Recently a colleague told me about the fine art photography by Harv Greenberg. Not only is his work breathtaking; Harv's story is incredible. Please join me on this journey with Harv and enjoy our conversation below. I cannot think of a better way to begin our 2014 Artists Series! Image above: Serenity, The Dead Sea in Jordan.
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| A "Selfie" of Harv |
Tell us how you
made the decision to make time from your very busy medical career to become a
photographer.
There’s little doubt that I am a very fortunate individual. I've always considered the practice of medicine to be a privilege. To have the ability to intervene in the lives
of my patients when it matters most is a gift I have always treasured. Having the time and the resources to pursue
my other passions of adventure travel and photography allows me to express my
creative self and provides me with an entirely different feeling of
satisfaction. I typically work a 70-hour
week as a full-time, hospital-based radiologist specializing in MRI. My medical
practice affords me the luxury of taking one week off each month which then
allows me the time to travel to some amazing, far away destinations on all
seven magnificent continents. Finding
the proper balance in life is essential.
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| Spiritual Skies, Machu Picchu Peru |
Were you interested in art from a
young age?
When I was
younger I was primarily focused on pursuing a career as a physician. I spent my summers in high school and college
performing research at Johns Hopkins, U.C. Davis and the Huntington Institute
of Applied Medical Research and was fortunate to have published in the medical
literature prior to entering the U.C. San Francisco School of Medicine. I knew from a very early age that medicine
was my calling.
My father was
born with a serious congenital heart defect and was treated by a world famous
pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Helen Taussig.
When I was just five years old, he had written to tell her that his son
wanted to become a physician. Years
later, when I was in college working at Johns Hopkins on a research grant, I
looked up my father’s medical records and found the letter he had written to
Dr. Taussig proclaiming my interest in becoming a physician. You can only imagine my surprise!
After I completed
the four requisite years of medical school, a year of internship, four more
years of residency in radiology followed by a one-year fellowship in MRI, I
entered private practice. Soon
thereafter, I began pursuing my love affair with adventure travel and
photography. Specializing in the very
highly technical field of medical imaging and the very creative endeavor of
landscape, nature and wildlife photography has provided me with an absolutely
perfect sense of balance and direction in life.
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| Iceberg, Antarctica |
What countries and cities have
inspired your works the most and where do you plan to travel next?
Without a doubt,
the three adventures I treasure most amongst all of my travels around the world
are the three weeks I spent circumnavigating the waters off Antarctica, the
time I spent tracking silverback gorillas in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda
and one fabulous morning photographing Paris.
You can only imagine the pristine natural wonders to be seen on the
Antarctic continent. Seeing tens of
thousands of King Penguins en masse was simply indescribable. Watching the blue
hued icebergs floating like candelabras in Antarctica’s Paradise Bay as the sun
rose was truly one of the most breathtaking moments I have ever enjoyed.
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| Tibet |
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| China, The Great Wall |
Several years ago on vacation in Paris, I woke up around 3
a.m. suffering from my usual jet lag.
Rather than toss about for the next few hours in bed, I threw on some
clothes, grabbed my Nikon and jumped in a taxi heading for the Champs
Elysees. Paris was silent at that
hour. The streets were empty and it
seemed as though I had the city all to myself.
I walked for miles photographing some of the most amazing architectural
landmarks in the world including the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame and the Eiffel
Tower. As the sun began to rise over the
horizon, the artistry of the city came to life and all I could see through my
lens was magic. It was everywhere!
Capturing experiences in photographs like the sun setting
over the Moai in Easter Island or the Tibetan monks chanting in prayer in Lhasa
or the Silverback gorillas playing in the Virunga Mountains of Rwanda is what
drives me.
This evening I’m off to the United Arab Emirates to visit
Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Sahara Desert.
The architecture photography should be amazing. In February I’ll spend a week hiking in
fabulous Patagonia. Come March I’ll be
on a very special adventure visiting London first and then flying off to the
Maldives and the gorgeous turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. Finally, in April I’ll be wading through
chest deep waters in the Columbia River Gorge in the hopes of capturing some
inspiring photographs of waterfalls.
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| Edinburgh Scotland |
Are there artists and photographers
whose works have influenced you?
The photographers
whose work I admire most include Yousuf Karsh (one of the world’s greatest
portrait photographers), Julius Shulman (a founding father of American
architectural photography) and Peter Lik (a photographer who’s ability to
capture nature at its finest is nearly unsurpassed).
Harv you pay it forward in so many
ways…what are the charities that you support through your work?
As I mentioned before, I feel so very fortunate in so many
ways. Having traveled to all seven
continents, I've seen first hand the immense poverty in a host of foreign
countries, the struggles of oppressed peoples and the need for conservation
efforts to preserve the wilderness and protect our precious wildlife. Donating 10% of the profits from Harv
Greenberg Photography to four extraordinary charities (Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
International, Action Against Hunger, The Tibet Fund and Rainforest Alliance)
is my way of helping to effect a change in the world at large.
These organizations are very fortunate to have your support!
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| Harv Greenberg |
Do you have upcoming exhibits
planned for 2014? Where can people view and purchase your photographic works of
art?
I have an
on-going exhibit at the Spencer Art Gallery in historic downtown Charleston,
South Carolina. Currently I’m displaying
a collection of international wildlife photographs for the upcoming
Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition to be held in Charleston on February 14th-16th. My photography can also be viewed and
purchased on my website at www.HarvGreenberg.com.
Finally, what
words of advice would you give to the aspiring artist of any age?
Quite simply, the
most important thing for all of us to remember is that life is short so follow
your passions!
Harv, thank you so much for sharing your art,insights, and travels with us. Your life is one many people can only dream of; however your story is a reminder to live life to the fullest and strive to make whatever dreams one has come true!
Thank you to my friends and followers who continue to support the arts!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Please leave a comment, they truly make my day!
