AMIR EHRLICH
"I aim to show nature beyond what the naked eye can see."
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My name is Amir Ehrlich, married with 3 beautiful children. I live in Israel and consider myself to be a landscape photographer. I mainly use long exposure photography which enables me to “paint” with my camera’s sensor. I aim to show nature beyond what the naked eye can see.
Tell us about yourself and your background.
I was born in 1973. I’m married with 3 beautiful children (2 boys and a girl). I grew up in a Moshav (a kind of a village in Israel), a place that helped me connect to nature and learn to love and admire it. For the past 16 years I live in Modiin which is a new city in Israel, also surrounded by fields, forests and nature. Photography was always a hobby of mine but in the past 7 years it became more of a passion and I decided to deepen my knowledge with my gear and understanding of the basics of photography in order to better control the results I produce (I moved from automatic to full manual control).
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"My main inspiration comes from nature itself. I find myself more and more seeing landscape in terms of possible frames, always looking for an interesting and unique composition."
Tell us about your work and why it is unique.
The majority of my work revolves around long exposures. Using this kind of photography allows me to paint with my camera, showing things that the human eye can’t see normally. I love shooting star trails and the Milky Way as well as the sea during sunrise or sunset. Using long exposure I’m able to reach effects that makes my photos look like painting. The unprofessional viewer usually needs a few seconds to understand what he sees or an explanation to understand how it was created. The majority of my work shows the scene as it was in reality, considering the atmosphere I wanted to present (balanced exposure or alternatively – over or under exposed) with slight, basic develop adjustments. Only in rare cases I manipulate my photo but still, not too much.
What are your sources of inspiration?
My main inspiration comes from nature itself. I find myself more and more seeing landscape in terms of possible frames, always looking for an interesting and unique composition. I see a lot of landscape shots from other photographers, all over the world and get inspired by them. I’m not looking to copycat shots that I’ve seen but to combine ideas from those I liked best into my own point of view. I first see the final result in my mind (high key or low key, stars, clouds or water movement).
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"Using long exposure I’m able to reach effects that makes my photos look like painting."
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Tell us about some of your achievements.
I think that my main achievement is being a self-didactic photographer. Besides a basic course, to help me get started and learn the basics of camera operating and photography guidelines, I learned the majority of what I know today by myself. During the past few years I was honored to participate in several exhibitions, digital and printed showcase) in galleries around the globe but the thing I’m proud of most is when people chose to buy my artwork. I think it is being selected to be present in a stranger’s everyday life because my work influenced them emotionally. My photos also decorate from time to time the main weather broadcast (on primetime) in the largest TV channel in Israel.
What are you passionate about?
My passion is to be unique, to be able to show something that is different. In today’s world, when one can see hundreds of photos from almost every location, my goal is to ‘bring” something different, an angle or a view that is not similar to many others. One of the very biggest compliments I can get is when someone says he/she never saw this point of view before or that he/she cannot believe this photo was taken in that location.
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Share with us the back-story of some of your projects.
One of the places I love to shoot most is the Dead Sea. This unique, very special piece of sea shore is a true gem. The salt crystals creating special shapes and forms. Due to several different environmental reasons, the shore of the Dead Sea is constantly changing – the sea is drying and sinkholes are forming and changing the shore line. This is a sad outcome to human interference and usage of the land but on the other hand, it creates countless photography opportunities. As this place is not very far from home, I’m able to visit there a lot and document the changes of the shoreline in my own, private way.
Tell us about where you are based.
I live in the center of Israel. As I do not travel a lot (outside of Israel), I shoot mainly close to home. Luckily for me, most of the country’s beautiful places are located no more than 2 hours drive from my home. I still consider my photography as a hobby and as such, it needs to fit into my everyday life. I love shooting mainly sunrises and sunsets which allows me to combine it with my work.
Share with us the back-story of some of your projects.
One of the places I love to shoot most is the Dead Sea. This unique, very special piece of sea shore is a true gem. The salt crystals creating special shapes and forms. Due to several different environmental reasons, the shore of the Dead Sea is constantly changing – the sea is drying and sinkholes are forming and changing the shore line. This is a sad outcome to human interference and usage of the land but on the other hand, it creates countless photography opportunities. As this place is not very far from home, I’m able to visit there a lot and document the changes of the shoreline in my own, private way.
Tell us about where you are based.
I live in the center of Israel. As I do not travel a lot (outside of Israel), I shoot mainly close to home. Luckily for me, most of the country’s beautiful places are located no more than 2 hours drive from my home. I still consider my photography as a hobby and as such, it needs to fit into my everyday life. I love shooting mainly sunrises and sunsets which allows me to combine it with my work.
"My passion is to be unique, to be able to show something that is different."
How do you feel about art and its role in the world?
In reference to the art of landscape photography I think this field is becoming more and more difficult for the
unique artists (as I consider myself). As we live in an instant era in which photography became a common practice (everyone has a cell phone camera and even the more professional cameras became more accessible) where photo stocks and mass printing control the field, it is getting harder for artists to maintain uniqueness and make a living from their art. Personally, I refuse to sell my photos in stock sites as I prefer my work to stay individual. When someone purchases a photo of mine they should know there is no chance they will see it hanging also on a neighbor’s wall.
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"I love our planet’s beauty. Being able to present it in my own special way, appreciated by the viewers is all that I’m hoping for."
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How you want your art to affect the viewer/ and the world?
I love the WOW effect. When people are looking at my work and this is their initial response. Secondly, I wish my work to give the viewer a relaxed and comfortable feeling. When I hear from someone that bought a photo of mine that it makes them feel relaxed just to sit and stare at the photo, I feel that I did my part. I love our planet’s beauty. Being able to present it in my own special way and to be appreciated by the viewers is all that I’m hoping for.
www.amirehrlich.com