Studio Visit - Marc Gabor | Tappan Residency
Studio Visit
Marc Gabor | Tappan Residency
Photographer Marc Gabor joined our Los Angeles residency program this spring, looking to expand his practice beyond landscape photography and delve into portraiture.
“I had been wanting to work in the more controlled environment of a studio but just didn’t have access to a space,” said Gabor. “I thought I should focus on portraits. I wanted them to be cohesive so I built a backdrop from the remnants of a flooring place not far from the studio.”
Marc Gabor says
“I like that some of the pictures are funny and not just trying to show someone in the most obviously flattering light.”
“For the subjects, I simply called friends and friends of friends who seemed interested in participating. I told them they could bring as little or as much to the session and that it wouldn’t take long. I got mixed results of course, but as a whole I feel like I captured honest and real expressions of each person. The mood of the during the sessions was light and I wanted the edit to reflect that. I like that some of the pictures are funny and not just trying to show someone in the most obviously flattering light.”
This spirit of experimentation and iteration is at the heart of our residency programs in general, encouraging artists to explore new techniques within the framework of a community of artists and art world experts, able to lend advice and guidance along the way.
“In the end, I’m happy with the results although I felt like I could have used more time to keep shooting more people and refining the process. But I got some good pictures of my friends and I learned something in the process.”
To explore more about our residency programs, read Lola Rose Thompson's thoughts on her time in the Koreatown studio here or take a look at our Artist Exchange program, featuring Andrew Steiger and Martinet + Texereau here.
