DUNCANFOTOS

ABOUT

duncanfotos is the collective creative work of photographer Bob Duncan

The photographer, Duncan, was born Bob Duncan in 1953 in Corpus Christi, Texas. When he turned twelve years old, Polaroid introduced the Swinger camera that sold for only $19.95, which he bought as a “gift” for his sister, Diana. Borrowing the camera back from her on a daily basis, it went with him everywhere as he photographed the domestic scenes of family home life and candid shots at school. The cheap price and no need for a dark room enabled him to begin his lifelong passion for the photographic image and compositional skills in portraiture.

Duncan’s next major influence was a move to New York and his 1976 purchase of first 35mm camera, the Canon AE-1. Like most photographers of the day, he practiced his craft by experimenting with color Kodachrome, but it was black and white that he fell in love with. Frequent gallery explorations to see the work of Avedon,  Friedlander, Penn,  Arbus,  Weston and many other legends left a lasting impression, as did New York’s incredible creativity and vibrancy in the 1970’s.

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Paris was next in 1978, where prominent gallery owner William Burke took an interest in Duncan's work and introduced him to legendary fashion photographer, Horst, and painter Cy Twombly. Burke's developing appreciation for Duncan's early work led to an acquisition by Burke for his co-owners private collection of an original Duncan piece, titled "A Portrait of Susan Tammany.” With Horst’s signature use of dramatic lighting, Twombly's graffiti-like imagery and Burke's confidence in him, Duncan was ready to return to NY with his new fascination with subjective interpretation. But first, was a two-week stay in Andy Warhol's Paris apartment.

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Returning to New York, Duncan began working at the Modern Age Photo Labs to further his technical expertise and as a passionate artist on a budget, facilitate developing and printing his images. It was while at Modern Age, he once did an errand for Richard Avedon and was given a personal tour through Avedon's studio and residence. These sort of intimate encounters not only influenced Duncan but have also continued manifesting for Duncan throughout his career.  

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In 2011 he moved to Barcelona, meeting photographers who were capturing on-the-fly street portraits of strangers in public spaces. Their work both shocked and fascinated him, and being intimidated at first to shoot others on the street, he began by photographing statues, mannequins, and wall art. This series by Duncan was well-received and included abstract silhouettes in Madrid, the public art statues of Barcelona and Madrid, and the mannequin window displays along the fashionable Passeig de Gracia.

With the higher shutter speeds and lightweight technology needed to realize his street photography vision, Duncan invested in a Sony Alpha when he returned to Los Angeles in 2015, and began photographing the endless variety of human faces seen among the crowds from Venice Beach to Times Square. Another evolution in Duncan's work was in fashion after he was invited to attend his first show in 2015.  His work was quickly recognized for its profound artistic creativity and unique look, granting him backstage access to the most intimate moments of the fashion elite. Most recently, he was selected by the avant-garde designer to photograph her collection at a private showing in Kochi, India.

Duncan continues his photographic work today throughout the cities of the world with the same passion and excitement he felt the moment he captured his first image over 50 years ago. Duncan's shooting philosophy is also unchanged in how he executes his craft with the minimum essentials of equipment and lighting. 

Duncan’s photography is available in portraiture, street photography, minimalism, and the world of fashion.