Who How When Where: 60 Years of Photography

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Dmitri Kasterine
Professional Photographer for
The Daily Telegraph, Queen, Vogue, New York Times, GQ, & more,
Stills for Stanley Kubrick movies,
Six portraits in the the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery
One Class
10:30 – 12:00
October 27
In his teens and early twenties, Dmitri photographed those who needed a picture and paid him, but he embraced more those who sent a cold shiver down his back. When magazines in the early 1950s started using photographs a great deal, he became a full time photographer. He learned light from a still life photographer and how to be patient, persistent and courageous from Stanley Kubrick. He’s enjoyed an illustrious career photographing everyone from Queen Elizabeth and Mick Jagger to random individuals who caught his eye. He will present many of his photographs and describe what goes on between himself and his sitters while he answers your questions about his life and work.  His book, Who How When Where will be available for purchase in the Craine Room.
From Dmitri himself:
“Photography has given me moments of great pleasure. It has also given me moments of great disappointment and anxiety. And as the years went by I learnt philosophical, artistic and practical matters from my sitters, both from the well known ones as well as the unknown ones. But it did not begin well! (Failure of attempts to photograph birds as a child of 11.)
I continued taking photographs of friends and of others in my teens and early twenties.  I photographed those who need a picture and paid me for it, but it was those those who sent a cold shiver down my back that I went after and did, and still do, for my for my own satisfaction.  It was, though, not until magazines, in the very early1950s, started using photographs a great deal that I decided to be a full time photographer. I learnt about light from a great friend who was a still life photographer and  how to be patient, persistent and courageous from Stanley Kubrick. I also slowly became aware of my own particular way of seeing things. What other way is there?
During my presentation, I shall emphasize the need to pounce on stray thoughts concerning the possibility of subjects. You just can’t be sure until you are there along side. This at first was very difficult for me as I was afraid of being turned down or scoffed at. But I never was and through the years my fear vanished and boldness remained.
By presenting my photographs and describing what goes on between myself and my sitters, I will show how difficulties are overcome. Largely, my way with subjects is the same who ever they are, and varies only as necessary according to the subject’s reactions and attitude to me. Sometimes things are thought out, but more often than not solutions occur spontaneously.
Questions about my life and work are a very important part of my presentation. It is a thrill to me when someone sees something that needs explaining. An excitement to me probably means the questioner has hit on something important and will get an interesting answer.”
Speaker bio:
Born in 1932 to White Russian father and English mother, Dmitri Kasterine was educated at Radley College. He began his professional career as a photographer in 1961, working for publications such as Queen and The Daily Telegraph Magazine.  He had a long association with Stanley Kubrick taking   stills on Dr. Strangelove (1964),2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and A Clockwork Orange (1971).

Dmitri Kasterine’s personal photographic survey England and the English was published in 1981 by Wm Collins & Sons & Co.

In 1986, he left Britain to move to the United States, which he had first visited on an assignment to photograph Mick Jagger in Los Angeles.  His work in USA included, among others, assignments for NewYork Times, Vogue, GQ and New York Magazine. In 2000 he directed a film about Anthony Bourdain as he moved from chef to best selling author and television celebrity, and in 2012 Newburgh: Portrait of a City was published by The Quantuck Lane Press, followed by a film Newburgh: Beauty and Tragedy.

 

Dmitri Kasterine has photographed numerous cultural and leading figures of the 20th century including Cindy Sherman, Johnny Cash, Roald Dahl, Mick Jagger, David Hockney, Jean-Michel Basquiat and H.M. Queen Elizabeth II and Stanley Kubrick. His work was on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London during the winter 2010 and is part of their permanent collection. The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery has acquired six of his portraits.

Today he sells prints from his archives to collectors and publishers, and gives talks at libraries and media outlets about his life as a photographer for over 60 years, based on his recent book Who How When Where. He takes photographs almost every day of people around him in Central NewYork.

For more information, see  https://www.kasterine.com