About Ilan Wittenberg
After gaining a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and an MBA in Information Technology, an artist realises his passion lies elsewhere and moves into the creative realm of photography. It sounds like a career fairy tale but for Ilan Wittenberg this is a reality. Now a distinguished portrait photographer Wittenberg spends most of his time creating portraits and fine art. Ilan’s journey as a photographer began relatively recently in 2011 but he was quickly recognized as one to watch, winning a plethora of national and international awards. He is now thrilled to be working in an eye-opening field that enables him to get amongst New Zealand’s culture. The people, the atmosphere and the landscape here have contributed to Wittenberg’s shift into a photographic career, where he enjoys exercising his creative spirit. In 2014 Wittenberg was given the wonderful opportunity of presenting three themes of photography on Auckland’s scenic waterfront. Titled Black, White & Colour, it was his first endeavor to share his creations with the public in a solo exhibition, featuring portraiture, landscape and fine art. He says it was an invigorating experience to delve into, exploring his competence in creating abstract pieces. Wittenberg aimed to break through the clutter of the thousands of images we see daily by telling a story through his work, emphasizing the potential which photography has to touch peoples’ lives. During 2015, Wittenberg had the opportunity to pursue one of his true passions: documenting people in the Old City of Jerusalem. His exciting journey took him through twisted and narrow streets where merchants are proud to market their goods. Ilan’s unique eye and his ability to create quick rapport with his subjects enabled him to produce a compelling portfolio of monochrome photographs, capturing their character and the special atmosphere using ambient light only. Faces of Jerusalem was chosen to be exhibited at Te Uru Waitakere Contemporary Gallery in early 2016 and was featured in f11 Magazine as well as in Art New Zealand magazine. Ilan won the Travel Photographer of the Year award from TRAVCOM for selected photos from this collection.
Ilan went on to become a Finalist of both the Documentary category and the Portrait Classic category in the 2015 Iris Awards by the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography. Wittenberg then won the prestigious honour: 2015 Auckland Photographer of the Year and became a Fellow of the Photographic Society of New Zealand.
Ilan’s latest project Bare Truth is a captivating collection of portraits of New Zealand men who are humble, courageous and vulnerable. Their edgy portraits are presented in monochrome to emphasize their shape and form, using simple background to eliminate distractions so the viewer can focus on their body language and facial expression. The Bare Truth portfolio was chosen to be exhibited at the 2016 Head On Photo Festival in Sydney as well as the Signature Programme of the 2016 Auckland Festival of Photography. In 2016 Iris Awards Wittenberg won The Highest Scoring Print award for a set of nine portraits from this collection and became 2016 Auckland Photographer of the Year.
Entries by Ilan Wittenberg
Filipo Fifita
My name is Filipo Fifita. I was born in Vā vā’u and raised in the main island of Tongā, specifically in the small village of Ma’ufangā. Growing up, my grandparents and aunties played a significant role in shaping my beliefs and perspective on life. They instilled in me the values of discipline and family obligation, […]
Eight-week itinerary to India
Week 1: New Delhi and Agra Arrive in New Delhi on December 24th, 2023 and check in to your hotel. You can book a room at The Claridges New Delhi, a five-star hotel with a colonial charm and modern amenities1. Spend the next three days exploring the capital city of India, which is rich in […]
Just Do It
Lost and Found at Long Bay beach carpark: Two (2) Nike shoes (left and right), size 13, made in Indonesia; both smell really bad. The iconic Nike “Swoosh” was created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University. Accounting instructor Phil Knight (Nike’s co-founder), overheard Davidson say that […]
Protected: Miriam
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Beautiful Naomi
“Vulnerability is a powerful concept that encompasses the courage to open our hearts and share our deepest dreams and desires with the world. It involves taking risks and putting everything on the line to pursue our aspirations, regardless of the challenges that may come our way. As we grow older, the idea of taking risks […]
The Art Dealer
Delighted to win a Gold award for ‘The Art Dealer’ in the Monochrome category at the North Shore National Salon of Photography🥇 It was an early morning and only a couple of hours to spare before my departure flight, but I braved all odds and seized the opportunity to explore the vibrant flea market on […]
Shelley
I used to live in London and was really poor. I had 10 pounds to last me till the end of the week, luckily I’m a pretty resourceful cook and had a topped up Oyster Card. To make more money I considered being a sugar baby. It seemed easy, and I’d get wined and dined […]