Long Island Now

Interview with Photographer Joseph Szabo

I discovered photographer Joseph Szabo’s work recently while looking through Huntington store Book Revue’s website. He is scheduled to appear there on May 26th at 7pm to speak about his new book Jones Beach. Everyone from Long Island knows Jones Beach and Szabo has compiled a wonderful series of images of beach-goers that began in the 1970’s and have continued until present day. He has captured a diverse group of people and presented them in a way that feels effortless and natural.

I sent over a few questions to Szabo that he was kind enough to answer.

1. Having spent so much of my life at Jones Beach, I was automatically drawn to your work. What made you decide to create a series of images there? 

After my first visit to JOnes b. in ? 1969? I was hooked.  It was such a big, beautiful , expansive, beach with all those interesting people that I knew this was my summer photographic project.  I didn’t realize it would last my entire life…..40 and counting.  And Long Term Projects is what I’ve always done to really explore and understand my subject.  Other examples are Teenagers   and My Family, etc.

2. Your photos feel so effortless and natural, like the subjects didn’t know you were there or did know and were just very comfortable. How did you go about approaching people to be in your photos? 

I tend to approach people in a simple, straightforward, hones t  way and try to establish trust.  I show people samples of my work which I carry in a small 4x5 book so they know what kind of photos I make.  Once they see my work they know about me and feel comfortable in working with me to make photographs.  As I photograph people, I think they sense my enjoyment and we participate in having a creative,  and good time. 

3. Adolescence is a theme in many of your series. What is it about that that time period that draws you in?  

As a teach er  starting in the 70’s I was fairly close in age with my high school students. ,but felt a gap between them and me.    In order to connect with them  better both as a teacher, person and friend I used my camera to photograph them for the school yearbook and newspaper.  This led to deepening trust and helped to establish go o d relationships with all kinds of students.  Then because of my connection with the ICP and friends, and studen t s who encouraged me I tried to get deeper into documenting what teenage life was all about. So I photographed teenagers for my entire teaching career as  way to  show  who they are .  Because of a very trusting relationship with my students, I became and am very fond of them and I hope visa versa. The more I got to know my students, the more I liked and respected them and need ed  to photograph them to keep life exuberant.  Seeing the good in people and my students  has made my life very interesting and exciting  and all this I hope has made me a  more fulfilled  person. 

4. Any new series in the works? 

In going back over my archives,  I’ve discovered a series on Suburban Landscapes which cover areas ranging from New York, Connecticut,  Martha’s Vineyard, Ohio, Illinois, etc.

I’m  working on the photographs now.  

Szabo has lots of other great work on his website here, including an intimate set of portraits of Rolling Stones fans and various other portraits of teenagers that really epitomize what it’s like to be that age (My favorites are here, here, here, and here). His subjects trust him and their willingness shows.

Szabo taught photography at Malverne High School for twenty-seven years and at Manhattan’s International Center of Photography for over twenty years. His work has been shown and collected by places such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the International Center of Photography, the Bibliotheque National in Paris, the Venice Biennial, the Brooklyn Museum, and at Yale University.

Thanks for the interview, Joseph!