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Rangefinder
Magazine Profile: Don Herzig by Peter
Skinner
Today, now retired from police work, Herzig’s photography focuses on much more pleasant and lively subjects—children. It’s a field in which he excels and in which he has made an indelible mark, winning not only the approval of his subjects (and of their families) but also that of his peers in professional trade organizations. While Herzig is somewhat modest about this entry into photography, he concedes that an innate ability to see and visualize images, combined with the practical background from his years of police work, contributed to his current success. And there’s no denying that covering crime scenes trained him in paying close attention to detail. “I have always had a ‘good eye’ for photography, and I had a camera which was about all of the background that was required for the police department. Doing police work, you quickly learn that color balance and scale are important. A good defense attorney will attack you on the stand, creating doubt in the jury’s mind, with arguments that the photograph has been manipulated and is not representative of the actual scene,” he said.
Documenting the grim reality of the dark side of human nature has made Don Herzig more appreciative of the good side, and perhaps it was this that directed him to specializing in children’s photography. And he has become expert in dealing with different age groups, personalities, temperaments, and in how to work through those times when you know it “just isn’t going to happen!” “ Children that are four are really cute, but easily distracted. Seven to 10-year olds are able to take instruction, still have that aaah! factor that impresses judges of photo competitions when they are viewing prints. And kids at that age have not entered the awkward stage yet,” he said. Herzig knows from experience that there are inherent difficulties working with kids and in getting them to interact with him and the camera. The key factor is patience. “That is an absolute must. If it drives you crazy because a four-year old picks up a leaf in the middle of a pose and wants you to help them ‘bake a cake’ (the leaf) then maybe photographing kids is not where you should concentrate your efforts. I help them ‘bake the cake’ and work them back into the pose,” he said.
“ Ice breaking” when photographing children is an art: the photographer needs to be a motivator, a psychologist, a negotiator, a diplomat and have a sense of timing. “I always use an even soft tone in my voice and I assure the parents that it is okay for the child to be a child. If the parents are anxious or upset because their son or daughter is being a terror, matters can deteriorate quickly. If it is just not going to happen, reschedule. We all have our bad days,” said Herzig. In an age of complexity in image production (in many cases, over production), and a fascination with high-tech equipment and gadgetry, Don Herzig’s approach to creating pictures is simplicity itself and very refreshing. Almost all his work is on location and in his view the right setting is paramount to good results. “Photographing on location is more work, because you have to take your equipment with you, but the rewards can be amazing. I try to keep it as simple as possible. I have my camera on a tripod, with an off-camera flash to the side and balance that with ambient light so the lighting is an understated element of the image, not an overpowering, dominant part of it,” he said.
While still favoring film—“I use Kodak films a lot, but for those setting sun portraits outdoors, I like the higher speed Fuji films—they just seem to capture the outdoor colors better in low light”— Herzig said he is exploring the world of digital photography with a Nikon Coolpix 995. “I did this just to get started on the learning curve. It is a lot of fun, easier to take along and it is relatively less expensive. I do not use it for my clients, but as I progress, I hope to get more involved with digital. I can see why some studios have gone completely digital. It is amazing what you can do.” Of his style and approach, Herzig said that while endeavoring to maintain a unique style he does not limit himself to one type of portrait. On occasion he will infuse an image with a touch of the humor that helped him through the day-to-day grimness of police photography. “As with police work, I tend to vacillate between the deadly seriousness of the job and the humor I liked to employ to help others. When I am being serious as an artist, I love to capture the innocence and beauty of a child’s expression. But I have another side that is just for fun. Once, I did a portrait of a friend, dressed as a mortician at a crematorium and titled it “Your Very Last Cookout.” I received an 80 in competition for the title alone,” he said. Herzig is a member of the Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County, the Professional Photographers of California and the Professional Photographers of America and an immediate past president of the Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County. Along the way he has won numerous awards in the Los Angeles area and also at state level. In 1998, he was the PPLAC Photographer of the Year and had seven or eight of his prints hang at the national PPA convention. His photographs have been published in the Kodak Gallery Award Collection Album and in the PPA Loan Collection and Showcase Books. In 2000 he received a Kodak Gallery Award.
And what advice would Don Herzig offer any aspiring photographer? “Learn from everyone you can, but if you do not have your own style, you will be just part of the herd and never succeed. The easiest way to get started is to assist an established photographer, but a vision of your own will get you on your own. Attend the conventions that are available. I learn more from lectures and print competitions at my local affiliate than perhaps anywhere else. And get involved with trade associations and professional organizations such as WPPI, PPA, ASMP (the American Society of Media Photographers) or similar—their networks are an invaluable learning and support resource,” he said. Finally, and back to his days on
the homicide beat: Any funny/black humor stories? “Hundreds of
them, but I am not sure your readership is ready for most of them. Like
the one about the woman who shot her husband
while he was in bed, but she was so intoxicated that she slept through
the night next to the body. At the scene, I was in a photographing frenzy.
Roll after roll, showing beer cans in the trash, casings on the floor.
When it came time to show the wounds Now when Don Herzig says “put him back, put him back” it’s more likely to be referring to putting little Johnny back into the picture with his baby sister. And there’s little doubt the final picture in that case will be a far happier one. Freelance writer/photographer
and author Peter Skinner, who is based in Anacortes, Washington has
more than 22 years experience in the photo
industry in public relations, media liaison, corporate communications
and workshop production and coordination. His magazine articles and
photography have been published internationally and he has co-authored
or edited
numerous publications and books including the 5th and 6th editions
of the authoritative ASMP Professional Business Practices in Photography
(Allworth Press). |
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Most of
that time was spent in the detective bureau and, naturally enough,
much of his work involved photographing homicide scenes. And as can
be imagined, one had to adopt a sense of humor (albeit a little on
the black side) when dealing with such horrific subject matter. But,
Herzig admits, he never had any problems with eye-blinks nor did
any of his subjects utter the universal “I hate having my picture
taken” or complain about the results.
He also mastered a photojournalistic and documentary
style, using the time- proven method of starting with the big picture
and moving in
for
the details. “You had to be able to tell a visual story with the
photographs. Chances were you would not be able to talk with the district
attorney until minutes before the trial. On homicides, I would start
at the corner and show the cross street signs. I would then work my way
up to the scene,” he said. “The depictions had to tell the
story of what happened, so individuals who were not there could understand
it. The photograph is a very powerful tool. On one occasion, a very young
mother burned her unwanted baby so severely, that I did not even realize
the race of the child immediately. Hearing about it is one thing. It
was the photographs that removed all doubt for the jury.”
Another favorite ploy is to let the child be
the photographer, for a short time, that is. “This is one of the
things that helps me the most. Allowing the child to look through the
camera and even allowing
them to take a picture of mom (or whoever is there) themselves gets them
into the swing of things. Film is cheap. On one occasion, a young subject
was absolutely spent after one roll of shooting. I told her it was okay
and, knowing that kids are naturally curious, asked her if she had ever
looked through a camera. While she was looking into the viewfinder, I
told her there was only thing missing in the picture—a beautiful
little girl. She was right back in front of the camera for two more rolls,” he
said. “Different techniques work with different ages. You cannot
talk to a 10-year old like you would to a five-year old.”
Standardizing
his approach and equipment, while still leaving his options open for
spontaneity and serendipity has paid dividends for Herzig. “I
use a Mamiya RB 67, which admittedly can be cumbersome, but I like the
larger negative to work with. I use a normal lens extensively, but the
180mm soft-focus lens produces beautiful results. I use ambient light
as my main source, generally in combination with a Vivitar 285 flash
to the side—to kiss in just enough light to fill shadows. With
window light I use a reflector on the shadow side, close to the subject
but just out of the frame,” he said.
As so many others would agree,
Don Herzig praises the efforts of professional trade associations and
other groups which produce workshops and other
training programs for the industry. “The information you receive
from those at the top of their field at these events is unsurpassed.
The WPPI convention in Las Vegas is excellent and there are many schools
available that are invaluable in what they can offer,” he said. 
on the decedent, I snapped a new
roll in the auto-advance 35mm I was using, without even looking. After
a while, I became concerned that I had not come to the end of the roll.
The film had never advanced. I told the coroner, ‘Put him back,
put him back’ (into the original position) so I could re-shoot
the scene. But of course, you can’t do that. The older homicide
detectives never let me live that one down.”