Today, I wanted to write about my grandfather Jean Grossman. It has been about 10 years since he has passed away, he was the only grandfather I had left and the only one I remember. The others passed away while I was to young to remember. Sometimes people ask me how I got into photography, well he is the real reason I got into photography. Jean himself was a very successful photographer in his town where everyone knew him, over 3 generations. He would walk into a restaurant or a store and people would know him from a wedding he shot for them or a portrait. He also hand colored black and white images way back in the 50′s when color photography was very limited.
I remember one day, I was 10 years old (a few years ago) he took me to his studio where I was watching him set up the lights and the backgrounds for a portrait shoot and I fell in love with the whole process, watching him conduct that shoot was an experience I will never forget. Shortly after he showed me how to develop black and white photographs in his darkroom. I was fascinated with the process and how an image developed out of a white sheet of paper. I remember everything… the red light, the bad smell from the chemicals and his finger tips which have turned brown from the fixer. Those experiences have left a strong mark on me and they have with no doubt contributed for me to follow in his steps and become a photographer myself.
Another story I remember was about a Mamiya RB 67 camera which he had purchased in the 70′s for a mountain of money, it was his most treasured object and no one was allowed to get near that camera. I remember when he took that camera out of an old brown leather case and he would take some pictures with it, it was such an exciting looking camera, not the normal point and shoot camera you see everyday. He had that camera for almost 20 years. When I started photography school at the Art Institute in 1995 he decided to give me that camera. I could not believe my ears when I heard that he would let me have it. It is a very big and heavy medium format camera which I still have today. It is probably not worth more than $250, however to me that camera is priceless and the only link I have to him. Every time I see that camera it reminds me of him. I hope one day I will be as great as he was, I think today if he was alive he would be happy with what I am doing. We miss you!
By the way, happy birthday day Dad.
You can tell by these 2 images in his 30′s-40′s that he was a great photographer. Check out the hair light, very old Hollywood like. You don’t see that anymore these days.
