Photography began for me in junior high school and being a shy kid then, to
break out of my timidness, I used a plastic, fixed lens Kodak camera as a
means to meet people and start new friendships. My knowledge of photography
strengthens during my high school years as I developed my eye for a style,
composition and how light affected a photograph. I consider myself a
self-taught photographer.
Later on, a stint in Navy photo school, workshops and college courses gave
me new refreshing ideals. Back to the Navy, while on the high Mediterranean
seas, straight-ahead / jazz music was one way to pass the time. Bebop sounds
of Dexter Gordon, Art Blakey, Sarah Vaughn, Sonny Stitt and many other jazz
musicians hooked me.
I started feeling this need to brotherhood with the artist and wanted to, in
some way, get closer to those musicians. I needed to document the very
important history of jazz music and the players. My niche began in the early
1980's as I begin photographing jazz artist in clubs and festivals for
community newspapers and jazz magazines.
When I'm shooting musicians, I feel a part of history being created as I
capture the essence of the moment during their performances or catch them
just being themselves backstage. This is what I want you to see in my
images, candid photojournalism and jazz photography.
I have served as an Associated Press photo intern and chief photographer at
the Milwaukee Public Museum and Marquette University Tribune. My work has
been published in Downbeat, Jazziz, Jazz Times, Washington Post, Newsweek
and Life magazine. Also since 1984, solo exhibitions of my work have
appeared throughout Milwaukee, WI and at the Jazz Record Mart in Chicago,
IL.
All photos copyright © Pat Robinson. All Rights Reserved.
