Peter Freed

Peter Freed (born June 8, 1953) is an American director and portrait photographer.[1] His seminal portraits of Martin Scorsese, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Elton John, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Robert DeNiro, and many others have appeared on the covers of the New York Times, Premier, Esquire, Architectural Digest, Newsweek, USA Today as well as movie ads and billboards.

Early life

Freed was born the youngest of three children. He has two sisters in Providence, Rhode Island. He studied Behavioral Psychology and Cultural Anthropology at American University. Growing up, Freed wanted to be an Olympic skier, and he taught skiing in Europe and Colorado for a number of years.

Photography

While teaching skiing in Colorado, Peter Freed joined a company photographing visitors atop the ski area at Copper Mountain. He would later expand into photographing friends and family in the area. He was approached by a reporter from the Denver Post who had just written a review of a local restaurant and wanted a photograph to accompany the article. This began a year long relationship with the paper as a freelance photographer. Wanting to pursue further, Freed moved back east and secured a staff job at the Westport News in Connecticut. After a year, he became friends with a freelancer for the New York Times and would fill-in for her when she wasn't available. Impressed by Freed's portfolio, the then assignment editor of the New York Times, Carlo Mastricolo, hired Freed to be part of the paper's freelance roster. Over the next 3 years, Freed shot over 1,400 assignments for the New York Times. He and the late Malcolm Forbes were the only press photographers with press plates for their motorcycles.

Freed holds the position of Director of Photographer for Columbia University Law School[2] and works with many corporate clients including Sony, Cummings, Flight Safety, Apollo Global, Armstrong and many others. His work has been exhibited at the Santa Fe Gallery, International Center of Photography, Gallery of Geneva, Maine Media Gallery and The Art Directors Club of New York. He is the recipient of prestigious awards from American Photography, Photo District News and American Society of Magazine Photographers.

The Prime Book

In 2015, Peter Freed published Prime: Redefining Women in Their Prime, a portrait book that highlights women from the ages of 35 to 104 without makeup or retouching. The Prime Book garnered international support and press coverage.[3] It is composed of 86 black and white portraits of women without makeup, jewelry or any form of retouching or Photoshop editing. Accompanying the portraits are essays written by each subject that redefine what it means to be a woman in her "Prime." The book is intended to explore the aging process, unrealistic beauty standards and the complexity of being a woman.[4]

Women featured in the book are Emily Sandberg Gold, Christy Turlington, Brene Brown, Dani Shapiro and many other remarkable women. Not every subject featured in Prime is a supermodel or celebrity.[5] Many subjects in the book are unsung heroes that represent what it's like to be a woman in modern day America.

Other published books including Freed's photography[6] are The Power to Heal, Going Grey, A Day in the Life of China and A Day in the Life of America.

Personal life

Aside from his success in photography, Peter Freed is an acclaimed director and camera operator. He has produced commercials for Lincoln Center, IWC watches, Silhouette, Columbia University, Merrill Lynch, Pypestream, Vacheron Constantin, Cadillac and others. He has been a sought after instructor at Maine Media Workshop, Santa Fe Workshops and PhotoPlus International Conference.

In 2016, Freed is slated to begin producing a feature-length documentary titled Depth of Field. The documentary will chronicle a wide array of notable award winning photographers sharing their most memorable projects.

Freed is also known for his philanthropic contributions and work with charitable organizations. He photographed pro bono for Orbis, a not-for-profit flying eye hospital aboard a DC10 where doctors trained in the latest ophthalmic techniques bring their surgical knowledge and skills to doctors in developing countries through hands-on training and lectures. He has filmed advertising for Women in Need, Coalition of the Homeless, ASPCA and the Afya Foundation.

Freed lives in Dobbs Ferry, New York and has 2 daughters.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Celebrity photog Peter Freed's in his 'Prime'". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  2. ↑ "About | Columbia Law School Magazine". www.law.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  3. ↑ "Press". The Prime Book. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  4. ↑ "Photographer Peter Freed aims to challenge unrealistic beauty standards". DailySabah. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  5. ↑ "Up-Close Photos Of Women 'In Their Prime' Defy Conventions About Aging". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  6. ↑ "Peter Freed". www.peterfreed.com. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  7. ↑ "Women in their Prime: Owning Who You Are". Karen Putz. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
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