Final Project

Jessi nessi

December. 15, 2011

Final Project

Scott Sternbach

            Scott Sternbach, director of LaGuardia’s Community College photography department was granted by the National Science Foundation to photograph Antarctic Landscape. When asked if he ever thought he would ever get this far he responded, “ I don’t know if this is a bit arrogant to say, but I always knew I would get it.” Sternbach is a highly motivated and dedicated photographer. He grew up in New Jersey, where his parents used to take him to galleries and exhibitions. His inspiration he said was just looking at photographs. Although he did state that an advantage he had was that his grandfather and great grandfather used to take photographs and they kind of got him started. He stated that he started taking photographs when he was ten to eleven years old; he had his camera set and everything. Sternbach attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, then transferred to New school for research, and later finished school at City College. When asked why he decided to join the LaGuardia staff, he answered “ Never really planned it, in the 90’s I had an exhibition here in LaGuardia and they were impressed with what they saw, and they offered me a position here. I’ve been here since 2000, it’s been eleven years.” Sternbach’s future goals are to continue the LaGuardia program, and to continue to make it grow not in size but in quality. He also plans to go back to Antarctic and Alaska. He said “ I also want to go to hot places after; I like to go to the extreme. Maybe after that I’d go to the equator. Later make a big exhibition of Survival in both extreme cold and hot places.” Sternbach is an interesting and unique photograph, and one can only admired his outlook of life in the beauty of his pictures. Favorite scenes he said he likes to photograph are “ places found compelling [that tell stories], like beauty at the edge of great difficulty. That’s why I chose polar places, expressive places; anyone that can survive in such harsh environments and situations is interesting. Where there is human spirit, to see how people react when under pressure.” Some of Sternbach’s great work is being displayed now at the American Museum of Natural History in the “Race to the end of the world” exhibition!