Steven Katzman

Like his forerunners, Jacob Riis, Lewis Hine, and Dorothea Lange, Katzman presents beautifully crafted, matter-of-fact images of his subjects, but his work goes beyond the parameters of photojournalism. The boxers, prisoners, and cremation images deal in subtleties that are ultimately political. In later series he manipulated his subject matter to create metaphors. These photographs can be particularly disturbing, sometimes shocking.  But Katzman's goal is never to merely shock, rather, he wants the viewer to think about the image and answer these specific questions in his or her mind:  Who is the person in the photograph?  What is (or was, in the case of the death images) their life like?  How do you feel about the issues being raised?

Katzman has already asked these questions of himself. He arrived at his answers through the direct experience of being up close and personal with his subject no matter how emotionally difficult it was for him. Through photography, Katzman attempts to share his experiences with the viewer.

His first book, The Face of Forgiveness, Salvation and Redemption, powerHouse Books, 2005 was featured in the New York Times Book Review, as well as receiving an Award of Merit from the New York Art Directors Guild. Following the book’s publication, Mr. Katzman was interviewed on CNN, and numerous magazines, nationally and internationally. 

His second book, Zichronot was released November 1, 2023 and will be available for purchase.