Skip to Content

About

With her 3rd book due to hit the shelves in 2019, Jill Enfield (https://www.jillenfield.com/) is a fine art photographer, educator, curator and author with teaching experience for many years. Her concentration is historical techniques and alternative processes, with annual workshops and lectures in locations such as: Anderson Ranch, Edinburgh, Hawaii, Ireland, Israel, Italy, London, Maine Media Workshops, Morocco, Norway, Oklahoma, Penland, Portugal, and RISD. Her two books: Photo Imaging: A Complete Guide To Alternative Processes published by Amphoto, and, Jill Enfield’s Guide to Alternative Processes: Popular Historical and Contemporary Techniques published by Focal Press, are both award winning works and used in schools all over the world. Jill is working on her third book, which has a 2019 publication date by Focal Press – Routledge. Like the others, it will include step-by-step instructions on a variety of techniques including: wet plate collodion, dry plate modern tintypes, platinum and palladium printing, cyanotypes, liquid emulsion, albumen printing, hand painting and more. Jill’s work has also been chosen to be on dozens of book covers as well as hundreds of magazines and websites. In addition to network broadcastings, Jill has hosted podcasts and videos that can be seen on youtube and other channels of the web. She has shown her work throughout the USA and Europe and recently had a 3 month solo show, featured in the New York Times, which included a glass installation of 45 separate antique windows, each showcasing a glass portrait of a contemporary immigrant, all combined into a single house, where “People Should Not Throw Stones.” The exhibition occupied 6 galleries on Ellis Island called THE NEW AMERICANS, up from May through September, 2017, and is scheduled for a 2 year tour in galleries and museums throughout the U.S. A 3-minute video, which highlights the overall concept, can be seen by clicking on this link. Jill’s fine art images can be found in many museums around the world as well as in private collections. Professional Photography Magazine voted her as one of the top 100 Influential Photographers and she has been showcased in PDN, Nikon World, and Kodak Ambassadors along with others.


Gallery


LACP Interviews Jill Enfield

LACP asks Jill Enfield ten questions about her background, career in and beliefs about photography.

LACP: What kind of photographer are you?

JE: I WOULD DEFINE MYSELF AS A FINE ART, HISTORICAL TECHNIQUE PHOTOGRAPHER. AT THE MOMENT, MY WORK IS CONCENTRATING ON PORTRAITS WHICH ARE THEN TURNED INTO INSTALLATIONS. THE PROJECT THAT I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS HAS BEEN PORTRAITS OF IMMIGRANTS CALLED “THE NEW AMERICANS” DONE USING WET PLATE COLLODION PORTRAITS. THE IMAGES WERE THEN SCNNED IN AND TRANSFERRED ONTO OLD WINDOWS TO MAKE A GLASS HOUSE TO GO WITH THE ADDAGE “THOSE IN GLASSHOUSES SHOULD NOT THROW STONES”. THE INSTALLATION ALSO WENT ALONG WITH POSTERS THAT COVERED A ROOM WITH THE POEM ON THE STAUTE OF LIBERTY PRINTED ABOVE.

LACP: How long have you been shooting?

JE: FOR A CRAZY LONG TIME!!! I STARTED PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE LATE 1970’S – EARLY 80’S.

LACP: Where did you get your training?

JE: FROM WORKSHOPS, PRIVATE CLASSES AND THEN WENT BACK TO GET MY DEGREE FROM THE TISCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS AT NYU.

LACP: When did you know you wanted to devote your life to photography?

JE: I HAD DROPPED OUT OF COLLEGE IN 1973 AND DECIDED TO PURSUE MY LOVE OF PHOTOGRAPHY. IT WAS THEN I STARTED TO TAKE CLASSES AND FINALLY WENT BACK FOR A DEGREE WHEN I MOVED TO NYC.

LACP: Did you ever come close to giving up?

JE: I STOPPED PHOTOGRAPHING SEVERAL TIMES TO RE-GROUP WHAT I WANTED TO DO.

LACP: Have you sacrificed anything by being a photographer?

JE: MY CHOICES HAVE NOT INCLUDED MAKING A LOT OF MONEY – I WAS DOING COMMERCIAL WORK AND DECIDED THAT I DID NOT REALLY ENJOY IT, SO I STARTED TO TEACH. GOOD FOR MY MIND -NOT MY WALLET!

LACP: What have you gained by being a photographer?

JE: THE LOVE OF THE ARTS. ABLE TO BE MY OWN PERSON AND EXPRESS MYSELF. ABLE TO KEEP LEARNING. ABLE TO GET A MESSAGE ACROSS TO PEOPLE OF AREAS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO ME.

LACP: What classes do you teach at LACP?

JE: MATT ALBUMEN PRINTING.

LACP: What do you love most about teaching?

JE: I LOVE SEEING STUDENTS GET EXCITED ABOUT THINGS THAT I CAN SHOW THEM FOR THE FIRST OR 10TH TIME! I ALWAYS LEARN FROM MY STUDENTS AND WHEN THINGS GO WRONG – AS THEY SOMETIMES DO WITH CHEMISTRY AND NOT WORKING IN MY OWN SPACE, THE STUDENTS CAN SEE HOW TO GO ABOUT PROBLEM SOLVING.

LACP: What advice would you give someone who is thinking about making a career in photography?

JE: PHOTOGRAPHY HAS CHANGED SO MUCH SINCE I STARTED. AT THIS DAY AND AGE, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES AND DON’T PIGEON HOLE YOURSELF WITH ONE FACET OF THE BUSINESS. IN FACT, TAKING BUSINESS CLASSES ALONG WITH ART AND HISTORY IS SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP NO MATTER WHAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO. HAVING A WELL ROUNDED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCES ARE SO IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND YOUR CAREER CHOICES OR WHAT YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR.