About
I am a photographer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I operate in both the natural and built environment, and bring aspects of landscape and street photography to all of my work. I view the camera as an extension of myself, a window into my impressions of the world. If I had to define my work, I might call myself an expressive documentary photographer. I am interested in recording what I see in the world, and aspire to do so in a way that also captures my personal connection to the subjects of my photographs. Rarely, I might achieve this in a single photograph. More often, the feeling emerges through a series of photographs that, over time, evolves into a project or portfolio of work.
I strive to find meaning in the mundane and beauty that is hidden in plain sight. In my travels I attempt to soak up the extraordinary but photograph the ordinary. I will follow a winding road just to see what lies around the next bend. I am attracted to lines, shapes, colors and forms. I am mesmerized by the patterns of moving water and captivated by small landscapes. I take photographs to collect cultural objects and historic artifacts before they disappear. I am intrigued by similarities in places that are worlds apart. I seek out unintentional humor, odd juxtapositions, and human emotion on the street.
In short, I shoot what I see.
Welcome to My Sight.
Contact: dennis@dennisherman.com
A Short History of My Love Affair With the Camera
The first camera I remember owning was a Kodak Instamatic X-15. It shot 126 film cartridges and had those cool 4-sided square Magicube flashbulbs that exploded then rotated when you pressed the shutter. That was probably sometime in the early ‘70s. I can still picture the rectangular black box with a hinged yellow lid where I kept it safe when I wasn’t out taking pictures. (A few years back, I saw one in an antique mall and couldn’t resist purchasing it.)
I have been in love with making photographs ever since I first held the X-15 in my hands. I received my first “real” (35mm) camera when I was 13, and still recall my amazement at a photograph I made with it in our front yard. It was just a red berry at the end of a branch, but the entire background was blurred out. I had no idea that this simple metal and plastic box could alter reality like that. It was at that moment that I was hooked. I flirted briefly with the idea of turning my passion into a career, but am glad that I chose to earn a living in other pursuits. (I was a newspaper journalist for most of the 1980s, and a lawyer for three decades after that.)
Keeping photography as a hobby during my working life was critical to developing my own unique, personal creative vision, because it gave me permission to shoot only for myself. These days, I bring as much time, effort and intention to my photography as I did in the past to my work in journalism and the law. Nevertheless, I still consider myself an amateur, in the best (and original) meaning of the word: as someone who pursues something for the pure joy of it, and not simply as a means to an end.
Current Equipment
Cameras and lenses are just tools that help us realize our artistic vision. Knowing your equipment – how to use it and what it can (and cannot) do – is all that matters. A better piece of equipment will not make you a better artist, but it may offer technical capabilities that are necessary to create the work you have in mind. Before investing in a new piece of equipment, understand why you need it and how you will use it. If you can’t answer both of those questions, don’t buy it. That said:
I have been shooting primarily with Fujifilm cameras and lenses since 2021. From 1980-2020, I worked primarily with Pentax cameras and lenses (both film and digital). Currently, I use the Fujifilm X-Pro3 and X-T5 for most of my street and travel work, and the Fuji GFX 50R for architecture, garden, macro and studio work. For nature and landscape photography, I use both the X-T5 and GFX 50R, depending on where I am going and how much gear I am willing to carry. I also use a Fuji X-T20 that has been converted for infrared use (590nm), and occasionally use a Bronica S-2A when shooting film. I tend to use the X-Pro3 with compact primes under 50mm, and the X-T5 with zoom lenses that together cover a range of 12-450mm. I frequently use a Lensbaby Velvet 56 in my garden work. I often use neutral density filters from Nisi and Breakthrough Photography to achieve longer exposure times for abstract and nature photography.
Inspirations
Eddie Soloway, Guy Tal, Colleen Miniuk, Brooks Jensen, Richard Martin, Freeman Patterson, Craig Mod, William Neill, Susan Burnstine, Alan Shapiro, Michael Gordon, Angie McMonigal, Simon Baxter, Nick Carver, Kyle McDougall, Ben Horne
Jerry Garcia, Stephen Shore, Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Eliot Porter, David Muench, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Wynn Bullock, Christopher Burkett, Joel Meyerowitz, William Eggleston, Garry Winogrand, Robert Frank, diane arbus, Alfred Steiglitz, Saul Leiter, Henri Cartier Bresson, Vivian Maier
Camera Club Judge
In 2024, I became a judge for print and digital photography competitions put on by members of the Northern California Council of Camera Clubs. I have a love-hate relationship with photography competitions, and often question the idea of competitive art – particularly when it devolves into rule-bound opinions of right and wrong. When judging a competition, I will start out by telling the audience not to listen to me, or anyone else, if they disagree with what I say. I try to remind them that it is their art, and only their own personal, unique creative vision matters. Take what you need and leave the rest.
This is my judging bio:
Dennis seeks first and foremost to understand the intent of the maker, and provide them with insight into whether that intent was effectively communicated and realized. He believes that composition is the foundation of a successful photograph, and looks for images that express a point of view that is unique to the maker. He hopes that his comments will give the maker and the audience something new to think about. But whether they agree with him or not, Dennis’ fervent desire is for each photographer to remain true to themselves and their own individual creative vision.
Publications, Exhibitions, Awards & Presentations
Losing Focus and Learning to See (Blurb 2020)
(Blurb’s price is silly; just click the Preview button to see the entire book)
Lenswork
Light, Glorious Light (2023)
Our Magnificent Planet (2021)
Sacramento Fine Arts Center
“Watery Wonders,” Best in Show (2022)
PhotoPlace Gallery, Middlebury, VT
“Portals: Windows, Mirrors and Doors” (November 2024)
“The Decisive Moment” (August 2023)
“Found Objects,” Honorable Mention (June 2022)
Out of Chicago Live
Presentation: “Abstract the Ordinary” (2020)
Marin County Fair (2023)
Marin Photography Club
Top Shot Award (Most points) (2022, 2023)
Most Points, new member (2019)
Best in Show (July 2020, April 2022)
Northern California Council of Camera Clubs (N4C)
Best in Show (March 2024, Sept. 2022, Jan. 2020, Feb. 2020)