I am deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and mentor, Victor Skrebneski. I met Victor in the fall of 1961. I was a great fan of his work and I phoned his studio manager hoping to arrange to apply for a job as his assistant. When I arrived for the interview, I was ushered into his totally white studio to meet him. He got up to shake my hand and took my portfolio. While he was thumbing through my photographs, he looked up at me surprised and said, “You aren’t a model.”
I said no, I am applying for a position as an assistant.
He said, “How did you know I was looking for someone?”
I tried to conceal my excitement when I answered that I did not. This fortuitous meeting would change my life forever. What I learned from Victor was priceless, not just about photography, but about the pleasures of an elegantly joyful life. I had four wonderful years working with him before I left to open my own studio. Victor was a brilliant photographer whose vision has influenced countless photographers who followed. He will be missed deeply by all of us who loved him, and admirers of his work all over the world.
