Where to begin? that's easy, books, interpretation , and the pursuit of the right medium for
my voice and vision for what I intend to show,say, or share, I enjoyed illustrating from the stories I
read as a kid and interpreting songs I enjoyed as well and from this pursued an education in drawing
and painting, at the time my medium was watercolor and pencil. At the Penn. Acad. of Fine Arts
learned there was "an art of" as well and to try other mediums till I chose photography as my voice.
Studying art, the fundamentals of lighting and composing a drawing or painting, and more exposure to
other mediums such as sculpture and performance, took me to photography as the most creative
"voice" to say or interpret through, on an artistic, and, illustrative level and for the "realism" it
provided as a medium that recorded exactly what I placed before the camera, my preference for
natural and flash-less photography in black and white, often hand-colored rather than photo-shopped ,
exploring more with combining what mediums worked for myself, the art work-side of my
photography is where I finally was able to "realize and mature " where my early drawings and water
colors had begun* as with a drawing or painting and in some attempts sculpture, I could create a
message or story, but with actual models and back drops, the access and speed the camera provided as
a tool, increased the spontaneity and the candid nature taught me a more journalistic insight I
pursued through free-lancing and street photography,this, had it's lessons to teach as well, not only did
I have a tool that I felt best interpreted my art, where I could control my subject and message, but now
I had a tool that gave me access to "anticipate chaos" that random moment that composes
it's self before me in time and space, for me to capture.
Jeffrey Tirante
* on the "Our Hero Inc" up-dates page,is an example of an early illustration of mine
thank you "little brother"!