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| When asked to describe himself as a photographer, Brooklyn-based Mel Levine responds with a modest laugh. In his view, he’s less an artist than a pragmatist-or, as he puts it, "a person who captures reality as it happens." The fact that the images he's caught have found their way into publications like Sports Illustrated, Time, and Life suggests that his unpretentious approach has paid off. In a way, it isn't too surprising that Mel remembers his entry into the profession as a gentle drift rather than a forceful push. Though photography had always intrigued him, he'd never seriously considered it a career option until after a stint in the Navy. That was when he befriended a man who worked in a wedding studio, and before long Mel tried his hand at photographing bridal parties and accessories. From there, he moved on to the specialized field of medical photography, serving as assistant photographer in a hospital. His work there involved everything from public relations to taking pictures of surgical procedures. From there, Mel made his way to a position in the Time-Life stockroom and lab, which put him in contact with some of the editors. Eventually, he recalls, he "anded some assignments, got published, and kept going." His philosophy was, and is, clearcut and direct: "I see something I like, decide I’d like to shoot it, and do." What he likes usually involves people, color, and action, making sports photography a natural point of interest. In his work for Sports Illustrated, Mel has shot football, baseball, and soccer, which he says he particularly enjoyed. The images he seems proudest of capturing, though, are those of the New York Marathon, and it's not difficult to see why. This unique combination of personalities, competition, and sheer physical effort seems ready-made for Mel's talents. In fact, he's made parades of all sorts one of his specialties. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the St. Patrick's Day Parade are two regular events he looks forward to photographing each year. TO READ MORE ABOUT MEL LEVINE PICK UP THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF INCREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHY |
