NYFA Faculty Spotlight: Brian Dilg, Photography

December 31, 2010

My ultimate goal is to help students find their own creative voice, to create images that simply don’t look like anyone else’s.

New York Film Academy blog has decided to catch up with a few of our talented faculty. Meet Brian Dilg, Chair of the NYFA Photography Department

Photo by Brian Dilg

Photo by Brian Dilg, all rights reserved.

“I teach courses on the techniques and aesthetics of cameras, lenses and lighting, as well as digital darkroom practices. I also help students investigate their own creative process, the themes they’re particularly attuned to, and how to bridge the gap between theoretical understanding of technical concepts and real-time application. Part of that process is learning exactly how the human brain-eye system actually perceives the visual world, and the surprising ways in which we don’t actually see what we think we see, both as image-makers and as viewers. Understanding how cameras actually “see” light allows photographers to exploit the way the human eye seeks visual balance and harmony. Image-makers can than build layers of perception and meaning into images, which creates a rich discovery process for the viewer and rewards repeated viewing. At this image-saturated time in history, having this ability at your command gives photographers a major competitive advantage, and helps them overcome the tendency of flawless modern equipment to produce generic, forgettable work. My ultimate goal is to help students find their own creative voice, to create images that simply don’t look like anyone else’s.”

Photo by Brian Dilg for In Montauk

Photo by Brian Dilg. Shot on assignment for filmmaker Kim Cummings for the feature film In Montauk.

Brian Dilg is an internationally published and collected photographer and award-winning filmmaker with over 20 years of professional teaching experience around the world. His images have been published in the New York Times, Time Out, and the Village Voice, and on book covers by Simon and Schuster, Random House and Hyperion. He has provided image retouching services to clients including Victoria’s Secret, Polo Ralph Lauren, Revlon, Nike, NBC and Allure. He is an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop, an Adobe Certified Instructor, and a frequently consulted authority on retouching and color management hardware and software. His feature film directorial debut, “Auf Wiedersehen,” premiered at the 2010 Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival. He recently shot “The Greims” starring Wes Bentley (American Beauty), featured at the 2009 Vancouver International Film Festival. He previously served as the Technical Director of the film program and as the Director of the digital imaging program at the Maine Media Workshops. He did his graduate work in film production at New York University, where he was a full scholarship student. He has worked as director, cinematographer, and editor on over 70 other narrative, documentary, music video and commercial films. He currently serves as the Chair of the New York Film Academy Photography Department.