Wayne State University in Detroit. Once he
developed his own clientele after graduation,
Les\joined the family business.
Both father and son have studied photogra-
phy at the Winona School of Professional
Photography; Les was awarded a scholarship
there. Jack studied photojournalism at Kent
State University in Ohio as well as at profes-
sional seminars. Both also served on the board
of the Detroit Professional Photographers'
Association (Jack as president), and on the
Professional Photographers of Michigan Board
of Directors.

Changes In Photography

Just looking at the range of photos in the
Gorback offices — from posed to casual to
photojournalistic, shot in black and white or
color — reflects the changes in popular photog-
raphy over the years.
"Initially, we took all black-and-white pho-
tos," Les Gorback says. "But cameras and optics
have become much finer."
He remembers when his father went to a
photo shoot with a camera and a few lights.
"Now, we go out with a whole photography
studio: soft focus filters, lights. Many things
that could only be done back in the studio,-we
now can control on location," Les says.
People have also become pickier, he adds.
They ask photographers to make them look
thinner or to show their good side.
With the new digital cameras, a photographer
can use a computer to hide flaws and do other
things they couldn't do before — like seamlessly
getting rid of a divorced spouse from a picture.
Or they can put a sibling who missed the photo
shoot into a family photograph using a photo
taken later.
Les says the new trend for weddings is black-
and-white photos and more photojournalist
coverage using candid shots. The other kind of
change that has greatly affected the photogra-
phy business, he adds, is the change in societal
mores: the rise in divorces and intermarriages.
"Photographers have to be sensitive to every
situation they cover," he says.
This sensitivity includes knowing which
members of the family aren't speaking to each
other, and which children belong to which cou-
ple. Les and Jack work with their client to min-
imize the pressure such situations can create.
"To get these details before a wedding, we
have a sit down, face-to-face interview in our
studio to plan for the event," Les says.
Both father and son have exciting stories of
being flown to places around the world to take
photos. But it's the business of documenting
families in the community that means the most
to them.
When asked his secret for handling so many
and varied clients, Jack reflects on his long years
of work before replying, "It's simple. We treat
people the way we want to be treated our-
selves."

Facing page
from left:
Alan Dershowitz
during a book tour
in Detroit in
1992.

Jack and Les
Gorback
photographed the
wedding of former
Detroit Pistons
basketball star
John Salley and his
bride, Natasha.

Rabbi Morris
Adler of
Congregation
Shaarey Zedek
shortly before he
was killed in
.1966

Clockwise from
top left:
Esther and Jack
Gorback

Les Gorback

A Gorback family
portrait

Gorback Studio
of Photography
has been located
in Franklin for
26 years.

❑

10/4

2002

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