LISA POWERS | HOLLYWOOD | A GENTLE, SEDUCTIVE VOICE

LISA POWERS | HOLLYWOOD | A GENTLE, SEDUCTIVE VOICE

“I am entirely self-taught in photography, and I continue learning. I think it’s precisely because I’m self-taught that I fearlessly embraced the digital darkroom and added new techniques to my traditional film/darkroom photography. I mostly shoot people…my background in shooting fashion is always influencing my work. I envision telling a story without words…only one image…only ONE image. But there IS a story… in the past or in a moment about to happen.

My comfort zone is my studio. I control the lighting and direct the models.
My lighting has been strongly influenced by the Hollywood studio photographers of the 1920s and 1930s. I use “hot lights,” not strobes, and I prefer shooting with film as often as I can. I entered the ‘digital darkroom’ by scanning my film with my Imacon Flextight Photo scanner, which is the closest to a drum scanner available. It is extraordinary.
Every grain in the film is sharp. Then I start experimenting with Photoshop.
Since I moved away from commercial photography and shifted to Fine Art, experimenting with Photoshop is totally absorbing, and I experiment fearlessly.”

LISA POWERS

“I entered the ‘digital darkroom’ by scanning my film with my Imacon Flextight Photo scanner, which is the closest to a drum scanner available. It is extraordinary.”

French-born of American/French/Italian lineage, Lisa Powers achieved renown in photography in the 1980s with her innovative compositions and lighting techniques. As one of the few successful female commercials and fashion photographers of her time, she was highly sought-after for her artistic intellect and unique style.

Lisa is a master of photographic techniques, and her visuals often take on an otherworldly Film Noir aesthetic – transforming retro imagery into thought-provoking and visually stunning pieces. In New York, she photographed fashion catalogs for Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, I. Magnin, and Nordstrom’s, as well as significant advertising campaigns.
In Hollywood, Lisa worked in the motion picture industry, shooting movie posters for directors including Francis Ford Coppola, Robert Harmon, Michael Lehmann, and Michael Mann. She also flew to Paris to work with French director Luc Besson and created the poster for his iconic film ‘La Femme Nikita.’

Her work has been exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Tokyo, and she has an upcoming solo exhibition in Christchurch, New Zealand. In addition, she has images in the permanent collection of The George Eastman House Museum and in private collections. Lisa was awarded Distinction Honours from The Royal Photographic Society, UK. In 2006, she relocated to New Zealand, where she currently lives and works.

See the full article in Lens Magazine Issue #86