‘I made my bathroom into a darkroom, developing negatives under a 40-watt bulb. It’s what they were doing in the ’20s and ’30s, pretty crude and old-fashioned. Once I’ve done a contact sheet, I talk to friends and compare my memory of the event to what they’re seeing. From that I pick which photos I’ve been successful at and print them out large.’
I think all photographers worse fear in life is to loose ones sight; how is it possible to create beautiful photographs with no vision? Pete Eckert, the blind photographer, puts that question to the test and despite having no site at all he manages to create compelling pieces of work. Through his photography, he proves that he is very much a visual person and he shows that loosing your sight only gets in your way if you let it. Before he went blind, Eckert’s life revolved around art—he created art as a kid and went to art school. Amazingly, even after going blind, he didn’t give up on his love for creating. Due to his drive and passion he captures exceptional images using sound to guide him and help him understand his surroundings.
Eckert also managed to win a Grand Prize recipient of Artists Wanted: Exposure 2008, an international photography competition, and was awarded $2,008 with a formal reception at Leo Kesting Gallery in New York City on Thursday August 7, 2008.
Pete Eckert is a truly inspiring artist and this portrait of him shown in the video below will explain further how manages to achieve such mesmerising photographs.
‘If I had any advice for young people, I would say what Joseph Campbell said: “follow your bliss”. I think if there’s something you really love, that you think about every minute of the day, at breakfast, when you’re sleeping, in the middle of the night, how can people compete with you?’ (IdeasTap interview)
Information: IdeasTap/Pete Eckert
