Painter with a camera Eric Madigan Heck and his magical games with color

A good photographer is always an artist. Some more than others. American photographer Erik Madigan Heck is more of a painter than a master of photography. This is how he describes himself, and this is what comes to mind when viewers first see his incredible, vibrantly colored works.

Explosive color combinations are typical for the work of Eric Madigan Heck. Many of his photographs even resemble bright, iridescent mosaics. Of course, it is impossible to achieve such an effect using only the capabilities of digital photography. The master painstakingly processes each of his shots. It is unknown whether he does this using photo editors or the old-fashioned way, manually. Heck carefully hides his technique, evasively calling it his own.

The photographer says his original photographs are nothing like the final result. We have to take his word for it. Heck describes his work process this way:

Eric started taking photos back in school, at the age of 14. It all started with a simple Canon digital camera, which he sometimes uses even now. According to the photographer, his native places played a big role in his formation as an artist. Heck was born and raised in Excelsior, Minnesota, USA. According to him, there are many picturesque places in the vicinity of the city, where your hand automatically reaches for the camera.

Undoubtedly, Eric's parents also played an important role. They were well versed in art, and his father collected works of modern American painting. In addition, the state capital of St. Paul has many museums and art galleries, where the photographer spent a lot of time.

Having moved to New York, the photographer realized that it was not easy to make a name for himself in a city that had become a Mecca for thousands of artists. And then Heck founded the magazine "Nomenus", which became a platform for demonstrating the works of young photographers working in different genres.

These days, Eric Madigan Heck has no problem being famous. He is the recipient of the Art Directors Club Gold Medal, the Old Masters Portfolio Award, and the youngest photographer to win the ICP Infinity Award in 2013.

American Jacques-Henri Lartigue is another photographer who preferred bright colors and unusual solutions. Do you like unusual bright photos, or do you prefer a more calm classical style?