Visiting Photographer
Join the Ventura College Photography Department for a presentation by world-renowned photographer Hugh Kretschmer!
Friday, February 23 | 10 a.m. - noon | MAC 101 | Ventura College
Artist's Bio:
I grew up in Los Angeles and was one of seven children in a family of artists. On one side was my father, a Photo-Instrumentation Engineer for NASA who worked on the Mercury through Apollo Missions. He introduced me to photography and taught me problem-solving- taking an idea and finding a way to realize it. Then there was my mother, the artist, who introduced me to Early 20th Century art movements, notably Cubism, Dada, Russian Constructivism, and Surrealism. The perfect combination led me to understand that my photography has no limitations and that there is a solution to every visual problem.
After receiving a BFA from the Art Center College of Design, I brought my parent’s influences together in a portfolio of photographic still-life constructions inspired by my love of those Masters I admired. In 1995, I moved to New York City, seized the opportunity to change directions with my work, focused my efforts towards Photo-Illustration and began my exploration of the medium, focusing on in-camera techniques such as practical collage, sculpture, and prop fabrication.
In my 32-year-long career, I’ve collaborated with esteemed clients such as Old Spice, Kohler, Sony, Toyota, and Penn & Teller and have been commissioned by leading magazines such as Vanity Fair, New York Times Magazine, Esquire, Time, Fortune, GQ, and National Geographic.
My images have been recognized worldwide and honored by the International Photography Awards, American Photography, Siena Awards, Graphis, the Society of Publication Designers, Communication Arts, and Photo District News. My work has been exhibited and collected through galleries in Paris, São Paulo, Berlin, Serbia, Dubai, New York, and Los Angeles, and was the subject of a retrospective at the Hoban Museum in Seoul, South Korea, in 2021. However, my most significant achievement is that my work is now in the archives of the 911 Museum at Ground Zero and the Library of Congress.
Since moving back to Los Angeles in 2006, my work has evolved yet again and is concentrated on the Fine Art end of the industry. My most recent work, Plastic “Waves” and Mirage, are created with a philanthropic endeavor- benefit nonprofits devoted to water conservation through gallery print and book sales. My first opportunity to donate to the Water Keepers Alliance came in the summer of 2022 with a cover design that included one of my images for the Oceans Issue Special Edition.
In addition to my projects and commissions, I’ve had the pleasure of giving back as an instructor at my alma mater, Art Center, UCLA, Los Angeles Center of Photography (LACP), and Santa Monica College. I’ve also led workshops in Dubai, Serbia, New York, and Los Angles, and I am a regular “Team Leader” at the Eddie Adams Workshop in Sullivan County, NY.
