Sam Kaplan
Personal Background:
Sam Kaplan was born and raised in Boston, MA. When he was in high school, Sam discovered his passion for photography. Sam remembers that his high school had photographer books of Jerry Uelsmann, Edward Weston, and Irving Penn. These were some of the first photographers that inspired him. Sam recalls that he was never very interested in portraiture but would spend hours in his high school's darkroom making photomontages. He later attended Wesleyan University where he studied art history and sculpture and received his Bachelor of Arts degree. In college he had a few conceptual sculpture classes and they provided a similar feeling to making photomontages, which Sam enjoyed. There were only a couple of photo classes, so Sam ended up studying a lot more sculpture which he says ended up having the most lasting impact in shaping what he does. He has been in the photography business for more than 5 years. He is 34 years old and currently lives in New York with his family. His wife Laura works along side him. They shoot for a vast amount of clients some of which are Dr. Pepper, Fitbit, Gatorade, Google, Hershey's, Kraft, LG, and Nissan. Some awards that Sam has received include the PDN's 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch 2012, American Photography 33 - Selected, and Communication Arts Photography Annual 2018.
Style:
Kaplan is a still life photographer. Some of his cultural influences are Dollar Stores, Sol LeWitt, and subway rides. Sam's style of photos feature food, drinks, accessories, beauty, and other still life objects. The objects are often seen against monochromatic backgrounds with strong lighting. His work is very precise and he incorporates patterns and repetition in his photos. Other characteristics in his photos are vibrant colors and depth. In his photos of food the background usually matches the colors of the food or he uses a bold color to contrast the objects. For example in one of his photos of blueberries there is a navy background that provides unity within the photo. In another photo of golden mac n' cheese shells, Sam uses a neon purple background to help the golden cheese shells stand out. In addition, in photos he takes of drinks there are pastel colors used in the backgrounds. Kaplan's still-life photographs capture everyday items including electronics, sports equipment, and tools. He takes objects that appear simple and arranges them elegantly. The style of the photos are overall very crisp and clean and in Sam's words, “maybe even a little OCD”. As far as where he shoots goes, Sam's photos are taken at his studio on the west side of Manhattan.
Philosophy:
Sam Kaplan believes in a one word philosophy: simplify. Through photography Sam exercises his two favorite skills – creative problem solving and conceptual thinking. Kaplan's photos appear very neat and even if it is as simple as taking a picture of glass bottles in a circle, they are still visually pleasing. Kaplan really tries to remember to shoot for himself as much as possible and trust his instincts at all stages of a shoot. The major ideas behind his work are to show authenticity and the beauty in simplicity. Food has been a subject he really likes shooting. He says it is because food has a shelf life on set and it’ll start looking bad after 15 minutes, which makes him have to problem-solve quickly. He finds these obstacles rather beneficial because it shows real objects in their natural states. Kaplan feels that there are a lot of political and social factors that can take away from a photographers true voice and visions. Through his photographs he is trying to say that people should not be afraid to stretch the limits, go beyond the norm, and highlight creativity and precision. Kaplan enjoys experimenting with his photos and having the freedom to alter an object and make adjustments as he pleases. His final products come from a well thought out plan. And for Sam, the more time he spends thinking and trying to come up with the simplest way to create the best photo, the better the end result will be.
Influences:
Sam Kaplan has influenced my work in the way that I had to spend time thinking of what and how I would take the pictures. I could not just walk around downtown or pass a random tree and have it be what I needed to convey my purpose. I learned to visualize what it was I was trying to create and show. I looked at multiple pages of Sam Kaplan's photos and 3 key characteristics in his photos stuck out to me. Color, precision, and depth were things that every picture had at least one of. I feel like a perfectionist at times so when I looked at his photos and seen how neat they were I knew I would enjoy recreating them. Sam Kaplan does a good job of cropping his photos to show the perfect look. When I took my photos I liked being able to get close ups of my subjects and really show the features and curves to the objects. I like patterns and creating shapes and figures from food. This is something Kaplan does in his photos so I also incorporated it in mine. I also learned that Sam uses stark and artificial lighting so I got to experiment with lighting when I took my photos. I took pictures in natural light and I also used a variety of flash lights and lamps in my photos to get the closest looking photos to Kaplan's.
Sources:
Sam Kaplan was born and raised in Boston, MA. When he was in high school, Sam discovered his passion for photography. Sam remembers that his high school had photographer books of Jerry Uelsmann, Edward Weston, and Irving Penn. These were some of the first photographers that inspired him. Sam recalls that he was never very interested in portraiture but would spend hours in his high school's darkroom making photomontages. He later attended Wesleyan University where he studied art history and sculpture and received his Bachelor of Arts degree. In college he had a few conceptual sculpture classes and they provided a similar feeling to making photomontages, which Sam enjoyed. There were only a couple of photo classes, so Sam ended up studying a lot more sculpture which he says ended up having the most lasting impact in shaping what he does. He has been in the photography business for more than 5 years. He is 34 years old and currently lives in New York with his family. His wife Laura works along side him. They shoot for a vast amount of clients some of which are Dr. Pepper, Fitbit, Gatorade, Google, Hershey's, Kraft, LG, and Nissan. Some awards that Sam has received include the PDN's 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch 2012, American Photography 33 - Selected, and Communication Arts Photography Annual 2018.
Style:
Kaplan is a still life photographer. Some of his cultural influences are Dollar Stores, Sol LeWitt, and subway rides. Sam's style of photos feature food, drinks, accessories, beauty, and other still life objects. The objects are often seen against monochromatic backgrounds with strong lighting. His work is very precise and he incorporates patterns and repetition in his photos. Other characteristics in his photos are vibrant colors and depth. In his photos of food the background usually matches the colors of the food or he uses a bold color to contrast the objects. For example in one of his photos of blueberries there is a navy background that provides unity within the photo. In another photo of golden mac n' cheese shells, Sam uses a neon purple background to help the golden cheese shells stand out. In addition, in photos he takes of drinks there are pastel colors used in the backgrounds. Kaplan's still-life photographs capture everyday items including electronics, sports equipment, and tools. He takes objects that appear simple and arranges them elegantly. The style of the photos are overall very crisp and clean and in Sam's words, “maybe even a little OCD”. As far as where he shoots goes, Sam's photos are taken at his studio on the west side of Manhattan.
Philosophy:
Sam Kaplan believes in a one word philosophy: simplify. Through photography Sam exercises his two favorite skills – creative problem solving and conceptual thinking. Kaplan's photos appear very neat and even if it is as simple as taking a picture of glass bottles in a circle, they are still visually pleasing. Kaplan really tries to remember to shoot for himself as much as possible and trust his instincts at all stages of a shoot. The major ideas behind his work are to show authenticity and the beauty in simplicity. Food has been a subject he really likes shooting. He says it is because food has a shelf life on set and it’ll start looking bad after 15 minutes, which makes him have to problem-solve quickly. He finds these obstacles rather beneficial because it shows real objects in their natural states. Kaplan feels that there are a lot of political and social factors that can take away from a photographers true voice and visions. Through his photographs he is trying to say that people should not be afraid to stretch the limits, go beyond the norm, and highlight creativity and precision. Kaplan enjoys experimenting with his photos and having the freedom to alter an object and make adjustments as he pleases. His final products come from a well thought out plan. And for Sam, the more time he spends thinking and trying to come up with the simplest way to create the best photo, the better the end result will be.
Influences:
Sam Kaplan has influenced my work in the way that I had to spend time thinking of what and how I would take the pictures. I could not just walk around downtown or pass a random tree and have it be what I needed to convey my purpose. I learned to visualize what it was I was trying to create and show. I looked at multiple pages of Sam Kaplan's photos and 3 key characteristics in his photos stuck out to me. Color, precision, and depth were things that every picture had at least one of. I feel like a perfectionist at times so when I looked at his photos and seen how neat they were I knew I would enjoy recreating them. Sam Kaplan does a good job of cropping his photos to show the perfect look. When I took my photos I liked being able to get close ups of my subjects and really show the features and curves to the objects. I like patterns and creating shapes and figures from food. This is something Kaplan does in his photos so I also incorporated it in mine. I also learned that Sam uses stark and artificial lighting so I got to experiment with lighting when I took my photos. I took pictures in natural light and I also used a variety of flash lights and lamps in my photos to get the closest looking photos to Kaplan's.
Sources:
Compare and Contrast:
In the first set of images I recreated Sam Kaplan's photo of whipped frosting made into a swirl (Food 48). I used buttercream icing for my image although the substance in Kaplan's photo looked more light and fluffy. I took the picture outside and cropped out the background. I then tried to recreate the shadow as there is one Kaplan's photo. In the second set of pictures, I recreated Kaplan's photo of the different berries. In Kaplan's photo there is a navy blue textured like background. In my photo, I used a navy blue smooth container lid as the background. Both backgrounds are navy blue, but I would say Kaplan's color blends in more with the berries. Both photos show fruits of blue and red, although in my photo I used different types of berries. I chose to use blueberries and strawberries because I was completely sure what the red fruit was in Kaplan's photo and also strawberries are my favorite berry. For the third set of photos I recreated Kaplan's photo "food 54". I used Nutella as the brown substance and then scooped it into a bowl. Kaplan then placed a wooden spoon in the bowl but I used a cinnamon stick because I felt it was a cute addition to the overall photo. When I was trying to recreate the image I noticed there was a swirl of white in the brown mix and I was not sure what it was so I tried melting white chocolate and adding a swirl at the top. This did not work out as well and the white chocolate kept fading into the mix so that is one aspect that is different about our photos. Overall I tried to get as close to the pictures as possible, but just as Kaplan's philosophy goes: simplify and be true to yourself, so I added a touch of what I liked.
Personal Artist Statement:
The overall theme of the images I chose to recreate is "Life is sweet". I chose foods and treats that are sweet and that I personally enjoy. Many of the objects and still life subjects are small but can show how you do not need large things to make you happy. I also chose some photos that were simple and organized as Kaplan incorporates symmetry and pattern in many of his photos. I am also very meticulous and like organizing. Although these images may seem like not a lot of effort was needed to capture them, this is actually not true. I always kept in mind the rule of thirds when I took the photos of my still life objects. It did take time to set up the icing in a nice swirl, and organize the blueberries and strawberries in a way that is natural but also aesthetically pleasing. I especially was reminded of a balanced photo and creating contrast with red and blue fruit in the photo of the berries. I intended to have the photos show the sweet things in life and how a simple fruit or chocolate spread can really brighten someones day, just as it does for me.
In the first set of images I recreated Sam Kaplan's photo of whipped frosting made into a swirl (Food 48). I used buttercream icing for my image although the substance in Kaplan's photo looked more light and fluffy. I took the picture outside and cropped out the background. I then tried to recreate the shadow as there is one Kaplan's photo. In the second set of pictures, I recreated Kaplan's photo of the different berries. In Kaplan's photo there is a navy blue textured like background. In my photo, I used a navy blue smooth container lid as the background. Both backgrounds are navy blue, but I would say Kaplan's color blends in more with the berries. Both photos show fruits of blue and red, although in my photo I used different types of berries. I chose to use blueberries and strawberries because I was completely sure what the red fruit was in Kaplan's photo and also strawberries are my favorite berry. For the third set of photos I recreated Kaplan's photo "food 54". I used Nutella as the brown substance and then scooped it into a bowl. Kaplan then placed a wooden spoon in the bowl but I used a cinnamon stick because I felt it was a cute addition to the overall photo. When I was trying to recreate the image I noticed there was a swirl of white in the brown mix and I was not sure what it was so I tried melting white chocolate and adding a swirl at the top. This did not work out as well and the white chocolate kept fading into the mix so that is one aspect that is different about our photos. Overall I tried to get as close to the pictures as possible, but just as Kaplan's philosophy goes: simplify and be true to yourself, so I added a touch of what I liked.
Personal Artist Statement:
The overall theme of the images I chose to recreate is "Life is sweet". I chose foods and treats that are sweet and that I personally enjoy. Many of the objects and still life subjects are small but can show how you do not need large things to make you happy. I also chose some photos that were simple and organized as Kaplan incorporates symmetry and pattern in many of his photos. I am also very meticulous and like organizing. Although these images may seem like not a lot of effort was needed to capture them, this is actually not true. I always kept in mind the rule of thirds when I took the photos of my still life objects. It did take time to set up the icing in a nice swirl, and organize the blueberries and strawberries in a way that is natural but also aesthetically pleasing. I especially was reminded of a balanced photo and creating contrast with red and blue fruit in the photo of the berries. I intended to have the photos show the sweet things in life and how a simple fruit or chocolate spread can really brighten someones day, just as it does for me.