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
Eyes are Windows to the Soul
‘Eyes to the Soul‘ is a captivating collection of portraits of vulnerable women who describe their journey in life: challenges, obstacles, failures, ambitions, and aspirations. Their unique stories add an important third dimension to their striking portraits, offering an intimate insight into their world. Their personal story is often more exposing than their portrait. At […]
Professional Experience
Professional Work Experience Managing Director Wow Photography · Jan 2011 – Present, Auckland, New Zealand I am only as good as my last image so always aspiring to exceed my reputation of producing unique, quality photographs while providing outstanding value. I am achieving this by focusing on my customers’ real needs and delivering my best […]
Stunning Michelle
I always thought of myself as a wild horse, free spirit, and explorer. I never felt like I belonged to one place or one purpose. I felt like there was more meaning to 3D reality which we call life, so I always felt like I was trying to find more. I have learnt life is […]
Gabriela Alves
How much power or control do you have over your life? It’s crazy that it doesn’t matter how organized you are, no matter how many plans you make, how ready you feel, things still can go completely out of our hands. My name is Gabriela and my story is about “Resilience” I’m from Brazil and […]
Nick
My name is Nick and like every other person on Mother Earth, I fell into life totally unprepared for what my life might eventually become. My regrets (I’m sure like many others) I share a few, but the blessings I’ve received over following years have been many. While I could describe myself in many ways, […]
Faces of Humanity
Faces of Humanity is a documentary collection with little or no changes to the actual scene. I asked people to look straight into my camera, so these are not candid photos. The strength of this series is in giving viewers a rare opportunity to connect with people in their natural environment. This diverse group of people […]
Jesse Wynyard
Jesse Wynyard is the creator at Light Warrior Heroes. He is transformational speaker, hip-hop artist and master coach at Jesse Wynyard, uniting everyday heroes and empowering them to become champions. “I help ambitious, purpose driven individuals win in their personal and professional life on their own personal path to greatness.”