Episode 36 - In this episode, Zach & Courtney talk with Ruedi Hofmann, photographer and master printer for Richard Avedon's In the American West.
Ruedi Hofmann has worked as a professional photographer since the 1980s with regular clients like Giorgio Armani. But before that, Hofmann worked for 5 years with Richard Avedon as Studio Manager, First Assistant on the In The American West series, and finally as Master Printer for the artist’s most famous project.
In this interview, Hofmann tells us stories about working with Avedon, how he reluctantly agreed to print In The American West, and his own career in fashion & portraiture.
For his work as Master Printer, Hofmann received from Avedon one edition of each photo he printed, making him owner of one of only three complete sets of In the American West.
“Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson
Index
0:00 - Introducing Ruedi Hofmann - photographer and master printer
1:39 - How Ruedi got started in photography.
4:21 - What it was like working in Richard Avedon’s studio.
15:19 - How Avedon chose Hofmann to print his photos.
22:17 - Ruedi’s terms for staying on to the end of In The American West.
25:49 - Leveraging the Avedon name for products & services.
27:09 - Working your way up at Avedon’s studio.
28:53 - The importance of the master printer’s role in making a photograph.
31:06 - Ruedi tells us Avedon’s reaction to the first ~100 prints.
34:21 - Ruedi Hofmann’s career as a professional photographer.
43:59 - Richard Avedon and Laura Wilson worked together to find subjects.
47:43 - What it was like for Avedon’s Western subjects.
55:38 - The new Avedon documentary declined Ruedi’s participation.
58:14 - A photography project is bigger than just the photographer.
1:09:27 - Ruedi’s thoughts on Avedon’s destruction of his negatives.
1:15:33 - Ruedi feels a responsibility to the people he’s photographing.
In this interview, we reference a video where Hofmann speaks with Richard Corman in great detail about the technical processes of printing In The American West. You can watch that here:
https://www.ruedihofmann.com/avedon-west-collection
You can learn more about Ruedi's ownership of the Avedon prints in Zach's video here: https://youtu.be/StKEn_kjc5Q
Find Zach
Website: https://zachdobson.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphoto
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphoto
Find Courtney
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessons
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_
About the Podcast
Photography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting.
Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world.
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