Philip Perkis - "Click" remembering my mentor
- Nick Freeman
- Nov 22
- 2 min read
One of my favorite photographers died yesterday. I am lucky that I took his classes in college and became his friend. I'm sad because I won't be able to talk to him again, but I'm happy to know he isn't in pain anymore. I can't think of anyone who was more influential to my photography. I really don't know what to say. The purpose of this is just to get others to check out his work. It is stunning. I just have some photographs of him that I wanted to share and hopefully encourage others to search for his books.
I remember the first time I was invited to get chinese food after class. It was the most special feeling in the world. I just remembered going to his apartment and seeing prints. His how to teach photography book was amazing. When he signed my copy he just wrote "Click". He said its called art work, not art play. You have to work at it and always do it if you're passionate about it. I remember him telling my class the first time I took a directed projects class with him to grade ourselves. He didn't care. If we showed up and wanted to learn, he was there to teach. The second time I took a directed projects class with him, he had me stay behind after the last class. He read the name of the student and asked me what they took pictures of because he didn't remember anyone's name, just the pictures. He was an amazing teacher and you got every bit out of his classes that you put into them.
His book "Teaching Photography"https://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Photography-Assembled-Philip-Perkis/dp/0975965115/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LWGD8H17LL1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.4dffhazkOONBZqxoGbP1pg92cvisMuk9gdZb80ZuLucPWngrmDEtHOWHdmBldvsYNqDoVALKgZ9bVf1DPbrkhw.DTui8nQrWGdWs3AfpKVN224aKd_Mx_uf6TopqDcmmJo&dib_tag=se&keywords=philip+perkis&qid=1763856505&sprefix=philip+perkis%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-1 is one of the greatest books on how to learn and teach photography. Lessons in it are so simple yet beautiful. Take 15 steps and make an image, turn around and make another. Put two pushpins into a wall 6 inches apart from each other. Look at one and then the other and notice how the other becomes out of focus, but our brain processes it as if we see both at once. (not direct quotes, but I'm going off the cuff).
My best friend at NYU Vincent Manzi http://www.vincentmanzi.com, his wife, and I went to SCAD to see a retrospective of Philip's work in 2015. It was an amazing exhibition. We drove there and photographed on the way down.
The documentary on Philip, Just to See: A Mystery https://vimeo.com/140025872 by Jin Ju Lee is spectacular. I am rewatching it right now. If you ever want to be inspired to make images, watch it... again... and again... and again.
I really don't know what else to say or if this makes sense. I just think everyone should see the images made by this beautiful man. I didn't want to just repost his photographs. I want you to go and seek them out.
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