Portrait Photography by Jeff Riedel

Born in Morristown, New Jersey in 1968, Jeff Riedel first tapped his love of photography when his parents gave him a Polaroid camera at age 8. Twelve years later, as a freelance journalist covering a coal miners strike in West Virginia with his grandfathers Mamiya Twin Lens in tow, Riedel documented the beginning of his career in a series stark and haungting black and white images. Returning to New York City, he immediately enrolled at SVA and worked tirelessly for five years perfecting his skills as a first assistant for the industys top talent.