Model Society

about Steve Weiss

Male

I've been in the photo/film industry my whole life 51 years as a photographer and 40 as a filmmaker. I'm the founder of Zacuto USA and co-design all of our camera accessory products.

My father taught me photography at a very young age and it's become a part of everything I've done in life. It started in our family darkroom with my Omega enlarger pictured above. I spent hundreds and hundreds of hours from 8 - 17 years old... till I left home, working in the darkroom. Printing from my Rollei 3.5, Voigtlander 35mm rangefinder and Deardorf 4x5 cameras. Subsequently, I worked in wet darkrooms from 1986 till 1998 and returned last year.

I've worked in every single photographic medium from negative printing, chromes, 35mm multi-image slide shows, Super 8mm, 16mm & 35mm filmmaking, Underwater film photography and motion picture, digital photography, analog & digital filmmaking, web and live show streaming.

Now I'm so happy that my daughter and her friends have all embraced film photography and wet darkroom work. It gives me a whole new connection to be able to teach them tactile photography. They have no idea how imagery was made prior to an iPhone. I still use my original Rollei 3.5 my dad gave me and a Canonet QL10 I got on eBay for $200 and loving it. Now my Panasonic GH5 with a 28mm pancake lens is often my digital polaroid, although somethings and styles I like to do are best shot digital. George Hurrell and Richard Avedon are my heros.

I made a short film about photography, creativity, talent and filmmaking... is it born or made:
https://www.zacuto.com/pages/light-and-shadow

To me it’s all about getting that magical moment. Here the model is key. The unscripted, stolen moment is the one I’m looking for. Shallow depth-of-field, soft focus, dappled lighting and atmosphere are my pallet. Angels, shadows, dispare and passion are the inspiration behind my work