Making a mark in Westchester, NY
So, a couple of weeks ago, this happened. I ended up in front of the camera for an article in Westchester Home Magazine titled "6 Talented Artists Who Are Making Their Mark in Westchester". It was an exciting experience. Usually, I get to hide behind the equipment and tell other people what to do. This article was more about my art photography than my commercial work.
Enjoy the read:
“Stefan Radtke has photographed the most exquisite homes in Westchester County and beyond — the kind that grace many elite magazines. Not only does he shoot the exteriors constructed by award-winning architects, he also skillfully shoots incredible interiors. His portraiture features an elite yet eclectic group of people, including journalist Ann Curry and comedians Seth Rogen and George Lopez. But some of his most treasured photos are taken only a few miles from his home, in Rye, of the sun rising over Long Island Sound. It is these Rothko-inspired photos that clients clamor for to adorn their not-so-humble abodes.
Radtke's work is sought-after by leading commercial clients and media companies, yet he did not plan to become a photographer. Working in the entertainment industry in his native Germany, Radtke originally thought he wanted to work in film production. He enjoyed the creative collaborations but realized that film sets were "too complicated, with too many people."
A friend told him to consider studying at the International Center of Photography when he moved to the U.S. in his early 20s. Radtke sent in his small portfolio and soon found himself accepted and enrolled in a portraiture class taught by acclaimed photographer Amy Arbus. "She was a tough critic, but I liked that. She was able to critique without making a big story about it, and she was always to the point," he says. "She loved what I was doing," explains Radtke. Arbus encouraged him to "let go" in his work, which is most evident in his fine-art photography. When he's shooting homes, everything in the composition is micromanaged, and his focus is on capturing the intent of the interior designer or creating images to accompany a story. In contrast to this, his fine-art photography frees him to experiment with his camera. "I may not be focusing or holding the camera completely still," but he loves being surprised by what comes out of this technique.
His fine-art photography requires minimal retouching, but his other photos are processed in-house, at his Port Chester studio. Located in the Ernest Simons Building, a historic former shirt-factory building from 1876, his studio is one of many offices occupied by local creatives across a range of industries, from floral design and textiles to architectural model makers.
Although he has photographed many individuals against a white backdrop at his studio, he prefers to photograph them in a lifestyle environment. "I love to meet people who I would never meet otherwise." For Radtke, the perfect trifecta is shooting interesting people in their carefully curated, beautifully-designed homes, with great artwork on display. "That's when I'm at my happiest," he says.”
Images by Ken Gabrielsen, words by Stacey Pfeffer, Gina Valentino, Editor of Westchester Home Magazine, fact-checked the story, and Halina Sabath was the Creative Director. Thank you, Westchester Home Magazine, for featuring me in the article.
