Meet Gerald Cyrus

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Gerald Cyrus. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Gerald below.

Gerald, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I actually started out my post-college career as an accountant. After holding a few jobs in that field, I began to feel unfulfilled and restless. Then one Christmas I received a 35mm camera as a gift, and I decided to learn about the mechanics of using it, as well darkroom processing. A night course at a local high school in Los Angeles led to extension courses at UCLA, and later Otis Parsons Art Institute, and I began to feel as if I had found an activity that gave meaning not only to my life, but to my surrounding community in South Los Angeles. I came in contact with a gallery there called Black Gallery, and several of the more experienced photographers that congregated there (Roland Charles, Calvin Hicks, Donald Bernard and Willie Middlebrook, to name a few) served as mentors and role models. An instructor at UCLA named Sheila Pinkel also was instrumental in furthering my knowledge about the medium and important photographers (such as Roy DeCarava) that I should know about. The Los Angeles Photography Center, a city-run agency with courses and public darkrooms, was additionally an important resource for me when I was getting started.

Tapping into these resources, studying on my own (galleries, museums, libraries, and bookstores were all important), and getting out and photographing subjects that were important to me (things that were of importance whether I was a photographer or not) was how I was able to establish my personal Identity as a photographer. I’ve found that staying true to that identity—which has, of course, evolved—is what keeps me fulfilled and motivated, even when the work is not receiving the attention I think it may deserve.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m a photographer who’s been practicing for approximately 40 years. I work in what would generally be described as a documentary style with a concentration on music, street portraiture, urban landscapes, and aspects of the African diaspora across the Americas (such as customs, rituals, style, etc.). I tend to work most oftenly with black-and-white film (though I use digital cameras as well), and I usually make silver gelatin prints of my images in my own studio darkroom.

What I find most exciting about my work is the opportunity be amongst people, interacting with them and hopefully portraying them with empathy and insight. The medium is also still challenging and fascinating to me as I try to get what I see and envision down on film (and later in a print) in a manner that fully exploits the possibilities of the silver process.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

If I had to narrow it down to three, I would say that they are:
-Persistence: continuing to pursue my personal goals and objectives even when obstacles are encountered.
-Patience: (this sort of goes hand-in-hand with persistence) continuing to stay with a project over a long period of time so that it gains more perspective and resonates more fully.
-Knowledge of art and photographic history: particularly compositional styles and techniques that can be utilized while in the field.

For those that are beginning their journey, I think that patience and persistence come more easily when you are clear about what you are striving for and know how far you have to go to achieve it. And knowledge comes from putting in the time reading, looking at the work of others (whether in books, museums or galleries) and applying what you’ve learned to your practice.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

The monograph, Roy DeCarava Photographs, published by the Friends of Photography in 1981, was extremely important to me in my development as an artist. Not only were the images incredible as works of art, but they showed me that the African-American community could be photographed with a beauty and an insight that could rival any other form of art. They opened up a door for me that I didn’t even know existed. The book also demonstrated the capability of the photographic medium to fully exploit a range of gray tones, particularly on the dark end of the spectrum, in manner that was completely new and exciting to me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://geraldcyrus.com
• Instagram: @gerald_cyrus_photo

Image Credits

Gerald Cyrus