to occur; in portraiture, you can produce it in a studio setting. Time and light are of the essence.

You’ve earned awards working with various regional environmental groups. What are some accomplishments achieved so far, and what still needs to be done?

As a result of my years of photographing nature and the Hudson River in particular, environmental groups have used my work to further the cause of raising awareness about river conservation.

I have been designated a “River Rat” by the esteemed group Riverkeeper, and as a “Hudson Valley Hero” by the land protection group Scenic Hudson.

As the Hudson River recovers and becomes cleaner, more people are drawn to visit and live along its shores. We must be smart in the way we grow and develop, with an eye on the future that we will leave for generations to come, not just for now. We have to learn to live in harmony with our environment.