Pat Thielen wrote:
Howard Schatz indeed rocks -- he's one of my favorites as well. But I don't get the impression he's under-rated, much less the most under-rated photographer. He's a very successful commercial photographer with many excellent books of his personal work. I think he's rather highly regarded, actually.

  -P-

You're right of course, but I hardly ever hear him mentioned in the same breath as the big names, yet I think he's right up there.

Justin N Lane wrote:
He's a technical powerhouse, but I find his work on the sterile side.

Sterile?  Really?  I never saw it that way.  The passion in some of his dance images is astounding.

Olaf S wrote:
Sterile?  Really?  I never saw it that way.  The passion in some of his dance images is astounding.

here's another dance photographer, been around forever...

Lois Greenfield:
http://loisgreenfield.com/galleries/airborne/index.html

About Howard? I don't know, all dance photography looks the same to me...as if the style is ubiquitous... also, consider that the photographer's presence in the image takes a back seat to the performance of the dancer.  There just never seems to be any meaningful connection in his work.  It's all slick, beautiful, vibrant and sharp...but really not engaging beyond the surface.  Eyecandy.

Justin N Lane wrote:

here's another...

Lois Greenfield:
http://loisgreenfield.com/galleries/airborne/index.html

I don't know, all dance photography looks the same to me...as if the style is ubiquitous... also, consider that the photographer's presence in the image takes a back seat to the performance of the dancer.  There just never seems to be any meaningful connection in his work.  It's all slick, beautiful, vibrant and sharp...but really not engaging beyond the surface.

Yeah, it's funny, but I've never been a big fan of Lois Greenfield. Her stuff I find sterile!  Did you ever see Schatz's "Passion & Line"?

Olaf S wrote:

Yeah, it's funny, but I've never been a big fan of Lois Greenfield. Her stuff I find sterile!  Did you ever see Schatz's "Passion & Line"?

I have... he's working strongly in the tradition of the modernists... again, beautiful, but superficial to some extent (or at least from what I've seen).

I actually met him at expo a few years ago, he was doing a seminar on studio lighting...and he is a very enthusiastic guy...

Justin N Lane wrote:

I have... he's working strongly in the tradition of the modernists... again, beautiful, but superficial to some extent (or at least from what I've seen).

I actually met him at expo a few years ago, he was doing a seminar on studio lighting...and he is a very enthusiastic guy...

Yeah, I met him too.  Very enthusiastic, very inspiring.  He gave me advice that was absolutely invaluable. 

Who do you like?

Dan  Hood  MM/Moderator wrote:
I have mentioned him several times in various "best photographer" threads. He is just not as trendy as others. Water Dance is one of my favorite books.

Ditto.

His Body Knots and NudeBodyNude I did find too dry/sterile for my taste, but his various underwater works, or his work with Cirque du Soleil are an inspiration.

Justin N Lane wrote:
He's a technical powerhouse, but I find his work on the sterile side.

You're joking, right?

And where did anyone ever hear that he is under rated?

Dan  Hood  MM/Moderator wrote:
I have mentioned him several times in various "best photographer" threads. He is just not as trendy as others. Water Dance is one of my favorite books. Last week I joked around with a MUA that my biggest claim to fame is that I shot a model that he also shot.

Dan was it the redhead, something like Shawnie Free Jones (Tuna)? She was in LA Confidential too.

Justin N Lane wrote:
He's a technical powerhouse, but I find his work on the sterile side.

Agreed, which is exactly what you'd want from an optometrist, right? I find his stuff quite pretty and quite boring IMHO.

By the by, he's got a very impressive client list and commands some pretty high fees, so I'd be hardpressed to call him underrated.

Marko Cecic-Karuzic wrote:

Agreed. Quite pretty and quite boring IMHO.

When compared to the frenetic pace of texture in the image "recent London test page 3 with Vanessa Scott-Thompson" or the subtle control of light and shadow in "Kind of a Fellini moment, isn't it?", I can see where you're coming from.

Bob Randall Photography wrote:

When compared to the frenetic pace of texture in the image "recent London test page 3 with Vanessa Scott-Thompson" or the subtle control of light and shadow in "Kind of a Fellini moment, isn't it?", I can see where you're coming from.

Ya didn't like 'em? Bummer!

Marko Cecic-Karuzic wrote:

Ya didn't like 'em? Bummer!

Why did you edit your original post?

Bob Randall Photography wrote:
Why did you edit your original post?

Because I didn't like the wording. I don't think much of myself as a writer. ;-)