Stephen Wilkes
Color plays a critical role in all the creations of acclaimed photographer Stephen Wilkes. Passionate about photography since his early teens, he has built a career in photography that spans editorial, advertising, and fine art. The photographer of choice for many of the country's leading advertising agencies and companies, his editorial work also has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Time Magazine, and Sports Illustrated.
Stephen’s intense interest in color and unique presentations are often the focal point of projects like photographing the south side of Ellis Island and a Millennial Portrait of the United States sponsored by Epson. Reviewers applaud his use of colors that “burn from within” and that “create luminous landscapes;” and his accolades are numerous: the Epson Creativity Award for the PDN Photo Annual; the 2004 Fine Art Photographer of the Year at the Lucie Awards; and the Alfred Eisenstadt Awards for Magazine Photography, Photographer of the Year, among others.
“I specialize in giving people a visual experience, a depth and perception of depth through color. So it is extremely important that my perspective, the capture of light, vibrancy and emotion that is color, is rendered as truly as possible throughout the process. That’s what it’s all about,” Stephens says.
It is his passionate relationship to color that also has made Stephen a passionate advocate for the latest color management tools.
“X-Rite has been a god send to someone as interested in color as I am, by developing products like the i1XTreme or ColorMunki that streamline all the necessary aspects of color management, from calibration and profiling through to final production, so that I know I can translate my vision exactly as I experienced, with no compromises,” he explains.
“The technology they and others are developing is allowing us to reach levels previously unimaginable, where digital images can render what before only the human eye has seen. Instead of a print, it’s a window into the imagination of the photographer,” he adds.