Glenn Sturm
Artist Statement
My mom gave me a camera for my 5th birthday while we were living in Berlin, Germany. We were getting ready to take a trip around Europe and my mom wanted me to take “some” pictures to save the memories. As a result of this insightful gift, I have continuously carried a camera with me ever since.
Over the years the numbers of cameras that I carried in my pack expanded. I traveled around the world and couldn’t imagine missing an image. I have always treasured the images I’ve taken, but up until 2009, I rarely shared these images with others.
On January 21, 2009, I received a phone call from my doctor. She told me that the biopsy results had come back positive for lymphoma and that I needed to start chemo as soon as possible. Over the next few months, I had to make decisions about what I would do with my life. I chose to continue to hike, climb and see some of the most beautiful places in the world.
About 5 years ago I met Brittany Lunsford Kurz, which turned out to be one of the most important events in my professional life. She is a fantastic production artist and extremely talented photographer. We share a creative streak that is necessary to create astrophotography – she is a friend, educator and wonderful teammate.
Most of my photography is located in hospitals, major religious landmarks and scientific institutions. I normally only sell one copy of any of my images. I retain an artist’s proof and sometimes we provide a printer’s proof to Brittany. The proceeds from virtually all of the sales of the images have gone to either children’s health or for the education of children’s technical artistic skills.
My original work focused on wildlife and landscapes. However, in early 2014 I learned that totality from the 2017 eclipse would be centered over my house in Wyoming. Brittany and I spent most of the next few years developing technical and creative skills. We studied maps and hiked all over the Tetons looking for the best location to shoot the eclipse.
As the Jackson Eclipse shoot ended Brittany asked me a trick question. She asked if I wanted to shoot another Eclipse on my birthday and in the Patagonia portion of Argentina, one of my favorite places in the world. Because of the fun I had shooting the eclipse in Jackson I have become a committed umbraphile.
So far, we have shot eclipses in the United States and Chile. The collection that you will see today includes “time lapse” images of the last two eclipses. Our first book on eclipses and how to shoot eclipses is due for publication next March (weather and Covid-19 permitting). The last eclipse for the book will be shot in Argentina this December.
After 12 years on chemo I am able to celebrate life through my photography. My doctors have repeatedly told me that since I have focused on photography, I am healthier and that I would not have lived my wonderful life without the lessons that this medium has taught me. - Glenn Sturm