DAY 263

FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPHERS

Howard Schatz (1940–)

DREAMING UNDERWATER

Photography began as a weekend hobby for Howard Schatz, who was at that time a world-famous retina specialist with a thriving practice and a professorship at UCSF Medical Center. Eventually, he decided to take a sabbatical and devote his time to photographic pursuits, which led to a prolific second career.

Schatz’s passion for the human body is conveyed in his images of models adorned with roses and sequins, swathed in chiffon, or contorted in impossible knots. The majority of his work is a visual celebration of the movement, grace and form of athletes and dancers, much of which is photographed in a swimming pool. Indeed, his best-known images are otherworldly dreamscapes, watery images of floating, angelic, lithe figures.

Schatz retrofitted a swimming pool on his property to be the stage for his creations. This is a crucial element to his work, as water’s unique properties infuse his images with extreme light and clarity. Its buoyancy causes models’ hair and clothing to float, making them appear weightless. Over the years he has learned to adjust the water’s pH so it doesn’t sting the models’ eyes, and his physician’s bedside manner comes in handy when helping models to relax and hold their breath underwater for long periods.¹

His images have appeared in Time, Sports Illustrated, Vogue, Stern, Life, and The New Yorker. His advertising clients include Nike, Ralph Lauren, Escada, Virgin Records, and Mercedes Benz. His books include H2O, WaterDance, Pool Light, Botanica, and Athlete. —GC