Internationally respected, George Seper has been photographing food for over 30 years. He is the longest continuous contributor to Vogue Entertaining and Travel, who recently commissioned him to photograph their 30th Anniversary cover among other features.
His list of clients include the best advertising agencies and magazines worldwide. He has won prestigious awards including the gold and silver folio awards and has images represented in the photographic collection of National Galleries across the world. George is currently photographing a series of cookbooks for Murdoch Books.
I became interested in Photography after seeing two films in my mid teens; Michelangelo Antonioni's "Blow-Up", and Costa Gavras' "Z". The protagonists of both films were young photographers and I liked what I saw and thought that it was something I'd like to be involved with. I had a technical background and the photographic process intrigued me and it was the first time that I thought about having a creative outlet.
My educational background was in science and my first adult job was working for one of America's top electronics research labs. After two years I decided that the work wasn't fulfilling enough and I decided to return to University for a second degree in Education. I trained as a teacher and received my degree but by the time I finished, the photography bug had bitten hard. I took a big risk and decided to try my hand at forging a career in photography, knowing that if I failed I could probably return to teaching at a later date. That later date happened to be forty years later and half a world away...
The personal qualities that greatly assisted my success was my curiosity, diligence, perseverance and patience. Other interpersonal, technical and artistic qualities helped of course, but initially without the famous four I would never have had a chance.
Having worked for over forty years as a photographer and working most days, I have produced tens of thousands of published images so it's hard to put my finger on one image in particular that stands out. I am quite critical of my work and tend to see what I could have done better, so generally the images that I like best are the ones I have just produced.
I have taught many assistants over the years and so my teaching concepts were honed in the work environment. I saw that my assistant's learned best when I firmly established the basics and let them discover as much as possible themselves. They knew that I was always there to offer guidance when they went awry, and this gave them the confidence to take risks and to stretch themselves. Many are now successful photographers. I wrote the PI Photography course using the techniques I learned from passing my knowledge on to my assistants.
Of course I stress the value of curiosity, diligence, perseverance and patience. I also try to build confidence and to encourage risk taking and experimentation by students knowing they have their tutor as a safety net. Great photography is as much the result of a sharp mind as it is being sharp eyed. I encourage students to have an internal dialogue to make the most of each image in real time by asking themselves questions like "why am I making this image, what am I trying to say, and how can I say it better”?
Put simply, I draw inspiration from everywhere. Words inspire me, as do people, nature, art, film, music and life itself. I approach photography on an emotional level first and foremost, before I even start thinking about the technical stuff. Light itself inspires me and I can become quite absorbed chasing sunbeams and shadows...
In the early days I was inspired by the great photographers who went before me. I devoured books and magazines to view their work and spent so much time in art galleries that I was once accused of loitering. After a time, a decade or so, I stopped looking at other photographers' work because metaphorically I wanted to sing my own song instead of someone else's. I still remain entranced by art in all its forms and by this wonderful planet, that has allowed me to visit for a relatively short time.
I like spending time in my garden and watching the seedlings I plant grow into strong and beautiful trees, plants and flowers. Tutoring for me is much the same, in that I enjoy observing a latent talent or ability that a student possesses, and helping them to discover what they have and watching them blossom.
Be curious, be patient and work hard towards your goals, but most of all believe in yourself.
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